The weekend of August 23 and 24 brought together the best junior golf teams of BAVARIA in the AK18-under age-category at GC Muenchen Eichenried - www.gc-eichenried.de . The renown club had just featured a suspenseful 2011 BMW OPEN Championship, which saw Pablo Larrazabal win over Sergio Garcia in a 5-hole play-off.
After their success of ensuring retention in the 2nd German Bundesliga, the young guns of GC Am Reichswald Nuernberg (from left to right standing: Leon-Linus Molina, Marc-André Gehr, Captain Christian Schloesser, Gregor Asteroth (partially hidden), Timothy Rauth; sitting: Tim Rauth's brother Nico, Matthias Wuerzinger, Keanu Jahns and Moritz Spindler), once again put themselves into good position for the 2nd and final day of the BAVARIAN TEAM Championship.
With their average age below 16 years, the boys around senior player Marc-Andre Gehr (17) already served notice at the Bundesliga semi-final show-down with GC Feldafing, that Reichswald will gun for more in 2012.
In foursome stroke-play on day 1, Keanu Jahns (15) and Matthias Wuerzinger (16), Timothy Rauth (15) and Moritz Spindler (14), and Marc-Andrè Gehr and Leon-Linus Molina (14) placed 1st with a combined +9, followed by Muenchener GC at +12 and GC Olching at +13.
But although Keanu lead his team with an excellent 2-under par 71 on day 2, GC Olching's Kopp and Gesell produced a 4 and 2-under par to edge out Reichswald by 4 points and snatch the Bavarian Team Championship from Reichswald. The final standings tallied at +3 for Olching versus +7 for Reichswald.
Added Julian Hacker, captain of Reichswald's Bundesliga men's team: "For Olching's Kopp and Gesell to score 4 and 2-under par on the Eichenried championship course, and that in wet conditions, is already professional level golf, but we also had a 2-under par from Keanu Jahns and an even-par round from Matthias Wuerzinger (0/73). Both results are sensational!"
Other Nuernberg youngsters also put in respectable performances with Timothy Rauth +1/74, Moritz Spindler +1/74 and Marc-André Gehr +4/77. Leon-Linus Molina contributed with a +6 during the foursome stroke-play, but was a scratch in the singles of day 2.
There was of course disappointment among the Reichswald hot-shots. But Jahns Sr. encouraged the youngsters: "The future is yours, boys. Anyone who plays the championship course of Eichenried around par or even under par, has great things coming his way!"
The top-3 of the 2011 BAVARIAN TEAM Championship qualify for the 2011 GERMAN TEAM Championship in early October in Berlin.
Congratulations to Kopp, Gesell and Keanu for their under-par performances, as well as GC Olching, GC Am Reichswald Nuernberg and Muenchener GC!
Complete results of the 2011 BAVARIAN TEAM Championship may be viewed at the following link:
http://www.bayerischer-golfverband.de/dynasite.cfm?dsmid=108944&dspaid=0
