Tom Osborne sets Brabazon ablaze with course-record in opening round at Moortown

Everywhere from Canada to South Africa, Sweden to the United Arab Emirates has players in the running but it is a young man from Lindrick who is burning up Leeds’ heathland treasure with players from York and Huddersfield in hot pursuit.

On day one of the Brabazon Trophy, England international Tom Osborne – who is from Rotherham and plays at Lindrick – set a scintillating pace by firing a course-record 62 to sit at nine-under par.

His nearest challengers as the shadows started to lengthen on what is expected to be the coolest of the four days of championship play, was Harley Smith of England, some three shots back.

One further back in a gaggle at four-under are two Yorkshiremen, Osborne’s England team-mate Jake Sowden of the Oaks in York and Dylan Shaw-Radford of Huddersfield.

Osborne won the Spanish Amateur just two months ago and is in a strong position to be the fifth Yorkshireman to win the Brabazon in the last nine years.

His bogey-free round of 62 broke James T. Smith’s record of 65 from 2003.

“It’s really nice to break the record,” said Osborne. “I’ve also got the course record around the corner at Headingley, so it’s quite special to hold both.

“I played lovely and I’ve played here quite a lot. I was fortunate to be made a member here back in 2022 after winning the Yorkshire Amateur – so I think there is a bit of an advantage for me.

“The plan of attack this weekend is just more of the same, just try and stay patient with it, try and hit good shots, and see where it takes me.”

Leading the hunt to either reel him in or keep pace is Sowden, who played alongside Osborne in an international victory for England against France last weekend.

“He’s played well and good on him,” said Sowden. “He’s been playing nice for a while. It’s nice to see him do well and break the course record.

“If I can play a bit nicer tomorrow, and keep going with the putter, I can stay in the hunt.

“I got off to a nice start with an eagle on one, I was three-under through three and then it just went quiet for 10 holes, but then after a silly bogey on 15, I had a good finish.

“As much as this course is scoreable, as soon as you let it slip it can get you quick. It happened to me on 15; I drove it into the trees and you’re chipping out sideways.”

Like Osborne, Sowden is making good use of local knowledge as another ex-Yorkshire Amateur champion who made good use of the one-year’s membership at Moortown.

They are also benefitting from sleeping in their own beds at night and not being in hotels as they are for much of the year following the amateur circus around the world.

Another local lad heading home for a break before coming back for round two on Friday was Shaw-Radford, a former England team-mate of Osborne and Sowden.

He too posted an opening 67.

“I’m quite happy, it was a bit windier than I expected,” said Shaw-Radford, in his early-to-mid 20s like many in the 144-strong field.

Will he push it to chase Osborne, or stay patient?

“Hopefully let it come to me,” he said. “If I do similar tomorrow and a couple more putts drop in then hopefully I can make a push towards Tom.”