Surrey youngster Alex Wells raised his game and then some in taking the England U-18s Amateur Championship at Effingham Golf Club.
Format: 72-hole stroke play
The mixed event is in its third year, having previously been won by internationals Tyler Weaver (2022) and Jenson Forrester (2021).
And the St George’s Hill prospect showed impressive composure to seal a two-shot victory over Oliver Toyer (St Neots) and Cheshire’s Dan Hayes (Bramhall).
Wells, who has never previously challenged for a top ten finish in a national event, went into the joint lead at halfway and hung on in impressively, closing things out with a pair of 70s.
He said: “It means a lot. To win an event like this is truly incredible. This is my biggest achievement in my golfing career so far.
“I knew that it was going to be playing firm much like a lot of the courses around here. It’s quite similar to St George’s Hill. I knew I had to keep it in play and the fringes were firm, so I could run a few shots up and that’s what I did well.
“I think I was two-under on the front-nine and then I tried to keep it together and hit the fairways and keep it as solid as possible. I knew my game was in a good place, but to keep mentally strong and play one shot at a time was my secret!”
Wells and Hayes started the last day of the 72-hole stroke play event in a three-way tie for the lead alongside Drew Sykes (Goodwood), who slipped back after carding a third-round score of 74. His playing partner both managed 70s
As the fourth and final round got underway, Hayes edged ahead through the front-nine after birdies on one, five, seven and nine saw him leap out to 13 under. Wells was one back starting the back nine.
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But, while the two leaders were battling it out in the final group, Toyer had already begun his late charge through the field.
An eagle and a birdie on eight and nine kickstarted his surge and when three more birdies arrived coming home, the Cambridgeshire junior soon found himself with the clubhouse lead on ten under.
At this stage, Hayes had made a bogey on 11 before Wells almost chipped in at the next, the ball cannoning off the flagstick and into the middle of the green. However, he was able to eventually hole his par putt to bring the scores level.
From that point on, momentum swung his way. An unfortunate double bogey on 13 for Hayes meant Wells had a two-shot advantage as they headed down the stretch.
However, the job was far from finished in a tightly contested field. A tee shot on 17 for Wells almost went sailing out of bounds, but a lucky break kept it in play and a lovely up and down onto the green allowed him to make a birdie.
Then came the all-important 18th. Wells knew he just had to keep calm, especially with his pitch shot after he almost drove the green.
“I was quite nervous coming down the stretch, but I can breathe again now,” he said last night.
“I was thinking ‘don’t thin it into the clubhouse and just bump one into the slope!’ I was so relieved and so pleased (when the par putt dropped in].”
Fellow playing partner and co-leader on day two, Sykes, recovered well after his third-round mishap to clinch fourth on seven-under par, ahead of the fifth-placed trio of Monty Holcombe, Edward Featherstone and Stan White.
Norfolk’s Nellie Ong (Eaton) was the leading girl in eighth while England girls’ squad player Sophia Fullbrook was next best, two shots further back in joint 11th.