Old Stoics Reach Quarter Finals of the Halford Hewitt

The Old Stoic Golfing Society enjoyed an outstanding week at Royal Cinque Ports, Deal, reaching the quarter‑finals of the 102nd Halford Hewitt and achieving Stowe’s strongest performance in the competition for many years.

The Halford Hewitt, founded in 1924, is widely regarded as the most prestigious event in amateur school golf. Contested annually by 64 public schools, each fielding five foursomes pairs, it is also the world’s largest scratch amateur golf tournament and a formidable test of skill and nerve.

Stowe’s campaign began in fine style with a hard‑fought 3–2 first‑round victory, securing the Society’s first win in the Hewitt main draw for 14 years. With the match tied at 2–2, Miles Dickinson (Grenville 2024) and Sean Morris (Walpole 87) halved the 18th to clinch a dramatic 1Up win in front of a packed clubhouse.

Momentum continued the following day as Stowe defeated Rugby and Repton, both by 3½–1½, to reach the quarter‑finals. The victories were built on a superb collective effort, with the pairings of Charlie Rotheroe (Walpole 85) & Max Faulkner (Temple 22) winning all four of their matches and the pairing of Sean Morris (Walpole 87) & Miles Dickinson (Grenville 2024), and Jean‑Michel Hall (Temple 06) & Peter Jarvis (Walpole 83) wining all of their matches in the first three rounds. Paul Marshall (Chandos 81) & Will Berner (Chatham 11) contributed vital half‑points the second and third rounds and Marshall again & Tom Youds (Chandos 20) a point in the quarter-final, underlining the depth of the team.

Stowe’s impressive run ended with a narrow 3–2 defeat to an exceptionally strong Rossall side in the quarter‑finals. The match was decided by the finest of margins, including a 70 foot putt on the 18th by Rossall to win one of the key encounters. Notably, Stowe actually outscored Rossall 7 holes to 5 (Up) across the five matches. Rossall would go on to comfortably beat Wincester in the final, further emphasising the quality of Stowe’s performance.

This year’s Stowe side combined recent leavers, including Miki Khursheed (Grafton 2025), with experienced players, and the result was a balanced and resilient team capable of competing with the very best. The achievement is particularly significant given that Stowe last won the Halford Hewitt in 1988, and had not previously progressed beyond the opening round for over a decade.

Moreover, in terms of Halford Hewitt form ranking over the past 5 years coming into this year's Hewitt, Taunton were ranked a respectable 26th out of the 64 schools, Rugby 14th and Repton 8th (with Stowe at the bottom of the table) which underlines the significant step forward made by Stowe at this year's Hewitt.

The Old Stoic Golfing Society would like to extend its sincere thanks again to the Halford Hewitt Fund donors, whose generous support made this year's hugely successful campaign possible.

A full tournament report will appear in due course in the MEMBER AREA of the new OSGS website. https://oldstoicgolfing.co.uk/ 

Photo Left to right: Olly Clarke, Will Berner, Pete Jarvis, Stewart McNair (non-playing captain), Paul Marshall, Max Faulkner, Miles Dickinson, Tom Youds, Miki Khursheed, Charlie Rotheroe, Sean Morris. 

Front: Jean-Michel Hall (1st Team Captain)