Matthew Cort has won the British Par 3 Championship after coming through a four-man play-off at Nailcote Hall in Warwickshire.
Cort, David Park, Steven Tiley and Fraser Mann all finished the 36-hole professional competition on four under par to force a decider on the Cromwell Course.
Cort and Park progressed after the opening play-off hole ,before Cort sealed the title at the second time of asking, converting his birdie putt after Park had missed his opportunity.
The victory completed a remarkable final-day charge from 51-year-old Cort, who followed an opening-round 58 with an eight-under-par 46, the lowest round of the day, to move from well down the leaderboard into a share of the lead.
“It’s amazing. It’s very, very surreal,” said Cort, who arrived fresh from a top-20 in the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles. “I shot a great score early on and then had to wait probably three hours. I was watching the scores come through and Dave looked like he was going to push ahead. This course can punish a bad shot and you can run up a score in no time.”
Park had started the day in the strongest position after carding a five-under-par 49 on Wednesday, giving him a one-shot advantage over Tiley at the halfway stage. He added a second-round 55 to finish on 104, while Tiley followed his opening 50 with a level-par 54. Mann also forced his way into the play-off after a six-under-par 48 added to his first-round 56.
With all four players level, the Championship moved to extra holes. Cort survived the opening decider alongside Park before the pair returned for a second play-off hole. Park hit his tee shot close, but Cort responded with an even better effort to leave himself inside his opponent.
“By the reaction of the crowd, I knew it was close, so I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to do the same,’” Cort said. “I managed to hit one of the best shots I’ve hit, just inside him.”
After Park failed to convert, Cort was left with a short birdie putt for the title.
“When he missed, you suddenly think, ‘Wow, I’ve got a chance to win. You’ve got to slow yourself down and get back into your routine’.
Cort made no mistake, holing the putt to complete the comeback and secure the Championship.
“I just tried to compose myself, hit a good putt and go through the process. When it goes in, you’re thinking, ‘What’s going on?’”
Phil Golding finished fifth on two under, with Clarke Dennis, Phillip Archer and Sam Rook sharing sixth on one under. For Cort, the victory came after several strong previous performances at Nailcote Hall.
“I’ve played pretty well in this event over the last four years. I’ve had a couple of thirds,” he said. “For me to win it is like a dream come true. It’s amazing.”
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