STONEHAM claimed the Royal Greenjackets Cup for a fourth time – beating Rowlands Castle in the final at Hockley GC, to book their place in this month’s English Junior Champion Club championship at the home of England Golf.

The Southampton club, who last won the Hampshire Inter-Club Junior Knockout 10 years ago, ran up a total of 73 stableford points – six more than Rowlands, who had beaten a very strong Royal Guernsey team in the morning semis.

With the best two from three scores counting, Stoneham had three players with a combined handicap of just eight, including Hampshire U16 player Freddie Gill, who was off just one.
Gill, who won the Hampshire U14s title two years ago, fired an impressive 69 on the par-71 course on the slopes of Twyford Down, near Winchester, overlooking the M3.

That translated into 39 points, for the Sherfield School pupil, who hails from Basingstoke, thanks to five birdies, dropping three shots in the final. 

Georgia Richardson, playing off three, picked up 34 points, just a couple shy of her handicap after shooting a nett 74, carding four birdies of her own.

Four-handicapper Oliver Smith picked up a respectable 30 points but his score was not included.

Meanwhile Rowlands had Tristan Oliver, playing off 12 and 11-handicapper Jayden Cole post 33 and 34 points respectively.

Nine-handicapper Connie Lai also came home with 30 points, but it was Stoneham who were left celebrating as they had in 2002 and 2008, as well as 2014.

The trio now travel to Woodhall Spa, in Lincolnshire, next week, with the English Junior Champion Club being played on August 15 and 16.

In the morning semi-final Stoneham had seen off local rivals Bramshott Hill, Stoneham’s Gill and Richardson led the scoring again with 33 and 34 points respectively as Freddie birdied two of the three par-fives on Hockley’s downhill back nine.

Georgia made two birdies of her own, including a nett eagle at the par-five 11th, while Oliver’s score of 34 points – including a birdie at the fourth – was only discarded because his team-mate had a better back nine.

Should the scores have been tied and gone to countback, it was the better round but Stoneham’s total of 67 points was three better than their opponents.

Bramshott went with higher handicaps and Ben Collins, off 25, and 18-handicapper Jimmy Johnson returned 28 and 36 points respectively, while Jackson Porter, off 20, returned 26 points.

In the third and fourth place play-off, Royal Guernsey finished four points clear of Bramshott Hill.
Ben Collins led the way for the Dibden club notching up 36 points thanks to a nett 60.

Brokenhurst Manor are the most successful club in the Royal Greenjackets’ history, with four victories since the trophy was first contested for back in 1977 – one behind Shanklin & Sandown.

Barton-on-Sea, who won three of the first four finals in the 1970s, also have four Greenjackets to their name, while Dunwood Manor won it twice in 1996 and 2000 before the Romsey club closed 12 years ago.