Golfer Bradley wins English title

Aug 13 2010 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

BIG County golf sensation Bradley Neil is now the best of British.

The 14-year-old Blairgowrie Golf Club and Scottish champion has added the prestigious English Golf Union’s U14 title to his 2010 Scottish championship.

He captured the prestigious Reid Trophy at Hesketh in Southport with a four-shot winning margin from Geordie Jack Hermeston, posting a total for three rounds of 218.

Bradley (14) becomes the first boy to hold both the Scottish and English championships at the same time.

He said: “This win means so much to me. I so wanted to follow fellow countryman, Euan Scott, as champion while I also wanted to add the English Championship to my Scottish under 14 title.”

The youngster’s closing round was anything but straight-forward.

Despite starting with a three-shot lead, Bradley got off to a shaky start and found himself three over par after five holes.

“Thankfully I birdied the eighth but I also bogeyed nine when I found I was only one ahead. But I had nine pars on the back nine and it was one of those days to make pars.

“At the start, with a three-shot lead, I knew that if could make pars the rest would have to make birdies to catch me.”

Having already won the Scottish U14 title at Auchterarder, he was also runner-up at the Loretto School Scottish U16s event.

The landmark win south of the border cemented his reputation as the top home nations player in his age group.

Bradley hit the headlines earlier in the campaign when he became the youngest ever winner of the Blairgowrie Mens Championship, at the age of 14.