‘IT is such a fantastic feeling to come back and win again at a place I fell in love with when I first came here last year,’ said Richard Green after he successfully defended the Tommy Horton Trophy at the Jersey Legends Tour at La Moye.
The Australian won by one stroke ahead of Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon as he held par on the 18th with a two-foot putt to avoid a play-off.
Green finished nine-under to retain the trophy having scored rounds of 70, 66 and 71. Hutcheon applied the pressure during the final round but ice-cool Green held his nerve.
‘It’s such a mental test, golf. You’ve got to believe in yourself. You’ve got to have confidence in just about every aspect of the game and to come out here and defend just adds that other element of pressure to try and win again,’ he added. ‘For me to come out on top this week is very rewarding.
‘It was a matter of keeping an eye on the guys but you’ve got to stay focused on what you’re doing, one shot at a time and do the best you can. I was just pleased to hit the right shots at the right time.’
The 52 year-old has made no secret of his love of the Island after winning the competition last year following a play-off with former Open winner Paul Lawrie and he appreciated the support Islanders gave him on his return.
‘It was fantastic. There was a really good crowd of people out there today and I hope they all enjoyed it,’ said Green. ‘I am sure there was lot of tense moments to get excited about. It was a really good sight out there to see a good crowd of people around the holes. We made a great day out here today. A lot of support and a wonderful place.’
Green’s win concluded an entertaining four days of golf overlooking St Ouen’s Bay. Earlier in the event, former Westlife singer Brian McFadden won the Wapp Celebrity individual competition while Green warmed up for the professional competition by winning the Celebrity team event alongside former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill and local amateurs and La Moye members Steve Pearson and Karl Fitzpatrick.
In the Amateur competition, ex-England rugby union World Cup star Kyran Bracken shared first place on the leaderboard with the chairman of La Moye Golf Course, Daragh McDermott, while Bracken also went on to win the Alliance team event with professionals Michael Long of New Zealand and England’s Gary Marks.
