Staffordshire golf ace gets his hands on Seve's hands
Staffordshire’s Ben Bolton battled through the intense heat as England Golf claimed a comprehensive victory over Spain to regain ‘Seve Hands’, writes Patrick Lay.
In the biennial match, England ran away with a 19.5-10.5 victory on Spanish soil at La Galiana Golf Resort to make it 17 wins out of 20 against the Spaniards in the tournament.
It was a special day for 17-year-old Bolton. Only this season, the Wombourne teenager stepped up from England Golf’s boys’ squad to the men’s squad and played a crucial role with a resounding 8&7 win as they went into the final session’s singles, going on to win 6-4.
England Golf men’s performance manager Ben Gorvett said: “We’re really pleased to come away with the win, our 17th win out of the 20 occasions we've played this fixture. We always pride ourselves on bringing a strong team to play Spain and this match is always played in the right spirit, but also with true competitiveness.
“Both the men and women won their respective genders which is always pleasing to see and we’re very proud of this young but quality team we’ve assembled, with several players making their full senior caps. It was very pleasing how the players handled themselves on the back nine and how they kept their composure on the final day, despite being exhausted due to the heat and physical terrain.
“It’s a very proud occasion for all players and staff and it’s something that will be remembered for a very long time. We’re pleased we can bring ‘Seve’s hands’ back to England for another two years before we compete again on home soil.”
‘Seve Hands’ was first established back in 2000 and named after Spanish golf legend and five-time major winner Seve Ballesteros. The event gets its name from its distinctive trophy of Ballesteros's hands.
As Continental Europe’s most successful golfer, Ballesteros was one of the initiators of this tournament, which returns to England in 2027.
