Golf: Fulford's Charlie Thornton wins Berkhamsted Trophy after play-off

Charlie Thornton, from Fulford Golf Club, triumphed as the sun was starting to set on Saturday (April 8) after a sudden-death play-off with Ben Hutchinson, from fellow Yorkshire club Howley Hall.

Both players had finished with a 72-hole total of 277, seven under par.

The Trophy - held in conjunction with Clere Golf - was played over three days from April 6 -8 and was a WAGR (World Amateur Golf Ranking) event this year for the first time.

The tournament attracted an international field of elite amateur golfers to Hertfordshire, who were all trying to emulate previous winners including Sandy Lyle, Luke Donald and Andy Sullivan.

John Kemp from Woburn (-3), Jack Gaunt from Drayton Park (-3) and Callum Farr of Priors Hall (-2) completed the top five players this year.

The best-placed Berkhamsted golfer this year was Paul Coburn, with a level-par total of 284, which put him seventh place.

The Berkhamsted Trophy is unique in elite amateur golf circles in that it is run entirely by the Club and its members, who turned out in their droves to help with the organisation and support the competitors.

The field this year included 14-year-old Berkhamsted member Ben Pierleoni, who travelled to North Wales to compete for England U16s immediately after the event.

Berkhamsted Golf Club’s other competitors were Luke Colgate, Andrew Kay, Matt Culley and Jack Bircham.