Line-up for English county finals
at Notts (Hollinwell)

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
The line-up for the English County Championship taking place at Notts (Hollinwell) Golf Club on 26th - 28th September is almost a carbon copy of last year’s event at Cleveland.
Three counties, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands, Leicestershire & Rutland and Wiltshire are competing again while Lancashire, as northern winners, will hope to succeed Yorkshire as champions.
Hampshire finished third last September so will hope to improve on that this time and have named an experienced squad that includes England international Sam Hutsby. He will be supported by England ‘A’ squad member Mark Thistleton and former Mid Amateur Champion Martin Young.
Their line-up also includes former county champion Ryan Henley, current champion Jon Watt, and 2006 Carris Trophy winner Darren Wright.
Leicestershire, runners-up a year ago, beaten only by Yorkshire, will also field a tried and trusted team, four of whom were in last year’s squad. One who wasn’t was England international Neil Chaudhuri, but he is back this time alongside the experienced David Gibson and Midland Open Amateur Champion and county champion Jason Palmer.
The Midland region winners also include Sam Mayfield, top scorer last year with five points from six, and Liam Plant.
Lancashire, who ended Yorkshire’s three-year run in the finals by winning the Northern qualifying, will have the services of James Robinson, a semi-finalist in last year’s English Amateur and a multiple regional winner this year with victories in the Formby Hare and Pines Trophy and runner-up in the Southport & Ainsdale Bowl and the Scottish Youths Championship. The Northern champions’ line-up also includes Matthew Nixon, British Boys Champion in 2006 and a boy international, and Jack Senior, runner-up in the North of England Youths Championship and third in the Lancashire Championship and recent Lee Westwood Trophy. However, they will be missing new England cap Tommy Fleetwood, Lancashire’s County Champion who also secured the English County Champions title last weekend, who has accepted an invitation to play in the British Masters at the Belfry.
Last year saw Wiltshire make their debut in the finals and while they took the wooden spoon on that occasion they will no doubt benefit from the experience. They include four of last year’s line-up including Sam Matton, a former Wiltshire champion, South West Stroke Play Champion and winner of this year’s Parman International (formerly the St Mellion International).
The 20 year old is also a former winner of the Wiltshire Colts title and the Welsh Youth Championship. Wiltshire also have Miles Mackman, a member of the England ’A’ Squad, who won the Lagonda Trophy last year and this year finished fourth in the Berkshire Trophy and sixth in the Duncan Putter.
Lancashire have been English County Champions on eight occasions, the most recent being in 1995 at Silloth-on-Solway. Hampshire, with seven previous appearances, have won the title once, in 1996 at Woodhall Spa, while Leicestershire finished runners-up in 2003 and 2004.
This will be their eighth final and Wiltshire’s second. Notts (Hollinwell) Golf Club has staged the English County Finals on two previous occasions, in 1935 when Worcestershire were champions and in 1984, one of Yorkshire’s many triumphs.
The Finals are contested on a round robin basis, each match consisting of three foursomes and six singles. In the first round of matches on 26th September, Hampshire will play Lancashire while Leicestershire meet Wiltshire.
Full details, scores and news for the English County Championships are available on the EGU website, www.englishgolfunion.org.