England’s Seb Cave proved the value of resilience and bounce-back ability with victory in the St Andrews Links Trophy on Sunday at the Old Course in Scotland.
A member of the University of Alabama at Birmingham team, Cave made his debut in the Auld Grey Toun’s annual elite-level amateur event 12 months ago and crashed out at the cut following chastening rounds of 73-76.
If his tournament record was a little ropey, so, too, was his current form.
Just last week, his expectations heading into the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship (aka the Brabazon Trophy) were high because the Melbourne, Derbyshire-based youngster plays out of Coxmoor Golf Club a mere mile or two from the entrance of the host Hollinwell.
On this occasion, an opening round of 75 left him stymied and, although he raced through the field thereafter, with the final 54 holes reduced to an unusual 30 because of weather disruptions, he was left frustrated by a share of 22nd.
Cave, who was No. 923 at the start of the week in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, immediately takes the top spot in the R&A’s mini Order of Merit, the winner of which will earn a spot in the 152nd Open at Royal Troon next month.
Unbowed, he opened his account at the home of golf with a 5-under-par 66 on the New Course, which granted him a lead over the field that he never conceded.
A second round of 3-under 69 on the Old Course kept him clear at halfway, allowing him to afford a 3-over 75 in a blustery Sunday morning wind to maintain a two-shot advantage over the Scottish pair Calum Scott and Cameron Adam, plus the Welshman James Ashfield.
In going bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie from the second hole of his final round, Cave maintained the bounce-back trend and comfortably repelled the late charge of his compatriot Harley Smith. Birdies at Nos. 9 and 15 even allowed Cave to drop a final shot at 17 before claiming a two-shot victory with a fourth-round 71 and a 6-under 281 total.
Smith shared second with Scott on 4-under, while Sweden’s Simon Hovdal and France’s Paul Beauvy shared fourth on 3-under.
In addition to last week, those rankings also include this month’s Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin, Ireland and the European Amateur Championship at The Scandinavian, Denmark.
RESULTS
Matt Cooper