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The 2004 Boys and Youths
There are a dozen players who will form the basis of the 2004 Warwickshire Junior team who should be the main challengers for the Junior Championship - but last year, few thought of Chris Hazeldine as a contender, until he won his own Club Championship the week before. Harborne may spring its own surprise on the field. The U21s will have just as tight a field, and may include Chris Evans, David Harris, Jon Wetton and Chris Hazeldine, the holder of the title.

If one course in Warwickshire has the classic design that would be used for say a US Open, it is Harborne. It is a wonderful test of shot making and this years winners will have played some excellent golf. There are a dozen classic holes on the course and just a couple of opportunities for easy birdies although if conditions are anything like the Junior League Match here last summer against Staffordshire, even hard and fast, none of our players was more than three under par in their singles.

Any player needing a par three at the 18th (to win) will have to hit the shot of their lives to find the green in two putt range. Will it be the 2003 England Boys Runner Up Sam Foster? Or what about Jak Hamblett, or Andy Sullivan, both of whom had excellent seasons in 2002?

Neil Taylor won the Rugby Club Championship last year with some incredible scoring and his compatriot Dale Marson was ever present in the Junior Team and was Warwickshire Schools Champion for 2003. Dean Lake is going on the PGA / Birmingham University Golf Course at the end of this season and he was the power to take on any course and certainly has the game to win here.

Andy Evans will be playing full time in 2003, as is Ben Stafford. Their fellow Maxstoke Junior and 2003 JoM Winner, Rob Browning has an excellent strokeplay record and any one of these three could win the Boys and at the same time take the U21s as has happened for the past two years.

Last year, Chris Evans chose to gain valuable experience by playing in the English Amateur rather than defending his Boys and U21s titles. As the premier JoM event, and as qualifying for the Boys and Youths Matchplay, some may decide to look at the English but for the vast majority, winning at Harborne will be a vital step towards progressing to Top Flight Junior Golf - and there is the added bonus of qualifying for the Midland Boys Champion of Champions.

Any young Junior who wants to be considered for Winter Squad coaching should play in this Championship. Entry details will be available approximately one month before the Championship, players will be able to enter via this web site and their will be live scoring throughout the day.

David Morgan on 2004-01-01