Dinwiddie beats the rain to complete title treble
 Robert
Dinwiddie overcame miserable conditions as well as a tough
golf course to win the Brabazon Trophy at Ganton.
The 23 year old from County Durham carded a closing 69 for
282, two under par, for a three stroke winning margin over
Surrey’s Ross McGowan, who finished with 73. The victory
means Dinwiddie (pictured - photo courtesy of Tom Ward) now
holds the Welsh, Scottish and English Stroke Play titles,
a remarkable record on top of a remarkable display on a taxing
day.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “Apart
from winning I have a lot of reasons to be happy, especially
the way I played and to only run up one bogey in the final
round in those conditions. I’ve been in this position
before, one shot behind going into the final round and the
key is not to drop shots and I did that well.”
The weather presented another day of torment for the players
with morning sunshine turning to driving rain and dipping
temperatures more akin to March than May. Determination and
a brave heart were needed and while almost every one was shedding
shots as they were ground down by the elements, seeking the
shelter of the clubhouse, Dinwiddie kept his resolve and his
game together admirably.
It was a remarkable display from Dinwiddie. Beginning the
final round a shot behind McGowan, he was soon forging ahead
and by the 13th had opened a three shot lead. It was a margin
McGowan was never able to close in the conditions and left
the Surrey man with his third runner-up spot of the year.
“I battled hard but it was not enough,” said
McGowan. “After 11 holes I knew what was going on and
I knew I had to pick up shots. But it was very difficult in
that weather.”
The two Englishmen finished six shots ahead of the third
placed trio, Jean-Jacques Wolff from France, Norway’s
Knut Bersheim, and Jamie Moul, who made a sterling recovery
from his second round disaster.
The Henriques Salver for the best performance by a GB&I
player aged under 20 was shared between Ireland's Rory McIlroy
and Jamie Abbott from Suffolk, both on 293.
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