Gough leads Reid Trophy  field by three England’s Conor Gough holds a three shot lead going into tomorrow’s final round of the Reid Trophy after a breezy day at Porters Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire.  Gough, 13, (image © Leaderboard Photography) played round in one-over par 71 today and is two-under for the English U14 boys’ open championship – and liking the experience.  “I enjoy seeing my name on the top of the leader board,” said Gough, from Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire. “Some people don’t, but I like it.”  This is an event which attracts a thoroughly international field and Gough is being chased by Ireland’s Josh Black and South Africa’s Casey Jarvis, who have moved into a tie for second place on one-over par.  Behind them, there’s a two-shot gap to the pair in fourth place: Oscar Doran of Delamere Forest in Cheshire and Dubai-based Joshua Hill, who are both three-over.  Gough followed up on yesterday’s 67 with a quick start and for much of his round was five-under for the championship. But he dropped back with three bogeys in his last five holes, commenting: “I started really well and felt I could hold on, but I had a couple of loose shots and misjudged the wind. You can see the clouds moving but when you’re packed in among the trees it swirls. But overall, for 36 holes I’ve played really well.”  His plan for tomorrow is more of the same: “I want to go out and play steady, play like I have all week and not change my strategy.” Josh Black moved up to second place when he scored level par 70 today, with a display of super-accurate striking into the greens. He collected four birdies in his round, with putts ranging from 1ft to 3ft.  “I didn’t start very well, I missed an 18in putt on my second and I was two-over after three. But then I parred the par five and settled into it,” he said.  He was joined by Casey Jarvis, who was disappointed when he left the course, having bogeyed the last two holes for 71, but his one-over total has kept him right in the hunt. “I drove the ball pretty well, till 17 and 18, and I hit a lot of greens today, but I’m disappointed that I went drop, drop at the end.”  Doran remains in contention on three-over par after today’s 73, compiled in the breeziest part of the day. “The wind picked up quite a bit and it definitely affected the scoring,” he said.  He started well today before a wobbly patch around the turn, but saved himself with his short game skills. “My scrapping was really good when my ball striking went off a bit. I had some good up and downs and then my striking improved again.”  Tomorrow, his plan is simple: “I shall go at every flag and get as many birdies as I can.”  At the other end of the leaderboard, the 36-hole cut fell at 15-over par with a total of 75 players qualifying for tomorrow’s final round.  Among them is Ireland’s Tom McKibbin, who sailed through the cut after shooting the low round of the tournament so far with his four-under par 66. It improved on his opening 80 by 14 shots and gave him a total of six-over par. “My head wasn’t very good yesterday, but today I just went out to have a bit more fun and see what I could shoot – and hoped it would be good,” said the 13-year-old.  McKibbin actually started with a drive he described as ‘awful’ but he birdied his first hole (the 10th) and that set the tone for his round. He had three more birdies – on the 1st, 3rd and 6th - and missed a two-footer for another birdie on the fifth. But he had a great up and down from a bunker on the last, where he was short-sided, to keep his round bogey free.   Click here for full scores Lyndsey Hewison Press Officer England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 07825 752 193 EDITORS’ NOTES England Golf is the governing body for amateur golf in England. It is one of the country’s largest sports governing bodies and looks after the interests of more than 1,900 golf clubs and 675,000 men, women, boy and girl club members. England Golf is at the heart of grassroots golf, inspiring people to have a lifelong involvement in the game.  Our development initiative ‘Get into golf’ introduces new golfers, juniors and adults, to start playing the game as well as increasing the interest and participation in golf.  Working with our partners we offer business support to clubs to encourage more golfers to enjoy the benefits of club membership and to help promote the game as being accessible, fun and family friendly. For competitive golfers, England Golf provides championships for all ages and abilities, both in individual and team events, hosted at some of the most prestigious courses across the country, some with qualifying events at any club.  England Golf identifies and develops the country’s most talented golfers through their amateur careers, many of whom go on to become the world’s leading professional golfers, such as Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Charley Hull and Melissa Reid.

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