Danny Willett usurped by teenager Barclay Brown

​EUROPEAN Tour tournament winner Danny Willett has lost a record - to a 14-year-old.
Barclay Brown with the Sheffield Plate (Picture: drivinggolf.co.uk).Barclay Brown with the Sheffield Plate (Picture: drivinggolf.co.uk).
Barclay Brown with the Sheffield Plate (Picture: drivinggolf.co.uk).

Willett was the youngest player to win the Sheffield Plate, but teenager Barclay Brown has become the new Sheffield Open Amateur Champion.

The youngster clinched the prize with a three-under-par 139 total over two rounds at Sheffield’s Hallamshire course and he is two years younger than Willett when he won the competition in 2004.

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Brown scored a one-over 72 in the morning round with 17 pars and a bogey on Hallamshire’s firm and super slick greens that proved a real challenge.

He went out in the afternoon tied first with three others and in glorious sunshine Brown turned up the heat, carding an unstoppable 67 to beat runner-up, Rotherham’s Jamie Harrison, by five shots.

In the second round he had an opening nine of seven pars and a birdie, at the par 3 6th hole, and started steadily on the way home with consecutive pars.

He followed with an eagle at the 14th with a drive and a four iron to three feet. A par cemented his lead before his only blemish appeared at the tricky par-4 16th. He had to hack out of the rough and made bogey thanks to a 6-foot putt.

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He then showed nerves beyond his age with birdies on the two final holes.

Brown, well known for his terrific short game said: “ I played pretty good all day and the putts dropped on Hallamshire’s fast and smooth greens.”

The Birkdale pupil has represented Yorkshire and England Under-16s and won the North of England Under-14 title last August. He has featured in the top 20 in the English Under-14s and Under-16s boys’ championships.

He and he brother Elliott will represent Yorkshire next week.

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This year’s Sheffield Plate attracted a full field of 60 top players from across the region and beyond, but many found the greens very testing. It was played in glorious sunshine – a big change from 2014 when the event was postponed due to flooding.

Runner-up Harrison’s challenge fell away on the back nine of the afternoon round with a double bogey at 13, and bogeys at 14 and 16 for a total of 72.