Former England Boys international Jordan Boulton enjoyed an action-packed start as he claimed his first ever Nottinghamshire Men’s Stroke Play Championship at Coxmoor.
The Hollinwell golfer birdied five of his first nine holes but also missed a two-foot putt for a par to set up a morning 68 (-4) and he followed it up with a much steadier 71 to win by four shots from clubmate Jack Sallis. In fact Jordan was bogey free in the afternoon until the 18th where he overclubed and then failed to get up and down.
The 24-year-old also finished runner-up in the Notts Open, which is open to professionals and amateurs. That was won by Retford pro James Freeman, who overcame a slow start in the morning to card an opening 66. Another excellent back nine in the second round set up a title-clinching 70.
For Jordan his short game was the key to victory after hitting just nine greens in his opening round but countered that by having just 25 putts.
He said: “The putter was very hot and although I didn’t have many birdies in the second round (he had two), I was holing a lot of clutch putts for par.”
He will now be seeded one for the Notts Matchplay Championship, which takes place at the same venue (June 16-17). The top 16 from the weekend qualifying with Jordan hoping to win that event for the second time.