Former Alfredton Primary School and Rathkeale College student Harry Bateman has snared his first professional golf title.
Bateman, 22, won the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour's Buildbase Open on Sunday, carding a final round three-under-par 69 after earlier scores of 67 and 68. He won by one stroke from England'sScott Campbell to claim the major prize of £10,000 ($19,500) and a brand new Motocaddy trolley at Frilford Heath Golf Club, in Oxfordshire.
Now playing out of the Royal Wellington Golf Club, Bateman had begun his last round two strokes behind overnight leader, amateur Tom Wilde, and while Wilde's 77 relegated him to a tie for 18th, Bateman retained his composure, staving off a determined bid from Campbell who birdied the last two holes.
It was a welcome change of luck for Bateman who is in his debut season on the EuroPro circuit, having successfully gone through the qualifying process in March. It is the third tier of tours in Europe, after the European PGA and the Challenge Tour, and the Oxfordshire event was the fifth on the tour, Bateman having missed the cut in the previous four.
"I was surprisingly calm," Bateman said of his final round. "I thought I would be a lot more nervous but I felt the same the whole day from start to finish. It isn't a bad way to finish when I make my first cut!"
Making minor adjustments to his swing played a big part in the Bateman success. He was consistently solid in that department over the three rounds and he putted well on greens which he described as "amazing".
"They were probably the best I have seen since I have come over to the UK ... I holed everything."
Bateman is hoping his victory is a sign of even better things to come as more results of that nature would see him becoming a contender for the Challenge Tour. "It is a good base to build on, this is pretty big for me."
Bateman first became involved in golf in his early teens and was a star performer in amateur ranks for the Masterton Golf Club and Wellington rep teams before leaving to attend university in Christchurch where he played for the Russley club and Canterbury.
Just before he left for the UK he was back playing number one for the Royal Wellington Golf Club's premier interclub side and was ranked among the top 10 amateurs in the country.
