BYERS LEADS ENGLAND BOYS TO U16 INTERNATIONAL VICTORY

Surrey’s Harvey Byers went unbeaten in his three matches as England secured a narrow 11-9 win over Wales in the U16 boys’ international held at Radyr Golf Club.

England won the final singles session 4½-3½ to seal the two-point victory against a strong Welsh side.

England’s team manager, Nick Over, remarked: “Fifteen of the 20 matches went to the 17th or 18th hole, which reflected the closeness of the match. Overall, I was extremely pleased with the way the boys battled to the end to eventually overcome a spirited Welsh team in a match that could have gone either way.”

The result was in doubt until the last two matches finished on the 18th, where Taylor Stote won his point with a par and Byers also parred the hole to halve his game.

England had gone into the final session with a one-point lead, after winning the opening singles 5-3, and taking 1½ points from the four foursomes

In the first day’s matches, Angus Flanagan was unbeaten, playing very well to win his singles and battling well with George Saunders to gain a half in the foursomes.

Byers, who is a member at Walton Heath, was also unbeaten, and was perhaps unlucky not to win both his points. His approach shot struck the flag on the last in the singles, and the ball finished further away than it otherwise would have done. He had to settle for a par and a halved match. He teamed up with Harry Goddard for a convincing win in the foursomes after being down on the front nine.

James Wilson won his singles point and then provided the highlight of the afternoon with back-to-back iron shots to one foot from the hole on both the 14th and 15th, both conceded for birdie. His partner, Luke Kelly, played only one shot in two holes. Despite this, they lost the last hole and finished one down.

The team was: Harvey Byers (Walton Heath), Angus Flanagan (St George’s Hill), Harry Goddard (Hanbury Manor), Luke Kelly (Ashton-under-Lyne), Thomas Plumb (Sherborne), George Saunders (Meon Valley), Taylor Stote (Burnham & Berrow), and James Wilson (Tyneside).