Gregor Graham became the first Scot in 19 years to win the Brabazon Trophy, as his -9 overall secured victory at Hollinwell Golf Club in Nottinghamshire.
The Blairgowrie golfer had a brilliant final round until a three-putt bogey on the final hole meant a tense finish in front of the clubhouse crowd, as nearest competitors Daniel Hayes (Bramhall) and Sweden’s Wilhelm Ryding had opportunities to take it to a play-off.
England Boys’ star Hayes birdied 15, 16 and 17 to set up a grandstand finale, while Ryding eagled the 17th, but on 18 the Swede couldn’t quite make birdie and Hayes missed his par putt to force a play-off.
Graham, who joins a list of Scottish winners including Lloyd Saltman and Sandy Lyle, said: “It feels absolutely amazing. It’s great to win such a big event like this. When I knew it was going to be 12 holes on the final day, it felt a bit different and strange but it was a bit of a shootout so I just tried to make as many birdies as possible.
“I was on edge waiting around with my dad and friends to see what the results were for the others, but it was a massive relief really. It’s nice to get another Scot on the trophy and hopefully we can get more! I’ve got a long drive home but I’ll certainly be having a few beers to celebrate and I’m looking forward to seeing family and friends.”
Australian Harry Takis led by a shot heading into the final round, but a tricky day for the youngster saw him drop nine shots in nine holes to see his hopes of winning quickly fade away.
A monumental run-in from Wilmer Edero saw the Swedish golfer fire four birdies in his final four holes, finishing on -5 for the 12 holes played and holding the clubhouse lead at -7. He was soon accompanied by England Men’s player Eliot Baker, who produced a brilliant final round of -4, before Hayes (pictured below) and Ryding finished on -8 overall.
There was consolation for Hayes however, as he picked up the George Henriques Salver for the top under-20 player of the tournament.
England’s Daniel Hayes won the George Henriques Salver for the top under-20 player of the tournament after finishing tied second
England’s Harley Smith was always in contention but bogeyed two of the last four holes to finish in tied-6th on -6 alongside Jordan Burnand (South Africa), Matt Roberts and James Ashfield (both Wales).
Hollinwell’s very own Jack Sallis was -3 for his 12 holes to finish -5 overall and ended up in a tie for 10th, while Walton Heath’s Oscar Lent had a stunning finish with back-to-back eagles on 16 and 17 but ultimately finished eight shots back.
The competition, which was due to start on Thursday, was pushed back to Friday due to heavy rain earlier in the week. After Saturday’s second round, with thunderstorms forecast throughout Sunday, the decision was made to reduce the final day to just 12 holes, with 41 players making the cut.
England Golf Championships Director James Crampton said: “From a safety perspective, the 12 holes which were being used were relatively close to the clubhouse, and should a suspension have been required, we could have evacuated the course quickly.
“Due to the forecast of storms from midday onwards, by reducing the third round to 12 holes, it increased the ability for us to complete a round. As per the Rules of Golf, once a round has started, we cannot reduce the amount of holes played, so this was the logical decision to ensure we could get play on the final day.
“A big thanks to the team at Hollinwell for their support over the week and congratulations to all the players, especially Gregor, on a fantastic few days of golf.”
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