Betfred British Masters

Betfred British Masters

Betfred British Masters
Southport, England
Winner: Marcus Kinhult

Winners of the Lytham Trophy, a leading amateur tournament for over 50 years, know how to play early spring links golf, which proved an asset at the Betfred British Masters, hosted for the first time by Tommy Fleetwood at Hillside. Matthew Jordan, from Royal Liverpool, was the 2018 winner and led the first round with a nine-under-par 63 before finishing 15th, his best result in nine European Tour events.

Three years earlier then-18-year-old Marcus Kinhult led from start to finish to win by eight strokes at Lytham. Now the Swede claimed his maiden European Tour title by recovering from two late bogeys with two even late birdies to pip a trio of home players by one stroke. Kinhult battled all da with his fellow 54-hole leader Matt Wallace, who missed the chance to take the lead at the 16th, then lipped out with a short birdie putt on the 17th and saw his 15-footer at the last slip by. Kinhult, whose only bogeys of the day came inconveniently at the 15th and 16th, holed from 10 feet for a four at the 17th and then from eight feet at the last to avoid a four-way playoff.

“I’ve been dreaming about it for such a long time and to finally do it is sort of amazing,” Kinhult said. “It was so close all day between us.” Defending champion Eddie Pepperell made his sixth birdie of the day at the 17th before getting up and down at the last to post the target at 15 under par following a 66. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who suffered a double bogey at the second, finished brilliantly with an eagle and a birdie also to sit at 15 under par after a 68. Wallace just failed to add to his burgeoning trophy cabinet with a 71, while Kinhult had rounds of 65, 69, 68 and 70 for a 16-under-par total of 272.