Huddersfield's Marsh wins first EuroPro title after play-off

HUDDERSFIELD'S Nick Marsh held his nerve to claim his first win on the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour, lifting the Dawson & Sanderson Classic title on the fourth play-off hole at Longhirst Hall.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Jul 2017, 19:59 BST
Updated 18th Jul 2017, 08:43 BST
Huddersfields Nick Marsh with the Dawson & Sanderson Classic trophy (Picture: HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour).Huddersfields Nick Marsh with the Dawson & Sanderson Classic trophy (Picture: HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour).
Huddersfields Nick Marsh with the Dawson & Sanderson Classic trophy (Picture: HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour).

The former English men’s champion had held the joint lead overnight with Nick Watson (Stock Rochford), and carded a final-round 73, one-over-par.

It left Marsh on seven under for the 54-hole tournament while Watson slipped out of contention with a 74.

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Irishman Brendan McCarroll (Narin & Portnoo Golf Club) birdied the last two holes of his final round for a two-under-par 70 to force a sudden-death play-off.

It began at the 17th where McCarroll, after narrowly avoiding the rough from the tee, made a good up and down from a greenside bunker.

Marsh had given himself a chance to end proceedings quickly, but missed a 15ft putt for birdie.

The players moved to the 18th where the roles were reversed.

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Marsh did well to escape with a par having driven into rough. He then had to watch as McCarroll, who had hit his approach shot to eight feet, putted for the title only to miss.

The pair returned to 17 where both again made par, before Marsh sunk his birdie putt from just inside 15ft for the victory as they played 18 for a second time.

As well as receiving a cheque for £10,000, Marsh won a Motocaddy S3 Pro electric trolley, a Bushnell Pro X2 Range Finder and Bolle sunglasses.

He has risen to second on the tour’s Race To Amendoeira money list, from which the top five at the end of the season graduate to the Challenge Tour.

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Mike Bedford (Bramhall Park), Liam Murray (GNK Golf and The LM Club) and Watson (Stoke Rochford), shared third on six under with Joe Brooks (Hanbury Manor) and Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) both finishing five under.

Yorkshire had two other players finish inside the top 20. Hull’s Steve Robins shared eighth place with rounds of 69 70 73 while Malton & Norton’s Chris Halley overcame the setback of an opening 76 by carding consecutive scores of 69 to tie for 17th place.

Open qualifiers Joe Dean (Hillsborough; 72 72 79) and Nick McCarthy (Moortown; 72 72 79) both made the cut after the elation of earning places at Royal Birkdale, but unsurprisingly did not contend.

Highlights of Marsh’s win will air on Sky Sports on Tuesday, July 18.

Related topics:Huddersfield