Yorkshire golf: Hallamshire's Alex Fitzpatrick chosen to compete for England in pursuit of French national title

HALLAMSHIRE GC'S Alex Fitzpatrick has been named in the England squad that will compete in the French International Boys' Championship at Omaha Beach from March 24-28.
Alex Fitzpatrick is pictured after brother Matt's British Masters success at Woburn along with mother Sue and father Russell.Alex Fitzpatrick is pictured after brother Matt's British Masters success at Woburn along with mother Sue and father Russell.
Alex Fitzpatrick is pictured after brother Matt's British Masters success at Woburn along with mother Sue and father Russell.

The other three teenagers chosen to represent their country are Jake Benson, of Nottinghamshire, Nathan Longley, of Sussex, and Taylor Stote, of Somerset .

The championship starts with two rounds of stroke play qualifying and the top 32 players will go forward to the match play stages, when they will compete for the Michel Carlhian Trophy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The next 16 players aged under 16 qualify for a consolation match play tournament.

A Nations Cup event will be played concurrently with the qualifying rounds, with the best two scores counting each day, and England will be represented in this by Fitzpatrick, Benson and Stote.

Seventeen-year-old Fitzpatrick, brother of British Masters champion Matt, placed third in the Italian Under-16 boys’ championship in 2015, having been runner-up the previous year.

He was fifth in England’s McGregor Trophy, where he equalled the Wallasey course record of six-under 66 in the final round. He was also a member of England’s successful Under-16 team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Benson, 16, (Beeston Fields) tied for the Under-16 Hazards Trophy at last year’s English Under-18 boys’ championship, where he was 10th overall.

Longley, 17, (Worthing) tied third in the Sir Henry Cotton Junior Masters and also qualified for the match play stages of the British boys’ championship.

Stote, 16, (Burnham & Berrow) was also a member of the England Under-16 team for the home internationals. He had a string of consistently high finishes in last year’s major Under-16 events and won the individual competition at the South West boys’ county qualifying.