Ellesmere College golf team in top 5 national ranking

A team of young golfers from Ellesmere College have 'putt' on a great performance to reach the area final of a national matchplay competition.

The team, part of the school’s successful Golfing Academy, will now play in the final in January and, if successful there, will move on to take on some of the country’s top young golfers in the national finals in April.

Ellesmere College is ranked fifth as a team nationally and have two players who recently finished in the top five in the ISGA Team Championships - Charlie Ashbrook, 17, ranked 5th individual gross, and 16-year-old Marcus Wildblood who is fourth individual nett.

The team - Charlie, Marcus and Jonjo Ashbrook, recently beat Birkenhead and Kirkham to reach the area final of the Independent Schools Golf Association (ISGA) Matchplay Tournament, a knockout competition which is split into 20 UK areas. Three students make up each team under a scratch matchplay format.

The ISGA was formed in 2006 and runs a series of events each year involving independent schools across the UK.

Rob Ashbrook, Ellesmere College Golf Academy coach and PGA Advanced Professional, said: “This is a great achievement for the Golfing Academy and we are now eagerly anticipating the next stage of the competition - the area finals in January. If we can get through that round we will be playing in the national finals at Formby Golf Club in April.

“Our team played exceptionally well to see us through to this stage of what is an extremely prestigious competition. The ISGA Schools Matchplay Tournament is the largest Independent Schools Golf competition in the UK.

“This achievement emphasises the success of the school’s Golfing Academy, the quality of coaching and the commitment and talent of those young players who are taking part in the programme.

“The Academy is one of the best golfing programmes in the country and we are delighted to be celebrating this current success - hopefully there will be more to come in the new year!”

The Ellesmere College Golf Academy is open to boys and girls aged between eight and 18 and available to players of all standards who can use the schools’ nine hole CONGU registered golf course. The programme allows students to successfully balance their academic achievements whilst training and playing in national tournaments, medal matches at local golf clubs and fixtures against other schools.

For more information about the Golf Academy, visit https://www.ellesmere.com/the-schools/all/clubs-and-societies/sport/golf-academy/.