FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play
Huddersfield’s Dylan Shaw-Radford led from the front as he carried of the England Golf Boys Champion of Champions trophy at Woodhall Spa.
The Yorkshire Boys champion led by two shots at the halfway stage and followed up a highly impressive opening 70 (-3) with a 71 to finish two clear of Warwickshire’s Seb Cave (The Belfry).
Dylan birdied the final two holes on the Hotchkin course having bogeyed 16 and he was pleased with the way he was able to back up his strong start and claim his first national title.
“I was really happy I was able to get a lead and then maintain that lead all the way to the end,” said the 16-year-old, who is due to represent England U-16s against their Welsh counterparts at Trentham this weekend.
“I tried to stay aggressive and make some birdies in the afternoon. Tee to green I was strong all day and it was also good to hold some long putts.”
Dylan Shaw-Radford claims England U-18s Championship (Carris Trophy)
Playing alongside McKenzie Lewis (Lincs) and Ben Willis (Norfolk), Dylan took a grip of the contest around the turn in the morning. Four birdies in five holes took him into a lead he would never lose despite the best efforts of the Warickshire champion later in the day.
The EG Yorkshire regional development squad member had a number of decent chances to get under par on the front nine – he went close at the second in particular – but after eight straight pars, finally got into the red at the par five ninth. Two excellent shots got him to the front of the green and he two putted.
At the next he pitched to ten feet and drained it before holing two 25-footers at the 12th and 13th for birdies.
A bogey on 15 would leave him two shots ahead of four players at halfway with Cave a shot further back in sixth.
After lunch, Dylan completed the front nine in level par while Lancashire champion Andrew Haswell got off to a fast start and a strong finish would see the Ormskirk player finish third in the final reckoning.
Meanwhile Cave birdied 10, 12, 14 and 15 to get on terms with the leader but a bogey at 16 checked his momentum.
Dylan also carded a five on the tight par four but responded magnificently. At the 17th he found the fairway with his four iron before firing his 90-yard pitch to a foot and then, at the final hole, he drilled a three iron to 20 feet and two putted for the birdie.
With the Warwickshire player two groups behind, the leader had a nervous wait to see if he had done it. At the 18th Cave found a green-side bunker in two but couldn’t hole out to force a play-off.