Leicestershire’s Scott Wormleighton won the English Mid-Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship after firing a final round 69 at Orsett Golf Club in Essex.
The Rothley Park golfer’s three-under-par total of 213 over 54 holes was enough to see off last year’s champion David Corben by three shots.
First played for in 1988, the English Mid-Amateur Open, also known as the Logan Trophy, is open to amateur golfers aged 35 and over.
Wormleighton, who was the only player in the 129-strong field to finish under par in the wet and windy conditions, said: “It feels incredible. It’s the biggest win of my golfing career. I had a great start with birdie-birdie and I just tried to carry on from there by hitting lots of fairways. I just kept it in play really well by hitting lots of 2-irons off the tee to keep it in the fairway, and it makes it a lot easier from there. After a long drive home I think I’ll be celebrating with a few beers and a takeaway!”
Wormleighton, who was two shots behind leader American Joseph Deraney heading into the final day, got off to the dream start as he chipped in for birdie on the first. And things got even better as he birdied three of the first five holes.
Corben didn’t get off to a great start with two bogeys, but battled back with birdies on 4 and 8 to keep him in the hunt, while Deraney’s charge fell away on the back-nine as five bogeys in the last six saw him finish in tied-4th.
And while Corben tried to keep the pressure on Wormleighton, the 36-year-old held his composure brilliantly in the rain to win by three shots on -3 overall, finishing as the only player in the tournament under par.
Corben’s three level-par rounds of 72 earned him second spot, with 2022 champion Stuart Archibald (Test Valley) picking up third place on +2. Orsett’s own Shaun Mills had a fine last day as five birdies helped him to a score of -1 to finish tied-4th on +4, while another Orsett member, Jason Renton, had an impressive final day as an eagle and five birdies helped him shoot level-par.
Elsewhere Andy Grimwood (St Neots) also landed five birdies in a round of -1 to push him up to tied-6th as only three players finished under par on day three.
