A FINAL round of a club championship doesn't get much better than this.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The last round was seeded so the leading four contenders were playing together at Wingham Golf Club. They were title holder Ben Marron, early championship leader Scott Polley, Reid Brown, aged just 14 and his dad, Rob.
Reid went into the last 18 holes one shot clear of Polley. There was only a shot separating the other contenders.
And so began a fluctuating afternoon, where Polley stole the early march and was three under at one stage. Then the completion of the game changed when Reid Brown shot an eagle on the eighth. Coming up the 18th a shot separated Reid and Marron. In the end had Marron sunk his last putt, the final would have gone into a playoff. It sailed wide. Reid was the winner. He's also the youngest player in the club's history to take out the title. Marron held that honour until then. He was 15 years and 11 months when he scored his first win.
Reid is the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, earning a $50 open order at Iguana.
He finished with 301 after rounds of 81, 74, 72, 72.
"It was a really windy day the first day when I had the 81,'' he said.
Reid went into the championship playing off three (his dad's off two) and hitting the ball pretty sweetly.
He admits being 'a bit nervous' going into the final round.
"But I was happy that I was in the last group,'' he said.
"So I wasn't too worried.''
He's a past winner of the club's junior championship - taking it out the same year his dad won the senior title. He warmed up for the club championship by playing strongly in NSW Combined High Schools years 7 to 9 tournament in Blackheath which was also the Jack Newton under 15 shield. Here he came third and was just one shot off a playoff. Had he won he would have been on the plane for New Zealand next January with the Jack Newton team. He was also one shot off winning the net event.
Reid went into the Newton tournament with his handicap at 7.1. He'd reduced it to 3.4 at the conclusion.
The next target will be scratch.
Reid will play in a Suburu State Age event at Wollongong during the next school holidays.
He figures he'll also be invited to play in the Lower North Coast champion of champions event later in the year.
Longer term he wants to play professionally.
"That's my goal,'' he said.
Reid also has two holes in one to his credit - the second earlier this year when he was having a round with his sister, Maitlan.
In summer he plays cricket with Wingham under 16s and Wherrol Flat-Leagues B-grade, where he's a leg spinning allrounder, but says golf is his number one focus 'at the moment.'
He said it was a great feeling when he finally realised he'd claimed the club title after what had been a dramatic afternoon.
And there was no hard feelings from his dad.
"No, he was pretty proud,'' Reid said.
"It was a really great group to play in.''