Yorkshire golf: Charlie Thornton masters tough Lindrick conditions and Danny Willett Salver field

Boys' Order of Merit winner Charlie Thornton was chosen '“ as a fellow Yorkshireman '“ to hand over England Golf's Player of the Year award to 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett.
Fulford's Charlie Thornton receives the Danny Willett Salver from the man himself.Fulford's Charlie Thornton receives the Danny Willett Salver from the man himself.
Fulford's Charlie Thornton receives the Danny Willett Salver from the man himself.

The favour was returned when Thornton won the Lindrick Open, and with it the Danny Willett Salver, with the world No 21 passing the spoils of victory to the Fulford player.

Thornton, who has stepped up to men’s level after dominating the boys’ scene nationally, already had wins in the prestigious Berkhamsted Trophy and the Portugal Intercollegiate championship this year.

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He made it three triumphs already in 2017 as he defied difficult windy conditions and a strong challenge from Lindrick’s Nathan Fell to win the Yorkshire Order of Merit event by four shots.

The merit of his scores of 70 71 is emphasised by the respective Competition Scratch Score ratings of 75 and 76.

“I played a lot better than I did at the West of England championship,” said Thornton, who despite struggling with illness at Saunton made the cut and then handed in a final-round score of 86 when others would have taken the option of settling for a simple ‘No Return’ against their name.

“I was hitting far more greens and then I holed a couple of putts. I didn’t feel like I played extra special – just steady, I guess. In the first round I was one under with the last to play. I had quite an easy up and down, but didn’t up and down that so I finished level.

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“I knew Nathan had shot level as well and next best was two behind, but with Lindrick being his home course, I thought Nathan might have a low one in the afternoon.”

Thornton appears to thrive under such pressure, and revealed that he likes to know where he stands in an event whereas some prefer to play on oblivious to their overall situation.

“I knew that I was quite high up playing the second round and I was level with two to play,” he said.

“I missed the green from about 100 yards at 17 trying to go at a stupid flag – it’s quite a narrow green – and I didn’t get up and down.”

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He says the sense of achievement was heightened by having overcome not only the field, but also the elements that were gusting in the opposite direction to Lindrick’s prevailing wind.

“It is more satisfying when you do a score in those type of conditions, it makes it better than just going out and shooting level on a nice sunny day,” he said.

“It also takes half the field out of it when it’s blowing like that. I think some people are not prepared for it.

“You can make excuses, but it’s the same for everyone.”

He continued: “It was blowing a gale and it was off the back tees. It’s not a particularly easy course anyway plus the wind was in the opposite direction to every other time I’ve played Lindrick.

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“So the first was downwind and the last was straight into it. I was hitting a full rescue into the last.

“I just hit the ball really well all day. I just knew where I wanted to hit the ball and I hit it there.

“When I missed the greens I didn’t miss in bad spots; I had easy up and downs – other than that one at 17 (in the second round).

“At a couple of holes I just didn’t make the putts so it could have been a lot lower than it was.”

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Although he is feeling better, Thornton is still not 100 per cent.

“I’ve had a bad cold for quite a while and I’m just getting over it now,” he said. “I lost the hearing in my left ear. It’s still quite bad.

“I think that’s all part of the cold. It does affect your balance, but I’m feeling a lot better than I did.”

Thornton does not expect to play many other Yorkshire Order of Merit events – the York Rose Bowl being a definite exception – because of his commitment to testing himself at a national level wherever possible.

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He is currently fourth reserve for next week’s Irish Amateur Championship at Royal County Down

“I am playing the York Rose Bowl, but I think that’s the only other Yorkshire Order of Merit event I’m playing,” he said.

“Rather than just playing all the time, I’d prefer to play fewer events and prepare better for those I do play – I want to practise more.”

Fell shot 70 75 to edge runner-up spot from Malton & Norton’s David Hague (76 71) and Hickleton’s Lee Hopwood (72 75).

Brancepeth Castle’s Richard Aisbitt won the Cleveland Salver, the third Yorkshire Order of Merit tournament of the season.

He carded rounds of 74 74 to win by two shots from Boldon’s Rhys Thompson.