NOT even a late triple bogey could derail Prestbury GC’s James Newton on his march to victory at the Flogas Irish Amateur Open in County Sligo.
From five clear at the start of play, Newton ended the round as he had begun – five strokes better than the rest after closing with 74 to finish on nine-under par.
Newton, who has also been a keen karate student since becoming a black belt aged 10, said: “I knew that I could win.
“One of my goals was to win a 72-hole event. I’ve ticked that off quite early. I need to go back and re-evaluate my goals now,” said the Cheshire golfer.
“It’s nice to have a win early on in the season. And I know that I can do it again this year so I just need to go and do it.”
Newton began with three bogeys but quickly recovered and although he tripled the 16th, he had enough shots in hand.
Winning one of the Home Nation’s national championships in a Walker Cup year is guaranteed to make people sit up and take notice.
But a single victory has rarely been enough to make the R&A selectors change course from their shortlists, which currently stands at 25 of the best from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland including his closest challenger Conor Purcell, from Dublin’s Portmarnock.
Not that the new champion – who joins past winners including Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen (2002) and Essex’s two-time European Tour winner Richard McEvoy (2001) on the past list of winners, is having such thoughts… well not yet.
Newton, who comes from Macclesfield, said: “I changed coach last October and moved to Peter Barber at Didsbury Golf Club. The good has always been good enough and he has made the bad a lot better.”
Two rounds of 66 was proof of the quality of his game. Two ahead at halfway, Newton added a 69 to bolster his 54-hole lead, and in the end, he succeeded by a distance.
After a rocky start with three bogeys and a welcome birdie at the fourth, he got another back at the fifth after getting up and down on the par five.
His rivals were giving up 40 yards off the tee and a big drive on eight – the hardest hole on the course – was followed by a fine four-iron to set up a rare birdie.
In the second last group, home hope Purcell got to seven-under at the turn.
But the new Irish No. 1 could not maintain the pressure on Newton as he finished runner-up on four-under after a 72 in front of the Walker Cup selectors.
“All you can do is put yourself in the mix,” said Purcell when asked about his Walker Cup prospects. “I’ve had what I consider a good start to the year. I just need to push on from here.”
Sussex’s Charlie Strickland was a further shot back in third to follow up his Selborne Salver, at Blackmoor, in April.
Chelmsford’s Arron Edwards-Hill was tied in third having trailed Newton by four after 36 holes alongside Strickland after both shot 67, 69.
Lytham Trophy winner Joshua McMahon was in a eight-way share of seventh alongside Frilford Heath’s Olly Huggins on two-over par.
Castle Royle’s David Langley opened and closed with a 74 to lie a further shot back in a share of 15th.
Ogborne Downs’ Jake Bolton, who was runner up in the Hampshire Salver for the best 72-hole total at Blackmoor and in the Hampshre Hog, at North Hants, after losing a play-off to Strickland for the Selborne Salver, was tied for 17th on four-over.
