A 30-foot birdie putt on the final green gilded the lily for Jonathan Lupton as he swept to a comprehensive victory in the Powerade PGA Assistants' Championship, in association with FootJoy, at The London Club.
Already eight shots in front, the 30-year-old from Middlesbrough, now based at Close House Hotel near Newcastle, finally celebrated a 10-stroke win when his playing partner and closest challenger, defending champion Guy Woodman, carded a closing bogey.
While the £5,000 winner's cheque will come in handy clearing off a domestic loan (his school teacher wife Libby, seven months pregnant, accompanied him every stride of the way), Lupton is relishing the prospect of playing in next year's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, one of the perks of his victory.
"I can't wait to have another crack at that. I didn't do myself justice the last time - I was preparing for PGA exams - because I now know my game can stand up to all the pressures."
Lupton admitted the championship was his to lose. "I had a great tussle last year with Guy, and I had a feeling at the start of the week that it might be between the two of us again."
As he teed off yesterday with Woodman, Lupton, winner here in 2007, already enjoyed the considerable advantage of a four-shot lead. After two holes it was a yawning gap of seven, thanks to two opening birdies and a three-putt from his opponent.
Never has the question "who's gonna be second?" had such relevance as occurred over the blustery undulations of the Heritage course. The East Berks pro did catch the attention with a 20-foot eagle at the long eighth, while the champion-elect carded 'only' a birdie, reducing the gap to five. But four Woodman dropped shots on the way in, contrasting with three Lupton birdies, made it a 'no contest' long before the end.
Elie's David Patrick plugged away after some early mis-clubbing, and after going out in 39, he savoured an inward 33, featuring three birdies and no dropped shots, to tie third with Daniel Seymour from Newbury Golf Centre. That was worth just under £2,000 each.
14 August, 2009