After the morning play staged over nine holes, Hawes signed for a two-over-par tally. During the 18-hole afternoon action, he battled hard to shoot 76.
That left him at eight-over for the 27-hole tournament and tied for third place, five strokes back from the outright winner.
Fellow Norfolk golfer Toby Lewin posted a very creditable top-five finish and Liam Caffyn took ninth place.
Essex dominated the eight-man team tournament to win the Bob Bagshaw Trophy on a total of 673 – 24 shots clear of second-placed Norfolk.
Royal Norwich golfer Anthony Coppola enjoyed a memorable moment when he eagled the 312-yard par-4 seventh hole.
Coppola unleashed a mighty drive to find the front of the green and then stepped up to roll home a 30-foot-plus putt for his two.
Norfolk Under-16s manager Greg Caffyn said: “We came to try and win the tournament, but finishing second to a very good Essex side is still a decent result. Especially so, when you consider the course offered a tough test and the fast greens, alongside some tricky pin positions, proved challenging.
“Louis Hawes’ top-three finish in the individuals’ competition was a strong performance, while Toby Lewin and Liam Caffyn can be pleased with their top-10 efforts.
“There were plenty of other positives and the experience will really help the development of two or three of the younger players.”
Photos (credit Rushmer PR)
