CHELTENHAM VICTORY AT ENGLISH NATIONAL SCHOOLS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

A spectacular card of 45 Stableford points off a handicap of 16 by Thomas Hage steered St Edwards School from Cheltenham to victory in the National Schools Team Championship at England Golf headquarters at Woodhall Spa. Seventeen-year-old Hage went round the Bracken Course in a gross 80 to amass his amazing total and with his two colleagues, Luis Arteaga, off five, and 12-handicap Alex Robinson both returning 32 points, and with just two scores to count, the total of 77 saw the St Edwards boys to victory. It was the first time a Gloucestershire school has won the national title but it was a close-run thing with five teams finishing a point behind, Thomas Telford School from Shropshire filling second spot with their best non-counting score and John F Kennedy Catholic School from Hertfordshire third.“We felt we had a chance of winning but when I scored just two points from my last four holes I wasn’t so sure,” said Arteaga, like Hage a member of the Cotswold Hills Golf Club.“But we put in a lot of practice. We played 36 holes yesterday, over both Woodhall Spa courses, so it stood us in good stead.”It was the first time any of the trio had seen Woodhall Spa but Hage was the hero. He signed for only one birdie but had 12 pars on his card and could even afford a triple-bogey six at the short seventh and still score 45 points.“This is amazing,” he said. “I think the school will be proud. We only have a couple of days left before the summer break but I’m sure something will be mentioned in assembly.”For the Thomas Telford School, Harry Burt returned 39 points and William Enefer 37, while their non-scoring man Harrison Morris’ 36 tipped the balance their way over the other teams finishing with 76.On a fine day for golf with cloudy conditions replacing the hot, humid weather of the practice day, the end saw a crowded leaderboard with four points covering the top 12 school teams.Although Northampton School for Boys finished down the field with 70 points, they had something to celebrate after Sam Round holed-in-one with a nine iron at the 153-yard 16th hole. For 12-handicap Sam, the son of Golf Foundation Chief Executive Mike Round and a member of the Collintree Park club, it was his second ace. The first came last year in his county’s under 15 championship at Brampton Heath.For full scores and information visit the championship website. Image copyright John Thomson  Press Office England Golf pr@englandgolf.org 01526 354500