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Girls' & Boys' Home Internationals

England and Ireland wins on day one of Boys’ and Girls’ Home Internationals

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The R&A
09 Aug 23
3 mins
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England’s dominance of the Boys’ and Girls’ Home Internationals continued unabated as the defending champions eased to an opening day victory at Lindrick.  Over the storied Yorkshire venue where GB&I famously won the Ryder Cup back in 1957, England’s talented teenagers powered to a 17-4 win over Scotland in the annual round-robin tussle of home nations that is now played in a combined format.  It was a conquest that underlined the experience and excellence in the England ranks. “We have real strength in depth,” said team captain, Stephen Burnett. “Seven of the nine guys are in their final year and lots of them have world and European experience. Everybody played a part. But we start again on Wednesday. This is an event of three separate missions and we are only a third of the way through.” 

Early dominance 

The seeds of England’s opening day success were sown in the morning foursomes as they put in a display of poise and purpose to forge a 5 ½ - 1 ½ lead.  The pairing of Hugh Adams and Harry Malin, who formed a profitable foursomes alliance in the European Team Championships last month, reprised that partnership and made a considerable statement of intent when they swept to a commanding 7&6 win over Billy Devine and Dylan Cairns in the top tie. “They get on like a house on fire and it was a nailed-on partnership coming into this week,” added Burnett.  The English duo grabbed the match by the scruff of the neck and were three-up through seven. A birdie on the 8th extended that advantage before they made a telling thrust at the start of the back-nine and won 10, 11 and 12 to ease to a comprehensive victory.  Sam Easterbrook and Frazer Jones, undefeated as a pairing last year, swiftly added another point with a 4&2 victory over Fergus Brown and Koby Buchan. The Scottish double act’s hopes were not aided by a couple of ruinous early holes and they lost two balls on the 4th and another on the 5th as Easterbrook and Jones stole a march. 
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Farmer success 

Alexander Farmer, the son of the former British Mid-Amateur champion, Andrew, partnered Jake Johnston to a 6&4 win over McGregor Trophy champion Kris Kim and Drew Sykes as Scotland got a full point on the board. But England would add 3 ½ more points to their haul as they re-asserted their authority.  The reigning champions fortified their position in the singles and an impressive shift from Adams was completed with a 7&5 defeat of Cairns.  The 18-year-old’s afternoon got off to an inauspicious start when his opening tee-shot found a bush and he lost the hole. Adams swiftly restored parity on the 3rd, however, before he claimed five of the next six holes during a surge that was illuminated on the 8th, when he drove the green, lipped out for an eagle but walked off with a birdie.  “I re-set after that first hole and once I got back to all-square, I loosened up a bit,” said Adams, who will start a golf scholarship at Oregon in the USA at the end of this month. “I picked up a lot of momentum after that and played some really nice stuff.”  In total, England won 11 and halved one of the 14 singles ties, with Norfolk’s Nellie Ong pitching in with a robust 7&6 win over Sofia McGhie. 

Ireland victory 

In the day’s other encounter, Ireland, runners-up a year ago, got their campaign off to a rousing start with a 17-4 victory over Wales.  A foursomes flourish laid some sturdy foundations as the Irish opened up a healthy 5 ½ - 1 ½ lead before pressing home that advantage in the afternoon.  The impressive Olivia Costello, who has enjoyed a shimmering season with victories in both the Irish and Scottish Girls’ Opens, overcame the Welsh Girls’ champion, Annabel Collis, by a 4&3 margin to help Ireland ease over the winning line.  “We have to be happy with that,” said the Ireland captain, Peter English. “The foursomes were important for us. Historically, foursomes tend be critical in this event and if you can get a good platform you can build on that. I’m very proud of them.”  Ireland will now face Scotland on day two with England squaring up to Wales. 

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Girls' & Boys' Home Internationals