Amateur Golf: Godfrey stays cool
By Bill Meredith  Electronic Telegraph

SCOTT Godfrey, of St Enodoc, became the first Cornishman to win the English Amateur Championship when he beat Simon Robinson, of Seaton Carew, by 4 & 3 in an intriguing 36-hole final at Saunton.

The course, bathed in sunshine all week, was subjected to swirling winds and drenching storms; neither of which seemed to bother Godfrey.

Despite slipping three behind as early as the eighth hole in the morning, and almost going four down at the 10th, he showed great poise and calm.

By the 12th hole, signs of a Godfrey revival were apparent. With the weather getting progressively worse Robinson slipped to a bogey five, and his lead was reduced to two holes.

Godfrey then used his sophisticated short game to great advantage. A birdie four at the 478-yard 15th meant that by lunch he found himself only a hole down.

Robinson, who had used his long-handled putter to great effect for most of the morning, suddenly lost his assured touch.

When the afternoon session commenced he found himself in trouble as early as the second hole, which he lost along with the next four. The match had turned full circle with Godfrey now three up instead of three down.

Robinson, though, is not short of grit and by the eighth hole he had cut the deficit to two. But, having clawed his way back, he then bogeyed on the 11th and 12th and fell four behind.

One last gesture of defiance saw Robinson win the 14th, but Godfrey now had one hand on the trophy and, although his eagle putt on the 15th stayed on the edge, Robinson could do no better than a five.

Godfrey will now surely achieve his ambition of playing for England in the Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa next month.

Looking further ahead, he intends finishing his golf management course and proving himself as a consistent top amateur before turning professional.

Robinson will go back to university in Texas, where his golf has improved enormously. He, too, must be in the England selectors' thoughts.

Walker Cup second reserve Barry Hume (Haggs Castle) beat first reserve Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) to become the new Scottish men's amateur champion at Downfield, Dundee, yesterday.

Hume, 19, won 5 & 4 in the 36-hole final against his 35-year-old opponent, finishing three-under-par for the 32 holes played compared to Watson's level par.

Watson, who had rallied to victory from difficult positions several times earlier in the championship, came back from three down after 11 holes to be only one in arrears at lunch.

But things worsened for Watson when he bogeyed the first three holes of the afternoon round and Hume powered away from him, winning four holes in a row from the 24th, including birdies at the 25th and 26th.

That put Hume into a dominant position of five ahead with only nine holes to play. Watson parried with a birdie on the 31st, to which Hume responded in kind on the 32nd, finally extinguishing his rival's hopes.

"It's a great feeling to have won the title," said Hume. "The only pity is that I had to beat Craig Watson to do it. Winning this title has no bearing on whether or not I will turn professional. That's a decision for the future."