Ex-Royal Green Jackets officer Rupert Kellock from Sunningdale GC, won the English Seniors Amateur title at Woodhall Spa by three shots. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

SURREY’S Rupert Kellock held his nerve and holed the crucial putts to march to victory in the English Senior Amateur Championship.

As befitted a former Army officer, Kellock played with military precision on the back nine to earn a deserved three-shot victory.

He denied defending champion Ian Attoe the chance to complete a hat-trick in the process.

And Kellock held off a challenge from fellow England senior international Trevor Foster and Maxstoke Park’s Stephen Creed.

The ex-Royal Green Jacket began the final round a shot adrift of three-time winner Attoe – who was going for three in a row – and Sussex’s Andrew Smith, from Royal Ashdown Forest.

However, a one-over par round of 74 around a baked and windswept Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa Golf Club, in Lincolnshire, allowed Kellock to achieve his career highlight.

His finishing total was two-over par after previous rounds of 70 on the Hotchkin and a 76 on the Bracken Course at England Golf’s headquarters.

Kellock – a member at Sunningdale Golf Club – won with a flourish. Birdies at 12, 16 and 18 allowed him to add his own national title to the Welsh crown he won in 2018.

After the victory, Kellock admitted: “It’s terribly pleasing and I’m dead chuffed as they would say.

“It’s always great to win anything and to win the national title is fantastic.

“It’s the largest national title I’ve won and to have beaten Ian Attoe, who has dominated this event for five years makes me very proud.

“I hit the ball a lot better than I scored and was quite comfortable as I was hitting the ball so well. The problem was I wasn’t quite sure what the other scores were.

“Anyway, you play one shot at a time and get on with it and the fact was I was hitting the ball really well makes life so much easier – middle of the fairway, middle of the green, two putts and walk on.”

Pars like birdies on tricky Hotchkin

ON a day when the wind dominated proceedings and made the front nine particularly treacherous for the leading players, pars were treated like birdies.

Kellock started with three pars, but four dropped shots between the fourth and the 10th holes were a setback.

The nerves were steadied however, with a brilliant iron into the short 12th hole. The ball danced around the hole and finished a foot from the cup.

After that tap-in birdie, Kellock found himself tied for the lead with Accrington’s Foster who had started the day three shots behind the leaders.

Foster had dropped only one shot to par at the turn and a birdie at 13 actually put him a shot clear of Kellock again.

But then came Kellock’s nerveless finish capped by a six-foot putt on 18 which caught the right lip of the hole and tumbled for a closing birdie.

Worplesdon’s Attoe couldn’t quite produce the form of the first two days in order to claim a third title on the spin.

The 61-year-old had been struggling with the putter all week and he couldn’t find the touch on the greens when he needed it most.

Iron play was key for Sunningdale’s Kellock

KELLOCK’S closing stretch of holes left him thrilled and in particular the iron play which left him with excellent opportunities for birdies when others were simply grateful for par.

On making birdie at two of the final three holes, Kellock said: “It’s very satisfying as I’d three putted from 20 feet on 14 for a par which was disappointing.

“On the 16th, I hit it to 18 inches and on the 18th I had a two-putt birdie. It was a very, very nice way to finish.

“It sounds very good to be introduced as a champion and I’d like to be English national champion again next year as well.”

Attoe took the prize as the leading player in the 60-64 age group while Kent’s John Wright, from Wildernesse GC, finished first in the over 65s with a 12-over total, having started with an excellent 70, before adding scores of 86 and 74.

Next year’s championship will be held at Blackmoor Golf Club and the Army Golf Club in Hampshire.

•For scores at the English Senior click here.

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Charl Schwartzel won the Brabazon Trophy at Royal Cinque Ports in 2002 – the 2020 English Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Sherwood Forest in late May has been cancelled Picture by ANDREW GRIFIFN / AMG PICTURES

ENGLAND Golf have postponed all championships and coaching scheduled to take place up until early June as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

They include the Brabazon Trophy at Sherwood Forest and the first international match of the season between England and France at Ganton, which hosted the Walker Cup in 2003.

All England coaching for their men’s, women’s and junior squads – both at national and regional level – have also been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Top women’s events to be postponed include the English Senior Women’s Amateur at Peterborough Milton and the English Women’s Amateur at Sheringham, in Norfolk – both in May.

England men’s Seniors Championship which was due to be played at Luffenham Heath and Burghley Park, in Lincolnshire, in early June, has also been called off.

The following England Golf and co-sanctioned events are affected:–

• Golf Sixes – Centurion Club, St Albans, Hertfordshire 30-31 March 30-21
• Senior Series and Golf Captains – St Mellion, Cornwall, April 29-30
• Senior Series and Golf Captains – Hesketh, Lancashire, May 6-7
• Brabazon Trophy South Qualifier – East Sussex National, May 12
• Brabazon Trophy North Qualifier – Hessle, Yorkshire, May 12
• England v France – Ganton, Yorkshire 9-10 May 9-10
• English Senior Women’s Amateur – Peterborough Milton, May 11-15
• England Golf Medal (South) – Knole Park, Kent, May 17
• Golf Captains – Northants County, May 20
• Brabazon Trophy – Sherwood Forest, Notts, May 21-24
• English Women’s Amateur – Sheringham, Norfolk, May 27-31
• England Golf Medal (Midlands North) – Stanton-on-the-Wolds, Gloucestershire, May 28
• English Seniors Amateur Championship – Luffenham Heath, Rutland, & Burghley Park, Lincolnshire, June 3-5
• Senior Series and Golf Captains – Stowmarket, Suffolk, June 3-4
• England Golf Medal (East) – Colne Valley, Essex, June 7.

England Golf’s director of championships James Crampton said: “It is with regret that all England Golf events have been postponed until Sunday, June 7.

“Further information about potentially rescheduling some of these events for later in the year will be provided in due course.

“England Golf also recommends the postponement of all county and regional competitions during this time.

“While England Golf are encouraging golfers to continue playing the game, the intricacies associated with championship golf such as players travelling to events, staying in hotels and the additional personnel associated with the management of the events makes it impossible to ensure the safety and welfare of all concerned.”

All current entrants into England Golf events during this period of postponement will be contacted directly by the championship department with further information.

The decision has also been made to cancel all England Golf regional and national squad coaching sessions for men, women, boys and girls until further notice.

Individual coaching sessions can continue provided they comply with the stringent government and expert advice on social distancing, an England Golf spokesman said.

Events relating to championships and performance squads remain under constant review and timely updates will be issued via England Golf’s website and social media platforms, he added.

England Golf will continue to communicate any changes through our website, social platforms and via direct correspondence to their affiliated counties, clubs and golfers.

It is vital that everyone continues to follow best practice when it comes to dealing with the current outbreak of coronavirus.

•Last year’s Brabazon Trophy was won by 16-year-old Ben Schmidt, from Rotherham GC, who broke Sandy Lyle’s record set as a 17-year-old in 1975 – and 70 years after Hampshire’s Sir Paddy Hine became the first teenager to win the English Open Amateur Strokeplay, at Southampton’s Stoneham GC, when he was just 17.

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