A GOLFER from Kenilworth has been named as a finalist for the prestigious England Golf Awards.
George Cornall, who plays out of Kenilworth Golf Club and The Warwickshire, is a finalist in the young person of the year category.
The England Golf Awards take place in Manchester on Wednesday, April 2.
And 10 of the awards were open to the public for nominations. An expert panel of 50 judges, comprising England Golf staff and key industry and media colleagues, picked the finalists.
Cornall was also junior captain of Kenilworth Golf Club in 2024.
He was offered a place as a PGA trainee on the PGA foundation degree course which he started in October.
Cornall is a registered golfer with EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association).
As a child with auditory sensory processing issues, leading to mental overload and extreme anxiety, he often withdrew from sports and was in and out of school.
However, he discovered he had good co-ordination and developed technical golf skills by the age of nine-years-old.
He was selected by his county but dropped out and played his first 18-hole course at the age of 15-years-old.
By the time Cornall was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), his schooling had passed.
He made his breakthrough by winning his first-ever medal from the white tees and 20 more the following year.
Success in the Medal Cup, Order of Merit and the Winter Series saw Cornall become his club’s most successful player.
In the 2023/24 season he shot the leading score in gross and net in the county for several weeks at junior open’s with his handicap coming down to just five.
He is now an ambassador at his club and hopes his journey will inspire others to overcome barriers and make golf more inclusive.
Cornall is also currently working on new research linking neurological research in autism to sport performance.
