Schmidt stands on verge of joining Brabazon’s teenage winners club as Hall cards 63

West Cornwall’s Harry Hall shot a brilliant 63 after fighting off the jet lag as the University of Las Vegas gradaute jumped up into second behind Rotheram’s Ben Schmidt at the Brabazon. Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

YORKSHIRE’S Ben Schmidt withstood a record-setting charge from Harry Hall today to hold on to a one-shot lead in the Brabazon Trophy at Alwoodley Golf Club.

Hall, from West Cornwall, swept up the leaderboard with an eight-under 63, which set a new course record and took him to 10-under in the English Men’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship.

Schmidt, meanwhile, shot two-under 69 – his third sub-par round – and is 11-under for the championship, which he is playing for the first time.

“It was tough out there today,” said the 16-year-old from Rotherham Golf Club.

Schmidt, who has the chance to become one of a small handful of teenagers – including Paddy Hine and Paul Way – to have won the Brabazon, added: “There was quite a bit of pressure and a fair few people watching, but I played pretty solid. I went out there and shot under par again – I haven’t given anything back yet.”

He started well again with three birdies in the first five holes and despite a bogey on six – his first dropped shot in 27 holes – he was on three-under playing the last, when he was caught out by a flier.

His seven-iron approach covering 230 yards and finishing 50 yards past the pin. It cost him a bogey – but not the lead.

Round three of a championship is traditionally moving day and it was clear from early on that conditions were ideal for scoring. Hall made sure he grabbed the advantage.

The 21-year-old had a quiet day on the course on Friday, carding a 72. After that he tackled the jet lag which followed his Tuesday flight back from university in the USA, prescribing himself a nap and a work out.

“I came out with a lot of energy today and it paid off,” said the University of Las Vegas graduate after signing for the third course record of his career.

His round included two eagles, five birdies and one bogey – which he credited with giving him the final push to the record.

He dropped the shot on the 15th after finding a greenside bunker and missing a five-foot putt. But he immediately followed up with two consecutive birdies.

Hall, a former England junior international said, “I hit the putt perfectly and it didn’t go in. But my reaction to that putt allowed me to make two birdies after that. I was able to start the next one on line from 6ft and it dropped.”

He put the record in his grasp when he holed a 35ft putt for birdie on 17 and secured it with a solid par on the difficult 18th.

“I’m very pleased,” Hall said. “I said to a few people that it would be nice to be in contention and I think I have put myself in a good place and, hopefully, in the final group.”

Hall and Schmidt will, indeed, tee off last on Sunday at 11.58am. Behind them are Wales’ Jake Hapgood, who is on six-under, while Fulford’s Charlie Thornton and Castle Royle’s David Langley are both on five-under.

Among the day’s big movers were Germany’s Jannik de Bruyn, South African Luca Filippi, and Hampshire’s Billy McKenzie (Rowlands Castle) who respectively shot 67, 66 and 68 to move up the leaderboard.

Seventy years ago this month, it was Hampshire’s Hine who became the then youngest-ever winner of the Brabazon at the age of just 17, playing at his home course Stoneham.

A few weeks later he became the only golfer ever to win both the Carris Trophy – the English Boys Open Amateur Championship – as well as the Brabazon in the same season.

That record still stands to this day.