NEWCOMERS EARN CALL-UPS TO FACE YOUNG ITALIANS

England will field three youngsters new to representative golf in the annual under-16 international against Italy at Radcliffe on Trent on 3 July.

Matthew Baldwin (Hesketh), Nic Griffin (Haywards Heath), and Paul Waring (Bromborough) will be joined by James Ruth (Tavistock) for the one-day encounter that precedes the England Boys Under-16 Open Stroke Play Championship for the McGregor Trophy.

Ruth�s previous honour came as a member of the England team in last year�s Under-16 international with Scotland at Brancepeth Castle. The 16-year-old also finished tied third in last year�s McGregor Trophy at Woodbury Park in Devon and is a member of the current England Boys School of Excellence squad.

Baldwin, 15, won the Lancashire Boys Championship last year at Ashton-under-Lyne and, like his team-mates, benefits from the EGU�s National coaching schemes. Griffin, 16, finished third in the Sussex Boys Championship at East Sussex National in 2000, 15th in the South East Boys Championships at Yeovil and Sherborne and 19th in last years McGregor Trophy.

Waring, 16, was third in last year�s McGregor Trophy and seventh in the South West Boys Championships. However, he won the Junior Golf Tour southern area age group as well as the Under-15 section of the South East Boys Championship at Yeovil.

This will be the sixth playing of the match against the Italians, which involves two foursomes, and four singles matches. England have won the last four encounters after the inaugural meeting at Ratcliffe-on-Trent in 1996 finished 3-3.