Bradley Moore’s 69 leads the Carris Trophy by one stroke   International Bradley Moore shot three-under par 69 at Little Aston today to take the first- round lead in the English boys’ open stroke-play championship for the Carris Trophy. He fashioned his score on a tricky day, with a strong wind, playing firm fairways and fast greens, and declared: “It’s a good start, it’s been a good day of solid golf.”  The 17-year-old from Kedleston Park in Derbyshire, is a shot ahead of Portugal-based Nathan Brader and Yorkshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick.  Three players are grouped on one-under and three more on level par, including Denmark’s John Axelsen who won last year’s U16 McGregor Trophy.  Moore (image © Leaderboard Photography) made an impressive start, with three birdies in the first four holes, but gave them back with a bogey on eight and a double on 11. However, he again forged ahead with three more birdies, including 16 and 17 where he holed testing putts.  “It gets tough around the turn here, you’ve just got to get through there and then go again for the finish,” he remarked.  This is a rare outing in a boys’ championship for Moore, who is concentrating more on men’s golf and will play next week’s English men's amateur championship, followed by the European amateur.  The early pace was set by Nathan Brader (Vilamoura) who began his round in style when he holed out from a bunker beside the second green for a birdie. He went on to return a bogey-free score of two-under 70, having notched up another birdie on the long 12th.  “I’m very pleased with how I played,” said the 17-year-old English player, who is based in Portugal. “I could have been a couple of shots better – some putts shaved the hole – but overall I feel very pleased with my performance.”  He’s had good results in Portugal this season, with second places in a national youths’ championship and in a PGA event.  His 70 was matched by Alex Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire), who made an untidy start to his round – but quickly put things right and was rewarded with a back nine of five-under par 32.  He was three-over through four when he decided to put away his driver, rely on his three wood and target fairways and greens. “It wasn’t the best start, I was hitting my driver everywhere!” he said.  But his new approach was immediately successful and, helped by a hot putter, he didn’t drop another shot. “I holed two from 38ft and a lot from inside 12ft, it was a confidence booster,” he said.  Fitzpatrick, 16, is playing in the Carris for the first time, having taken fifth place in last week’s English U16 boys’ championship for the McGregor Trophy. He equalled the course record at Wallasey in his final round, shooting six-under 66.  Harry Goddard (Hanbury Manor) was disappointed when he missed the cut in the McGregor Trophy but made up for it today with a score of one-under 71, which included six birdies.  “I’ve worked on a few things and had a nice round today,” he said.  “It’s early days but I’m happy to shoot under par and hopefully I can move on. It would be exciting to play for the rest of the week,” added the 15-year-old, who is making his debut in the Carris.  Alexander Frances joined him on one-under thanks to an excellent finish with a run of three birdies from the 15th, followed by a par on the last. “I had a bit of a slow start on both nines but came back really well both times. My putter was good, it went my way today,” he said. Frances, 18, has lived all his life in Denmark, where his father is a professional, and is a member of the national boys’ team and a past winner of the Danish junior championship – but his family hails from Yorkshire.  Another Danish player, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen is also in the group on one-under 71.  There are no Scots in the field because the Carris Trophy clashes with the Scottish U18 boys open stroke-play in Edinburgh. Click here for full scores Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193

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