Golf: Milligan wins it (From The Argus)

Golf: Milligan wins it

10:45pm Friday 10th August 2007 in Sport By John Vinicombe

Dan Milligan completed a remarkable run of four victories in succession within a fortnight by winning the Sussex Boys' championship at East Susex National.

The 15-year-old West Hove prospect lifted the under-18s crown in style with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden death play-off just 24 hours after winning the junior championship of his own club.

Tied on 143 in the county showdown, Milligan and David Nickson of Mid Sussex went head to head over the formidable par five on the water girt tenth at ESN's East course.

Two excellent drives split the fairway. Playing first, Nickson elected to lay-up to avoid the stream guarding a tricky green. Not so Milligan. He threw caution to the wind and, from a hanging lie, boomed a magnificent five wood all of 230 yards to the back of the green. It was the best shot of Milligan's four years in playing the game.

No matter that Nickson's pitch gave him a birdie chance. Milligan had registered the all-important psychological blow with that wonder wood. He almost got down in three while Nickson's putter let him down and they shook hands.

So ended a memorable sequence for Milligan. The previous day with rounds of 75 and 66 he won his junior club championship by two strokes from defending champion and close friend Lewis Jackson. Before that Milligan carried off the Chartham Park junior open by two shots having previously won the West Hove junior open by one.

After 72 holes in two days Milligan was fresh as paint. Father Paul was at ESN to see his crowning triumph but, like any golf-wise parent, stayed in the background. Dan leaves school next year and hopes to enlist at Chichester Golf College with the long term intention of continuing his studies at Birmingham University.

At the prizegiving, Dan paid tribute to Micky Phillpot, West Hove's former junior organiser, for his help. Phillpot, now working for the county, said: "Dan has a good work ethic. He practises every day after school."

Practice has made perfect for him despite nursing a broken right hand last year. This did not prevent his handicap coming down from six to four. West Hove's head pro Darren Cook brought Dan on from the start and further inspired help has come from Tom Coulson, the club's best player.

A field of 81, ages ranging from 11 to 17, produced two worthy finalists in Milligan and Nickson. Last year Nickson, 17, finished in the top ten of the championship and last week he won the junior open at Royal Ashdown Forest. In the championship he made a spectacular eagle at the 310 yard sixth driving the green and holing a ten-footer.

Lowest round of the day, earning third place, was a three-under 69 by Matthew Turner, an overseas member at West Sussex who lives in Dubai and not only won the Faldo Series there but the men's championship as well. Also in contention was left-hander Adam Brown, who has been awarded a golf scholarship at Lindfield starting September.

At the 14th he was unlucky when his approach hit the base of the pin and spun six feet away. A birdie then might have led to a three-way play-off.

Ashley Rees, with two 72s, was another strong challenger and made fourth place.