Suffolk Under 16 boys returned from sweltering Royal Norwich with the Bob Bagshaw Trophy in the annual meeting with Essex, Norfolk and Bedfordshire, writes Tony Garnett.

This is the prize for the best three gross scores added to the best three scores on handicap with six members of a team of eight to count.

The Skevington Salver goes to the individual with the lowest gross score. That was Jake Wells of Essex who was one over gross both in the morning and the afternoon.

The match was played over 26 holes, eight in the morning and a full round in the afternoon.

James Iron of Haverhill was six shots under his handicap while Luke Green, on his team debut, carded three over gross in the afternoon.

Tyler Weaver, a late call-up from the under-14 squad, was one under handicap in the afternoon despite not having had a practice round.

Suffolk scores (gross and handicap): James Iron 105-93, Taylor Crisp 107-101, George Austin 108-96, Ryan Turnbull 108-100, Tyler Weaver 112-101, Max Weaver 117-111, Ben Hembling 121-109.

The finishing order was: Suffolk 614, Essex 629, Bedfordshire 630, Norfolk 639.

On Saturday the Suffolk under 16 players were in action again at Braintree in the second leg of the South East Group triangular event with Essex and Norfolk.

Strong winds and firm fairways made the tight layout tricky, especially knowing that only a win would keep the team’s hopes alive.

Strong finishes came from several of the boys leading to a nail-biting finish. A halved match with Essex by George Austin meant that it all depended on the last match on the course. George Fricker needed to secure at least a half with Essex. He held his nerve and won on the 17th green.

Suffolk and Essex are lying level on points at the top of the league with the deciding match at Fynn Valley on August 18.

Suffolk beat Essex 5 points to 3, Suffolk beat Norfolk 8-0 and Essex beat Norfolk 7-1.

The overall winner will play the final in Sussex in September 30.

The next challenge for the under-16 squad is to retain the Tom Finn Trophy which they have held for the past two years. They travel to Melton Mowbray on Súnday to face Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire.

Last year at Brampton Park Suffolk scored 15.5 points, Cambridgeshire were runners-up with 9 and Leicestershire had 5.5.

- The Carris Trophy (English Boys’ Open Under 18 stroke-play) is over. Now the attention of the leading Suffolk amateurs is the English Amateur Championship at Formby and Hesketh this week.

Suffolk captain Jack Cardy reached the semi-finals not so long ago. Now the likes of James Biggs, Calvin Sherwood, Habebul Islam, Paul Waring, Jed Seeley, Sam Byford and Alfie Halil will be hoping to follow suit.

The competition is tough. The top 64 and ties in two rounds of stroke-play go on to the match play stage.

Suffolk’s only previous Carris Trophy winner was Richard Evans, then of Woodbridge and now a member at Aldeburgh. He won in 1971 over 36 holes at Moor Park following a play-off.

In the meantime winners have included such well-known names as Ken Brown (1974), Sandy Lyle (1975) and Justin Rose (1995).

This year Suffolk had five players in the field but only Habebul Islam made the cut thanks to a superb second round of 68 that included seven birdies, four of them over the final five holes.

Max Adams of Bury St Edmunds, coached by Lawrence Dodd, had a promising opening round of 72. Next day’s 79 saw him miss the cut by two shots.

George Fricker of Ufford Park had respectable first round of 75. Then came a 79 which was nowhere near low enough in this company.

Tom Auchterlonie of Woodbridge started with a birdie. Such brilliance was not to last while Harry Fricker of Ufford Park was not helped by a 12 on the 566-yard par five tree-lined sixth on the first day.

There was a strong Italian entry but England’s Barclay Brown of The Hallamshire Golf Club beat Italy’s Gregorio De Leo by one shot after a gripping final round.

- Georgia Parker of Bury St Edmunds is the only Suffolk player in this week’s English Girls’ Under 18 Amateur Championship to be played at East Devon Golf Club at Budleigh Salterton.

She will need to brush up on her German. One of her playing partners on the first day is Mathea-Lisana Sagel from Bielefelder GC.

The East is well represented with Royal Cromer’s Amelia Williamson among the favourites.

Entries include:

Essex: Harriet Lynch, Ashley Chalmers, Katy Yates, Bella Jay.

Bedfordshire: Georgia Staroscik.

Norfolk: Amelia Williamson, Megan Mann, Amy Taylor, Abigail O’Riordan, Hope and Eve Neild.

Cambridgeshire: Ella Mason, Jade Guest, Anna Guest.

Hertfordshire: Rebecca Earl, Honor Kielty.