McGowan crowned English Champion
 Ross
McGowan is the English Champion. After five near misses this
year the Surrey golfer finally landed the big one when he
beat Oliver Fisher 5 and 4 in the 36-hole final at Burnham
and Berrow.
McGowan, 24 (photo courtesy of Tom Ward) must have wondered
if he would ever be crowned a champion but he came good in
magnificent fashion being seven under par when the match concluded
on the 32nd hole.
There was little to choose between the two over the opening
round before McGowan finally went into lunch one-up. In perfect
conditions, Fisher edged in front at the third but the 17
year old three-putted the short fifth to lose his advantage.
The pair stayed level until the tenth where Fisher edged ahead
again and the Essex lad seemed to be in the ascendancy but
he found trouble on the long 13th, which McGowan birdie to
square the contest again.
Although Fisher took the lead for the third time at the 440-yard
15th with a birdie, he lost both the 16th and 17th which allowed
McGowan to edge in front for the first time, a lead he kept
going into the second round.
Fisher continued to played a brave game in the end but he
had to give way to McGowan’s superior play in the afternoon.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” said McGowan.
“I can’t really believe it has happened. After
so many near misses I felt something was going to go wrong
somewhere. But I knew if I stayed patient something would
happen and it paid off. I only made one bogey all day and
managed to birdie all the par fives.”
Fisher was naturally disappointed. “I’m gutted
but I hit a lot of good shots but I probably didn’t
hole enough putts,” he said. “Ross played well
all day. He holed out well this morning to stay in it.”
After lunch McGowan took a decisive grip by winning four
holes in six from the third. It was a burst that Fisher could
do little about and laid the foundation for victory which
came with a conceded three at the short 14th.
So, after five runner-up finishes including the Brabazon
Trophy and the South of England Stroke Play Championship,
McGowan had finally landed the prize and is the third Surrey
golfer to win the English title in the past seven years.
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