Thrilling Finale at English U18 Championship: Rusbridge Takes the Title
Bramhall’s Daniel Hayes missed out in a play-off at the English Under 18 Championship at Hesketh.
The 17-year-old fired a level-par 72 in round one but then shot 67 and 69 before a brilliant birdie on the 72nd hole meant another 69 and a place in the three-way play-off with Colne Valley’s Charlie Rusbridge and Northumberland’s Harrison Sewell.
In a tense finale for the play-off, all three players parred the first hole.
On the second play-off hole, the par-five 18th, Hayes and Sewell found trouble with their approaches, while Rusbridge secured a comfortable two-putt birdie to crown himself English U18 champion.
Rusbridge got off to a flying start with an opening-day 67 (-5) before shooting one over on Saturday.
An incredible round on Sunday morning saw the 16-year-old ace the second and eagle the 18th to finish with a six-under-par 66.
His afternoon final round of 71 was enough to sit joint-top of the leaderboard.
Sewell didn’t have a great start to the event with three over on day one, but three under on day two and on the morning of day three saw him jump up the board.
In his fourth and final round, he shot the Hesketh course record, an eight-under-par 64, which included an incredible eight birdies.
The 18-year-old came out of nowhere to force a play-off.
Rusbridge said: “It’s a bit surreal. It’s been a battle all week but to come out on top feels amazing.
It’s been a rollercoaster final day, obviously with a hole-in-one this morning where I played really nicely.
I hit it nicely and it seemed to stall a bit in the air but after two bounces it went in. It’s my first-ever one so I couldn’t believe it.
My head was a bit swell after that as I made bogey next hole but to recover from that was pleasing.
It was a battle all afternoon with my playing partners, and the play-off certainly made a long day even longer, but it was special to get the win.”
