Meet Harry. The teenager has just won the annual Thorpeness Golf Club Championship, beating the club captain in the process. Who just so happens to be his dad…
Harry Brinded has come a long way since picking up a set of plastic golf clubs for the first time aged two and practising in the back garden.
Showing great promise for the future, the 14 year old has just won the Thorpeness Golf Club Championship, beating his father James Brinded, the Club Captain, into second place by six shots over the two-day event.
The annual championship is open to club members of all ages and handicaps, and Harry is thought to be the youngest winner in the club’s history.
He has now overtaken his father as his handicap has been cut to 5, while James is off 6.
So how did he manage to practise this year, when all the golf courses were closed? He says: ‘During lockdown, I managed to keep practicing my golf by using a net in the garden to hit balls into, chipping on the grass and putting on the carpet just to keep a rhythm going.’
Delighted with his win, the young champion was presented with the shield and a prize voucher: ‘That was a great outcome. I’m thrilled that I now have enough funds to buy the Vokey wedges I have been saving up for.’
Organised by Thorpeness Golf Club members committee, the event is played over 36 holes across the two days. Harry won with a score of 77 on the first day and 75 on the second, a total of 152. He was leading going into the back nine but took a 7 on the par 5 14th hole, he recovered well, playing the last four holes in 2 under par, making birdies at the 16th and 17th holes with a level par second 9. Harry’s father James, was runner up with scores of 78 and 80, a total of 158.
What is it that the teenager enjoys about playing golf?
‘The most enjoyable things in golf, for me, is playing competitions and playing other golf courses to hone my skills and have a variety of shots which reiterates that I’m getting better and can take on a challenge. I enjoy the social interaction that golf gives us all.’
James is extremely proud of Harry’s achievements, and adds: ‘It has always been our aim to make Thorpeness an all-inclusive family club welcoming all ages to come and play with a chance to receive professional tuition. We hope Harry’s win will show other youngsters what can be achieved and encourage them to join us.’
Thorpeness Golf Club & Hotel is a James Braid design, a coastal heathland golf course situated on the Suffolk Coast near Aldeburgh. The course appears in the top 100 golf courses in the UK.
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