A Year to Remember

Huddersfield’s Dylan Shaw-Radford won’t forget his 2022 campaign for a while. The 17-year-old had already had a stellar season before he flew down to Portugal’s Quinta do Lago South Course for the final of the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Championships in November. DSR was one of a dozen boys competing for what is widely regarded as the ‘unofficial junior major’, alongside the girls’ finals, the select few having progressed from a starting field of 17,000. Already under his belt for 2022 were the Scottish Boys Open, the Carris Trophy and the Sir Henry Cooper Trophy, themselves just the latest glories accumulating in the Shaw-Radford home. As such, it wasn’t a surprise that he led by 3-strokes over Kent’s Jack Lee going into the final day of the 54-hole tournament, with Garforth’s Jake Wallis in pursuit and Cookridge Hall’s Habib Khan also faring well. The title was far from being in the bag however and despite Shaw-Radford cruising four clear after four, Lee went on a tear, reeling off four birdies in seven holes from the 5th and when the leader three-putted the 16th, there was suddenly only one in it. Cometh the hour, cometh the young man. A supreme five-iron from 230 yards on the par-five 17th to 12 feet ensured Shaw-Radford matched Lee’s birdie to remain one clear and when Lee sliced his tee-shot on the 18th, he was left to close it out. A 70 gave the Fixby lad an eight-under total and a two-shot win, with four further back to Wallis. Afterwards, Shaw-Radford reflected on his big wins earlier in the year which he said were “in quite similar circumstances”. “So those experiences gave me the confidence I needed, knowing that I’d got it done before. Of course, this means a great deal. Just look down the names who have won it – Justin Rose himself, Andrew Coltart and a fellow Yorkshireman in Matt Fiztpatrick, 10 years ago. What a way to finish 2022.” One of Dylan Shaw-Radford’s first big events of the coming season won’t actually be on a golf course – on Thursday March 2nd he will be at the Manchester Hilton for the annual England Golf Awards ceremony, back 'live' again after the pandemic. Hosted by broadcaster, journalist and passionate golfer Clare Balding, DSR is shortlisted for Performance of the Year alongside the England Women’s Team, Lottie Woad and John Gough. In the County of the Year category, Yorkshire Ladies are nominated alongside Bedfordshire and Hampshire Ladies while Ruth Goodwin is shortlisted in the Volunteer of the Year category. Fulford’s Alexandra Bonfield is also recognised in the shortlist for Young Volunteer of the Year.