Woollam slays Brown to win amateur qualifier

KWAZULU-NATAL teenager Chris Woollam stunned with a profound victory in the 36-hole stroke play qualifier for the Sanlam SA Amateur Championship when he defeated English Amateur champion Dan Brown in a sudden-death playoff yesterday.

Woollam carded a 64 and Brown a 63 in the final round at the Humewood Golf Club to tie for the lead at 15-under-par 129 at the end of regulation play.

It took four extra trips down the par four 18th before the Hilton College pupil, 17, broke the deadlock and lifted the Proudfoot Trophy.

The Englishman hit his second shot past the pin, leaving himself a testy 6m birdie putt while Woollam pitched his approach 30cm from the flag.

Brown’s ball shaved the hole and he tapped in for par.

The South African youngster wasted no time – he knocked home the birdie putt, tipped his cap to the crowd and blew out a huge breath.

A smiling Woollam sighed: “I’m so relieved that is over.

“That’s the most stress I’ve ever had on a golf course. It could have gone on for ever, because that last putt from Dan looked into the hole and rolled past. “I still can’t believe I’ve done it.” Brown, 22, played the course blind on day one and drew some nods for his first-round six-under 66, but it was his start in the final round that blew the field away.

The North Yorkshireman was six under through the first six holes with birdies at one and five and eagle-twos at the second and fourth holes.

He negated a lone bogey on the back nine with four birdies to set the early clubhouse target at 15 under.

Brown, who finished third in the SA Stroke Play Championship a fortnight ago, said: “I made a judgement call to skip the practice round and it paid off.

Woollam shot 65 in his opening round and was 12 under through his front nine after pocketing birdies at 12, 13, 15, 17 and 18.

He wedged a bogey between two birdies to start the homeward loop and further gains six and nine secured his share of the lead.

Round one of the match play championship will start following the completion of the playoff for the final three spots to make up the 64-man field.