Bramshaw Golf Club, near Lyndhurst, has been crowned National Team Matchplay Champions after a superb performance at the Academia Golf Club Classic in Spain.
The Hampshire side swept aside Yorkshire outfit Malton and Norton by 4.5 points to 0.5 in the grand final, staged at Montecastillo Golf and Country Club, to lift the national title in style.
Bramshaw’s squad of Mike Evans, Clayton Phelps, Dan Murphy, Ray Nother, Nick Thorne, Andy Macey and Andy Redman travelled to Spain for the semi finals having already battled through six rounds of competition.
Their impressive run included victory over 2024 losing finalists Farnham.
In the semi final they faced Middleton Golf Club from Kings Lynn and produced a commanding display to secure a 4 to 1 win, booking their place in the showpiece final against Malton and Norton.
From the opening tee shot of the final, Bramshaw were in control. Andy Macey, who has represented the club for five decades, set the tone with a superb 4 and 3 victory to claim the opening point. The momentum never shifted.
Ray Nother delivered the decisive blow on the 16th green to secure the championship, as Bramshaw powered to an emphatic 4.5 to 0.5 triumph.
Captain hails team effort after landmark season
Team captain Mike Evans praised the achievement after the victory.
“For Bramshaw to have qualified in the first place was a huge achievement so to walk away as 2025 Academia Champions surpassed all our expectations,” he said.
“The team played some superb golf and we could not be happier returning the trophy to Hampshire.”
While seven players made the trip to Spain for finals weekend, the success was very much a squad effort. Gary Anderson, Jeff Vanderman, Bruce Lawrence, Mark Ruth, Wayne Noble and Jon Maloney all played key roles in the earlier rounds as Bramshaw progressed through the competition.
The national triumph caps a remarkable period for the club. Earlier in the season Bramshaw lifted the Hampshire County Sevens title, the first time in 48 years the club had claimed the honour, underlining a resurgence that has now been crowned on the national stage.
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