Waldhof is a Faldo designed course. The pre championship favourite was Oliver Fisher who as a member of the Faldo Series squads (as well as the EGU) is very much seen as someone who could become as successful as the three times Open Champion in years to come. Many see the Faldo series as an opportunity to establish their golf with the regular gross medal competition but the McEvoy, as 72 holes in two days, is a championship which goes further, testing players to Tour Professional limits of patience and nerve to compile a winning score.

For Jak Amos, after 36 holes there was an opportunity to add a title to his golfing CV which would mean more than anything beforehand. Having set a new course record with a second round 65 for 133, Jak held a four shot lead over Steven Capper (3rd in 2004) and was five shots better than our own Andy Sullivan in third, with 36 to play.

Two weeks before Andy had beaten Jak Amos in the pre season first team friendly between Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Sullivan could have perhaps knocked a shot off his 138 total having three putted the par five 15th after reaching it with two massive blows during a hailstorm pre a 30 minute break in play for thunder and lightening. However it was Amos who made the most birdies on the day and barely any mistakes. Andy Sullivan’s rounds were 70 then 68.

Dale Marson did not make it through to play the final 36 with a 78 second round to go with an opening 73. Rob Browning did go through though joining Andy Sullivan courtesy of playing the last 6 of his second eighteen in level par after the storm break for 145 in cold and heavy conditions. Rob was playing with Oliver Fisher for those first two rounds, only in the second of which did Fisher show the form he is capable of with a 67. His other three rounds were all 72s, good enough for T 8th.

Amos was three over par early in his third round, just as was Andy Sullivan after a shaky start. However Amos then played excellent golf to return a level par 71 and take a six shot lead into the final round. Andy Sullivan was not in the leading group as the Championship would be decided though having followed three early bogies with a 7 at the 17th and then a 6 at the 1st, the start of his second nine during that third round. It all added up to a 78 which meant only Top 15 was really to play for and Sullivan would have to play well to achieve that.

Rob Browning played his final 36 in 147 for 392 and T 32nd. Having dropped two shots early on, Andy Sullivan then made birdies at the 7th, the 10th, the 15th and then the 16th to be -2 for the afternoon and needing one more birdie for level par for the 72 holes. Looking at a 15footer on the 18th, Andy could have moved himself up into 11th had the ball not horseshoed out of the hole. He finished in a very respectable T13th and will have attracted the attention of the many selectors and officials watching the play.

‘I played so badly from tee to green on Day1’, said Rob Browning after he had finished, ‘But I just about holed everything I looked at. Day 2 and it was the reverse – I must have taken 35 putts each round and it was the worst I could have scored.’

At the very top of the leaderboard, Amos was at -7 as he turned for home and would have probably known of the move by Tom Oliver from Notts who reached -5 standing on the 15th. Oliver would drop a shot over the final four so he would not be a challenger for the trophy.

The best round of the day (by three shots) was coming from a player from the South of the Country, Tom Sherreard, who with a 65 to go with a three round total of 213, had posted 278. He would lead in the clubhouse by two from the best of the Yorkshire contingent (3 players in the Top 10) Daniel Willett from Rotherham after Willet had closed with a 70.

Steven Capper, playing with Amos had to produce an outstanding finish to stay Top 10 in the final listings. He managed a birdie three at the difficult 17th and then holed his second at the 18th for an eagle, all amounting to a 71 to join Oliver and Willet on 280.

Amos found the fairway on the 15th and would have been thinking about reaching the green in two and increasing his lead. Instead he found a bunker well short of the green and had to playa good recovery to make the front edge of the putting surface where three more blows meant a six. He would drop behind Sherreard with another bogey at the 16th, having to hole out from some distance for that 5.

On 18, having watched Capper hole out for a two, Amos played a good shot. The 9ft putt would not drop and the 25th McEvoy champion was Sherreard. Only time will tell if its name that will be on TV commentator’s lips in years to come. Sherreard was playing in his last McEvoy as he is just 18. He has played for England at U16s level, and was sent to Turkey and Belgium for more experience in recent seasons and his CV has included a win in the U17s group at the Faldo series as well as being Runner-up in the British Boys last year. He also came 12th in the McEvoy last year, a pattern of experience before a win that is common amongst the McEvoy Champions.

So who will win next year and could it be a Warwickshire player? Tom Oliver still has another year and of the Top 10, 9 were from the EGU Squad of Excellence. Oliver Fisher will have another two years to try and take this title. Warwickshire should have perhaps two players in next year’s field – Chris Doughill and Jack Sant. To win – it seems like a Junior will need to shoot around 276 (-8) in good weather conditions. There are another 360 days or so before next year’s championship and things may change but one thing is certain – the standards are getting better and better every year.