Norfolk’s Sullivan Goddard was crowned English U18s Amateur champion at Sand Moor Golf Club.
Thetford-based Sullivan posted rounds of 68, 72, 69 and 69 for a six under-par total and a three-shot win over Sandy Lodge’s Nicholas Curran.
Sullivan, who was one shot off the lead after two rounds, fired five birdies in the third round as he shot two under-par and built a two-shot lead. With a small group chasing him, he turned the screw in the final round with a chip-in from the right of the 13th green sparking a brilliant run as he holed putts for birdie from 6ft on the 14th and 3ft on the 15th. With a five-shot lead with three to play, he held his nerve to close out the win.
“It feels really, really good,” said the 17-year-old. “I feel like I’ve played well all season and this has kind of put it all together. In the final round I felt a little bit more pressure, and I didn’t take advantage of the par five as I had a wobbly start. From there it was quite solid, and making three birdies in a row from 13 settled me.
“This result gives me a lot of confidence going into the Carris Trophy and British Boys. I’m really looking forward to those events now.”
Meanwhile, Doncaster’s George Cooper shot six under-par for the final two rounds, including the tied-best round of the tournament (67) to finish third, with Sherwood Forest’s William Psenko finishing fourth on the same score.
Teesside’s Thomas Hartshorne was the last prize recipient in fifth place, showing immense spirit to climb the leaderboard. First out with a playing scorer after just making the cut, the England boys’ squad member shot rounds of 67 and 69 on the final day.
The leading female player in the tournament was Bristol and Clifton’s Mariella Buchanan, who finished eighth overall.
For full results click here.
