In 100 years of golf played at Kirk Ella, rarely can there have been a more exciting hour of golf as the 2025 East Riding Junior Championship was decided by six holes of play off drama.
Hull's George Pepper eventually prevailed over Ganton's Ewan Mackenzie in front of a large crowd after a long day for players and officials alike.
As someone once said, let's start at the very beginning, as it's a very goog place to start!
A healthy entry of 48 of the area's best juniors gathered at Hull Golf Club for this year's championship with the players going out from 7.30am in roughly reverse order of handicap. Many of the East Riding Junior Team were there hoping to lift the T.R. Leak Trophy, with the final group of Ganton's Ewan Mackenzie and Hornsea's Seth Topham as many people's favourites for the title.
Ewan's morning was not the round he was expecting and stuggled with a lot of pulls off the tee, but got it round in 78. Seth was not on his game and limped to lunch with an uncharacteristc 85.
The third member of the final group however, Max Walker of Brough, came out of the blocks with a stunning start and was 3 under through five holes around Hull's notoriously tough start. He even lipped out for birdie at the 6th! He dropped shots around the turn, but held it together for a fantastic 74 to lead at halfway from Pepper's solid 75. No one else broke 80, as the slick and subtle greens caught many a youngster out.
So to the afternoon and Max felt pressure immediately as Ewan birdied the 1st against his bogey. A triple at the second and Max's lead had been wiped out, but in the group ahead, George was clocking up the pars. Max eventually carded a gutsy 81, to finish third overall. Ewan was ruing a strange choice of driver at the 7th which cost him a double bogey and then surprisingly dropped a shot at the par 5 12th which was playing very short for the long bombers.
A wedge at 13 perked him up a bit which pitched 6 feet past the flag and spun back into the hole! Nothing like an ace to tidy up a card! Pars at the next four holes gave Ewan a sniff, but no-one knew how George was faring in the group ahead. Another 75 was the answer and George waited behind the 18th green with many of the other players and parents hoping that Ewan couldn't match his 150 total.
As it turned out, Ewan was 11 over the day standing on the last tee. A birdie required to tie....
Another big pull actually wasn't a problem, as it left the Yorkshire Boys regular only a 50 degree wedge from the middle of the 1st fairway. A back left pin was the only real difficulty. Ewan went for the flag, but his approach kicked over the back left of the green leaving a very tricky chip. No problem - chop its legs off, bounce, bounce, check, roll...straight into the cup.
Playoff time!
A three hole aggregate loop was decreed over holes 1, 4 and 5. Spectators followed the two gladiators up the first fairway in the setting sun (pictured below) and were treated to an hour's golf which wouldn't have been out of place on the PGA Tour. George thought he had it won a couple of times only for Ewan to drive into the right greenside bunker at the downwind 5th and escape from the sand to 3 feet and nervelessly holing out to take us to sudden death over the same holes in order.
It was now the turn of Pepper to summon up his touch around the greens with a miraculous up and down for par at the 1st, leaving Mckenzie to once again show some nerve by holing from 4 feet to keep us going in front of around 50 spectators and officials. Both parred the 4th, before we finally found a winner at the 5th.
Both players bombed drivers again, with Ewan holding the advantage in the right semi 30 yards short of the green, whilst George looked in a bit of difficulty at the end of the left tree line. A lob wedge under one tree and over another landed over the left bunker perfectly and released down the quick green and settled 8 inches behind the hole. Ewan could only manage a four and Hull's home hero tapped in for the title (pictured below).
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Phew!
ERUGC President Dave Greenwood presented the trophy to George in front off Hull's magnificent clubhouse to round off a terrific day's play.
The nett competition was won by another Hull youngster Callum Akester. He looked odds on to win the trophy after his opening 80 - 15 - 65, but followed it up with a nett 66 to make doubly sure. Charlie Simpson was runner-up with his 4 under 136 total.
A big thanks to all at Hull Golf Club for presenting the course in such wonderful condition and to the clubhouse staff for looking after everyone so warmly. To starter Andy Pittaway (and an hour of Edward Clark) for getting everyone away on time and then to Ian Jeffrey for organising the whole day and processing the results and to ERUGC Secretary John Illingwoth for manning the desk from 7am to 7pm - another titanic effort from these two!
A long day for all, but truly memorable given the high standard of golf in an epic play-off. And the headline and report hasn't even mentioned 'Red Hot Pepper'!
Full results on Golf Genius
