(Back: Sam Haynes-Coote, Jorge Ramos, Matt Pepper, Edmund Fry, Ignacio Mateo, Harry Butler (C), Iestyn McAvoy, Alex Keefe)
(Front: Sam Gemmell, Cameron Walker, Toby Smith, Max Hayward, Michael Roche, Tom Morris)
Image: Tom Morris, via Instagram @exeterunigolf
With one game still to play in the BUCS league season, the University of Exeter Golf 1s have once again been successful in their title defence of the Premier Division South.
The title was sealed with an assured away victory against Nottingham Trent 1s, winning with 5.5 points to Trent’s 2.5, meaning they maintained their 100% record this season.
The first team has won the league every year since the 2016/17 campaign and this year was no different, despite losing some key members at the end of last season with many players either graduating or undertaking a placement year.
The golf first team has won the league every year since the 2016/17 campaign.
But the University of Exeter is known for its sporting excellence – the Athletic Union has over 50 different clubs, catering for everyone from beginners to elite competitors. Massive funding is put towards improving facilities and supporting athletes as they travel around the country and abroad, representing the university at the highest level in many disciplines. This helps to attract top sportsmen and women to the university, who are looking to balance a sporting career alongside their studies.
And the development of the golf High Performance Programme (HPP) means top golfers are drawn to the university, consequently allowing Exeter to maintain its dominance in the Premier Division South year upon year. Reflecting on the season and the golf programme overall, 1s captain Harry Butler said “I never quite expected the pure class that was coming through and the investments made by players in recent years to pay off so significantly. Our wonderful 14-player HPP squad has never been more competitive. Selecting the team has proven to be an enjoyable yet demanding endeavour.”
Exeter started the season with a commanding 7.5-0.5 victory over Hartpury, a winning margin they matched the following week, away at Bath. Their next matches came against tougher opponents – Bournemouth and Nottingham. But neither could match the Exeter’s strength, who cruised to comfortable 6.5-1.5 and 6-2 wins respectively. The Golf 1s then secured the title by defeating Nottingham Trent. 5 games and 5 wins.
The Golf 1s secured the title by defeating Nottingham Trent 5.5-2.5.
The first team will look to maintain their 100% record as they travel to Loughborough for the final match of the league campaign. Then, attention will turn to the cup, where the top four teams from the Premier Division South face their counterparts from the Premier Division North. Here, Exeter will face some of the strongest forces in BUCS golf, including the Universities of St. Andrews and Stirling, but they will be optimistic of earning a BUCS gold medal.
Individually, many of Exeter’s top golfers will look to compete in the R&A Student Tour, consisting of three-day events that count for their World Amateur Golf Ranking. The next event in this series takes place in Portugal before moving on to France, where students will have the opportunity to play at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue – Le Golf National, Paris.
There is plenty to be excited about for the University of Exeter Golf Club, who have big ambitions as the 2023/24 season continues after Christmas.
