Issued 23rd April, 2015 by England Golf

Top players to follow in Rose's footsteps

Top amateur players from England and Spain will face each other next month in an international match at Burnham & Berrow in Somerset – and it’s a must for talent spotters.

Spectators at past matches have watched Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia – who played in the 1997 teams – as well as players such as Tommy Fleetwood, David Howell, Jose Maria Olazabal, Alvaro Quiros, Pablo Larrazabal and Ignacio Garrido.

This year’s match takes place on Saturday and Sunday, May 9 and 10, and will again feature outstanding players and, for the first time, it will include women.

Each team will be made up of six men and four women, playing five foursomes and 10 singles on both days.

The England team is: Ashley Chesters of Shropshire; Nick Marsh of Yorkshire; Jimmy Mullen of Devon; Michael Saunders of Kent; Sean Towndrow of Lancashire; Ashton Turner of Lincolnshire; Gemma Clews of Cheshire, Alice Hewson of Hertfordshire, Sophie Lamb and Hollie Muse, both of Lancashire.

Chesters, the double European amateur champion; Marsh, the English amateur champion; and Hewson, an international; are all ranked in either the men’s or women’s top 50 in the world. Spain’s representatives include Mario Galiano, who is currently ranked third in Europe and seventh in the world; and Nuria Iturrios, the world’s ninth best woman amateur.

Spectators are very welcome to watch the action unfold on Burnham & Berrow’s links, which is ranked among country’s top courses and has hosted many prestigious tournaments.

England have held the upper hand throughout the history of the biennial match, which started in 1985. The team have won 13 matches to Spain’s two – and never lost at home. However the most recent match, at El Prat in 2013, was won by the Spanish by the narrow margin of one point.

This season’s European Nations Cup, played at La Reserva, Spain, in February, provided a hint of what will be in store at the match. In the men’s event, England, whose representatives included Chesters and Marsh, won the trophy by a stroke after producing a big finish to hold off a charging Spanish side, who will all be at Burnham & Berrow. Spain won the ladies’ championship and two of their three players are heading for Somerset.

Full scores, images and match reports will be available at www.englandgolf.org/englandvspain

The players

England
Ashley Chesters, 25, (Hawkstone Park) won the European amateur championship last year and in 2013. He was in England’s winning team at the 2015 European Nations Cup. 

Nick Marsh, 20, (Huddersfield) is the 2014 English amateur champion and also won the Scottish open youths’ title. He was in England’s winning team at the 2015 European Nations Cup. 

Jimmy Mullen, 21, (Royal North Devon) won the Duncan Putter in Wales in 2014 and tied third this year. He reached the last 16 of the US amateur.

Michael Saunders, 24, (Dartford) has just won the Hampshire Salver and is a past winner and runner-up in the Lagonda Trophy.

Sean Towndrow, 24, (Southport & Ainsdale) reached the semi-finals of the 2014 Amateur Championship and helped Southport & Ainsdale to win the English Champion Club title.

Ashton Turner, 19, (Kenwick Park) recently won the Darwin Salver for the second time and has represented GB&I as well as England.

Gemma Clews, 20, (Delamere Forest) helped England win the 2014 ladies’ Home Internationals and recently retained her title in the Delamere Comboy scratch tournament at her home club.

Alice Hewson, 17, (Berkhamsted) has just won the Hampshire Rose and last year helped England win both the girls’ and ladies’ Home Internationals

Sophie Lamb, 17, (Clitheroe) successfully defended the girls’ title at the Fairhaven Trophies in 2014 and has been in England’s winning teams at the girls’ Home Internationals for the last two years.

Hollie Muse, 15, (West Lancashire) has just won the Scottish U16 girls’ championship and The Leveret. She helped England win both the women’s and girls’ Home Internationals last year.

Spain 
Daniel Berna
Ivan Cantero
Mario Galiano
Xabier Gorospe
Victor Pastor
Pablo Rodriguez-Tabernero
Natalia Escuriola
Nuria Iturrios
Maria Parra
Luna Sobron

Caption: The 17th hole at Burnham & Berrow (image GolfWorking)

-ENDS-

For more information contact:
Lyndsey Hewison
Press Officer
England Golf
pr@englandgolf.org
07825 752 193

EDITORS’ NOTES

England Golf is the governing body for amateur golf in England. It is one of the country’s largest sports governing bodies and looks after the interests of more than 1,900 golf clubs and 675,000 men, women, boy and girl club members.

England Golf is at the heart of grassroots golf, inspiring people to have a lifelong involvement in the game.  Our development initiative ‘Get into golf’ introduces new golfers, juniors and adults, to start playing the game as well as increasing the interest and participation in golf.  Working with our partners we offer business support to clubs to encourage more golfers to enjoy the benefits of club membership and to help promote the game as being accessible, fun and family friendly.

For competitive golfers, England Golf provides championships for all ages and abilities, both in individual and team events, hosted at some of the most prestigious courses across the country, some with qualifying events at any club. 

England Golf identifies and develops the country’s most talented golfers through their amateur careers, many of whom go on to become the world’s leading professional golfers, such as Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Charley Hull and Melissa Reid.