WARING CROWNED ENGLISH CHAMPION
Paul Waring is the English Amateur champion. He won the title
in front of his own members at his own club of Bromborough
when he defeated Cheshire county colleague Steven Capper 3
and 2 in the 36 hole final.
After the morning round in which Capper led for most of the
way but finished all square, it seemed the battle would go
all the way and possibly beyond the 36 holes. But despite
trailing again after six holes of the afternoon, Waring won
five of the next seven to take a firm grip. Capper, the 17
year old England boy international, couldn’t find the
birdies that had illuminated his play before lunch while the
breaks also failed to go his way.
Although Waring fell behind again when he tangled with trees
and conceded the par four 23rd, it was a birdie-four at the
25th that got him back on terms and he also won the next when
Capper drove out of bounds. But the major turning point came
at the par three 28th where Waring holed from 40 feet for
birdie and Capper missed from much closer. That put Waring
two up and he was three ahead after the long 29th where he
got up-and-down superbly from sand while Capper three-putted
from the front fringe, missing from three feet for a half.
The end was in sight and it got closer at the par four 31st
where Waring went four up, again getting up-and-down from
a greenside bunker while Capper failed to match him after
chipping poorly from behind the green. Although Capper won
the 33rd when Waring’s long par putt finished inches
away, a half in threes at the short 34th brought a shake of
hands.
“This is unbelievable,” said Waring. “And
to win the title in front of my mum and dad and the members
at my own club is the icing on the cake. I started the final
poorly but got better and better. I knew I had to grind it
out and to keep fighting and it came off. But it was my short
game that did it for me."
“Also I never got ahead of myself and I have to thank
my caddie and best friend Duncan Robertson for that. I caddied
for him when he won the club championship here so he owed
me for that. Credit to Steve. He was on fire this morning
and I had to be sure I didn’t panic. He is a fighter
and never gave up.”
Capper, who is in the England team for next week’s
Boys Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa, said: “I gutted
but I’m happy for Paul. He’s been dogged by injuries
and he needed something like this. The turning point was that
long putt on the tenth. If it hadn’t gone in the ball
would have rolled eight feet past.”
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