Andy Sullivan ‘fighting back tears’ on his return to winner’s circle

Scott Jamieson makes it back-to-back top 10s on European Tour

The smile on Andy Sullivan’s face says it all as he shows off the English Championship silverware after his seven-shot success at Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire. Picture: Getty

Andy Sullivan returned to winning ways in style with a seven-shot success in the English Championship at Hanbury Manor as Scott Jamieson rounded off a brilliant comeback by recording a second successive top-ten finish on the European Tour.

Sullivan, who started the final circuit with a five-shot lead following opening rounds of 66-62-64, signed off with a 65 to finish with a 27-under-par total as he destroyed the Hertfordshire venue.

The 34-year-old was overcome with emotion afterwards as he savoured his first success in just under five years, having won three times in 2015 to qualify automatically for the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine the following year before seeing his career stall.

“I’m proud of myself,” said Sullivan. “I wasn’t quite stuck in the doldrums, but it just hasn’t quite happened for me since those three wins in 2015 and it feels like a weight off my shoulders now, and I think it told out there today.

“It’s just nice to be back in the winner’s circle after so long. It has been frustrating that my game didn’t kick on from 2015. But my team and I have worked so hard.”

Sullivan, who won the 2011 Scottish Open Stroke-Play Championship at Blairgowie and also helped Great Britain & Ireland win the Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen that year, eagled the second before dropping his only shot of the day at the par-3 fourth but then picked up a birdie at the ninth.

His lead had been trimmed to three by Adrian Otaegui at the turn but, as the Spaniard faltered on the back nine, Sullivan kept his foot on the pedal all the way to the finish as he picked up birdies at the 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th.

“This is really emotional,” he added. “For a while there that wasn’t as easy as it turned out. I wasn’t hitting enough fairways on the front nine, which made it hard for me to get close to the pins. I ground it out really well though. I was fighting back tears over the last few holes.”

Otaegui, who underlined his talent when winning the British Boys at Kilmarnock (Barassie) in 2010, closed with a 66 to finish second, one shot ahead of Dane Rasmus Hojgaard (64), who has now finished second, sixth and third in the first three events since the circuit’s restart.

It’s also been a good spell for Jamieson, who closed with a 65 to finish ninth in the Hero Open at Forest of Arden and ended up in the same position this time after going one better on the last day thanks to a closing eight-birdie salvo.

The 36-year-old had been well down the field after an opening 74 before bouncing back with rounds of 63 and 68 then capping a brilliant 54 holes – he made 23 birdies in total – with another brilliant final-round performance.

“It’s such a crazy game as there wasn’t that much difference in how I played the first day,” said Florida-based Jamieson, pictured. “I was a little bit out of positions some times and then I just tried to push too hard towards the end. That’s where this place will catch you out. If you miss the green, your ball tends to finish a long way away because it is so firm. That was a struggle out the gates, but it was nice to back it up with three good rounds.

“Last week at Forest of Arden I had a really good last round and managed to sneak into the top ten. I just need to wake up sooner or start a day earlier.”

Ewen Ferguson (65) and Connor Syme (69) finished in a tie for 19th on 13 under, two better than both Richie Ramsay (70) and Marc Warren (70) and five ahead of David Drysdale (71). David Law (73) ended up on one over.

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