HARRY CASEY WINS CARRIS TROPHY BY A SHOT AT BROADSTONE

FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Harry Casey bridged a three-year gap when he won the English Under-18 boys' open amateur stroke-play championship for the Carris Trophy, supported by Titleist, in a slight drizzle at Broadstone.
A closing round of 69 for 274, six under par, left him a shot ahead of playing partner Matthew Fitzpatrick, who shot 72, and three clear of Italy’s Corrado De Stefani.
Casey’s victory was one of relief. It was back in 2008 that he achieved his last significant success in the Douglas Johns Trophy and he’d come close to other victories, not least in last year’s Carris Trophy when he finished runner-up to Callum Shinkwin.
“This win means a lot,” said Casey. “I’ve come close to winning a lot in the last two years and it has finally happened. It feels good and hopefully I can now go on to bigger things.”
Casey began the day two strokes behind third round leader Fitzgerald and when the Yorkshire lad birdied the first he was even further behind. But when Fitzgerald hooked his drive into a ditch on the fourth and ran up a triple bogey seven, Casey, who had birdied the third, found himself a shot in front.
He was still one ahead after going out in 35 while a birdie-two at the 11th doubled that and when Fitzgerald dropped another shot at the 13th, the Middlesex lad’s lead was three.
It seemed all over until Casey hit trouble with three putts at 15 while a poor drive at 16 meant another bogey.
Suddenly the lead was back to one. They both parred the 17th and hit the 18th green in regulation. Casey then took two putts leaving Fitzgerald needing to hole from around 15 feet to force a playoff. But his effort rolled past and Casey was home and dry.
“I struggled over the last four holes but managed to hold it together to the end,” Casey admitted. “I didn’t go out with any plan, just to play each shot at a time. But those late bogeys put me under pressure.
“I didn’t know the situation playing the last hole but again I just played each shot as it came. But to finally get over the line feels real good.”
Fitzgerald, two years Casey’s junior, was not despondent. “I played well again and hit 15 greens,” he said. “I putted O.K. but if I had holed a few more it might have been different.
“But the fourth cost me. After my drive finished in the ditch, I dropped out and then hit a tree. From then on it was an uphill battle. I knew I had to sink my putt on the 18th to tie but I’m pleased the way I played especially as I’ve had a lot of exams recently.”
De Stefani couldn’t find the form that had seen him storm ahead over the opening two rounds but a closing 72 gave him third spot on 277, while Shinkwin made a valiant effort in defence of the title with 71 for 279 and equal fourth place.
The best rounds of the day, three 66s, were returned by Harrison Greenbury for 282, James Simpson for 283 and Liam Taylor for 289.
The Hazards Salver for the lowest score by a GB and I player aged under 16 went to Jack Singh-Brar from Hampshire with a closing 71 for 282, while the Malcolm Reid Salver for the best aggregate over the Carris and McEvoy Trophies was won by Nathan Kimsey with 551.

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