British Masters: Sweden's Marcus Kinhult wins maiden European Tour title

Leaderboard

-16 Kinhult

-15 MacIntyre, Wallace, Pepperell

-12 Ramsay

-11 Waring, Smith

Day four report

Sweden's Marcus Kinhult was lost for words after producing a brilliant finish to claim his first European Tour title in a thrilling climax to the British Masters at Hillside.

Kinhult's chances looked to have gone when he surrendered a one-shot lead with bogeys on the 15th and 16th.

But the 22-year-old birdied the final two holes to finish a shot ahead of defending champion Eddie Pepperell, Matt Wallace and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre.

Pepperell had set the clubhouse target on 15 under after a closing 66 before MacIntyre produced a stunning eagle-birdie finish to join him at the top of the leaderboard.

A four-man play-off looked on the cards when Kinhult birdied the 17th and playing partner Wallace missed from four feet.

But after Wallace also missed for birdie on the last, Kinhult holed from 12 feet to seal a remarkable win and secure the £500,000 first prize.

"I'm speechless, I don't know what happened the last two holes," Kinhult said.

"I was behind Matt and he looked really solid but I birdied 17 and all of a sudden I had a putt to win - it's incredible.

"I have never felt that pressure before. Richie (Ramsay) gave me a good read so I just tried to do the same thing and holed it.

"There's a lot going through my mind, a lot of emotions and I am just so happy that I managed to handle those pretty well. It's really special. I have been waiting for this moment for 20 years."

Kinhult, who won the prestigious Lytham Trophy as an amateur but had missed his last four cuts on the European Tour, added: "This game is so weird. It's small margins.

"My game felt okay but I just couldn't make a cut. I got off to a good start and just kept the momentum through the week."

Day three report

Tournament host Tommy Fleetwood shrugged off the effects of a virus to move into contention to win his own event as a late stumble from Matt Wallace threw the destiny of the £3 million British Masters wide open.

Wallace birdied the first three holes of round three to move four shots clear, but after going 47 holes without dropping a single shot he bogeyed the 12th and ran up a double bogey on the 15th after a wayward drive which hit a spectator on the head.

The 29-year-old Londoner, who is seeking a fifth European Tour title in just two years, steadied the ship with a birdie on the 17th and eventually signed for a 70 to share the lead with Sweden's Marcus Kinhult on 14 under par.

Scotland's Richie Ramsay is two shots off the pace after a 71, with compatriot Robert MacIntyre alongside Fleetwood on 11 under after both carded rounds of 68 in tough, breezy conditions at Hillside.

"Obviously I'm frustrated with dropping a couple on the 15th hole but I think I showed a little bit of character there to not let it affect me too much and I played the last three holes really nicely," Wallace said.

"I would have taken two under at the start of the day, seeing how windy it was. We are in great shape. It's not about winning it on Saturday. It's about putting yourself in good position, so looking forward to tomorrow now."

Fleetwood had followed his first birdie of the day on the eighth by dropping shots on the next two holes, but the Ryder Cup star then holed from 25 feet for an eagle on the 11th and also birdied the 12th, 14th and 17th to delight the sell-out crowd.

"I've been a bit slow for two and a half days so it was great to get something going and give the crowds something to cheer," the Southport-born world number 16 said.

"I never realised how the last few holes are like a natural amphitheatre and playing in front of your home fans, especially when so many have turned out, it has exceeded expectations in every way.

"I've not had great energy levels. My son Frankie had tonsillitis last week and he's given me something, so that's not been ideal. It's one of them things, just another challenge.

"I forgot my paracetamol in the bag so Clare (his wife) had to get me some on the 13th tee and that pretty much saved me on the way in. Whatever happens I'm going to be going out late on the back nine on Sunday and the crowd comes to watch that, which is great."

Day two report

Matt Wallace is preaching patience and passing on post-round pizza as he looks to follow in the footsteps of Open champion Francesco Molinari.

Less than four years ago Wallace was finishing fifth in a tournament on the

Alps Tour to move up to 1,672nd in the world rankings, but the following year won six times on the same circuit and then claimed his first European Tour title in Portugal in 2017.

Three more wins in 2018 meant Wallace was unfortunate to miss out on a wild

card for the Ryder Cup in Paris, but a second round of 67 in the British Masters put the world number 36 in pole position for a fifth win in two years and the first prize of £500,000.

Wallace, who has yet to drop a shot this week, is determined to continue his meteoric rise and has recently started working with fitness expert Dr Steve McGregor, who counts former world number ones Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood among his previous clients.

"I've got a brilliant team with the inclusion of Steve now, his history speaks for itself getting two players to world number one," the 29-year-old Londoner said. "Two great players obviously, but if he can do some of that magic to me hopefully we can get to that position or close enough.

"He's taken a different role to what he did with Westy and Rory, he's assessing what I'm doing during the week with my physio Harry and we'll come up with a plan to get better and fitter and stronger and mentally stronger.

"For example, at Hilton Head recently after a first round of four over I'd go back and I'd be so annoyed and all I'd want to do is have a pizza and go to bed.

"Whereas if you look at the bigger picture it's not about that four over, it's about the long-term where you go back, don't worry about it, get some good food, good rest so you're better off the next day and that gives you the best chance of competing the next day.

"If it doesn't happen, at least the day after that you're going to be better and fitter to go and practice.

"If I look at the bigger picture of the next three or four years it's very similar to Francesco (Molinari). Three years ago he wasn't where he is now and I want to be doing what he's doing, Ryder Cups and majors and competing at every single event pretty much."

At 12 under par Wallace enjoyed a one-shot lead over fellow Englishman Ross Fisher, Scotland's Richie Ramsay, Belgium's Thomas Detry and Sweden's Niklas Lemke, who came close to equalling a world record during a 64 punctuated by a 72-minute delay due to the threat of lightning.

Lemke carded eight birdies in a row during from the 13th to the second to fall just one short of the mark set by former Open champion Mark Calcavecchia in 2009 and equalled by Australia's James Nitties in February's Vic Open.

The world number 371, who had missed the cut in six of his last seven events, had the third-best stroke average in the history of Arizona State University behind Paul Casey and Phil Mickelson, but came close to giving up the game after struggling in the professional ranks.

"Three years ago I decided I was going to give it two years and if I felt I was getting better I would continue," said the 35-year-old, who graduated from the European Tour qualifying school last year at the 10th attempt. "I made a two-year plan and committed to it.

"There are still some ups and downs but it feels like it's going in the right direction."

First-round leader Matthew Jordan is three shots off the pace after following his course record of 63 on Thursday with a 72, while tournament host Tommy Fleetwood and defending champion Eddie Pepperell are two strokes further back after rounds of 69 and 67 respectively.

Day one report

Tournament host Tommy Fleetwood carded an opening 68 on day one of the British Masters, but it was youngster Matthew Jordan who starred by topping the leaderboard with a course record nine-under-par 63.

Jordan only turned professional late last year and arrived at Hillside to take up a tournament invite on the back of successive top-20 finishes on the Challenge Tour.

While some may have opted to turn down the chance and instead search for another decent cheque in Prague, Wirral-born Jordan was always going to say yes and how he took advantage, nine birdies and no bogeys lighting up the leaderboard.

That left Fleetwood five shots adrift, but nevertheless a four-under-par opening round, the highlight of which was an eagle at the second, his 11th, represents a strong start for a player who will have high hopes of major glory in next week's US PGA Championship.

Starting at the 10th, Fleetwood dominated the par-fives in an otherwise largely uneventful round, and when he did make a mistake courtesy of a short missed put at the sixth, he responded by firing an approach in tight at the seventh and getting that shot back immediately.

A good save at the last saw him complete a solid day's work and he'll tee off on Friday with eyes on the top of the leaderboard, where Jordan sits alone and appears likely to remain overnight.

"I've known him for a long time, we all know what he's capable of," said Fleetwood.

"That's a tremendous first round and I think it will be good for him now.

"I've seen some of his scores and he's not played as well as I know he wants to this year, but when you're first turning pro it's different and now the experience being at the top of the leaderboard for a few days will be really, really good."

Former Walker Cup star Jordan has a strong links pedigree having won amateur events at Lytham and St Andrews, as well as being a member at Hoylake, and his comfort levels were on display throughout a superb round.

Birdies at the first, second, fourth, sixth and eighth saw him out in 31, and he came home in 32 with further birdies at the 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th on a blemish-free scorecard.

"You never quite expect it," he said. "I knew I had been playing quite well and just from the get-go it started perfectly and from then on I just kept it going. I just tried to shoot as low as I could because I thought the guys out there, they are good as well.

"You start to realise you're doing quite well because more people turn up and you see a couple of cameras. I was nervous maybe for a couple of holes, like around 11 and 12, and then I settled back into it which was strange."

Marcus Kinhult, like Jordan a player who shone under links conditions as an amateur, bounced back to form with a seven-under 65 - a score matched by Englishman Matt Wallace.

The talented Thomas Detry opened his title bid with a six-under 66 to put him alongside Richie Ramsay, Lee Westwood and Robert Karlsson.

Sean Crocker and Jack Singh Brar both carded five-under-par rounds of 67 on a day of low scoring.