Justin Rose/Daily Telegraph Junior Golf Championship finale in Portugal
Two of the country’s leading juniors rounded off stand-out years by claiming victory in the Justin Rose/Daily Telegraph Junior Golf Championship at Quinta do Lago in Portugal.
FORMAT: 54-hole stroke play
English Boys & Girls champions Dylan Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield) and Sophia Fullbrook (Brocket Hall) rose to the occasion again, both coming out on top in their respective categories by two shots.
It wass Shaw-Radford’s fourth major victory of the year. He also triumphed at the Scottish Boys Open and Henry Cooper Masters while Fullbrook also won the Bridget Jackson Bowl a week before she shot a 10-under 62 to win her national title.
The Yorkshire player once again displayed his coolness under pressure, holding off Peter McEvoy Trophy winner Jack Lee, who came through an eventful front nine in one under to stay two back.
The Kent-based junior then halved the gap with an excellent two at the 11th but Shaw-Radford rolled in a 15-footer at 13 to redouble his advantage.
The gap almost became three at the next as the long-time leader lipped out and then he three putted from 40 feet at 16 to give his playing partner hope.
Both contenders managed ‘regulation’ birdies at the par five 17th before the drama ramped up at the last.
The Rochester & Cobham Park teenager had the honour and leaked his drive right on the dog-leg left, the ball taking a huge kick forward through the trees.
The leader then also missed to the right and found his path to the flag blocked out by a tree.
The Huddersfield player was first to go and managed to finding the putting surface in two before Lee got a free drop and found a path back to the green although he was 40 feet away.
It meant the Kent golfer had to hole out, with his rival 20 feet away, and he fired his putt six feet past and missed the one coming back.
Meanwhile Shaw-Radford cosied his birdied attempt up to 18 inches and knocked it in while the third member of their group, Garforth’s Jake Wallis secured third, four behind the runner-up.
The girls event also got exciting on the back nine, thanks in the main to a remarkable burst of scoring from Ireland’s Rebekah Gardner.
The Clandeboye player was the player who led by 10 going into the final round of the English Girls back in July before Fullbrook pulled out all the stops to catch her.
However this time around the roles were reversed with the Brocket hall ace six clear with seven to play.
However Gardner, playing in the group ahead, birdied 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 and Fullbrook then crucially gave herself some breathing space with a birdie at 17 as her main rival was finishing up with a par at the last.
The champion would also par 18, missing a slippery five-footer for birdie but it mattered little in the final reckoning while first round leader Amelia Wan (Sherwood Forest) finished third, just three shots behind the brilliant Fullbrook.