Golf students retain prestigious national AoC title

Myerscough students successfully battled the elements to triumph at the tournament at the prestigious course at Fairmont St Andrews. Students from all across the country competed over two days on the Torrance and Kittocks courses, with Myerscough College dominating the tournament.

With a field twice the size of the entrants from the 2018 Open, the competition was fierce, as students took to the course to compete in three different events; the mixed individual nett, the boys’ gross and the overall prize of the week, the Open Championships team.

Myerscough picked up where they left off last season, comfortably retaining the Open Championship team prize, in a field of 14 teams, with a 13-shot victory over Balby Carr. Myerscough College’s combined score of 438 was only six shots more than the winning score at the 2018 Open, a rather impressive performance in the most challenging of weather conditions, as Myerscough took home the Claret jug for the sixth time.

The Myerscough College team consisted of 17-year-olds Jack McPhail Jake Hibbert and Brook Snape, along with 18-year-old Harry Doyle.

There was also individual success for two Myerscough students, as across the two days Jack McPhail scored a one under par 72 to add to his 72 on day one for a total of 144, to take home the boys’ gross trophy (scores from scratch). Jack also finished third in the mixed nett competition (scores with handicap added).

Meanwhile, Jake Hibbert finished with a combined score of 146 to take the gross runners-up spot.

A spokesperson for the Association of Colleges, said: ‘’The 2019 Open witnessed another year of fantastic performances highlighting the real talent that is present within colleges in the UK. A thank you to all of the students and staff who made the journey to St Andrews for the 2019 Open and contributed towards what was a fantastic event.’’

The title caps another great year for Myerscough College’s F.E golf students, with the success on the course adding to the programme’s reputation.

Craig Lea is the Head PGA Advanced Golf Professional at Myerscough College and said: ‘’We’re very pleased with the results and there were some superb individual performances. It is a fantastic achievement for our FE students, who have worked extremely hard throughout their coaching programme.

‘’We have a proven track record over a number of years now of the programme here is working. I’m sure that in the years to come we’ll have a number of players making it big.

‘’We have an increasing reputation with the right processes in place, do things right and the success we’ve had already nationally and at county level builds awareness of what we’re about as a coaching programme.

‘’Here at Myerscough it’s all about giving students the best opportunity to be the best they can be.’’

For details of the range of golf study programmes available at Myerscough College & University Centre, click here