A steel nerve and a new putter has given Brian Huggett a new lease of life, and for the second week running he demonstrated the fact when he won the British Seniors' Open Championship at Royal Portrush yesterday in a play-off with Irishman Eddie Polland, after the pair finished on five-under-par.
It took only one hole, just the same as at Wentworth a week earlier, to decide the winner, with par being sufficient for the "Welsh Bulldog" to take the title and the £60,000 cheque that goes with it.
Last week, in a three-way shootout with Polland and Neil Coles at Wentworth for the Seniors' Masters crown, Huggett ended the argument with a birdie at the first extra hole.
"I got £25,000 for that and £60,000 for winning here - I don't know what I'm going to do with all the money," quipped Huggett, who hadn't won a tournament since 1995. "But I do feel sorry for Eddie, losing two weeks in a row. He's such a nice fellow. But he has plenty of time, as he's 10 years younger than I am. He will win the British Open before long."
Huggett revealed that a putter he bought from Nick Catchpole at Ross-on-Rye has transformed his play.
"I liked the putter immediately and I have been working very hard at home for two weeks. All of a sudden I have got my stroke back and got my confidence back, which I haven't had for two years.
"It's a big mallet-headed putter, which I can't remember the name of, but it is lovely. I like the way the ball comes off it," explained Huggett who has now shot to the top of the Seniors' Order of Merit.
He began the final round at four-under-par and three shots adrift of overnight leader Tommy Horton. By the fifth hole and after four birdies Huggett had caught Horton at seven under, and from there on it was all downhill for Horton who eventually finished joint fifth at two-under-par.
He managed only two birdies all day and dropped five strokes over the last seven holes.
Former Ryder and World Cup player Huggett, who won 16 times on the regular European Tour, added further birdies at the long ninth and 10th holes to be eight-under-par and could afford the luxury of dropping three strokes from there in to finish level with Polland at five under.
But it could have been a fairytale finish for the Newcastle-born former Irish Champion, who handed in a 70 and came with a late rush to force the play-off.
He began at three-under-par, and after exchanging birdies for bogeys along the way he was again minus three on the 13th tee.
"I wasn't even in the hunt or in a challenging position at that stage," reflected Polland, "but the leaders opened the door for me. Then I birdied the 16th and 17th, which wasn't easy out there, and made a good sand save at the last (splashing out to nine feet and holing the putt). I'm not hurting too much. Last week, Brian shot a 66 in the final round at Wentworth, which was a phenomenal score.
"Today, he let me in with a chance and I didn't capitalise on it."
Huggett was straight as a die to the green in the play-off as Polland put his second approach into deep rough and got a bad lie.
His recovery was 12 feet from the flag and his effort for par past slid past as Huggett wrapped up the title from the heart of the green with two putts.
Twice winner Brian Barnes finished third at four under, with two birdies in the last four holes, while Noel Ratcliffe also moved up the leaderboard with a closing 69 to take fourth spot.
Four players finished joint fifth at two under, amongst them Irish rookie Denis O'Sullivan who had a wonderful tournament carding three 71s (one under) and a 73.
His finishing 71 was secured with a 35-foot birdie putt on the home green and earned the Corkman £12,975 in only his ninth seniors' outing. He hasn't missed a cut and is now 21st in the Order of Merit with £24,057.
Not a great day for the rest of the Irish, but finishing at three over was enough to give David Jones and Paul Leonard a share of ninth place.
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