Three's a treat for Luca

They say the best things in life come in threes as Waterfront’s Luca Houlgate can testify.

He shot a course record of 66 in the July monthly medal and followed up the next day at Lees Hall with a one under par round of 70 to win the Sheffield Union junior strokeplay championship.

Houlgate, 16, who is part of the Wath Academy Sixth Form Scholars’ Programme, then added the Waterfront club championship in his red hot month.

The Scholars’ Programme started last September and is a joint collaboration between the school and Waterfront Golf which lies just over a mile away.

It provides students with Level 3 qualifications alongside the opportunity to experience a range of other progression routes into a variety of careers in golf. It also gives them at least 10 hours tuition per week with Waterfront owner and PGA Professional Frank Houlgate, who is also Luca’s Dad.

Luca is slouch as a caddy either having helped steer fellow Wath pupil Ben Schmidt to become the youngest ever winner of the Brabazon Trophy at Alwoodley in May and he will once again be on the bag when Schmidt, 16, tees it up in the US Amateur at Pinehurst later this month (August 12-19) thanks to his World Amateur Golf Ranking of 7.

Schmidt is now the highest ranked English player and the top 50 earn exemption into what will be the 119th playing of America’s most prestigious amateur event, and which was won by Hallamshire’s Matt Fitzpatrick in 2013.