TOM GUEANT WINS THE 93RD R and A BOYS’

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT SAUNTON
 

 

 

Tom Gueant (pictured) from France defeated Wilmer Ederö of Sweden on the 37^th hole to win the 93rd R and A British Boys’ Amateur Championship at Saunton today.
 

Gueant becomes the first Frenchman to lift the trophy since Patrick Cros’ victory at Olton in 1960.
 

 He will now play in The 125^th British Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale and West Lancashire, and gains an exemption into Final Qualifying for The 149^th Open, at Royal St Georges, as a result of his victory.

 

NERVOUS START

 

In a nervy start, Gueant and Ederö both opened with bogeys, the Frenchman adding another at the 2^nd to give his opponent a one-hole advantage.  
Ederö then made a bogey at the third for the match to be squared.

In true links fashion, the conditions at Saunton were  challenging through the opening 18 holes and it was mistakes as much as converted opportunities that dictated the lead.

A bogey 5 on the 7^th hole from Gueant saw Ederö once again take a one-hole lead which the 15-year-old Swede extended by making the only birdie in the opening 18 holes of the match at the par four 10^th hole.  

Showing great composure, Gueant parred his way into the clubhouse winning four holes to take a two-hole lead as Ederö continued to battle with the conditions. He recorded bogeys on the 12^th and 14^th and the two closing holes to hand his opponent the advantage going into the afternoon of the 36 hole final.

 

LEAD EVAPORATED

 

Gueant’s lead quickly evaporated, however, as he conceded the 20th and lost the 21st with a bogey. A further error on the 22nd saw his Swedish opponent reclaim the lead for the first time since the 13^th hole. Gueant responded with his first birdie of the day on the 23^rd hole to level the match for the fifth time.

A bogey from Ederö on the 25^th hole saw him go one down but he fought back with a birdie on the 27^th to square the match. The 15-year-old continued to show plenty of determination setting up a birdie opportunity on the 30^th hole which just slid past the hole.

Ederö seemed to have seized the initiative when he birdied the 32^nd and 33^rd holes to take a two-hole advantage on Gueant but the Frenchman rallied impressively to  stage a late comeback, winning the 35^th and 36^th holes to take the match to extra holes. A birdie three on the 37^th hole was enough to seal a hard-fought victory for Gueant.    

 

Key quotes:

 

TOM GUEANT

 

“This is one of the greatest junior championships in the world and I think the biggest in Europe so I am really happy to be the champion this year.    

“I was two-up after the first 18 holes this morning but that doesn’t really mean a lot because we still had 18 holes to go. It was really tight at the end and I was two down after 34 holes but I won the 35^th, 36^th and the 37^th.

“I didn’t think about the result and how the match was going, I was more focused on the wind and the external elements. I was just focused on my game and each shot.

“17 was tough today with a lot of front wind. On the 35^th hole, I hit a really bad tee shot that went right and I tried to hit a flop shot but I chunked it. I was then in the bunker and I tried to play a smooth shot which finished pretty close to the pin and I holed the putt to win the hole.

“On 18, the 36^th, I played a two iron shot to the right side of the fairway and played an eight iron to the front of the green and two putted from about 25 metres which was good.

“On the 37^th hole I hit a good driver and had about 150 metres with the wind and I hit a good six iron close to the pin, about two metres, and I holed the putt.

“Standing over the winning putt I was just saying to myself, this is just a putt like I have had a million times, just make it and it will be good.

“It was really good to have my dad with me and I am really happy to have had that moment. He is always supporting me and I really want to thank him for that.”

WILMER EDERö
 

"It’s a very long week and I played very well except for the first round. I am proud but it’s tough to lose like this after being dormie at 17 and 18.

"I have learned a lot this week, mainly that I need to work on a lot of shots around the green and you can’t hit the green every time so to make par sometimes you need to chip in. So, lots to take away with me."

The  94^th Boys Amateur Championship will be played at Moortown and Alwoodley in England, from August 11-16 2020.