BASINGSTOKE GC’s Charlie Forster will become just the fourth Hampshire player to compete in the St Andrews Trophy in nearly 70 years, when Great Britain and Ireland take on Continental Europe at Royal Porthcawl, in Wales, which starts on Thursday.
The 21-year-old follows in the footsteps of Walker Cup players Scott Gregory and Neil Raymond – both from Corhampton – by being selected to represent GB&I in the biennial fixture.
Forster’s first international recognition comes after three solid years in the States, during which he reached the semi-final of the English Amateur Championship in 2022.
He finished third in The Berkshire Trophy in 2023 as well as losing in the semi-final of last year’s Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship, having knocked out Rowlands Castle’s Darren Wright.
The latter has the rare double of the Brabazon and Carris Trophies to his name, and played in the 2010 St Andrews Trophy, in Italy.
The nine-man team picked by the GB&I selectors has one eye at least on the provisional squad that the R&A will name for next year’s Walker Cup, at the legendary Cypress Point, at California’s Pebble Beach.
And as well as having one foot in the door by being recognised for his excellent golf this summer at the Amateur Championship – and in the European Amateur where he was second going into the final round – Forster has the advantage of being based in California for the next nine months in the lead up to the 50th Walker Cup between GB&I and the USA.
Charlie said: “It’s great to be recognised by the GB&I selectors. I had a chat with Dean Robertson, who is next year’s Walker Cup captain.
“I have been playing well year for Long Beach. The results in recent weeks are just a product of the good golf I have been playing this year in California.
Basingstoke GC’s Charlie Forster – the first Hampshire player to appear in the St Andrews Trophy since Scott Gregory in 2016 – and the fourth ever. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES
“My long game has always been good to be honest. It’s just when I can get a few more putts to drop that I can really compete,” added Forster, whose Long Beach team won their Big West Conference title to reach the NCAA Regionals, in May.
The former Peter Symonds College student, who burst onto the Hampshire golf scene in his last two years as a junior – having been a late starter in the game – transferred from Southeast Louisiana University to Long Beach after two years in the States, last summer.
Forster was a little unlucky to be knocked out in the last 16 of the Amateur when losing to Germany’s Laurenz Schiergen, who lost to Hertfordshire’s Dominic Clemons at the 20th in the quarter-final.
But wins over last year’s European Amateur Champion Jose Luis Ballester Barrio, from Spain, and Ireland’s Max Kennedy in the earlier rounds – having qualified in 17th place thanks to a three-over par total of 143 in the first two rounds at Ballyliffin, in Ireland, certainly impressed the watching R&A selectors.
And to come close to becoming the first Hampshire player to land the European Amateur in its 40-odd year history, was even more impressive, having travelled from Ireland to Denmark to tee it up early the following week with only a couple of days at home to repack.
Forster was up with the early pacesetters at The Scandinavian course used for the European Amateur, which has been won by the likes of Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia, and now carries an exemption into The Open Championship.
Last Hampshire man to play St Andrews Trophy
Charlie Forster in action for Hampshire at the recent Six-man South East Qualifier. PIcture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES
Last year’s Southlands Conference Player of the Year lay in a share of fourth place on four-under after an opening 68, trailing American Preston Summerhays by just a shot.
Having seemed to have dropped out of contention with a second round 74 the man from Warren Hatch stormed back into contention with a brilliant third round 69, while only one other player in the top 10 broke par.
Charlie admitted playing in the penultimate group on the last day had been like no experience in his golf life.
Forster said: “There must have been 80 to 100 people following the leading group with me playing with Sweden’s Alfons Bondesson in the fourth round. It was the biggest crowd I have played in front of so far.
“It was certainly a different feeling to the times I have been in contention to win other amateur events – it definitely affected my emotions.
“I went out from the off trying to be aggressive and get on the front foot, but I think I pushed too hard, and it was a tough course, with the pins tucked in some tough places on many holes.”
Forster made a bogey at the third before parring the first par-five and then making a double at the par-three fifth on his way to a 76, which dropped him back 14 places on the leaderboard.
He did manage to birdie the eighth and 12th but two dropped shots in the final four holes ended any hope of a top 10 finish as American Tommy Morrrison shot a 67 to book his place in The Open at Royal Troon after beating Kennedy and Summerhays in a three-hole play-off.
Charlie added: “I remember thinking how strange it felt being in the last couple of groups like that, but hopefully I have learned a lot from that experience, and it will stand me in really good stead in the future if I get another chance like that.”
With the England Golf selectors naming their team for the Home Internationals at Scotland Murcar Links (August 7-9), later this week, it will be a surprise if Forster does not become the first Hampshire player to be selected to represent GB&I since Gregory in 2016, when they halved the match at Prince’s, in Kent, to retain the trophy.
England were beaten by Holland in the European Amateur Team Championships quarter-final earlier this month, having qualified in fifth place.
The six players selected from the 14-man national squad, which has eight players based in the USA like Charlie, including Zac Little, who won the 2023 Selborne Salver, at East Hamsphire’s Blackmoor GC.
The last Hampshire player to wear the colours of St George was Rowlands Castle’s Billy McKenzie, who played against France in 2018 after beating US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick’s brother Alex in the Spanish Amateur final.
Having already been picked to play for GB&I, it would be unusual for England not to follow suit and select Forster to face Ireland, Wales and Scotland, from August 6-8.
The top five GB&I players in the World Amateur Golf Rankings qualified automatically for the St Andrews Trophy – but Scotland’s Callum Scott opted not to play, giving captain Dean Robertson an extra pick.
GB&I TEAM: Jack Bigham, Seb Cave Dominic Clemons, Charlie Forster (all England); Connor Graham, Gregor Graham (both Scotland); James Ashfield (Wales); Max Kennedy and Caolan Rafferty (ireland).
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Hampshire’s Scott Gregorry (third from left in back row) was the top points scorer for GB&I was they forced a draw to retain the St Andrews Trophy. Picture DARREN PLANT
From Wentworth to Royal Porthcawl – GB&I dominated Europe
THE St Andrews Trophy was first played back in 1956 over the West Course at Wentworth.
In 2008, Hampshire’s Sam Hutsby, who came through Final Qualifying to play at Royal Troon, in The 152nd Open last week, played in the same St Andrews Trophy team as Shane Lowry, who was leading for a large part of the season’s final Major championship on Scotland’s Ayrshire coast.
In 1996, the match was played over the same weekend as the Jacques Leglise Trophy for the U18s at Woodhall Spa, the home of the English Golf Union, now England Golf.
Justin Rose, who had only just turned 16, was picked to play in the Jacques Leglise, whereas today, he would almost certainly have been picked to play in the men’s fixture, given his record as an amateur.
Just 12 months later, he became the youngest-ever player to be picked for the 1997 Walker Cup at Pine Ridge, although Essex’s Oliver Fisher, the first player to shoot 59 on the European Tour, broke Rose’s record in 2005.
In the last 25 years, the likes of Sergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Luke Donald, Francesco Molinari, Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer, Henrik Stenson and recent Scottish Open winner Robert MacIntyre, have all featured in the St Andrews Trophy.
One good omen for Charlie is that Scott Gregory became the first Hampshire player to land the Amateur Championship at Royal Porthcawl, in 2016, beating Robert MacIntyre in the final, to secure his invitation to the 2017 Masters at Augusta.
Gregory was the top points score for GB&I as the hosts forced a draw at Prince’s eight years ago to retain the trophy. Continental Europe have only won the trophy six times, ending up on the losing side on 26 occasions.
But the Europeans have won three of the last six – as well as forcing the first tie in th event’s history in 2016, when Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre was in the team as well as Gregory, from Corhampton GC.
The 2020 competition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Great Britain and Ireland team that won the St Andrews Trophy two years ago. Picture by R&A