WRIGHT BEATS ELEMENTS TO WIN WELSH TITLE
23rd May 2011

Darren Wright (Photo Tom Ward and EGU)

Hampshire's Darren Wright secured his biggest victory since winning the Brabazon Trophy last year when he won the wind-ravaged Welsh Open Stroke Play Championship at St Pierre.

The 22 year old England international (photo copyright Tom Ward) from the Rowlands Castle club , carded a closing 71 for 284, four under par, finishing four strokes ahead of runner-up Ben Stow from Wiltshire and six clear of another England cap, Ben Loughrey, also from Wiltshire.

In windy conditions that dominated proceedings at the Chepstow club, Wright was at or near the top of the leaderboard from the start after opening with 71. Consistency was the key as he followed with rounds of 72, 70 and 71 to take the title.

Stow, the newly-crowned Wiltshire champion, did himself no harm under the watchful eyes of England selectors as he matched Wright's closing two rounds to finish on level par, while Loughrey, fresh from his full England debut against Spain, began the final round a shot behind Wright.

But a closing 76 for 290 dropped him back to third spot as six English players filled the leading seven places, Tyrrell Hatton finishing fourth, Andrew Sullivan sixth and another international, Neil Raymond, seventh.

Leading final scores :

284 D Wright (Rowlands Castle) 71 72 70 71

288 B Stow (Rushmore) 72 75 70 71

290 B Loughrey (Wrag Barn) 70 74 70 76

291 T Hatton (Harleyford) 74 74 72 71

291 R Enoch (Truro) 75 70 69 77

294 A Sullivan (Nuneaton) 77 71 75 71

295 N Raymond (Corhampton) 75 71 79 70