Golfweek

By ALISTAIR TAIT
Senior Writer

SOLIHULL, England – Stiggy Hodgson proved there is power in premonition when he won the Peter McEvoy Trophy April 17.

Hodgson, whose real name is Eamonn, told coach Hugh Marr earlier this year that he thought good things were going to happen this season. The 17-year-old from Sunningdale Golf Club in England proved he was right to have good vibes by winning arguably the biggest under-18 event in the British Isles outside the British Boys’ Championship.

Hodgson defeated fellow England player Eddie Pepperell on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to join Lee Westwood and Justin Rose on the list of McEvoy Trophy winners.

It was only the second sudden-death playoff in the 28-year history of the tournament. European Tour player Steve Webster was the last player to win in sudden death when he captured the 1993 title.

With the tournament shortened to 63 holes after fog reduced second-round play to just nine holes, Hodgson returned scores of 71-38-73-68 for a four round total of 2-over 250, to tie Pepperell for the lead.

Hodgson took the title when Pepperell found a fairway bunker at the 16th and then put his second shot out of bounds. With Hodgson lying 4 feet from the hole for par, Pepperell conceded the match to his England teammate.

“I told my coach recently that I felt this was going to be a good year for me,” Hodgson said. “I’ve been playing well and swinging well and felt good coming into the tournament.”

Pepperell entered the tournament as the favorite. The championship was in his grasp after 11 holes of the final round. He held a two shot lead but three-putted the 12th green and bogeyed the 13th after he found a fairway bunker.

The highly-touted teenager bogeyed the 16th in regulation to fall one behind, but holed a 15-foot birdie putt at the last to take Hodgson to a playoff.

“I felt good going into the playoff because I’d played so well this afternoon,” Hodgson said. “I was seven behind going into the last round, and knew I had to play well. To come from seven back and win this tournament proves I’m doing the right things.”

Hodgson has set his sights on following Webster onto the European Tour. However, he is sure to eschew the opportunity to play college golf.

“The academic side of college golf doesn’t really interest me. I’m not the sharpest in the class, and I’m quite lazy academically so I don’t think college golf is for me,” he said.

Hodgson may not enjoy the classroom, but he thrives on golf instruction.

“He’s very coachable,” said Marr, formerly of Loch Lomond Golf Club. “I’ve taught him for three years and he’s one of the best. He takes things on board very quickly and is keen to learn. Hopefully he can build on this and become an even better player in the future.”

• • •

Alistair Tait is a Golfweek senior writer. To reach him e-mail atait@golfweek.com.

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Final scores with relation to par from the McEvoy Trophy, played April 15-18 at the par-71 Copt Heath Golf Club in Solihull, England (Note: x-won playoff):

1. x-Stiggy Hodgson	71-38-73-68--250		+	2
2. Eddie Pepperell	69-34-74-73--250		+	2
3. Jamie Brittain	72-35-75-69--251		+	3
3. Gary King	71-34-76-70--251		+	3
5. Gavin Samuels	68-37-75-72--252		+	4
6. Elliot Groves	71-38-73-71--253		+	5
6. Stuart Ballingall	71-36-71-75--253		+	5
8. Rob Gowers	76-34-73-71--254		+	6
8. Sam Binning	67-35-78-74--254		+	6
8. Joseph Galbraith	69-35-73-77--254		+	6
11. Robert Bardsley	73-36-75-72--256		+	8
11. Tom Boys	70-37-75-74--256		+	8
13. Adam Myers	76-35-75-71--257		+	9
13. Scott Fitzgerald	77-33-76-71--257		+	9
13. Tom Berry	74-35-75-73--257		+	9
13. Nelson Da Silva Ramos	72-36-75-74--257		+	9
17. Jonathan Bell	72-38-76-72--258		+	10
17. Sandy Bolton	71-34-79-74--258		+	10
17. Josh Evans	72-38-73-75--258		+	10
17. Sam Claridge	73-34-75-76--258		+	10
21. Darren Renwick	74-38-75-72--259		+	11
21. Joshua White	71-38-76-74--259		+	11
21. Joel Stalter	73-36-74-76--259		+	11
21. Tom Lewis	71-34-78-76--259		+	11
25. Chris Lloyd	79-33-75-73--260		+	12
25. Tommy King	75-36-76-73--260		+	12
27. Michael Stewart	73-38-79-71--261		+	13
27. Michael Saunders	73-39-74-75--261		+	13
29. Tyrrell Hatton	73-38-77-74--262		+	14
29. Billy Downing	74-36-78-74--262		+	14
29. Nicholas Davis	70-35-82-75--262		+	14
29. Jake Larden	74-38-74-76--262		+	14
29. Ross McLister	72-38-76-76--262		+	14
29. Matt Kippen	77-35-73-77--262		+	14
35. Colin Thomson	74-36-80-74--264		+	16
36. James Webber	74-38-79-74--265		+	17
36. Scott Campbell	73-33-85-74--265		+	17
36. Liam O'Neill	73-36-79-77--265		+	17
36. Liam Brace	72-38-77-78--265		+	17
40. James Wilson	76-36-76-79--267		+	19
40. Max Smith	71-38-79-79--267		+	19
42. Max Williams	74-37-78-83--272		+	24
43. Baptiste Courtachon	73-39-78-84--274		+	26

Posted: 4/18/2008

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