NEWS FROM THE ENGLAND UNDER-14 BOYS' OPEN TOURNAMENT

FROM THE ENGLAND GOLF WEBSITE

Eagle-eyed Bowen just a shot off the lead

The Reid Trophy was captured by the Spanish last year and the overseas challenge loomed large on the opening day at North Hants with Antoine Kuoch from France setting a hot pace.
The 14 year old from Paris was out in the morning and returned a three-under-par 67 to lead by one from Midlander James Bowen and by three from the rest of the field.
Kuoch (pictured, image copyright Leaderboard Photography), who speaks little English, let his clubs do the talking, going out with nine straight pars before securing birdies at the tenth and 11th and adding two more at the 16th and 18th. He did drop a shot at the 450-yard 12th but that was a minor blemish on an otherwise superb round on a testing golf course.
Heavy rain last evening which temporarily flooded greens and filled bunkers, forced a 30 minute delay to the first round in order that the greens staff could get everything shipshape. They did a fine job but the downpour took a lot of sting out of the course.
Nevertheless, Kuoch and Bowen were the only players to finish under par on a day of sunshine and warm conditions.
Bowen, an afternoon starter from the tenth tee, gained an early birdie at the 11th but double bogeyed the 12th and dropped another shot at the 16th. But he bounced back with a birdie at 17 to reach the turn in 36.
However, the six handicapper owed his good score to an eagle-three at the third after firing a five iron to ten feet and he added a birdie at the eighth to be home in 32. “I won the Kenilworth Junior Masters and two major events at my home club of Olton,” said the 13 year old from Solihull, “So I came here feeling confident.”
Ryan Chadwick from the Trentham club and Scotland’s Keith Bowman both returned level-par 70 among the morning starters. Chadwick, off five handicap, also began at the tenth and reeled off three birdies-in-a-row from the 12th in an outward 34.
But he could only find one more, at the third, in a homeward 36 but the 14 year old from Keele was in buoyant mood, having finished fifth in the World Junior Championship at Pinehurst last month.
Bowman, a cousin of Scottish international Ewan Scott, winner of the Reid Trophy at The Kendleshire in 2009, also returned 70 with six birdies but the 14 year old would have done better but for a sprinkling of three putts.
One of the youngest players in the field, 12 year old Charlie Daughtrey posted a 71 with four birdies. The five handicap youngster from Rotherham finished 14th in the Yorkshire Boys under 16 Championship at Brough last week, also found five bogeys but it was still a commendable effort.
Fitzpatrick is still the name of the moment. It wasn’t Matthew this time but his younger brother Alex, who followed up third place in last week’s Douglas Johns Trophy with a 72.
Starting from the tenth tee, the Yorkshire lad started with a birdie but endured a see-saw opening nine with one more birdie and three bogeys and a double bogey at 12 to be out in 38. He found two more birdies coming home but unfortunately finished with a dropped shot at the ninth.