Sharpe keeps his nerve to claim the title
 Oscar
Sharpe (pictured - photo courtesy of Tom Ward) lived up to
his name by winning the English Boys Under 16 Stroke Play
Championship for the McGregor Trophy at Worthing in Sussex
yesterday.
Closing rounds of 72 and 73 for a four round total of 287,
three over par, saw the 13 year old from Gloucestershire squeeze
home by a stroke from Eddie Pepperell and by two from Stiggy
Hodgson.
Sharpe, who won't turn 14 until August, but displays a confidence
beyond his tender years, led Hodgson by a shot going into
the final round but managed to keep his nerve and his lead
to lift his first major title.
Hodgson, 15, who birdied the closing four holes in the morning
for 70, seemed his greatest threat but the Sunningdale golfer
couldn’t find a single birdie in his closing 74. In
the end he had to be satisfied with third place as Pepperell
nipped past him into second spot with his second 71 of the
day, holing for off the final green for birdie.
Sharpe, who was out in 34 in the final round for a three
shot advantage, seemed home and dry. But he drove out of bounds
at the 12th on his way to a double-bogey six and dropped further
shots at the 13th and 15th.
“I was upset at that point but still confident,”
said Sharpe. “I didn’t know what was happening
elsewhere until after the 15th and found that Eddie had finished
only one behind. I knew that if I could keep it at that I’d
be fine.”
Indeed he was. It was a gap that never closed as Sharpe,
just 5ft tall, parred his way home, leaving a 12-footer for
a birdie-three at the last on the lip.
Apart from the title and the trophy, Sharpe also picked up
the under 15 prize and gains an automatic entry into the under
18 championship later this month when you wouldn’t bet
against another victory.
Adam Myers made a bold defence of the title, finishing seventh
on 294, seven strokes behind Sharpe.
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