Bush beats the rest to lift Welsh Amateur title at Ashburnham
He beat fellow Wales international Mike Hearne, the America-based student, 9 and 8 in the 36 hole final with some exceptional golf which rounded off a formidable showing.
The Morlais Castle player's toughest game was in the semi-final against former champion Ben Westgate, the 20-year-old triumphing on the 21st hole.
Bush, Hearne and Westgate will all spearhead the Wales team for the forthcoming Home Internationals to be played in Ganton in England later this month.
“That was definitely the biggest win of my career so far,” said a delighted Bush, who works part-time for the family painting and decorating supplies company Rabart.
“Winning something like this makes me believe in my game and that will help me in the future because I will now be more positive about myself.
“It was a really good game against Mike, but I managed to come out on top. I kept my focus very well, played very well and I have been holing loads of putts all week thanks to the excellent greens.
“It has been an excellent week, I had a couple of good comebacks and then the semi-final with Ben was a really good game with both of us playing very well.
“It was good to play well on a links course, which was a good challenge and in excellent condition. My home course Morlais Castle is a heathland course so it is very different.”
Southerndown's Hearne was naturally disappointed with the result in the final, but was pleased overall with his week.
“I achieved my big goals for the week to reach the later stages and to reach my first ever final of the Welsh Amateur was more than I could have hoped for at the start. This week I have played some of the best golf I have ever played,” said the 22-year-old on a golf scholarship at the Southern Nazerene university in Oklahoma.
“Jack was around seven under for the holes we played in the final, so he deserved his win. Now we can look forward to the Home Internationals which was another of my targets. I was waiting for Jack to make a mistake, but he did not.
“My coach John Howells was back from Dubai, where he works in the Butch Harman school, and he was able to help me a lot.”
Hearne came through the top half of the draw where number one seed Rhys Pugh went out in the first round. Pugh will also miss the Home Internationals as he will be competing in the US Amateur championships.
Ashburnham club manager Huw Morgan was delighted with the way the Welsh Amateur went on the highly ranked course.
“We have a long history of working with the Golf Union of Wales to host their events and it is an important part in establishing the reputation of Ashburnham,” he said.
“Hosting such an event as the Welsh Amateur keeps the club in the forefront of people's minds, it sends out the message it is a good place to come and play golf.
“The weather means the course is now as linksy as it can get. We have hosted the Welsh strokeplay and the Home Internationals in the last three years and we are looking forward to being one of the qualifying courses for the Seniors British Open in Royal Porthcawl next year.”
Picture top: Jack Bush receives his trophy from Ashburnham captain Gethin Davies.
- Wales Home Internationals team: David Boote (Walton Heath), Jack Bush (Morlais Castle), Zach Galliford (Borth & Ynyslas), Mike Hearne (Southerndown), Richard James (Aberystwyth), Alistair Jones (Radyr), Lee Jones (Conwy), Craig Melding (Neath), Matthew Moseley (Carmarthen), Jason Shufflebotham (Prestatyn), Ben Westgate (Trevose). Team Captain: Carl Rowe. Team Manager: Zach Gould. National Coach: Neil Matthews. Non Travelling Reserve: Luke Thomas (Pontypridd).
Photo slideshow of the Welsh Amateur Championship -
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