In what must rank as one of the most remarkable conclusions to a golf championship, Ormskirk’s James Nash won the Lancashire Men’s Amateur for the first time after playing the final 28 holes in 17 under par.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
At halfway the 23-year-old was seven back of leader Luke Kelly (Ashton-under-Lyne) and then after eight holes of yesterday morning’s third round was 11 shots adrift. He bogeyed the first three holes and also dropped a shot on eighth.
Nash also smashed one out of bounds at the par five fourth but got an eagle with his second ball, a feat that changed the momentum of his day.
After bogeying the eighth he birdied seven of the remaining ten holes to post a 69 and then, after lunch, finished with a course-record 62, eclipsing the previous mark by two shots.
His 18-under-par final total put him three ahead of Kelly, eight clear of third-placed Greg Holmes (Royal Birkdale) and 12 ahead of fourth-placed Jack Brooks (The Mere).
“I managed to stay positive despite what happened on the front nine in the third round,” said Nash, who splits his time between The North West and Dubai.
“You’ve got to keep going haven’t you! It was certainly a good afternoon. Brilliant really.”
His ten-under-par final round was also the lowest of his life.
The new champion, who finished third at the Welsh Men’s Open in April, added: “As we were driving home my caddy Jake Wiltshire said, that as we were walking up the ninth in the third round, he said to himself… ‘let’s just piece together a good last 27 holes’.
“But he was brilliant for me. He kept giving me the lines and the reads on the putts. I’d be lying if I said the pace of play didn’t affect me. We seemed to be rushing and I wasn’t able to take all the variables into play so he was a big help in terms of giving me the clarity you need to play good golf.”
His staggering run started at the ninth where, despite a poor approach, he got up and down for a birdie to get to two under for the tournament. Two groups back Kelly had made a solid start and was still well clear after opening with rounds of 65 and 67.
At the short par four 10th Nash drove the green and two putted from 30 feet before registering a hat-trick of birdies at the next, holing out from six feet after an excellent wedge in.
At crucial up-and-down par from the bunker at 12 maintained his momentum and he cashed in, birdieing the final four holes.
On the par five 15th he knocked it on in two, drove the green at the par four 16th and 17th before two-putting and then rolled in a 15-footer to come home in 30 and keep himself seven back of Kelly on eight under.
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He then set himself a stiff target for his closing round.
“I said to Jake (Wiltshire) if I could get to 15 or 16 under that would be a good target to set. Then after I had played the front nine in six under I thought playing the back nine four under would be enough to win it. By that point I had heard Luke (Kelly) had gone out of bounds on the fourth.”
Nash’s record-breaking effort was ignited by an eagle on the fourth, holing from just off the green (35 feet).
“That was a real momentum boost,” he added.
After a par at the fifth he sunk a tricky 16-footer down the hill on the sixth and then was overjoyed as he ‘got one against the head’ at the par three eighth.
“It was probably the toughest hole on the course and it was one of those situations that could easily have turned into three-putt. I had 25 feet across the green and it was downhill.”
Nash sunk it and then holed a 45-foot bomb at the next for eagle, which was well appreciated by the small group of spectators who had gather to watch his group.
“It was another one where Jake got a great read and it was a real momentum boost to get a bit of a roar when the putt dropped.”
By the time he knocked in the third eagle of his round on 16 – this time from close to 50 feet after driving the green – the numbers watching had swelled still further.
Nash added: “With all the adrenaline it is easy to let your judgement be clouded so to pull off that tee shot felt awesome.
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“And then the roar I got when the ball went in was something I will never forget.”
At the next – the 327-yard 17th – he again drove the green, knocking it to virtually the same place he had managed in the morning and, again, he got down in two to get to 10 under for his round.
He had 11 feet to make that 11 at the last but just missed to the right but at this point knew his lead was at least two. Bogeys on 13 and 14 had left long-time leader Kelly with too much to do.
The reaction to his victory has also been considerable and he heads to the St Andrew Links Trophy (June 9-11) bursting with confidence.
“My phone has been non-stop. It has been humbling to see all the messages. I just can’t wait to get to St Andrews!”