North Of England Under 16’s Championships
The North of England Under 16’s Championship is a 72-Hole, Stroke Play Competition played over three days. After 36 holes, a cut shall be made and a further 36 holes are played.
The Championship are open to Amateur Golfers of all nationalities. To be eligible to enter, a player must be in possession of a playing handicap index not exceeding 7.4.
21st, 22nd & 23rd August 2024
REPORTS
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Event History
For many years Pannal Golf Club has been a leader in the world of Junior Golf. From 1957 to 1964 the Club staged the British Amateur Youth Championship where many juniors competed who went on to top level professional careers. Notable winners include Alex Caygill and Brian Barnes. The event returned in 1975 when it was won by a certain Nick Faldo, who set a course record at that time of 65 on his way to victory.
2001 saw the inauguration of the North of England Under 16’s Stroke Play Championship which ran until 2005 and then returned here again in 2010. Again there have been many players who have gone on to great things, including Pablo Martin, the first man to win as an amateur and then a professional on the European Tour. Carlota Ciganda, the U14's winner in 2003 went on to win the British Ladies Amateur in 2007 before winning the ISPS Handa Order of Merit and being named Players' Player of the Year and the LET Rookie of the Year in 2012. The most impressive step up into the professional game however has surely been made by the U16's winner of 2010 Matt Fitzpatrick, when he became a major winner through his victory in the 2022 US Open at Brookline, Massachusetts.
Coming right up to date, Lottie Woad currently No 1 in the Ladies World Amateur Golf Ranking Woad (July 2024) played in the competition in 2018 as a 14 year old.
The event was the brainchild of Anthony Abraham, past President of England Golf, who got in touch with the late Henry Dean, Pannal Captain in 2000. Pannal hosted it from 2001 until 2005 (incl.) and then in 2006, our centenary, we had the English Boys Championship Finals at Pannal, at a similar time of year, and it was thought prudent to find an alternative venue for the U16s.
Heswall agreed to host it from 2006 and following a later agreement it now alternates between the two clubs on three year terms, returning to Pannal in 2010, 2016 and again in 2023.
The club has also staged a number of Junior International matches. In October 2012, England Boys Under 16’s beat Scotland Boys Under 16’s in their annual match. Each year before the North of England Under 16’s there is a mixed international match: in 2016 England Girls took on Switzerland.
Notable Past Winners
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Notable Past Winners …
MATTHEW FITZPATRICK
U-16s WINNER, 2010
Fitzpatrick won the 2012 Boys Amateur Championship. He made the cut at the 2013 Open Championship and finished as low amateur, winning The Silver Medal. Later in 2013, Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Amateur, which earned him invitations to the 2014 Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, and Open Championship. The U.S. Amateur win took him to the top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking. In September 2013 he played in the Walker Cup.
Fitzpatrick turned professional after the 2014 U.S. Open. In October 2015, he entered the world top 100 for the first time with a ranking of 59. He finished his rookie season on tour with one win, nine top-10 placements, and a 12th place in the final Order of Merit.
In April 2016, Fitzpatrick competed at the Masters, and thanks to his results on the 2015 and 2016 European Tour seasons he obtained an automatic selection for the 2016 Ryder Cup.
PABLO MARTIN
U-16s WINNER, 2005
In April 2007, Martfn became the first amateur ever to win a European Tour event when he captured the Estoril Open de Portugal title. As an amateur, he had to forfeit the winner's prize money of €208,330, but the win still granted him exemption on the European Tour until the end of 2009. He turned professional in June 2007, and completed the season playing on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, relying on sponsors' invitations for PGA Tour events.
In the first event of the 2010 season, he won the Alfred Dunhill Championship to become the first player to win on the European Tour as both an amateur and as a professional. In December 2010, he successfully defended this title.
JODI EWART SHADOFF
U-16'5 COMPETITOR, 2003
Ewart was on the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team in 2008 which was defeated by the United States. She is also a two-time English Amateur Champion, winning in 2008 and again in 2009.
Ewart turned professional in 2010 and qualified for the LPGA Tour in 2011. After the conclusion of the 2013 Women's British Open, she was chosen by Liselotte Neumann as one of her four captain's selections to the 2013 European Solheim Cup Team.
CARLOTA CIGANDA
U-14'S WINNER, 2003
Spaniard Ciganda enjoyed a successful amateur career, winning the British Ladies Amateur in 2007. She also won the European Ladies Amateur Championship in 2004 and 2008 and was a member of the 2005 and 2007 European Junior Solheim Cup teams and 2004 and 2006 European Junior Ryder Cup teams.
Ciganda turned professional in May 2011 and finished third at the LET Final Qualifying School tournament to earn full playing rights for the 2012 Ladies European Tour season.
In her first full season on the 2012 Ladies European Tour, Ciganda won the ISPS Handa Order of Merit and was also named Players' Player of the Year, and the LET Rookie of the Year. A member of the 2013 and 2015 Solheim Cup team, her end 2016 world ranking was 20th.
BEATRIZ RECARI
U-16'5 WINNER, 2002
Born and raised in Pamplona in northern Spain, Recari began playing golf at age 11 and enjoyed a successful amateur career, with wins at the 2004 Spanish Amateur Championship and the 2005 French Amateur Championship. In 2003, she finished runner-up at the British Girls Amateur Championship. She won the European Team Championship as a member of Team Spain in 2004 and was a member of Team Europe in the 2005 Junior Solheim Cup.
Turning professional in 2006 she won her first tournament in her fourth Ladies European Tour season at the 2009 Finnair Masters at Helsinki, Finland. Recari played and made the cut in all of the 27 LPGA official events in 2012. Her streak of consecutive starts and cuts made earned her the nickname II Iron Woman II and earned her a place in the 2013 Solheim Cup team.
AZAHARA MUNOZ
U-14'5 WINNER, 2001
Munoz was born in San Pedro, Malaga and Dona Mencfa (Cordoba) in southern Spain and had a successful amateur career in both Europe and the United States. She won the 2002 Spanish Amateur title at age 14, the 2004 Girls British Open Championship, and was the 2009 British Amateur Champion. Additionally, she was runner-up to Amanda Blumenherst at the 2008 U.S Women's Amateur in Eugene, Oregon, and was a member of Europe's Junior Solheim Cup Team in 2002, 2003, and 2005.
Munoz turned professional in September 2009, two weeks prior to the first stage of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament in California, in which she finished second and advanced to the final stage in December. In her rookie season of 2010, Munoz made the cut in her first eleven events, and won over $402,000 in LPGA competition with two top ten finishes. She made the top twenty in the three majors she played, was 30th on the money list, and 17th in scoring.lfil Munoz handily won the competition for LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year with 704 points; the runner-up was compatriot Beatriz Recari with 419. Munoz ended the year at 41 st in the world rankings.
