ONE-hundred-and-fifty of the top young amateur golfers from around Britain descend upon Hunstanton Golf Club from 11 - 13 July 2011 to play in the Tillman Trophy.
Henry Smart of Banstead Downs Golf Club, fired a final round of 67 for a total score of 282, to snatch victory ahead of runner-up Garrick Porteous (71) of Bamburgh Castle Golf Club, who finished on 284.
In sole third place on 285 was Daniel Keddie (71) of Belton Park Golf Club.
In tied fourth place was long-time leader Stuart Phillips of Royston Golf Club, who will be disappointed with final rounds of 74 and 76. Joining Phillips on the 286 mark were US College golfer Tom Berry (73) of Wentworth Golf Club and 2010 BB&O County Amateur and Czech Amateur Golf Champion Tyrrell Hatton (73) of Harleyford Golf Club.
Next best placed on 287 was Seb Crookall-Nixon of Workington Golf Club, the 2008 and 2009 English Boys Under-16 Golf Champion.
The Tillman Trophy was started in 1980 by London businessman and Surrey golfer Bill Tillman in a bid to introduce the new larger American sized golf ball to British golfers.
Tillman had met a series of brick walls in his attempts to replace the smaller golf ball the British golfers insisted on playing with.
Tillman felt that if British golfers were to compete equally against their American counterparts, then the use of the bigger ball was necessary.
No one would listen to him so he decided to start his own tournament in which the top young amateurs would have to use the new ball.
Within three years of the start of his tournament the R&A had outlawed the smaller ball and now Britain is reaping the rewards of Bill Tillman’s determination with the top two golfers in world being English an example.
This will be the third time Hunstanton Golf Club have had the privilege of hosting the Tillman Trophy.
The last time was in 2002 when now Ryder Cup player Ross Fisher won.
Other winners in the trophies 30-year history include Ernie Els and Peter Baker.