BOYS' HOME INTERNATIONALS

LUNCHTIME NEWS FROM LOSSIEMOUTH

ENGLAND LEAD IRELAND 3-2

England opened their defence of the R&A Trophy in the boys’ home by taking a 3-2 lead over Ireland after the morning foursomes.
In cool but dead-calm conditions, Niall Kearney and Gary McGrane won the top tie for the Irish, beating Sam Hutsby and Luke Goddard by one hole. It was a tight encounter throughout with Kearney and McGrane establishing an early one-hole lead and staying in the driving seat to be one up through nine, 12 and 15 holes.
England levelled the scoreline when Adam Hodkinson and Nick McCarthy beat Paul Culter and Colin Fairweather 3 and 2 after going two up on the seventh tee.
Ireland won the third tie through Andrew Hogan and Luke Lennox, 2 and 1 winners over Darren Wright and Billy Fowles but England’s foursomes tail wagged to produce two wins.
Andrew Johnstone and Jack Hiluta came back from one down after 12 to be all square on the 16th tee before beating Brian Keenan and Liam Reilly on the last green.
Tom Oliver and Dale Whitnell, three up after six, maintained that lead through the ninth and 12th and went on to beat Paul O’Kane and James Patterson 3 and 2.

SCOTLAND LEAD WALES 4-1

Scotland were well on their way to avenging last year’s 8-7 defeat by Wales when they established a 4-1 lead in the foursomes.

Lewis Kirton and James Byrne continued to blend well, as they did in the recent European boys’ team championship in Sweden and won the opening foursome by 3 and 2 over Zach Gould and Adam Runcie.
It was all square at the turn but the Scots went two up over the first three holes of the inward half and held that advantage until the Welsh ran out of holes.
Wales hit back by taking the second foursome in which Rhys Enoch and Richard Merchant beat Jordan Findlay and Michael Stewart by 4 and 3.
The Welsh pair were two up after nine and 12 holes and clinched victory by winning the 14th and 15th.
Scotland went into a 2-1 lead when the Craigielaw partnership of Shaun McAllister and Zack Saltman won by 4 and 3 against Jamie Howie and Jonathan Williams. There was not much between the sides until the closing holes of the outward half, over which the Scots moved from one to three up at the turn.
Scottish boys’ match-play champion James White and Ross Kellett put Scotland 3-1 ahead by beating Marc Lewis and Richard Bentham 3 and 2.
White and Kellett took a stranglehold on this tie by winning four of the first six holes and were still four up at the turn.
Gordon Stevenson and Chris Robinson completed a good morning for the Scots by beating Joseph Vickery and Jason Shufflebotham on the last green.
There was never more than a hole in it either way and the match was all square after 12 holes. Stevenson and Robinson edged one up after 15 holes and kept their noses in front to the end.

S C O R E B O A R D

BOYS’ HOME INTERNATIONALS
Moray Golf Club Old Course, Lossiemouth

Morning results:

ENGLAND lead IRELAND 3-2

England names first

FOURSOMES

S Hutsby & L Goddard lost to N Kearney & G McGrane 1 hole.

A Hodkinson & N McCarthy bt P Cutler & C Fairweather 3 and 2.

D Wright & B Fowles lost to A Hogan & L Lennox 2 and 1.

A Johnston & J Hiluta bt B Keenan & L Reilly 1 hole.

T Oliver & D Whitnell bt P O’Kane & J Patterson 3 and 2.


WALES are losing 1-4 to SCOTLAND

Wales names first

FOURSOMES

Z Gould & A Runcie lost to L Kirton & J Byrne 3 and 2.

R Enoch & R Merchant bt J Findlay & M Stewart 4 and 3.

J Howie & J Williams lost to S McAllister & Z Saltman 4 and 3.

J Vickery & J Shufflebotham lost to G Stevenson & C Robinson 1hole.

M Lewis & R Bentham lost to R Kellett & J White 3 and 2.