HUTSBYS SHOOTS RECORD 65 TO WIN DUKE OF YORK TROPHY
England boys’ captain Sam Hutsby launched a birdie
blitz to shoot a course record 65 and win the Duke of York
Young Champions’ Trophy at Dundonald in Ayrshire.
It was the Hampshire youngster’s second significant
victory of the year and his eight-birdie haul trimmed five
shots off the Dundonald record as he finished with a 54-hole
aggregate of level par 216, two shots ahead of Marc Dobias
(Switzerland) and Robin Wingardh (Sweden).
Hutsby, 17, from Lee-on-Solent Golf Club in Hampshire, started
his season with a flourish in the spring when he won the Spanish
Open Amateur by beating the then US amateur champion Edoardo
Molinari from Italy 7 and 6 in the final.
In Scotland, Hutsby beat a field of 42 national under-18
champions from all over Europe and South Africa despite a
seemingly disastrous second round 79.
That left him five shots off the pace going into the final
round in eighth place, but he came storming through the field
in a steady drizzle that slowed the pace of the greens down
to his liking.
“I prefer putting on soft, wet greens and don’t
mind at all playing in the rain,” he said. “But
I didn’t realise I was playing that well. I had no idea
I had birdied six of the last seven holes until I checked
my scorecard.”
Prince Andrew watched Hutsby play the last few holes and
went on to the 18th green to congratulate him after he finished
with a birdie for an inward half of five-under-par 31.
“Sam was completely focused on his game. It was a terrific
performance,” said the Duke.
Hutsby, a full-time amateur who will be 18 next month, birdied
the fourth, fifth, 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, where he holed
a bunker shot, 17th and 18th. He did drop one shot - at the
15th where he missed a short putt.
Of the other English entries, under 18 champion Darren Wright
finished 11th on 227, British Boys champion Matthew Nixon
a further stroke behind, and Luke Goddard, the McEvoy Trophy
winner, on 237.
Leading final scores:
216 S Hutsby (Eng) 72 79 65.
218 M Dobias (Swi) 72 76 70, R Wingardh (Swe) 71 75 72.
221 M Veijlainen (Fin) 76 72 73.
222 J White (Sco) 72 74 76.
223 X Feyaerts (Bel) 71 76 76.
Other English scores:
227 D Wright (Eng) 76 81 70.
228 M Nixon (Eng) 71 78 79.
237 L Goddard (Eng) 78 80 79.
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