SUFFOLK Boys had their best-ever finish in the English Golf Union South East Group junior team championship held at Rookery Park Golf Club.They finished runners-up to Surrey, only four shots behind.

Tony Garnett

SUFFOLK Boys had their best-ever finish in the English Golf Union South East Group junior team championship held at Rookery Park Golf Club.

They finished runners-up to Surrey, only four shots behind. Surrey are the reigning national team champions and have represented the South East Group in the national finals for the last three years.

Suffolk were leading after 18 holes, three shot ahead of Essex and six ahead of Surrey. It is a six-man team event with five of the six scores to count in each round.

Suffolk junior champion Alastair Hall had two solid rounds of 72 which tied him in first place with four other boys for the best gross score. He lost out on count back to England boys' international Eddie Pepperell of BB&O who recorded 74 and 70.

Sam Forgan had two rounds of 75 and Hugo Dobson two rounds of 76. Dobson did well to defy flu symptoms which left him feeling faint with a sore throat and heavy perspiration.

Tom Stephenson improved by four shots in the afternoon from 78 to 74 but Liam Brace and Patrick Spraggs had a mixed day.

In the morning they were only two of three boys to break par with rounds of 71. In the afternoon they both had 80.

The combined handicaps of the Surrey team was plus while Suffolk's players amounted to five, a difference of 10 shots.

Suffolk Golf Union will be delighted by this performance which underlines the value of their junior coaching programme.

This prestigious competition comes to Suffolk only once every 11 years. Rookery Park produced a course in excellent condition and is now one of the leading courses in the county. Their members provided an army of ball spotters and two fully qualified referees, Mike Rees and Charlie Wilderspin, who were both on duty.

Suffolk scores: Liam Brace (Stoke by Nayland) 71 80, Hugo Dobson (Fynn Valley) 76 76, Sam Forgan (Stowmarket) 75 75, Alastair Hall (Halesworth) 72 72, Patrick Spraggs (Stowmarket) 71 80, Tom Stephenson (Bury St Edmunds) 78 74.