Spanish champion in Hampshire team
RECENTLY-CROWNED Spanish International Amateur champion Billy McKenzie will tee up at L’Ancresse this weekend.
The 23-year-old Rowlands Castle star is part of a strong Hampshire side who will take on the Channel Islands in the annual fixture.
By winning the Spanish event at La Manga in March, beating Yorkshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick in an all-England final, McKenzie joined an illustrious list of winners including the 2016 Masters winner Danny Willett. It also earned him a spot in the Open de Espana, won by Spanish sensation Jon Rahm, on the European Tour.
Last year McKenzie helped Hampshire to the English County Championship title, emphasising just how strong the area that has also produced the last two British Amateur Champions – Scott Gregory and Harry Ellis – is at the moment.
Their opponents this weekend will be made up of four Guernsey players and four from Jersey, including reigning CI champion Jason Stokes and the man he beat in last year’s CI final, two-time island champion Danny Blondel.
Blondel is joined by cousin Jamie and their L’Ancresse club-mate Tim Carter as well as Royal Guernsey scratch player Daniel Griggs in the CI line-up.
The three other Caesareans selected are former CI champions Richard Ramskill and Matthew Parkman as well as Jeremy Phillips.
Channel Islands: Danny Blondel, Jamie Blondel, Tim Carter, Daniel Griggs (all Guernsey), Matthew Parkman, Jeremy Phillips, Richard Ramskill, Jason Stokes (all Jersey).
Hampshire: Colin Roope, Martin Young, Samuel De’ath, James Markwick, Samuel Parsons, Billy McKenzie, Thomas Robson, Ben Lobacz.
Weekend schedule
Saturday, 2pm: Foursomes.
Sunday, 9am: Singles.
