Russian boosts overseas challenge
in Carris Trophy

The battle for the Carris Trophy, the 72-hole English Boys Under-18 Open Stroke Play Championship, which returns to its traditional home at Moor Park, Hertfordshire, on 24-26 July, promises to be the closest to date.

Every member of the England School of Excellence with one exception is in the 132-strong international field, which also includes players from Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Kenya and Russia.

The Russian is 17 year old Grigory Bondarenko, who competed in last year's Under-16 Championship, finishing tied ninth. The Moscow youngster, who plays off scratch, recently won the MGA International Junior Golf Championship, which was basically the Russian Federation Junior Championship, staged in Austria.

Bondarenko carded rounds of 67 and 66 for a nine under par tally of 133 to win by two strokes. England boy international Daniel Wardrop was third, Gary Lockerbie, last year's Carris winner, was fourth and another England boy cap, James Heath, was joint fifth. Wardrop (Didsbury) and Heath (Coombe Wood) will be at Moor Park but Lockerbie is too old to defend the title.

Craig Stevenson (Whittington Heath), runner-up at Formby a year ago, will be aiming to go one better this time, while David Porter (Stoneham), the winner in 1999 and fifth last year, will be seeking to become the first player since Peter Baker in 1985 to lift the title twice.

Other members of the School of Excellence, any of whom could emerge as champion, are Michael Skelton (Hunley Hall), McGregor Trophy winner in 2000 and recently returned from representing England in the World Boys Team Championships in Japan, Stephen Lewton (Woburn) and Scott Jackson (Bramall Park), who also competed in Japan, Eren Behcet (Langley Park), Simon Bell (Northcliffe) and Farren Keenan (Royal Mid Surrey).

The only member of the School of Excellence not in the Carris is James Ruth (Tavistock), who will be in Germany representing England in the annual European Young Masters.

Wardrop, Porter, Skelton, Lewton, Bell and Jackson will go into the tournament having returned from carrying English hopes in the European Boys Team Championships in Poland.

The title has never gone overseas but, Bondarenko apart, the foreign threat is reinforced by an 18-strong group of young Spaniards, four Swiss and three Italians.

Of the 132-strong field, which will be reduced to the leading 45 and ties after 36 holes, 49 have a handicap of scratch or better. There are five players who play off plus two, including Wardrop, Porter and Heath.