CHARLIE Forster bounced back from the disappointment of losing to Continental Europe on his debut for Great Britain and Ireland to charge into the lead in the first round of the English Amateur Championship.

The Basingstoke GC member – who joined Justin Rose in becoming one of only four Hampshire players to feature for GB&I in the biennial St Andrews Trophy in more 65 years – fired a brilliant 65 to share the lead at Hartlepool, on Tuesday.

Two years ago, Forster announced himself on the biggest stage by reaching the last four in his first serious crack at the English Amateur, which has been won by the likes of Ryder Cup trio Danny Willett, Tommy Fleetwood and Paul Casey, the last player to win the title back to back, 24 years ago.

Forster has big ambitions in the game, having spent the last three years carving out a name for himself playing at Southeast Louisiana University, before sealing a switch to top ranked Long Beach, in California, last summer.

Charlie admitted that he had undergone a bit of change of philosophy between his GB&I debut last week at Royal Porthcawl, and arriving in the North East over the weekend for the English Amateur.

Charlie said after firing seven birdies – and with no dropped shots – his new tactics had paid off.

Forster, who hails from Hatch Warren, said: “I changed my attitude in terms of how I approached the tournament and stayed calm and it paid off.

“The game-plan was to stay patient, hit greens and fairways and if putts dropped, they dropped.

“I play quite aggressively so the minute I don’t pick small targets or try and be a bit conservative is when I sometimes hit errant shots, so I’ll stay aggressive and try and keep the ball on the greens and knock in some putts.”

The California-based US college golf ace, is now firmly in the sights of the Walker Cup selectors who will name a provisional squad for next year’s clash against America at Pebble Beach’s iconic Cypress Point, despite the disappointment in Wales.

In Friday’s final afternoon singles, the hosts were trailing 9-7, and needed a big performance from all the GB&I team to turn it around for captain Dean Robertson, who will lead the Walker Cup in the States next summer.

But former Dutch Amateur Champion Jerry Ji – who finished runner-up to Ryder Cup star Nicolai Hojgaard in the European Amateur when still a junior, six years ago – fought all the way to beat Forster 2&1, having trailed by one early on.

Forster was paired with Ireland’s Max Kennedy in the foursomes, but they were beaten 2&1 in the opening foursomes by Ji and fellow Dutchman Lars van der Vight, the reigning Spanish Amateur Champion and the winner of last year’s national championship in the Netherlands.

Kennedy and Forster could not have got off to a worse start, losing five of the first seven holes, but despite a valiant fightback on the back nine, lost 2&1.

Charlie drew Tim Wiedemeyer in Thursday’s singles – the German who led the Euroepan Amateur going into the final hole before a costly last hole denied him a spot in The Open at Troon last week.

The former Hampshire Junior Champion, who never played golf seriously until he was 16, never got going and lost 4&3.

Charlie said: “It’s great to be recognised by the GB&I selectors. I had a chat with Dean Robertson, who is next year’s Walker Cup captain before my selection was announced.

“I have been playing well this year for Long Beach,” said last year’s Southlands Conference Player of the Year. The results in recent weeks are just a product of the good golf I have been playing this year in California.

“My long game has always been good to be honest. It’s just when I can get a few more putts to drop that I can really compete,” added Forster, whose Long Beach team won their Big West Conference title to reach the NCAA Regionals, in May.

Charlie had beaten his playing partner in last month’s Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin, before bowing out in the third round, losing to Germany’s Laurenz Schiergen on the final hole.

Having qualified in 17th place thanks to a three-over par total of 143 in the first two rounds on Ireland’s North West coast, certainly impressed the watching R&A selectors, having knocked out last year’s European Amateur Champion Jose Luis Ballester Barrio, from Spain, in the first round.

Just a week later he came close to becoming the first Hampshire player to land the European Amateur in its 40-odd year history.

 

That was an even more impressive performance, having travelled from Ireland to Denmark to tee it up, having had only a couple of days at home to repack.