Yorkshire golf: Fulford's Charlie Thornton claims Portugal Intercollegiate crown

Charlie Thornton, pictured last October receiving the England Golf Boys Order of Merit trophy from Anthony Abraham, Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs' chairman of selectors.

Thornton, who topped England Golf’s Boys’ Order of Merit last year, has won the Portuguese Intercollegiate Open – by no fewer than seven shots.

He finished level par in the 54-hole Under-21 event played on the Robert Trent Jnr course at Sintra’s Penha Longa Golf Resort.

Thornton fired rounds of 72 70 74 to triumph in the 63-player field.

He had led by three from Denmark’s Emil Guldbrandt Pedersen going into the last day and pulled away as Pedersen closed with a 78, still good enough for second spot.

Eighteen-year-old Thornton had begun with a level-par 72, with two birdies and two bogeys, to be two adrift of first-day leader, Finland’s Alex Hietala.

He took a grip on proceedings with his two-under-par 70 on the middle day, which he sprinkled with five birdies, and had three more birdies and five bogeys in his closing round of 74, the best of the day.