Sam Bairstow shows his class with fightback and gracious manner of defeat in British Amateur Championship final

The 23-year-old lefty from Sheffield was beaten 3&2 by 17-year-old South African Aldrich Potgieter at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

Bairstow - last year’s Brabazon Trophy winner – was blown away in the first 18 holes as Potgieter built a 7up lead.

Bairstow had renewed belief when he holed a 35-foot putt at the 24th to spark a roar from the crowds. He made another birdie at the 28th, among five in the afternoon round, to keep fighting.

He won three holes in a row to threaten the yteenager but his double bogey at the 33rd ultimately ended his hopes as Potgieter closed it out at the next with a par.

“Aldrich played good golf,” added Bairstow, who was magnanimous in a defeat that sees him miss out on an appearance at the Open and next year’s Masters that this title comes with.

“I don’t think he dropped a shot this morning. Around here, in a bit of wind, that’s great golf. I didn’t have my best stuff this morning. I was probably just a little bit nervy.

“With all the crowds here, there’s a lot of people I know, and that spurred me on a bit this afternoon. I just couldn’t get it all the way back.

“I was a bit emotional at the end with everyone cheering but unfortunately I couldn’t do it for them.

“But I suppose growing up, if you had said to me, ‘Would you ever reach the final of The Amateur? I’d say, ‘no’. It’s quite special.”