Our Golf A Team have achieved a place at the Independent Schools Golf Association (ISGA) National Finals.
Ellis Kerr, Rohan Neat and Lewis Pugh have won all of their matches in the competition so far. Their most recent victory was in the County Finals against The Perse School at Thetford Golf Club earlier this week.
The terrific trio have secured a place at the ISGA National Finals, which are being held at The Players Golf Club, near Bristol, in April 2024.
Mr Patrick Carberry, Head of Golf at King’s, said: “This is the first time in school history that we have reached the National Finals, and we are thrilled for the team! All three boys are talented golfers who have played exceptionally well in every match, so their spot in the National Finals is richly deserved.
“Rohan led with a nice 9 iron to the par 3, landing it about 4ft from the edge of the green and to the right. His opponent dropped it short into the bunker and by the end of the hole, Rohan was 1 up. As the round progressed, Rohan went 2 up and then back to 1 up on a number of occasions, and by the 17th, he was 2 up with 1 to play. This was an outstanding result by Rohan and remarkably, he has only lost 4 holes in all 3 matches we have played this year. He sets an excellent example as Captain and is an invaluable member of the team.
“Ellis had a slightly unsteady start and hit long on to the second level of the green. This proved to be a very difficult putt and with the greens running a little quicker than he thought, he tapped the ball 9ft past the hole. His opponent then did a similar stroke and eventually, they halved the hole. However, undeterred and commensurate with his grit and determination, over the next 8 holes, Ellis went up by 3 at one stage, then his opponent pulled 2 back, only for him to finish off superbly on the 17th, winning 2 and 1. Ellis has been a fantastic addition to the team, settling into the group comfortably and playing exceptionally well when pressure is applied. He has only lost 8 holes in all 3 matches we have played this year – a sign of things to come.
“Lewis was last to tee off and did exactly what was needed. His first shot was just on the green, whereas, to our delight, his opponent found the gorse bushes off to the left of the green. By the time she had got out of the bushes, Lewis was left with a simple tap in, putting him 1 up from the start. His opposition, the only female player, started putting Lewis under a lot of pressure on the longer holes, however, she was laying off of the red tee positions and Lewis was off of the white. He is to be commended for meeting the challenge and even when things did not quite go the way he would have liked, he persevered doggedly. Consequently, over the first 9 holes, he was 3 up starting the back 9 and by the 16th, it was all over, with Lewis winning 3 and 2. The smile on his face said it all and he has only lost 12 holes in all 3 matches we have played this year. He should be very pleased with his performance.”
Established in 2005, ISGA is the official golf organisation for independent schools in the UK.
Good luck for the National Finals, chaps – we are all rooting for you!