Nine years after his first win, Driffield's Ryan Gray lifted the East Riding Amateur Championship once again after a three hole playoff victory over Ganstead's Ray Marr.
As torrential rain finally arrived at a muggy Cave Castle Golf Club, Ryan and Ray locked horns over the short but tricky loop of the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to decide the winner after both had carded totals of two round totals of 148. They finished seven shots clear of their nearest challenger Steve Dale of Ganstead Park.
Ryan was the only player to match the par 72 in round one on a course which punished any wayward tee shots and stood three clear of Hull's Charlie Milner at lunch. Youngsters Luke Townhill and Bobby Beasley joined Dale, Matthew Moore, Leigh Gawley and Phil Wright a further two shots further back.
The winner looked likely to come from the top eight, but no-one had considered the possibility of anyone breaking par and coming from further back which is exactly what Ray Marr did. Two opening birdies set the tone and an incredible round of 70 followed with only one dropped shot at the notoriously difficult 10th.
So, as other challengers fell away, Ryan needed a 75 to lift the H.W. Collins Trophy and looked set to do so until bogies at the short 14th and 17th holes left him tied with Ray. A three hole playoff was needed to find a winner as the skies darkened.
At the 15th, Gray birdied from 15 feet, whilst Marr bravely got up and down from the greenside bunker to stay in touch. At the 16th, Gray found the green in two from the right rough, but Marr took three to get out of the fairway bunker and the result was all but settled. Matching pars at the 17th and Ryan's second Amateur Championship was sealed.
ERUGC President Mike Dawson presented the trophy to Ryan whilst Bobby Beasley took home the Rob McLeish Cup for leading junior with a total of 161 and also the best nett total of the day with 143 (Marr had 140, but gross runner up took precedence)
Click here for results summary and photos
Thanks to starter Andy Pittaway, ERUGC Secretary John Illingworth for a ten hour stint on the desk, Dave Greenwood for organising the event and to hosts Cave Castle for looking after players, supporters and officials throughout the day.
Jonathan Clark
ERUGC Junior League Secretary
