Staff WriterEngland gritted through furnace-like humidity in Singapore to claim a hard-earned bronze at the World Team Championship — known to those who still love their golf history as the Eisenhower Trophy.
It may not have been gold, but on a week where the air felt like soup and the fairways were as forgiving as tax inspectors, this England squad showed they belong among the world’s elite.
The young trio of Eliot Baker, Charlie Forster and Tyler Weaver combined for a total of -19, finishing just two shots shy of silver medallists Australia.
South Africa, meanwhile, turned the World Team Championship into a personal exhibition, winning by an outrageous 10-shot margin at -29. If they’d gone any lower, they’d have needed scuba gear.
Individually, Baker led the English charge, finishing tied-11th at -6, while Forster and Weaver both posted -5 to share 17th in a 108-man field stacked with future tour players and more trackman data than NASA launch control.
South Africa’s Christian Maas blew everyone else off the leaderboard, finishing at a staggering -22 — ten shots clear of second place. That’s not a win; that’s a mugging.
A Year of Medals, Momentum and English Grit
This result puts a shiny exclamation point on what has been a banner year for England Golf. The organisation has already stuffed its trophy cabinet with victories in the Women’s & Men’s Home Internationals, the Girls’ & Boys’ Home Internationals, the European Cup of Nations, and the Octagonal Match in Spain. That’s not success — that’s a takeover.
The men also pocketed bronze at the European Team Championships, while the England Women finished fourth at the World Team Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy last week. If this year were a boxing match, England Golf would be pounding the ropes with fists raised.
And if team success wasn’t enough, the year has been peppered with standout individual performances:
- Charlotte Naughton won both the World Junior Golf Championship and the German Girls’ Amateur — becoming the first English player ever to do so.
- Eliot Baker picked up serious silverware at the Portuguese Amateur and Scottish Men’s Open.
- Ellie Lichtenhein took top honours at the European Young Masters.
- Charlie Rusbridge claimed victory at the French Boys’ Amateur.
The future of English golf isn’t just bright — it’s blinding.
“A Medal on the World Stage Is Something to Celebrate”
Ben Gorvett, England Golf Men’s Performance Manager, summed up the week with a mix of pride and honesty: “We thought for a moment on the 18th green watching the last three groups that we might come away with the silver to equal our best-ever finish at the event, however Australia did well to birdie the last three holes to beat us by two shots.
“It was one of those freak weeks for South Africa who were fantastic and they blitzed the field which you have to admire, but we’re delighted to come away with another medal, being the top European team. Anytime you come away with a medal on the world stage is something to celebrate and an achievement everyone should be proud of.
“The bronze medal at the Eisenhower Trophy rounds off another very successful year for our England teams at all levels, especially the Men’s Team, having medalled in all six events we’ve played this year – winning four and picking up two bronzes.
“Our players have tasted victory in every age group and in both individual and team environments around the world. We are once again indebted to our coaches, volunteers and staff who have worked tirelessly to support the players through the course of the year to bring so much success to English golf.”
Hard to argue with that. Results are results, and England are stacking them higher than a tour pro’s launch monitor numbers.
From the Home Internationals to the World Team Championship, England aren’t just competing — they’re arriving. And if this group is anything to go by, the next generation of English golf won’t be waiting politely in line. They’re already kicking the door in.
