Jarmo Sandelin has won this year’s Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship following a dramatic final day at Nailcote Hall where he also made a hole in one. Sandelin won the event with a total score of -8 on the Cromwell Course to clinch victory and the €50,000 prize that comes with it.
Last year’s champion Steven Tiley was the overnight leader on -5 two strokes ahead of Gary Wolstenholme MBE. The pair began the round neck and neck after Wolstenholme scored three consecutive birdies but fell away after recording bogies on the 13th and 18th.
Tiley put in a consistent performance and for a time it looked as though he may become the first player to ever defend his Farmfoods British Par 3 Championship crown.
However, the momentum swung Sandelin’s way after he had a remarkable hole in one on the eighth.
Completing his round as leader this meant Tiley needed two birdies in his final two holes to win the competition outright.
Managing to birdie his penultimate hole he needed to repeat the feat on the final hole to walk away with the title, or make par for a play-off.
Unfortunately for Tiley he wasn’t able to do so and finished with a bogey handing victory to Sandelin who became the event’s first ever non-British winner.
1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie OBE also put on a fantastic final round finishing on -7 in joint second place with Tiley. And, Austrian Markus Brier made six birdies to end a stroke behind on -6.
Speaking of his first ever Farmfoods British Par 3 championship victory, Sandelin said: “I’m really, really pleased with my performance today. I managed to keep my nerve and win my first tournament since 2001 so I’m very happy. I made a hole-in-one which I’m delighted with and the feeling of winning a tournament over your professional colleagues is incredible. I’m on top of the world.”
Another of the day’s highlights saw European Tour star Lee Slattery record a hole in one on the fourth hole.
The Norma C Herd Silver Salver, which is presented to the event’s best performing amateur, went the way of Matt James scoring +6 two better than last year’s winner David Nelson who finished on +8.
In the team competition Jarmo Sandelin and Penny Dawson took the title with a score of -14 the same as second placed Paul Lawrie OBE and Farmfoods’ CEO, Eric Herd. Sandelin and Dawson were crowned winners on countback.
The winner of the Super Senior competition was Carl Mason who came out on top with a total of +2 a stroke ahead of Ian Woosnam OBE, and Costantino Rocca. This victory marks the sixth time Mason has won this prize, more than any other player.
