ADVANCING on all fronts – that’s Julian Taylor, Strensall’s teen ace of clubs.

Just under a year ago the York Golf Club prospect was revelling in winning the York Junior championship, finishing a terrific third in the York Open Championship for all the area’s leading professionals, and then reaching the grand final of the Andalucia European Open, the principal junior golfing tournament in the world.

But this summer has been even more of a success, particularly among senior competition where the Huntington School pupil has displayed eminent mettle and skill belying his 17 years of age.

Currently he tops the Yorkshire Order of Merit after scoring heavily in seven of the eight events in which he has competed.

Now playing off scratch, the teenager powered into the Yorkshire Amateur championship semi-finals, including bagging the scalp of England junior international Scott Campbell at Fulford GC.

Since then he has progressed to the semi-finals of the York Match-play title against Rob Hamilton to be staged at Malton & Norton GC on September 26. En route to the last four he has accounted for York Union of Golf Clubs’ inter-county captain Jim Batt and fellow Union team member Adam Newton.

And as if that was not enough, the 17-year-old gained his first county cap in a victory over Lancashire at Childwall on Merseyside to remain in the team for another county showdown against Cheshire later this month.

Said the talented Taylor: “The success I had last season was the kick-start because winning gave me much more experience and confidence.

“Each time I am playing now I feel I can draw some more experience from what I am doing and it seems to be getting better and better.”

Reaching the Yorkshire Amateur Championship semi-finals was a particular highlight for Taylor, who labelled the first of two rounds of stroke-play to qualify for the match-play stages as his optimum round.

He said: “I shot rounds of four under par and one under to tie as the leading qualifier to go into the match-play rounds. The four-under was the best I have every played, not just at Fulford, but anywhere.”

Any replication of that galvanic form could land the York GC rising star the county’s coveted Order of Merit or the York Matchplay crown.

“That would be a great way to round off the season,” he added.

Remaining with York GC, Dave Holder equalled the course record of 65.

The four-handicapper, who was crowned York Amateur champion in 1998 and 2000, was playing in the annual handicap medal.


IT was aces high at Malton & Norton Golf Club, where two holes in one were recorded.

Brian Hone achieved his first hole in one on the 148-yard par-three second with a seven-iron shot and then Ken Fisher sampled his third ace, his first at his home club, at the 115-yard 13th with an eight iron.