Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club’s Jordan Sundborg pulled off a big shock by knocking out the Carris Trophy holder at the British Boys Championship at Royal Birkdale on Friday to reach the last eight.
The 17-year-old, who made his debut for Hampshire, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands in the South East Daily Telegraph League earlier this season, was up against the number one seed after the 36-hole qualifier played over the Open Championship course and neighbouring Southport & Ainsdle.
Moore is a member of the English Boys team, while Sundborg is not even a member of the England U18 squad, yet that did not deter him from landing a big scalp in front of the watching England and R&A selectors.
The Derbyshire ace also claimed the McEvoy Trophy earlier this season – the country’s other top boys’ strokeplay event – but the Hampshire junior held no fears as he recovered from losing a slender early lead, to storm into the lead in the closing three holes.
He won both the 16th and 17th holes to book his place in today’s quarter-finals where he will face Spain’s Borja Martin-Torre for a place in the afternoon semi-finals.
The British Boys has been won by a host of future golf stars in the past – including Ryder Cup players, Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal, while famous European Tour players from England who have lifted the famous trophy include David Howell, Ken Ferrie and more recently Tom Lewis and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
But it has never been a strong competition for Hampshire unlike the men’s top amateur events and Sundborg now has a realistic chance of becoming the first player from the Solent to reach the final in more than 50 years.
Sundborg was part of the Shanklin and Sandown team that claimed the Hampshire Green Jackets trophy in the Hampshire inter-club junior knockout.
Victory over Barton-on-Sea by Sundborg and clubmates Conor Richard, the current Hampshire Junior Champion, and Dan Mew earned the Green Jackets champions a place in the England Junior Golf Champion Club event at Frilford Heath.
But Sundborg was playing in the qualifying rounds of the British Boys while Richards is recovering after an operation to remove an ingrowing toe nail that forced him to miss the British Boys. Sundborg and Richards were also in the Shanklin team that claimed victory in the men’s team championships at the Hampshire IoW and CI Amateur Championship at Brokenhurst Manor, in June.
The pair, along with Natt Riddett will travel to Durham’s Brancepth Castle to reprint Hampshire and the islands in the England Golf Champion Club Tournament.
