Title slips away but much to cheer
Shropshire & Herefordshire boys have ended an exceptionally successful season on a slightly disappointing note when defeat to Lincolnshire meant they failed to retain their Midlands title.
Ron Snelling's charges lost out to last year's runners-up 10-5 at The Wergs, Staffordshire.
Even so, the rest of the season matched the 2005 campaign and was very near the two counties' best year of 1992.
During the season the boys:
l Lost out on claiming the English Boys Counties Championship by just two missed putts.
l Won the East Midland League
l Won the Midland 10 Counties Qualifying English Boys County Championship.
l Ludlow's Olly Farr won the individual title at the above.
l Farr also won the St Andrews Eden Trophy, both the men's and the boys County Trials and the boys county amateur title .
l The team was runners-up in the Four Counties Junior Tournament
"It was a pity about the defeat to Lincolnshire but, on the whole, it has been another very successful year, indeed," said Snelling, Shropshire & Herefordshire's Chairman of Junior Golf.
"We certainly have strength in depth in the higher age group and next year is looking very promising," said Snelling.
He is determined to keep the good times coming for many years and, to that end, has appointed two new coaches for the under 14s and under 16s teams.
David Ashton, of Shifnal, and Worcester pro Graham Farr, father of junior star Ollie Farr of Ludlow, will work directly with the teams, augmenting the work done by top coach John Cook and Snelling himself.
"Coaching is a big part of bringing youngsters through and David and Graham will do a good job for us, I'm sure," said Snelling.
He also plans to bring in new managers for the teams, with Shifnal's David Guy set to look after the under 14s and Charles Sievewright, of Patshull Park, concentrating on the under 16s.
Other highlights of the year which particularly pleased Snelling included:
l 15 year old Jamie Brittain of Shifnal and Wrekin winning the County Merit Cup.
l Tom Lowrie, of Ludlow, representing Wales at under 16 level.
l Tom Benbow, of Hawkstone, representing England schoolboys against Scotland.
l Ashley Chesters, of Hawkstone, representing England Boys against South Africa and Sweden.
l Richard Prophet, of Shifnal, breaking the course records at Chesterton Valley (65), Shifnal (63) and Sandwell Park (65) and lowering his handicap to +3.
l Prophet, Brittain & Chesters being selected for the 2006/7 English Regional coaching programme.
