By John Huggan
Although it has been 21 years since it last happened, it isn’t too unusual for two Englishmen to contest the 36-hole final of the British Amateur Championship. It’s a little more notable when both men hail from the same city, in this case Bristol, though. And perhaps even rarer when they share the same first name.

So it all came to pass at Royal Birkdale, where the championship was held after being postponed from its original June dates due to the coronavirus. Three weeks after the pair played together in a midweek medal at the Kendleshire club in their home city (first prize a £30 pro-shop voucher), Joe Long and Joe Harvey went head-to-head for a decided more significant prize. And it was Long who emerged victorious on a course where, curiously, no Englishman has ever won any of the nine Open Championships played over the challenging Lancashire links. Still, that Long would be the eventual 4-and-3 winner of the final at least made sense. He entered the championship ranked 102nd in the world; Harvey was a distant 897th.

With a 2-up lead through the morning 18, Long lost the opening hole of the afternoon but had restored his two-hole advantage by the turn. Two wins in succession thereafter, followed by four halves was enough to see Long, 23, become the first Englishman since Harry Ellis in 2017 to claim what was once one-quarter of golf’s Grand Slam. Those days are long gone, but Long can still look forward to exemptions into the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s and the U.S Open next June at Torrey Pines, as well as a likely invitation to next April’s Masters.

“It sounds amazing, 125th Amateur Champion has quite a nice ring to it,” Long said. “I was feeling nervous, we both were. My game plan was just to try and stick in the present as much as I could, forget about all the rewards and benefits that come with winning. I felt like I was pretty solid overall. This afternoon I was hitting driver well and holed a few nice putts as well, which was cool. I just had it in play all the time and felt in control. Joe is a really good mate, and when I win it is hard to see him lose. But it is all part of the sport we play and the match was played in great spirit, we enjoyed it out there.”

Richard Heathcote/R&A
Joe Long poses with the British Amataur trophy after beating Joe Harvey, 4 and 3, in the 36-hole final at Royal Birkdale.

For the record, Long is the 51st Englishman to win an event that has an illustrious list of past champions. Bobby Jones, Deane Beman, Jay Sigel, Frank Stranahan, Lawson Little, Joe Carr, Sir Michael Bonallack, Jose Maria Olazabal, Sergio Garcia, Matteo Manassero and Romain Langasque—winner of last week’s Celtic Classic on the European Tour—all have their names on the famous trophy.

The post Joe Long outlasts Joe Harvey to win the British Amateur in clash of mates from the same hometown appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Thomas opened his third tilt at the R&A’s premier men’s amateur event with a four-over 75 at The Island near Dublin on Monday as just 17 of the 288 starters dipped under par following a windswept start to the 124th edition of The Amateur Championship.

It left the 19-year-old Dubai-domiciled Indian in a 37-way share of 106th place heading into the final round of strokeplay qualifying on Tuesday and likely needing a sub-par round to be among the top 64 players who advance to the matchplay knockout. Indeed, heading into the second round, 78 players are at +2 or better meaning the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club member has much ground to make up.

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WATCH FIRST ROUND HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 124th AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

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Fortunately, Thomas, who will play famed Portmarnock (par 72) on Tuesday, is no stranger to low numbers as his 61 at the MENA Tour’s Dubai Creek Open in 2017, including a world-record equalling nine successive birdies, amply illustrates.

The world amateur No.14 also has a runner-up finish at last year’s Asia Pacific Championship and his eighth-placing in the individual standings at the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy world amateur teams’ championship – not to mention two professional titles – to draw on.

Meanwhile, England age-group representative Josh Hill will be looking for a vast improvement on the 10-over 82 he signed for at Portmarnock on Monday. Playing The Amateur for the first time, the Trump Dubai member switches to the par-71 The Island layout today.

Josh Hill

Morocco’s Ayoub Ssouadi, 23, posted an impressive four-under-par 67 over The Island, near Dublin to claim a share of the opening round lead alongside England’s recent Brabazon Trophy runner-up Harry Hall and Germany’s Anton Albers. Alber also reached four under after a birdie at the last at Portmarnock for his 68.

Morocco’s Ayoub Ssouadi?? demonstrated the global nature of #TheAmateur sharing the early lead after the opening day of stroke play qualifying in Ireland.

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— The R&A (@RandA) June 17, 2019

Current MENA Tour amateur order of merit leader Curtis Knipes (Chelmsford) is handily placed after a one-under 70 at The Island. The Englishman was T-9 heading into his second round at Portmarnock.

RELATED: Meet Curtis Knipes, the MENA Tour’s latest amateur head-turner

Players from 37 countries are represented in the 288-strong field in Ireland this week.

The post Thomas eyes deep red numbers at Portmarnock to finally advance at British Amateur; Hill left playing for experience appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.