April 6, 2010: Josh Loughrey can look forward to a trip to the Lough Erne Resort, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, this September after heading the field at the first event on the 2010 Faldo Series Europe schedule over the Blue Course at Frilford Heath.
Loughrey, from Wrag Barn Golf Club, Wiltshire, put together rounds of 74 and 71 in difficult conditions to tie Woburn’s Sam Whitehead for the Under-21 Boys’ age group category on one over par 145 but then defeated his rival with a superb birdie three on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off.
The victory gives Loughrey a place in the 2010 Faldo Series Grand Final at the Lough Erne Resort – the Home of the Faldo Series Europe - where he will be joined by Berkhamsted’s Sam Cutting (Boys’ Under-18s), Exeter’s Harrison Greenberry (Boys’ Under-16s), Tadmarton Heath’s Katherine O’Connor (Girls’ Under-21s) and Burford’s Abi Laker (Girls’ Under-16s) who all won their age group categories in a day of high drama at Frilford Heath.
Loughrey started the final round two shots behind Whitehead but he moved into a one shot lead after reaching the turn in two under par 34 and maintained that advantage until he ran up a rare bogey on the 600-yard par-5 17th hole.
The pair halved the first extra hole of the play-off but Loughrey booked his place at the Lough Erne Resort when he hit a wedge to 25-feet on the second and then calmly rolled in the putt.
“It’s a great way to start the season,” said the +1 handicap Wiltshire County player. “The conditions were tough but I played well and I managed to hole the putt when it mattered most.”
“I can’t wait to go to Lough Erne,” he added. “I have heard a lot great things about the Faldo Course and am looking forward to competing against what I’m sure will be a very strong field.”
The other two Boys who won a place at in the 2010 Faldo Series Europe Grand Final were Under-18 and Under-16 winners, Sam Cutting and Harrison Greenberry, who, like Loughrey, both needed extra holes to do it.
Cutting came through a nervous play-off when he birdied the fourth extra hole to defeat Reading’s Kye Machin while Greenberry hit a glorious 9-iron to within 18-inches of the flag on his second extra hole to win his play-off against Mid Herts’ William Aldred and Exeter club mate, Ryan Pope.
The round of the day came in the Girls’ Under-16 category where 14 year-old Abi Laker from Burford added a sensational one under par 70 to her opening 81 to claim a five shot victory over Meghan MacLaren from Wellingborough.
She struggled in the wind and rain of the first day but, as the weather improved on the second day, so did her golf. She dropped a shot on the difficult 337-yard par-4 opening hole but then fired three birdies in an opening half of 33 and another on the 122-yard par-3 12th. “That’s a bit of a surprise after what happened yesterday,” she said. “I can’t explain it but I am very pleased.”
Laker’s 36-hole aggregate of 151 turned out to be one shot better than the total posted by 20 year-old Welsh international, Katherine O’Connor, who carded two rounds of 76 to claim a four shot victory over Rebecca Gee in the Girls’ Under-21 category.
O’Connor reflected the views of most of the field when she said: “It was a tough couple of days. The wind and the rain made it very difficult yesterday and it wasn’t a lot easier today. I’m just glad I have managed to qualify for Lough Erne.”
The second event on the 2010 Faldo Series Europe schedule takes place at Moortown Golf Club, Yorkshire, on April 7-8.
Sir Nick Faldo created the Faldo Series (charity number 1102719) back in 1996 to develop tomorrow’s champions and to date its former graduates include World No. 11 Rory McIlroy, who won the Under-15s and Under-17s titles in 2004 and 2006 respectively, Scottish World Cup winner Marc Warren, English European Tour stars Nick Dougherty and Oliver Fisher, LPGA Major winner Yani Tseng and rising Ladies’ European Tour player Melissa Reid.
This year, the Faldo Series Europe and the Faldo Series Asia will attract over 5,000 boys and girls aged between 12 and 21 and will comprise more than 30 events in 25 countries throughout GB & I, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia, with the winners from all the qualifying events being invited to compete in either the European or Asian Grand Final.