A brilliant final round saw Matt Moore clinch a maiden Tour victory at the very first attempt, running out winner by an impressive seven shots from Martin Wallace and Matt Norris. With great rival, Antony Dine, winner of the season’s first Major, the Sarazen Classic, it would appear that a new generation has very much arrived. Time now for the old school to step up to the plate.
Moore The Merrier
Lying five shots off an overnight lead held by Brian Norris, Moore made the worst possible start to his final round, triple bogeying both the opening two holes, but with Norris also making a shaky start, the damage had luckily been limited to just a further shot off the pace.
Indeed Norris was enduring a torrid day, and by the time he recorded his first par at the sixteenth hole, the veteran’s challenge had long since faded.
Mark Greatorex was first to overhaul Norris and claim the lead, before Matt Norris joined him at the top shortly afterwards. A birdie at the par three seventh then drew David Kelly to within one, but double disaster for Greatorex and Kelly at the ninth saw Matt Norris lead at the turn.
However, rather than his playing partners on his heels, it was Moore who headed the chasing pack, having put his nightmare start behind him to post five pars, a bogey and a birdie to move to within one of the lead going into the final nine.
1998 - Arran Squires
1999 - Arran Squires
2000 - Martin Wallace
2001 - Martin Wallace
2002 - David Wallace
2003 - Matt Norris
2004 - Gary Andrews
2005 - Arran Squires
2006 - Jamie Andrews
2007 - Jamie Andrews
2008 - Derek Horn
2009 - David Kelly
2010 - Jamie Andrews
2011 - Matt Moore
While not exactly new territory, Norris had not led a tournament for many a year and the pressure was beginning to build. After a wobble by Norris at the eleventh, Moore gained the upper hand and compounded it with second birdie at the short twelfth. From here on in, there was no looking back. A bogey at the par five fourteenth was the only blot on an otherwise perfect back nine.
With Moore playing the final sixteen holes in level par, the tournament turned into a procession for the leader and only the fight for the lower places remained. As Kelly and Greatorex faltered, it was Antony Dine and Martin Wallace who made good progress to post impressive finishes. A sloppy final hole by Matt Norris handed Martin Wallace the Runner-Up spot, but the tournament belonged to Moore, who now joins Antony Dine in an exclusive list of golfers the old school want to knock off their perch. Only time will tell if they manage to do so any time soon.
