In his latest golf column, Tony Garnett discusses the departure of the Suffolk boys’ squad manager, plus the latest results from the Hambro and Tolly Cobbold Cups.
Suffolk could hardly have chosen a better qualified manager for their boys' under 18 squad. John Maddock was one of Suffolk's leading players in the late eighties and throughout the nineties.
He was Suffolk amateur champion in 1993, 1994 and 1997. He was Suffolk match play champion in 1989 and 1991. He won the Suffolk Open Championship in 1988.
It is a great pity that, because of pressure of work as secretary of Gorleston Golf Club and a wish to play more golf himself, he has decided to stand down after only one season. He has a couple more events before his job is done.
SGU junior chairman Trevor Mason has invited applicants for next year.
He includes the sentence: "The squad, from whom selection is made, will have coaching during the winter months".
Most talented young players have coaching somewhere but I assume he means they should attend sessions organised by SGU at Aldeburgh if they hope to represent the county.
This has meant in the past that leading Suffolk juniors such as England boys' squad member Habebul Islam and Harvey Watts of Newton Green were overlooked for the South East Group boys' county qualifier.
The matter was resolved this year when boys with plus handicaps jointed the county men's squad. George Fricker, Alfie Halil and Habebul took up this option.
Perhaps there is a case to be made for having a second SGU junior coaching venue for players from West Suffolk.
Haverhill is 64 miles from Aldeburgh. It is hardly surprising that some of their players look instead to Gog Magog, 25 minutes away, for their coaching in Cambridgeshire?
There is a decline in junior golf. Entries for junior opens have been low and some, like Rushmere this week, have been cancelled.
Some Suffolk clubs have been unable to field a team of only three players in the Junior Team Championship. That strikes me as a crisis.
Last year Suffolk expressed concern at the low number of entries at their Junior Championship. In fact it was far better supported than the corresponding event in many larger counties. It's a national problem.
- Rushmere will meet Woodbridge in the final of the Hambro Cup at Rookery Park on August 25.
Rushmere beat Stowmarket in their semi-final at Newton Green by 12 holes. Wooodbridge beat Newton Green at Stowmarket by 16 holes.
The final has been switched from Aldeburgh to Rookery Park because Aldeburgh will be preparing to stage the Jacques L'Eglise Trophy that week.
Rushmere escaped a first round defeat at Rookery Park because the home team fielded an ineligible player.
Hambro Cup semi-finals
Rushmere beat Stowmarket by 12 holes.
At Newton Green. (Rushmere names first): Morning: Ross Howard and Peter Robinson 0 James O'Doherty and Henry Cuttng 1, Matt Godbold and James Godbold 0 Andy Grogan and Kenton Jameson 1, Alan Middle and Connor James 2 Ross Harvey and Tom Darling 0, Jordan Bloomfield and Josh Cottrell halved with Matt Lockwood and Mark Jones.
Afternoon: Howard and Robinson 4 O'Doherty and Cutting 0, M and J Godbold 5 Ken McCredie and Jameson 0, Middle and James 4 Harvey and Darling, Bloomfield and Cottrell 0 Lockwood and Jones 1.
Woodbridge beat Newton Green by 16 holes.
At Stowmarket. (Woodbridge names first). Morning: Simon Peckford and Graham Tait 2 Russell Oakey and Ian Woodhead 0, Toby Ayles and Tom Fowler 0 Steve Wordley and Lewis Woodhead 1, Garry Robinson and Adrian Studd 2 James Cooper and Connor Talbot 0, Ken Coffey and Steve Mann halved with Jed Seeley and Max Hemson.
Afternoon: Peckford and Tait 8 Oakey and I Woodhead 0, Mann and Coffey 5 Wordley and L Woodhead 0, Robinson and Studd 0 Cooper and Talbot 4, Ayles and Fowler 4 Seeley and Hemson 0.
- Thorpeness beat Brett Vale by five holes at Woodbridge and will meet Woodbridge in the Tolly Cobbold Cup final at Haverhill on August 25.
Tolly Cobbold Cup semi-finals
Thorpeness beat Brett Vale by six holes.
At Woodbridge (Thorpeness names first). Morning: Richard Newton and Harry Brinded 0 Mike Emmerson and Paul Cooper 1, Robert Booker and Peter Cooney 0 Richard Wright and Ed Butel 2, Roger Brown and Graham Denny 5 Simon Stevens and Alan Curson 0, Sean Clements and Damon Bloomfield 0 Rob Salt and Bill Hunt 1,
Afternoon: Newton and Brinded 2 Emmerson and Cooper 0, Booker and Cooney 1 Wright and Butel 0, Brown and Denny 2 Stevens and Curson 0. Clements and Bloomfield 2 Salt and Hunt 0.
Woodbridge beat Stowmarket by 17 holes at Brett Vale.
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