Minchinhampton golfer Jack Cope lifted the St Andrews Links Trophy after an epic finish on the legendary Old Course.
The English Amateur champion won on the fourth extra hole to beat Robin Williams and reigning Scottish amateur champion George Burns were left at eight-under, a shot ahead of six others.
The 22-year-old kept his nerve on the fourth extra hole, the 18th, which he birdied all five times he played during competition, driving the green every time and two-putting.
Cope’s final round five-under 67 was the equal best of the final day.
Cope told the Golf – The Courier : “I’ve played four play-offs in my life and lost every one before,” he said. “It had to be fifth time lucky, I suppose.
“I just tried to stay very much in the present. This morning I knew that I was capable of shooting two good scores to get into this. After the English Am last year I feel I know how to win. I wasn’t going to be overawed by the situation.
“The play-off, I maybe played my best golf tee-to-green all week on those four holes. At the 18th my strategy was to go for it every time. I really committed to the shot, and the last two were two of the best shots I’ve hit this week.
“I was always thinking, I’m here to win, I’m not going to have any regrets. If I try and shot and it doesn’t come off, so be it.”
‘You think of who’s played here and won here’
“I love coming here to the Home of Golf, I was at University in Scotland for a few years and I played all the courses here.
“I particularly like the Old Course, of course you do, you just walk round and think who’s won here and played here. Playing four holes of play-off on the first and 18th, that’s two special golf holes to play.”
