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FRILFORD HEATH GOLF CLUB CELEBRATES HOMEGROWN SUCCESS AT OPEN REGIONAL QUALIFYING EVENT

Matt Nicholson — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 13:39:17 +0000

Frilford Heath Golf Club, is proudly celebrating another momentous and victorious day in its history following the successful staging of Open Regional Qualifying.

The June 23 event not only highlighted the club’s excellence in world-class golf course presentation and event delivery, but also saw two homegrown members qualify for the next stage in their journey toward The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.

Frilford Heath’s very own PGA Professional, Robert Harrhy (above), led the way with a superb six-under-par 66, clinching victory in the 132-player qualifying event on the club’s renowned Red Course, consistently ranked as one of the UK’s finest heathland golf experiences.

Fellow member, Harry Richardson (pictured below), also produced a composed joint runner-up round of 69 to safely advance to Final Qualifying.

Runner-up Harry Richardson

Speaking after his victory, Robert, who has been a member of Frilford Heath since he was 10-years-old and grew up playing golf with European Tour star and friend, Eddie Pepperell, said: “I’ve always taken great pride in representing this club, it has been such an important part of my golfing life, and I’m now just 36 holes away from playing in The Open. It’s awesome and you’ve got to be excited about that.

“I’ve been at this club a long time, and now being a member of staff too, I get to see an event of this stature from both a competitor and behind-the-scenes perspective, and what goes into making it so successful.”

FRILFORD’S NINE

Nine Frilford Heath Golf Club members took part in Open Regional Qualifying. In addition to Robert and Harry, the other men flying the Frilford Heath flag were Alex Stubbs, Luke Perkins, Hamish Hall, Harry Thomas, Olly Huggins, Keiran Mansbridge and Charlie Haynes.

Managing Director of Frilford Heath Golf Club, Russell Stebbings, commented: “It’s been a truly special day for Frilford Heath. To not only host such an important R&A event, but to see two of our members succeed at the highest level is something the whole club can be proud of. We wish Rob and Harry the very best at Final Qualifying.”

Frilford Heath offers members and day visitors privileged access to three tournament quality courses set within 450-acres of naturally beautiful terrain where golf has been played for more than a century. A contemporary club for friends and families, it welcomes groups, events and discerning golf travellers to one of England’s favourite golf destinations.

Final Qualifying will take place on Tuesday, July 1 across four UK venues.

Robert and Harry have both selected Somerset’s Burnham & Berrow Golf Club as their preferred Final Qualifying choice, the very same venue Justin Rose qualified at for last year’s Open at Royal Troon, where he was eventual runner-up.

For further information about the club, visit: www.frilfordheath.co.uk

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COURSE REVIEW: FRILFORD HEATH

Matt Nicholson — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 11:11:32 +0000

Nestled within 450 acres of naturally beautiful terrain where golf has been played
for over a century, Frilford Heath Golf Club, in the heart of Oxfordshire, stands as one of England’s favourite golf destinations.

For generations, golf has thrived on Frilford Heath’s naturally sandy terrain, offering classic heathland conditions that remain firm and playable year-round.

With meticulously maintained fairways and greens, the club upholds the highest standards, ensuring an outstanding experience on pristine playing surfaces.

Visitors are also benefitting from ongoing investment across the estate, including significant enhancements to all golf courses – already renowned for their year- round conditioning – and an elevated clubhouse experience.

Boasting 54 holes of championship golf and its contemporary clubhouse, this stunning estate delivers world-class heathland golf at its finest.

NOTABLE EVENTS

Having hosted Ryder Cup trials, Open Qualifying events, and leading amateur Frilford’s Red, Blue and Green golf courses provide a diverse challenge for golfers of all skill levels.

The Red and Green courses were designed by five-time Open Champion J.H. Taylor, while the Blue, a more recent addition from the 1990s, quickly gained fame for its bold bunkering and undulating greens that demand precise putting.

The late Peter McEvoy OBE, one of the country’s most decorated amateur golfers, perfectly captures Frilford Heath’s essence: “It is God-given land— sandy and firm.

There are a great variety of holes on the three courses and a plethora of that much-neglected genre, short par 4s. Frilford has some of the very best.”

A day at Frilford Heath is further enriched by its idyllic setting, where golf and nature exist in perfect harmony. As a GEO-certified golf club, it is committed to environmental sustainability.

The 450-acre estate, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), is carefully preserved in partnership with Natural England to protect local wildlife and habitats for future generations

DID YOU KNOW?

An exhibition match between the JH. Taylor and Harry Vardon in 1909 – both Open Champions – signalled the official opening of Frilford Heath Golf Club. They squared the morning match, with Vardon winning the afternoon session, 5&3.
The club celebrated its centenary in 2008 with the return of the England Vs France International Match, which was first played at Frilford Heath in 1934. English players for the 2008 edition included Danny Willett, Gary Wolstenholme and Chris Wood. The French team included Victor Dubuisson.
Frilford Heath played host to a Ryder Cup Trial Match in 1931. It was dubbed a ‘Possibles vs. Probables’ event held in the same format as the actual event. It was designed to check the form of up-and- coming young British Professionals, and also see the performance results of a new sized, larger and lighter golf ball!.
SPECIAL MIDWEEK GOLF OFFER

Golf News readers booking a round at Frilford Heath Golf Club during April can take advantage of a very special package that includes coffee and bacon roll on arrival, 18-holes of championship golf, plus a one-course meal in the Clubhouse.

April 2025 – £135pp
Quote ‘Golf News Offer’ when you book.
To make your booking, call the team on:
01865 390864, or email: reception@frilfordheath.co.uk

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Freiburghaus flies high at Frilford

Nick Bayly — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 22:35:51 +0000

Switzerland’s Jeremy Freiburghaus moved into the top spot on the Challenge Tour money list after overcoming Max Schmitt in a play-off at the English Trophy at Frilford Heath Golf Club.

A par at the first extra hole was enough for the 26-year-old to claim his first Challenge Tour title as Schmitt could only manage a double-bogey six after seeing his first tee shot bounce in the car park and onto the roof of the clubhouse.

The duo took part in an epic duel on the final day at the Oxfordshire venue, as Freiburghaus overturned a two-stroke deficit with a sublime six under par 66 to tie on 22 under par after 72 holes, before triumphing in the play-off to move to the top of the rankings with just one event left to play.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment all year and to have it happen on the very last tournament is pretty special,” he said. “It’s very big. Getting a win was the main goal this year, came up short twice, but I think that really helped me to stay patient and humble for the win and here we are. My goal was to finish up there and I didn’t think about finishing first but I’m really happy.”

Freiburghaus dropped only one shot in his final round – at the par three ninth – and credited an improvement in his putting for reaching the summit, before sticking to his strategy in the play-off.

“I putted really well today,” he said. “I’ve been struggling a bit the past few days and I didn’t make many mistakes off the tee, that really helps makes the game much more relaxed. Coming in clutch on the back nine was awesome. “I could’ve been a little bit more aggressive. but I hit the three wood before and I thought if I catch it really well, I might be able to get on. I wanted to take the out of bounds out of play so I think, strategy-wise, it worked out well in the end. I wasn’t really nervous because in a play-off, you’ve just got to win. Worst case you’re going to finish second, so you’ve got to go all-in.”

Schmitt’s solo second place was enough for him to climb 21 places on the money list into 18th ahead of the season-finale at Club de Alcanada next month. England’s Ben Schmidt posted the low round of his Challenge Tour career – a seven under 65 – to claim his best finish to date in third on 20 under par.

The field is now set for the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final at Club de Golf Alcanada from November 3-6, with France’s Adrien Saddier the only man to jump inside the top 45 at the final opportunity, as he birdied the last to claim a share of 11th place and climb five places to 43rd. He displaced Englishman Steven Tiley.

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