Golf: Fred Gill crowned South East Junior Champion

Gill, who is a member at Southampton’s top-rated Stoneham GC as well as at the town’s multi-million revamped course at Dummer, holed a putt to win at the second extra hole, at Kent’s Kings Hill GC, after they parred the first in fours.

The SEJC has been won by the likes of Ken Brown, Peter Townsend and Peter Oosterhuis, who all played in the Ryder Cup, as well as Carl Mason – the European Seniors Tour No. 1 – and Ryder Cup-winning captain Luke Donald.

Fred Gill has joined an elite band of golfers to have been crowned South East Junior Champion. (Image: Andrew Griffin)

And this week, Gill is heading to Brokenhurst Manor in the New Forest, with a realistic shot of becoming the youngest winner of the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Island Amateur Championship in more than 35 years.

Gill, who made his Challenge League debut for Hampshire last month in his first step towards his dream of becoming a member of the first-team squad, shot rounds of 68 and 65 to post an 11-under total.

Moody had led at lunchtime after a sparkling 65, with Gill three shots behind in a five-share of fifth, the Hampshire teenager having made seven birdies before lunch, including four in six holes, from the seventh.

Bogeys at the second, fifth and 16th left him on four-under after Moody had made eight birdies to get to seven-under.

Gill, who was playing from the 10th after lunch – with Moody on the other side of the draw – made a lightning start with three birdies in four holes, but did not pick up another shot until the first as he turned for home.

Moody started even faster with four birdies in his first four holes, but having gone past the turn on 13-under thanks to an eagle at the par-five ninth – and with just one dropped shot at the eighth – his game came undone between the 13th and 15th.

The Surrey ace dropped four shots in three holes to fall down into second place on 10-under before getting one shot back thanks to a good two on the 17th.

Gill reached the turn on seven-under and charged home with birdies at the first, sixth, eighth and ninth, to match Moody’s total.

Hampshire U18 manager Richard Beeston was delighted to see Gill become just the county’s fourth winner of the SEJC in the event’s 67-year history.

He said: "Fred has been an important player for Hampshire at U14, U16 and U18 level over the last four or five seasons.

"Starting with his win in the U16s when he only lost to Albie in a play-off at Weybrook Park two years ago, he has continued to progress – finishing third in last year’s U18 Championship, in a really competitive battle with the top two both under-par at Hockley in stormy weather."

This season not only has Fred been selected to play for the Challenge League for the first time – the pathway to the Hampshire first-team – but he has now gone and claimed the South East U18 title.

Hampshire have enjoyed considerable success in the competition in recent years with Jamie Markwick, from Corhampton, and Hockley’s Tom Chalk claiming the title.

But before Markwick’s win in 2019, the last Hampshire winner was Mike Smith back in the late 1980s.

Richard added: "Everyone connected with England Golf and Hampshire back then were convinced Mike – if he had not been killed so tragically in a car accident – would have gone on to be a big star in the pro game, and almost certainly have played in the Ryder Cup.

"All our juniors have those dreams – backed up by the fact they know they are playing in the same junior programme that produced Justin 30 years ago."

Richard, who took over the Hampshire U12s in 2000 and has managed the U14s and U16s before taking over the U18s this year, added: "We put a lot of time, money and effort into giving players every opportunity to shine at county, regional and national level.

"With Albie having earned his England U16 cap in the autumn, I am sure Fred is being spurred on by him winning the North of England U16… and he can now proudly call himself the South East Junior Champion."

In 1998, the winner was Surrey’s Zane Scotland, who a year later became the youngest player to qualify for The Open, in 100 years, at Carnoustie, and is now an R&A Ambassador for golf, working as a top coach in Dubai.