A Norfolk teenager has followed in the footsteps of a series of European Tour aces by winning the Lagonda Trophy at Gog Magog Golf Club near Cambridge.
Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Andy Sullivan are among those to have won the highly-regarded amateur tournament.
In pole position - Ed Featherstone celebrates his Lagonda Trophy success with event founder Clive Smith (Image: Norfolk County Golf Union)
And now Sheringham High School pupil Ed Featherstone’s name is on the Lagonda Trophy roll of honour after a thrilling two-shot success in the 72-hole event.
Featherstone, 17, missed the cut in his previous start at Sunningdale in the Brabazon Trophy – the English Men’s Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship
But he bounced back quickly on the first day at the Gog Magog club, firing rounds of 68 and 69 to sit tied at the top on three-under-par.
In the third round, Featherstone traded birdies and bogeys before signing for a level-par 70. That left him two shots off the lead and there was additional work to do after he dropped a stroke at the start of his final 18.
But the Sheringham Golf Club member soon surged back into contention with three birdies in six holes and turned for home with an advantage over the field.
Still in front at the par-4 last, he unleashed a 3-iron down the middle before finding the green from 178 yards.
A bold attempt to make birdie left Featherstone with a nervy four-footer back, but he kept cool to roll home the putt and triumph on an overall total of three-under-par.
“It was pretty amazing, to be honest,” said Featherstone, reacting to the biggest win of his young career.
“After missing the cut at the Brabazon Trophy the previous week, I put quite a lot of work in with the long irons and the woods to make sure I was in the fairway. I managed to do that and that was the big difference. I think I made 16 birdies over the two days.”
It's back to the school books for Featherstone, who has mock A-Levels to sit this term. But he will be lining up for the Norfolk Amateur Championship at Royal Cromer Golf Club across June 10-11, seeking to add further silverware to his collection.
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