Moul and Bechu share Brabazon title
 England
international Jamie Moul and Frenchman Romain Bechu finished
joint winners of the Brabazon Trophy yesterday at Marriott
Forest of Arden, the first time since 1995 that the title
has been shared.
The pair, (pictured, Bechu left, Moul right - photo ©
Tom Ward) ended on seven under par 281 with Moul closing with
a 72 and Bechu with 67. They finished just a shot ahead of
another Frenchman, Kenny Le Sager and four ahead of David
Horsey and Sam Hutsby.
The win will boost Moul’s place at the top of the R&As
World Order of Merit and should cement his selection for the
GB&I Walker Cup team.
Moul put himself in the driving seat with a morning 67 one
ahead of Le Sager. But he was unable to shake off the French
connection as Bechu came surging through with a 67 of his
own.
“I’m delighted to have finished as joint winner
but I should have scored better in the afternoon to have won
outright,” said Moul. “But I started badly with
four bogeys in the first six holes and although I played nicely
on the back nine I had chances on 12 and 16 but couldn’t
convert them.”
He had another chance on the long 17th but chipped poorly.
“I found out what the situation was on the 17th fairway,
but that chip was about four inches short of where I wanted
it,” he added.
With Bechu having already set the target, Moul came to the
211-yard 18th needing a birdie for an outright win but his
25-foot putt rolled just wide. “I would have like the
chance of a playoff to win the title on my own but I’m
delighted to add the Brabazon to my list of successes.”
Bechu, the reigning French Amateur champion from Biarritz,
was equally pleased especially with his morning 67. “That
is the first time I’ve ever had a bogey-free round,”
he said. “I have been coming back after being away from
the game for three years as I was sick. Being nine under for
the day got me to the title.”
Horsey, who went into the final day at the top of the leader
board, suffered with a morning 75 that dropped him back to
eighth place. But he bounced back with a closing 70 for 285
alongside teenager Hutsby, who won the George Henriques Salver
for the leading GB&I under 20 player.
Another to celebrate was Scotsman Jonathan King who holed
his five-iron tee shot at the last in the third round for
his first ever hole-in-one.
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