Florida-based Englishman Sam Horsfield’s maiden win came in the land of his birth – a feat his mentor Ian Poulter has never achieved. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SAM Horsfield claimed his maiden European Tour title at the Hero Open after showing nerves of steel down the stretch.

The Mancunian raised in Florida beat off the challenge of Belgium’s Thomas Detry to seal a one-stroke victory at the Forest of Arden in the West Midlands.

The 23-year-old became the first home winner of the Hero Open – formerly the English Open – since Lee Westwood in 1998.

Horsfield, a protege of Ian Poulter, became the fifth English winner in total and achieved something the Ryder Cup star has not achieved in 20 years on tour – a victory in England.

The win also moves Horsfield to the top of the UK Swing Rankings, from which the top 10 players at the conclusion of the ISPS Handa Wales Open will earn exemptions to next month’s US Open at Winged Foot.

Horsfield said: “It’s crazy, I can’t put it in to words.

“I made a bad bogey on 15, then on 17 we wanted to leave a good five-wood number and I did – 233, wind out to the left. Hit a great shot there.

“It’s special. With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I’m thankful that the European Tour has been able to put on tournaments for us to play.

“I’ve been in Orlando for the last three months and felt like my game was right there. I played decently last week, had a bad finish but kept the positives from that.

“I played solid all week and gave myself a lot of opportunities and made one enough,” said the player who has two 59s to his name already in his career – his first came aged 13.

Sam Horsfield had a six-shot lead at one point on Saturday – but showed nerves of steel during the final round with the chasing pack close on his tail. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Sam’s back nine fails to prove costly

HORSFIELD had endured a difficult back nine in his third round after giving an on-course interview to Sky Sports walking down the 10th fairway.

The former University of Florida player said he was able to go low by being aggressive.

After speaking to Tim Barter, who asked him about his 59 last month at Florida’s Streamsong, a par 73, Sam relinquished a six-shot lead he had built on the front nine, making a double bogey and giving up three more shots.

But the Englishman, who pulled of the Great Britain & Ireland team before the 2015 Walker Cup team, showed true determination on an exciting final day.

He maintained his one-shot overnight lead over the chasing pack for the vast part of the round.

Horsfield was knocked off the perch briefly when Detry birdied the 17th to move to the front on 18-under par.

But the Belgian missed a crucial par putt at the last from four feet to drop back to 17-under alongside the eventual winner.

Horsfield capitalised on his opportunity at the penultimate hole, playing the par-five to perfection.

The 2017 Qualifying School winner picked up a shot to earn a one-one stroke advantage stepping onto the tee of the par-three final hole.

A deft lag putt left him with an easy par putt to lift the trophy, after signing for a four-under par 68 – and an 18-under total.

Thomas Detry was briefly in the lead with two to play but dropped a shot on the last after making. a birdie on his penultimate hole. Picture by GETTY IMAGES.

Detry only sees positives from UK Swing

DETRY was only taking the positives after another near miss looking for his maiden win.

He said: “A lot of things have been going through my mind, but honestly I have nothing to be disappointed about right now.

“I played some really good golf. The greens are getting trickier down the stretch and I over-read that putt on 18.

“But I’m very pleased with the way I finished on those last few holes to be honest.

“I hit some very good shots out there. Another missed opportunity, but I’ll move on and forget about it – and just try to win next week.

“It was tough out there, the wind started to swirl a little bit and 16 and 17 are tough holes with a lot of water around.

“You have to be careful because you can quickly make a high number, but I handled it pretty well, like I said I’ll just move on.

“I’m feeling very positive about the rest of the UK Swing now.

“I’ve picked up a few points for the UK Swing Rankings so it will change a few things.

“I might not play every single tournament now but we’ll see how things go. But I’m definitely playing next week so I’m looking forward to that.”

Forest of Arden’s £50k from Golf for Good to give away

Horsfield, who left the UK to live in Florida at the age of five, moved from 43rd to 18th in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

His win concluded another successful week on the UK Swing for the European Tour’s Golf for Good initiative.

Forest of Arden received £50,000 from the tour to be distributed to charities of their choice – with Blood Cancer UK being awarded £20,000, and local charities Newlife and Birmingham Mind receiving £15,000 each.

•For the final scores in the Hero Open click here.

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Last year’s winner David Shacklady (centre) with Corrine and Duncan Sinclair, founders of The Sinclair Invitational at Hanbury Manor. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THE Sinclair Invitational will return to Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club in September – with Caring Matters Now (CMN) announced as the tournament’s Official Charity Partner.

Lancashire’s David Shacklady won his second Staysure Tour title at the Hertfordshire venue in 2019.

The 2019 event heralded a new era for The Sinclair Invitational, with the revamped tournament named after its founders Duncan and Corrine Sinclair.

Meanwhile the prize fund increased to £400,000 to place it among the most lucrative events on the Staysure Tour International Schedule.

The tournament will return to Hanbury Manor, from September 4-6, with CMN set to benefit as the tournament’s designated charity partner.

Congenital Melanocytic Naevus (CMN) is a condition characterised by large, brown, noncancerous patches on the skin, which if growing internally, can be fatal.

The condition also increases sufferers’ chances of developing an aggressive form of skin cancer, called melanoma, as well as impacting an individual’s emotional wellbeing.

In addition to being the only UK charity dedicated to supporting those affected by Congenital Melanocytic Naevus – a genetic skin condition present in one per cent of infants – the charity also funds pioneering research to find a cure and raise national and international awareness of the condition.

Mark Aspland, head of the Staysure Tour, said: “We are delighted to welcome Caring Matters Now as the official charity for the 2020 edition of The Sinclair Invitational.

“The work they do across the United Kingdom is tremendous, and we hope that The Sinclair Invitational and our players can help to spread awareness of the condition.

“The Sinclair Invitational was a big hit with our players last year and we look forward to returning to Hanbury Manor in 2020.”

Jodi Whitehouse, founder and chief executive of Caring Matters Now, said: “On behalf of the Caring Matters Now board of trustees, I would like to thank the organisers and sponsors of The Sinclair Invitational for choosing Caring Matters Now as the official charity for the 2020 event.

“Through this prestigious event, the Caring Matters Now board of trustees are thrilled to be able to raise awareness of Congenital Melanocytic Naevus and the work of Caring Matters Now.’’

Stan Power, director of Golf & Estates at Hanbury Manor Marriott Golf & Country Club, said: “Hanbury Manor are delighted to be continuing our relationship with The Sinclair Invitational.

“Each year the tournament has grown and is now a major event not only on Hanbury’s calendar but also in the local area.

“We are really looking forward to working with Caring Matters Now who are set to add a new dynamic to an already great event.”

Shacklady carded a bogey-free final round of 66 to overhaul a four-stroke overnight deficit in front of his wife and children who were watching on.

Hanbury Manor’s back nine features the holes originally designed in the early 20th Century by the legendary Harry Vardon, six-time winner of the Open Championship.

Hanbury Manor’s heritage from Vardon and Nicklaus II to Westwood and Clarke

HANBURY Manor’s first nine holes were designed by legendary six-time Open Champion Harry Vardon in the early 1900s.

The Jacobean style Grade II listed manor house dates back to the 16th Century with the original part of the current hotel built in the 1890s before becoming a convent school in the 1920s until its closure in the 1980s.

When a plan to convert Poles Hall into a five-star hotel and conference centre was conceived, Jack Nicklaus II – the son of the 18-time Major winner nicknamed the Golden Bear – was signed up to add a new front nine, which opened in 1991 to complete an 18-hole championship layout.

The classic Vardon parkland holes have survived while the Nicklaus II half offers a contrasting, more modern links-style introduction to Hanbury Manor.

Marriot acquired the hotel several years later and in 1999 added 65 bedrooms to the exisiting 53 built in the first extension to the old manor house.

Hanbury Manor hosted its first European Tour event with the 1997 Alamo English Open won by Per Ulrk Johansson.

It was also staged at the Ware club in 1998 and 1999 when Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, respectively, were crowned champions.

In 2016, the Willow Senior Golf Classic was staged at Hanbury Manor for the first time, raising money for the Willow Foundation – the charity founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson, who lost his daughter Anna to cancer at the age of 31.

After Surrey’s Gary Marks recorded his maiden European Tour Seniors win, Berkshire’s Barry Lane took the title in 2017.

Australian Peter Fowler was the last winner of the Willow event before it became The Sinclair Invitational 12 months ago.

The On Course Foundation, which helps the recovery of injured and sick service personnel and veterans through nationwide golf events and arranging employment in the golf industry, was the chosen charity last year.

•Specific tournament dates for the rest of the Staysure Tour international schedule for 2020 will be announced in the coming weeks, the European Tour said this week.

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