Graham Hayes, the Warwickshire Union Secretary was running his first championships and had a field of 60 of the best Juniors to marshal. The handicap limit is 12 for the Boys Trials, a mark to reflect the minimum standards needed to play at for even the U14s squad and the winner of the Best Nett was Sam Baker (Sutton Coldfield) playing off 12 with a 68. It is nearly two months before the first U16s match and that score will have attracted the attention of Anthony Gascoigne and Dick Ferry who are running the U16s and the U142 respectively. Other players who could well make these teams include Andy Bate, Jamie Carney, Thomas Guy and Nathan Ray who all played at the Trials and the Schools the day before.

‘A Junior who is under 16 years of age and under 8 handicap will probably get a game’, said Anthony whilst looking through the scores from the day.

For Andy Sullivan, it was an inconsistent round, hitting only 6 greens and despite making birdies at three of the four par fives, posting a 73 (+1). Andy would take second place in the gross.

Chris Doughill was one of three players on 74. Chris had played in the Faldo Series event the day before (at the Marriott Forest of Arden) coming third in his age group with a 78. Three shots worse at the Forest was Steve Mumford on an awful day for golf. Steve will be a wild card invite to the Midland Schools Championship in early June, as will be Ben Bernamont who with a 78 at Ingon and a 76 the day before showed the sort of form to earn that place.

With a second consecutive 74 over the two days, Rory Kirwan not only was 2nd Nett and top three Gross at the Boys Trials – he will now be the fourth team member for the Warwickshire Schools Team at the Midlands Championship. The other 74 came from Dale Marson.

‘I chipped and putted well’, said Browning after his round, ‘And my driving was good as well.’

It was an 18 holes which included four birdies and just one dropped shot at the 5th (‘I didn’t mind the bogey there’, said Browning, ‘As I get a shot!’), the Stroke 1 for an Ingon course which held up very well after the rains of the past 36 hours.

This was also the day when John Simpson, U18s team Manager, handed out the invites for the Boys selected for the 2005 4 Counties Championships to be held this year at Moor Hall. This year’s team will be playing to break the record of consecutive wins that has stood for nearly 20 years and they will be

Andy Sullivan (Captain), Rob Browning, Neil Taylor, Dale Marson, Chris Doughill, Jack Sant, Andy Evans and Steve Mumford.