SURREY GOLF TEXT 2016_Surrey Golf Inside 06 03/03/2016 07:42 Page 32
YIGS are boys and girls who either don’t have a handicap or have a “club” handicap of 37 to
54. YIGS competitions are played over 9 hole par 3 courses. Regards handicaps the players are
given a YIGS RookieTour playing handicap that is managed by the tour and only valid in a
RookieTour YIGS event.
On the main RookieTour the Birdie Trophy, the innovation of Junior committee member Peter
Barratt who kindly donated the trophy, is awarded to the player who scores the highest
number of gross birdies in RookieTour events throughout the season. The 2015 winner was
Ben Partridge with 20 gross birdies.
In 2015 the Sinclair Salver, introduced in memory of long time RookieTour supporter Mike
Sinclair, is awarded by the RookieTour Committee to the player who they believe has best
demonstrated good etiquette and upheld the traditions of golf throughout the year. The 2015
winner was Robert Muir, who demonstrated these qualities in abundance during the course of
the season.
Without doubt the NikeGolf RookieTour is now regarded as a major series of events on the
calendar of every Surrey U14 golfer.
In the U12 / U14 boys and U14 girls sections the events are generally 18 hole qualifiers,
something that has proved to be very popular with all the competitors.
The number of regular season RookieTour events was twelve for 2015, plus the “Race to the
Stars” finale for the leading players in each Order of Merit, making a total of thirteen events
throughout the year. For the YIGS there were four events to take part in.
The Race to the Stars, the finale of the 2015 RookieTour, took place at The Royal Automobile
Club near Epsom over the Old Course. Fifty-four junior golfers gathered to take part in this
invitation only event. The RAC clubhouse and course were fantastic, with the sun shining and
only a very light breeze, making conditions perfect for golf.
In part the Tour was a victim of its own success with most of the events being sold out very
quickly, meaning that some youngsters didn’t get to play in all the events that they wanted to,
which was disappointing but unavoidable.
In total 215 players from 56 Surrey golf clubs registered for the 2015 tour. As stated above the
average entry was 110 players per event. This maintained the 2014 entry level and compares
to 110 in 2013, 100 in 2012, 90 in 2011, 75 in 2010 and a mere 46 in 2009. The highest
entry was at Foxhills par 3 course with 151.
Overall there is no doubt that the 2015 RookieTour has yet again been a fantastic success for
Surrey golf and all the juniors involved. And with the continued support of the Surrey Golf
Clubs who host our events it will continue to be so for many years to come.
Our special thanks go to these courses and venues without whose help in hosting these events
the RookieTour simply wouldn’t be able to take place, so a big thank you to:
FOXHILLS, WEST BYFLEET, MERRIST WOOD, PUTTENHAM, ADDINGTON COURT,
TYRRELLS WOOD, REIGATE HILL, MILFORD, HOEBRIDGE, CUDDINGTON, RUSPER,
WINDLESHAM, FARNHAM and THE ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB.
As it is every year the quality of the competition in 2015 was exceptionally high. The number
of times countback had to be used to separate the players was absolutely incredible.
As with the individual events, the race for the various Order of Merit titles was intense with
many players still in with a chance to claim a title right up to the last event, the “Race to the
Stars”, which for 2015 was held at The Royal Automobile Club.
The NikeGolf RookieTour 2014 Order of Merit Champions
U14
U14
U14
U12
U12
Boys OoM Scratch Champion:
Boys OoM Handicap Champion:
Girls OoM Handicap Champion:
Boys OoM Scratch Champion:
Boys OoM Handicap Champion:
BEN PARTRIDGE (Epsom)
BILLY COSTELLO (Wentworth)
ANNA STOCK (Surrey National)
SHERGO KURDI (Windlesham)
YUSUF SARWAR (Royal Wimbledon)
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