Plumber Liam flushed with success after miracle shot.

Northampton amateur Liam Saunders, left, produced the shot of his life to dramatically snatch a place in the Lombard Trophy final.

Saunders partnered Farthingstone Hotel & Golf Club professional Mike Gallagher in the regional final held at Northamptonshire County Golf Club.

And the pair looked to be out of the running for the final which is being played at Gleneagles.

But 21-year-old Saunders, who has only been playing golf for two and a half years, found a miracle shot from nowhere at the 18th hole.

He chipped in from 60 yards to put the Farthingstone duo into a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard after carding a four under par round off 66.

And they pipped  Tim Rouse and Harry Larkins, who had looked to be heading for a victory for the host club, and Stephen Bennett and Liam Lawton (Waltham Windmill Golf Club) on countback.

Gallagher - a former winner of the competition when it was held on the Isle of Man in 1991 - and Saunders will now play in the £80,000 final played over the PGA Centenary Course at the Ryder Cup venue between September 1-2.

The winning shot was a moment that almost left Bugbrooke-based Saunders, a plumber who plays off a handicap of 12, lost for words.

“I don’t know what I can say about that really,” he smiled.

“It was probably the only proper contribution I’d made all day. I was so surprised it went in, I was in a little bit of shock afterwards!

“But it turned out to be probably the best shot I’ve played in golf. I made an eagle at my home course once, but this was miles better as it gets us to a final at Gleneagles.

“I’d never won a medal competition before until I qualified to play alongside Mike.

“Now we’ve won this so it’s been a great few months, especially as I haven’t been playing golf that long.”

Gallagher, who has a 40-year association with Farthingstone, admitted he was not expecting to be heading for Scotland.

“Liam chipped it from fully 60 yards and it went straight into the hole without touching the sides!” he said.

“He won it for us it right at the end.

“I wasn’t expecting to have to get my jacket and tie on for the presentation.

“But it went in and then we found we’d won on countback.”

Now Gallagher will aim to emulate his victory of 24 years ago.

“I always tell people at this event that I’ve won the final before but no-one ever seems to remember so it’ll be nice to go to Gleneagles and see if we can do it for Farthingstone again.”