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Gough tops English Amateur, adding to major wins from 2018

The 16-year-old from beat 20-year-old Callum Farr, 3 and 2, in the final.

Conor Gough produced a sparkling performance to win the English Amateur Championship on Saturday at Hankley Common in Surrey, England.

The 16-year-old from beat 20-year-old Callum Farr, 3 and 2, in the final to add to the McGregor Trophy and the British Boys’ titles he won last year.

Gough spent much of the early part of the season concentrating on academics but clearly the forced break has had no detrimental effect on his golf.

He began the morning round of the final by hitting a 350-yard drive down the first and then holing out from 12-feet for a birdie. Seven holes later he was 3 up after a birdie on the sixth and an eagle on the eighth.

The 20-year-old Farr claimed his first hole of the day when he birdied from just off the front of the green at the 10th but he could never quite reel in his opponent and he was 4 down heading into lunch before he won the 18th with a par.

Farr started the second round successfully by winning the first with a birdie and the second with a par but he found himself three down again after dropping shots at both the fourth and the fifth. After that, the pair shared eight birdies between them before Gough sealed victory with a testing 4-foot downhill putt for a par on the short 16th.

“It feels great to win,” Gough said moments after holing the winning putt. “I played really well. I love match play and as soon as I got through the stroke-play qualifier I knew I had a good chance.

“I’m proud of myself. I’ve got a couple of big weeks coming up so I hope I can keep things going.

“I’ve got the Boys’ Home Internationals next week and then the U.S. Amateur Championship at Pinehurst. I’m really looking forward to that. It’s the same format as this so hopefully I can put in another good performance.”

It was impossible not to feel for England “A” squad member Farr who has now reached the last four and the last two in the past two years without tasting success.

“I hit the ball better this afternoon but just couldn’t get the putts to drop,” he said. “I’m disappointed but Conor is a very good player and he deserved to win because he played a lot better than me.

“I got to the semifinal last year and now the final so maybe next year will be my year,” he added.
AmateurGolf.com Rankings
2019 season — official results & points
PosPlayerFromPoints
Final 16Lewis HintonEngland200
Final 16William ShackletonEngland200
Final 16Joshua McMahonEngland200
+55 more — Premium members see every point earnedFull Men's National Ranking

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