So, there we were at the Teignmouth Golf Club, where the 2024 Boys’ County Finals unfolded, and let me tell youโit was not just another walk on the greens.
This was Yorkshireโs young guns showing they could swing their clubs as if they were born with them.
Over three days, these lads were not just playing golf; they were making statements, one hole at a time.
Yorkshire kicked off the event by putting a dent in Gloucestershireโs hopes with a 5.5-3.5 score.
But they didnโt stop there. Kent tried to hold the line the next day, only to see Yorkshire march through them 6-3. By Thursday, it was almost clearโthe trophy might as well start getting engraved.
Yorkshire wrapped it up with a tidy 6.5-2.5 win against Cambridgeshire, securing their champion status. Howโs that for a closing round?
Tai Naylor: The Lad Who Couldnโt Be Beat
Letโs zero in on Tai Naylor for a minute. If you wanted a hero of this tale, itโd be Tai. Out of 6 points up for grabs, he grabbed 5.5. The only thing he didnโt do was fly around the courseโwhich, frankly, he didnโt need to.
His game was sky-high already. And the youngโuns following his lead? Thomas Hartshorne and Alex Boyes, both bagging 5 points. Itโs like they were all tuned to the same winning frequency.
Tai played it cool with his comments, โIt’s been a brilliant week all week, with a lot of hard work from the boys.”
Thatโs the understatement of the year, coming from a lad who just wouldnโt let the flag rest.
Behind Every Great Team is a Great Coach
Steve Robinson, Yorkshireโs coach, spilled the beans on their secret. โPrevious finals we’ve lost closely.
We tend to do the same things and go through the same processes, so there’s been lots of work in the preparations which went very well, and we’ve come out winners the other side,” he shared.
Seems like theyโve found their rhythm, and boy, did they dance this time!
Steve also tipped his hat to the folks putting their pounds and pence into the junior program.
โThe county invests an awful lot of money into junior players and hopefully they’ll continue to do that and develop world-class players,” he noted.
With three of their squad called up for international duty next week, Iโd say thatโs money well spent.
And What About the Others?
Oh, the drama didnโt stop with Yorkshire. Gloucestershireโs own 14-year-old Jaxson Perry almost stole the show, helping his team clinch second place with a brilliant 5 points out of 6.
And letโs not overlook CambridgeshireโSam Marshall stood tall among giants, remaining unbeaten with 5.5 points.
Wrapping It Up at Teignmouth
As the dust settles on the 2024 Boys’ County Finals, hereโs what we know: Yorkshireโs got game, the future of golfโs in brilliant hands, and these tournaments are about more than just scoresโtheyโre about seeing the next generation of golfers rise.
And rise they did. Hereโs to those Yorkshire lads, swinging their way into history.
