Danny Willett usurped by teenager Barclay Brown
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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Hide AdBrown 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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Hide AdHe 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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Hide AdThis 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.