DERBYSHIRE’ Bradley Moore has won The HotelPlanner.com Championship at Frilford Heath by two shots for his first-ever professional win on the Blue Course.

The Kedleston Park Golf Club ace posted rounds of 65, 69 and 67 to see off strong competition from playing partner Nick Poppleton – who won the Brabazon Trophy at Frilford a year ago – and Hampshire rookie Ryan Harmer.

It was a good week for Moore, who was leading overnight before the completion of the rain-delayed round two.

Bettering his second-place finish after a play-off defeat against Sean Towndrow at Caversham Heath Golf Club two weeks ago, Moore said: “I’m over the moon.”

Overstruck with emotion, the former England amateur international added “I thought it was going to be a grind.

“Me and Nick had a two and three-shot lead most of the round, so it was just one of them where if I kept doing what I was doing all week, I was in a good position to do that more easily than Nick possibly.

“I almost snuck in the backdoor really in the last six holes there,” said the former England U14 and U18 champion, who won both the Reid and Carris Trophies.

“I’ve been playing well for a while now. I lost in a play-off but I wasn’t too disappointed about that.

“I knew that if I put myself in the position again to get it over the line. It’s my first professional win.”

He paid tribute to his caddy. “Tom’s had most of the week off work. He only thought he was coming down for one day,” said Moore.

“I think he’s had the same pair of boxers for three days. It’s been a top effort for him.

“His dad had a stroke at the start of the year and he’s always been a big supporter of mine.

“It happened in March and he’s come through it. He’s doing really well but like I say it’d be great to have him here.

“We’ll go home and I think the trophy will stay with him tonight,” Moore added.

Brokenhurst Manor’s Ryan Harmer, enjoying a good week at Frilford Heath in his rooke season. Pictre by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Harmer, from Brokenhurst Manor Golf Club, came up strong to finish second with rounds of 68, 68 and 67 for his best finish on Tour, after his earning his card at Frilford in April, including four birdies and an eagle.

Harmer was part of the Hampshire team that won the English County Championship for the first time in 21 years, two years ago, at Trevose GC.

The 2016 Courage Trophy winner beat fellow EuroPro player Staffordshire’s England international Gian-Marco Petrozzi in a key clash on the last day.

Poppleton, from Yorkshire’s Wath Golf Club, faded away after holding a two-shot lead at one point with a few bogeys on the back nine to open the door for Moore.

He finished third on Frilford’s Blue Course – he won the Brabazon at the English Amateur Strokeplay Championship playing three rounds on the Blue, and one on the Red.

Ben Ferguson, from The Vines, and Welsh pro James Frazer, who is attached to Machynys Peninsula, tied for fourth on 10-under.

Both Frazer and Ferguson had five birdies and an eagle to their name.

On a day which started with the completion of the second round due to bad weather on Wednesday, Poppleton completed a five-under par 67 to lead going into the final round.

Daniel Jennevret started the third round towards the front after a good early morning finish, as the cut fell at one-under with fifty-four players teeing off on a shotgun to ensure a full final round in the best conditions possible.

It paid off with a scorching final day and home favourite Olly Huggins, who is still at an amateur at the Oxfordshire club where European Tour winner Eddie Pepperell is a member, finished seventh.

His second succsssive round of 71 rounded off an impressive week for Huggins, while Frilford assistant pro Robert Harrhy, who also carded back-to-back 71s was a further shot back tied for eighth with Liam Murray.

Click here to see the final leaderboard.

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The Brabazon Trophy at Alwoodley Golf Club which hosts the English Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship starting today, Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

AN international field has assembled for the Brabazon Trophy, one of the most prestigious championships in the world of men’s amateur golf, which starts today at Leeds’ Alwoodley Golf Club.

Players from more than a dozen countries will bid to become the English Men’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Champion with four rounds being played before Sunday’s climax.

They include South African Amateur Champion Wilco Nienaber – ranked 40th in the world – who was pipped to the Brabazon title in a play-off last year by Nick Poppleton.

Although the Yorkshireman has turned professional, there’s a very strong contingent determined to keep the trophy in the host county.

The 17 Yorkshire players in the field include the England internationals Lindrick’s Bailey Gill, fellow England internationals David Hague, from Malton & Norton, and Howley Hall’s Ben Hutchinson, together with Rotherham’s England Junior international Ben Schmidt.

Among the others are county champion Sam Rook, who is a member Lindrick, and county matchplay champion Max Berrisford, from Skipton. Alwoodley itself fields one player – Tom Irwin.

The English challenge from further afield includes Wallasey’s Josh McMahon – recent winner of the Lytham Trophy – Sussex’s English Amateur Champion Thomas Thurloway, from Chartham Park, Somerset’s European Nations Cup champion Tom Sloman, from Taunton & Pickeridge, and county team-mate Tom Plumb, from Yeovil, the winner of the Cape Province Open, in South Africa.

It is a Walker Cup year and many members of the initial squad are in the field and keen to make an impression on the selectors.

There’s nine Englishmen: Gill, Hague, Plumb, Sloman, and Thurloway together with Saunton’s Jake Burnage, West Cornwall’s Harry Hall, Ben Jones, from Northamptonshire County, and England junior cap Robin Williams, from Peterborough Milton, who has already played on the European Tour.

Hampshire who have won the Brabazon Trophy three times since 2010 will be strongly represented by a trio of Rowlands Castle members including 2010 winner Darren Wright, last year’s Spanish Amateur Champion Billly McKenzie, and club assistant secretary Tom Robson, who finished in the top 10 at Frilford.

It is also the 70th anniversary since Hampshire’s Paddy Hine completed a remarkable treble at the age of just 17.

Hine won the Brabazon, the Carris Trophy at the English Boys Open Amateur Strokeplay, and the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Championship in the space of three months in an era when boys could not regularly outwit their stronger elders – as they can today.

From the other home countries, Ireland’s Conor Purcell, who is ranked 21st in the world, Caolan Rafferty, John Murphy and James Sugrue, will carry the Emerald Isle’s hopes.

Scottish champion Euan McIntosh, African Amateur Champion Euan Walker, Kieran Cantley and Jamie Stewart, will fly the flag for Scotland, while Welsh hopes will rest with Jake Hapgood and Ben Chamberlain.

Another 60 players came through England Golf’s two qualifiers at Hindhead and Lindrick.

Charl Schwartzel won the Brabazon Trophy at Royal Cinque Ports in 2002. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

•Past winners of the Brabazon include Sandy Lyle, the youngest-ever winner at 17, Peter Baker, Ronan Rafferty, Gordon Brand Jnr, and Paul Way – who all went on to play in the Ryder Cup.

In 2002, South African Charl Schwartzel also won the title in Kent, as a 17-year-old at Deal’s Royal Cinque Ports, before turning pro in 2003 and winning on the European Tour at the end of 2004.

Alwoodley: First MacKenzie design

ALWOODLEY will set them all a fine test of golf. The Yorkshire heathland set up is regarded as one of the country’s finest inland courses.

It was the first designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, who went on to create Augusta National, Australia’s Royal Melbourne – the venue for December’s Presidents Cup – and California’s Cypress Point.

The club is hosting the Brabazon Trophy for the first time and will be broadcasting live coverage of today’s first day’s play on its YouTube channel and via social media.

Alwoodley hosted the English Amateur in 2003 when Gary Lockerbie was crowned champion, and in 2016 when Lindrick’s Joe Dean claimed the title.

Kettering’s Charley Hull won the English Ladies Amateur Championship at Alwoodley in 2011 – the third time the heathland course on Wigton Moor, to the north of Leeds, has held the event.

•For more information on the Brabazon, including tee times, click here.

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