Kinhult wins maiden title at British Masters

Marcus Kinhult edged out Matt Wallace, Eddie Pepperell and Robert MacIntyre to win his first European Tour title during a dramatic finale at the British Masters

Marcus Kinhult prevailed from a packed leaderboard of British stars with a birdie-birdie finish to earn his first professional victory at Hillside on Sunday with a final round two-under 70. 

It was a game of inches at the last as the 22-year-old Swede holed out from eight-feet to clinch the title on 16-under-par, one shot clear of the trio of Pepperell, MacIntyre and playing partner Wallace, who missed his own birdie chance to force a playoff on the last. 

“Speechless” Kinhult said about how he felt after his win. “It happened so fast.”

“Matt was leading, I was behind going in to 17. I made birdie there then all of a sudden I had a putt to win on 18. It’s just really special. I’ve been dreaming about it for such a long time and to finally do it is sort of amazing.

“It was so close all day between us. It was a bit like a match play between us – and then Bob and Eddie played well on the back nine today. They were up there, as well.

“This is a very prestigious event and a nice little trophy to have. To get it as my first win is special.”

With rounds of 65, 69, 68 and 70 Kinhult was incredibly consistent throughout the week – but he was something of a surprise winner: Prior to this week, the world No. 210 had missed six cuts and a T18 in seven starts this year. 

Maybe we should have seen it coming. After all, the Swede won the Lytham Trophy as an amateur in 2015 a bit further up the west coast of England, but he was adamant it was all about margins.

“I don’t know,” Kinhult said of his turnaround. “This game is so weird, small margins. I felt alright the last couple of weeks but just couldn’t make a cut it felt like and then I came here and got off to a good start and just kept the momentum through the week.”

Kinhult began the final round in a tie at the top with Wallace on 14-under but moved out in front when the three-time European winner failed to get up-and-down from the bunker on the first, and retained that lead when both players made birdies at the next. 

From there, they parred the next seven holes for Kinhult to make the turn with a one-shot advantage, but Wallace holed from 15-feet on the 10th to draw level at 15-under, and the duo matched birdies once more at the next to distance themselves from the field at -16. 

Wallace dropped back out of the lead with his second bogey of the day on the 12th as his par-putt lipped the hole to put Kinhult ahead once more, but soon it was the Swede who began to struggle. 

His first dropped shot of the day came from a three-putt on the 15th, and he followed it up with another on 16 after missing the green to give Wallace the lead.

Meanwhile, defending champion Eddie Pepperell was putting together one of the rounds of the day, and quickly joined Wallace at the top with his sixth birdie on the 17th. 

Kinhult rebounded well, holing from 10-feet on the 17th to regain a share at the top, and up ahead Robert MacIntyre made it a quartet of leaders after finishing his round with an eagle and birdie over the last two holes. 

Heading up the last with a playoff looking likely, Kinhult hit an exceptional shot in to eight feet on the final green, with Wallace around 10 feet further away. It could have been different for Wallace but he struggled on the greens, and he grazed the hole for the fourth time on Sunday as he had to settle for par – leaving Kinhult a shot at the title. 

Standing over his final putt, Kinhult tried to stay on top of his emotions. 

“I’ve never felt that pressure before,” said Kinhult. “It’s different, and I’m just happy I made the putt. Richie (Ramsay) gave me a good read because he had basically the same putt and I saw he lined it up on the left edge and I tried the same thing and holed it.”

Behind the trio of players in second place was Ramsay on 12-under in solo fifth, with English duo Paul Waring and Jordan Smith sharing sixth.

Elsewhere, tournament host Tommy Fleetwood struggled with his game on the final day on his way to a one-over 73 to finish in a share of eighth place on 10-under with seven others, including Martin Kaymer, Joost Luiten and Oliver Wilson. 

It was also announced that next year’s contest will be hosted once more by Lee Westwood at Close House, as it was in 2017.