Jimmy Mullen secures impressive win at Welsh Amateur Open

BURRY PORT, Wales — Jimmy Mullen, 21 of southwestern England, captured a nine-shot, wire-to-wire victory at the Welsh Amateur Open Championship. Mullen shared the first-round lead at five-under 67 with Craig Howie of Scotland, but from the second round on, Mullen held the lead for the entirety of the tournament. Mullen, who made headlines when he made the cut as a 19-year-old at the 2013 British Open, won last year's Duncan Putter. This week at Ashburnham Golf Club in Wales, Mullen went 15-under in the 72-hole tournament to beat fellow countryman Ashley Chesters by almost 10 shots. Chesters, the reigning European Amateur champion, closed with a 68 to finish in a tie for second place with the host country's top finisher Ben Westgate. Rounding out the top-five are three players who tied for fourth at five-under 283, including Nick Marsh and Joe Dean of England, and Alex Gleeson of Ireland.