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Reed rules Welsh Open Stroke Play
England’s Milan Reed won the Welsh Men’s Open Stroke Play Championship at Southerndown, to kickstart what will be an exciting golfing year for the 18-year-old.
There were also plenty of reasons for Welsh golfers to celebrate at the weekend with James Ashfield finishing tied third at the European Nations Cup in Spain, while there were six Welsh golfers in the top 15 on home ground in Southerndown.
Ormskirk’s James Nash was third, two strokes behind the leaders, after shooting 67, the lowest score on the final day.
Fellow Welsh players Kieron Harmon, St Athan, and Tomi Bowen, Welshpool, were tied fifth, Tim Harry, Pyle and Kenfig, tied seventh, while Glynhir’s Iestyn McAvoy and Oswestry’s Tom Matthews also finished in the top 15.
However it was an all English play-off between Reed, Long Ashton, and Robert Holden, Letchworth, after a final round 68 in tough conditions sent the Bristol player up the leaderboard and with an anxious wait to find out if he had done enough.
“I was in the clubhouse for an hour watching the scores and waiting for the last group to come in, seeing the scores updating and shots being dropped, wondering if I had to get ready for a play-off,” said Reed.
“I only had about five minutes in between, hit a couple of shots in the net and then went back out on the course.
“This is a very good start to the season, I had had a few top 10’s but this has boosted my confidence going forward.
“I am going to university in the US in August, to Kentucky, so hopefully I will be able to help them to some good wins then.”
Reed is also a fan of Southerndown, adding, “I had played here a few times in different competitions, so I knew my way around, the places where to miss and not to miss.
“The condition of the course was class, the greens were amazing, the fairways immaculate.
“It was nice that the greens staff had been working so hard on the course getting it ready for us this week.”
Meanwhile four of Wales’s top players were in Southern Spain at the European Nations Cup.
Ashfield was in fine form against many of the top European amateurs in Europe, finishing level par, two shots being winner Albert Hansson of Sweden and runner-up John Gough of England.
The Wales team finished 14th overall with Caolan Burford, Paddy Mullins and Matt Roberts finishing down the field. England won the team title.
At the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open. Luca Thompson, a Wales Golf supported player, finished tied sixth.
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