Shanklin and Sandown’s Jordan Sundborg has been ruled out this weekend’s South East Qualifier for the English County Finals, after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Stirling University student, who became the first Islander to win the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship in nearly 70 years in 2017, was devastated to test positive late last week. It means he has to self-isolate and misses the crucial practice rounds at Norwich’s Eaton GC.
Sundborg, who won the British and European Universities Championship titles in 2019, has played for Hampshire 3 times in the “six-man” qualifier.
Jordan, who has also been forced to pull out of 3 golf events while studying in Scotland this summer because of being named in contact tracing, was cursing his luck after finding out the result of his test. He said:
“I am feeling fine – just would love to be supporting the team this week and even playing, but that’s not possible now.
“I played the Scottish Strokeplay at Southerness and the British Amateur at Nairn, in June, but had to pull out of the St Andrews Links Trophy because I was registered as a contact.
“I’ve had to pull out of three tournaments this year due to isolating which is annoying for me personally.
“It’s just the time we are living in at the moment and we have to do what is right.”
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Hampshire won the event 7 times in 11 years between 2007 and 2017. Sundborg was part of the team that went on to claim the English County Championship for only the second time in the Hampshire’s history 4 years ago.
The Shanklin ace, who has been a regular member of the Hampshire South East League team for the past 5 years, and has been in the county captain Neil Dawson’s thoughts this season despite his absence and unavailability.
Sundborg’s strokeaverage of 72.1 in the South East Qualifier ensured a place in Dawson’s provisional 8-man squad that were due to travel to Norfolk on Thursday.
Dawson has to name his 6-man team by this afternoon with 36-holes being played on Saturday.
MATTHEWS MISSES OUT ON ENGLAND CAP
Newport Golf Club’s Nick Matthews was unable to earn an England Schools cap at last week’s national championship, at Belton Park, in Lincolnshire.
Matthews, the current Isle of Wight Matchplay Champion, was 1 of 3 Hampshire Boys squad members to qualify for the English Schools Championship. But having finished runner-up in the South West Schools Championship at Bristol’s The Players Club last month, Matthews was the odd one out at the Grantham club.
Matthews shot a disappointing 79 in the first round, before bouncing back with a 73 which lifted him into 20th place.
There was more disappointment for Matthews and his Hampshire team when they could only finish 5th at the South East Boys Qualifier. Hampshire were one of the fancies to reach the English Boys Finals at the end of August, but got off to a very slow start.
Matthews could only card a 78, which did not affect the team score as only the best 5 scores counted at Kent’s Kings Hill GC. But the U18s captain roared back after lunch with a fine 70.
Hampshire’s afternoon total of 351 was 9-under par and the lowest team total in either round, leaving the boys to think of what might have been in their bid to reach the national finals for the first time since Ryde’s Josh Oddy was the lowest scorer in the side in 2015. Shanklin’s Jordan Sundborg and Conor Richards were also in the team that were crowned South East Boys Champions at Porters Park, in Hertfordshire, 6 years ago.
