WILTSHIRE booked a place in next month's English Boys County finals after clinching the South West Championship on home turf at Bowood yesterday.

The team, coached by Simon Shanks and Andy Beal and managed by Paul Edwards, will now represent the region in the national showpiece on August 26-28 at Sandiway GC in Northwich against representative teams from the North, Midlands and South East.

In tough conditions, a strong breeze combining with fast greens and punishing rough, Wiltshire James Wiltshire (Broome Manor) was the only youngster under par in the opening round with a 71 with his closest challenge being in the same group, Cornwall's England U16 captain Harry Hall (74).

Hall's second-round 72 closed the gap, but Wiltshire held on to win the individual prize with a 74 to become South West champion.

Each of the six counties also nominated six players, with the best five morning and afternoon scores for the team event.

At the midway point, only ten shots separated the entire field, but all Wiltshire's players shot under 80 in the afternoon as the county took the crown by four shots from Dorset.

Wiltshire's representation included county boys champion Jamie Amor (Marlborough) and Rhys Edwards (Cumberwell Park), as well as Tom Law (Broome Manor), Dom Patton (Manor House), Corey Sheppard (High Post), Jack Seaman (Wrag Barn) and Charlie Dunn (West Wilts), while Max Mulcock (Wrag Barn) finished fourth individually.

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