Martin Young has celebrated a unique grand slam of Hampshire golf titles after winning the Courage and Mid-Amateur trophies.
The Brokenhurst Manor ace triumphed on his home course at the weekend to take both of the prestigious county prizes.
He adds them to the Sloane Stanley Challenge Trophy, for winning this year’s County Championships, and the Pechell Salver, for being the leading qualifier in the same event.
No player in the history of Hampshire amateur golf has held all of the titles in the same year.
Going into the weekend, Young already owned all four trophies, having won the Courage and Mid-Amateur last season.
But he has now upgraded what had been dubbed the ‘Hampshire slam’ or the ‘Martin slam’ by winning all of the titles in the same calendar year – a feat no one has ever managed in the county’s history.
“It was a target of mine to win a proper Hampshire slam,” said the 44-year-old, who also earned the Cole Scuttle prize for the 72-hole aggregate score across the County Championships and the Courage.
Young’s chances of victory looked slim at the halfway stage, though, as an opening round of 69 left him four shots behind leader Ryan Henley, of Stoneham, and three back of Corhampton’s Scott Gregory, who he was playing alongside.
“I thought I had probably left myself a bit too much to do,” said Young, who has now won the Courage three years in succession and four times in total.
“I knew if they played like that again in the afternoon then it wouldn’t matter what anyone else did.”
However, Gregory’s bid was cruelly ended after he fell ill and couldn’t continue, while Henley came back to the field with a 73 after lunch.
“It all sort of conspired to fall my way,” said Young, who fired four birdies in his last eight holes to card a 67 and finish on a four-under-par total.
“I didn’t know if it was enough to win, but I felt it would give me a chance.”
It had looked as if Young would need to face a play-off to win, but Shanklin & Sandown’s Conor Richards three-putted the last to cost him a share of the lead.
“It was just all these little things like that, which made you think it was probably meant to be,” said Young, who will compete in the English Men’s County Champion of Champions tournament later this month.
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