Golfer Ben keeps the flag flying

The 17-year-old +2 handicapper formed one-sixth of the team which took home the European Boys' Championship from Kotka, Finland, last month and last week Ben and England made it a double with the acquisition of the Home Internationals' Boys Championship for the seventh year on the trot.

Successive victories over Wales (9 - 5), Ireland (8 - 6), whom they trailed 3 - 1 after the morning foursomes, and Scotland (11 - 3) at Ireland's historic Portmarnock links last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday meant that Ben laid his hands on the trophy for a second time.

But, from a personal standpoint, the Home Nations' Championship fell a shade short of the Europeans where he won four of his five matchplay contests in the wake of finishing 13th out of 120 players from around the continent during the individual strokeplay element.

On this occasion Ben, a member at Sedlescombe and Rye Golf Clubs, triumphed from only one of five encounters. He collected just a half point in the morning foursomes against Wales when he and Laurence Allen finished all-square against Marc Lewis and Mark Trow.

He lost his afternoon singles by a single hole to Adam Runcie and things got worse against Ireland the following day. Ben and Laurence were hammered 6&4 by Rory McIlroy and Karl Gilbert whilst Niall Kearney beat him by two holes later on. The Mick Maplesden-sponsored protg had the foursomes off against Scotland but returned for the singles where he engineered his sole win, overcoming Steven McEwan 3&1.

Father Glyn said: "I think he was disappointed with his results but pleased with how he played. He felt he played very well and in comparing the stats between the boys in the team his stats were as good as the best. But he obviously had hard matches and just didn't get the breaks on the greens at crucial moments."

Ben finished runner-up in the Sussex Boys' Championship at The Dyke Golf Club in Brighton just before the Home Nations. He birdied the last for a two round total of two-under-par but lost out on the first extra hole to Seaford's Michael Lindfield.