KENT TEENAGER JOINS ROLL CALL OF FAMOUS WINNERS AT HAREWOOD DOWNS

Kent teenager Justin Chenu has singled himself out as a golf star of the future after defeating some of the best juniors in England to win the prestigious Douglas Johns Trophy at Harewood Downs Golf Club – the unofficial under-15 national championship.

Chenu went into the 36-hole event in Buckinghamshire as one of the pre-tournament favourites after winning the English Schools Golf National Championship in June, and a final score of two-under-par was enough to earn the Rochester & Cobham member a one-shot victory from Corhampton’s Max Blake.

First played at Harewood Downs in 1993, the Douglas Johns Trophy is one of the most prestigious competitions on the national junior golf calendar, with its roll call of past winners including 2011 US Open winner Justin Rose and DP World Tour players Oliver Fisher, Marco Penge and Alex Fitzpatrick.

Playing in the first group, Chenu returned an opening one-under-par round of 68 to share the halfway lead with fellow Rochester & Cobham member Harry Fryer and Blake, who played the back nine of his first round in an impressive three-under-par.

With Chenu continuing his good form after lunch and matching his first-round score, Blake needed to shoot one-under-par to match the clubhouse leader, but he could only manage a level-par 69 to fall agonisingly short by one stroke. Blake and Sebastian Dufield (Sand Martins GC) finished joint-third one shot further back on level par.

Matt Mayfield, general manager at Harewood Downs Golf Club, said: “This was the 32nd year that the club has had the honour of staging the Douglas Johns Trophy. We’re very proud of some of the names that have played and won here in the past and this year’s tournament certainly didn’t disappoint.

“There were a number of outstanding performances which bodes well for the future of English golf, and we’d like to pass on our warmest congratulations to Justin for claiming a deserved victory.”

With panoramic views of the Misbourne Valley and Chiltern Hills, Harewood Downs’ course can be played to a par of 69 or 72 to suit players of all ability levels. As well as Rose, the likes of six-time Open Championship winner Harry Vardon are among the other famous names in golf to play at Harewood Downs across the venue’s 117-year history.