South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht, a {golfing} large at 6 toes 8 inches tall, took his recreation to new heights when including the Novice Championship to his already spectacular CV after beating Switzerland’s Ronan Kleu 3&2 in an exhilarating last held at Hillside Golf Membership in Lancashire.

From a global subject of 288 gamers representing 38 nations, the 22-year-old turned the third South African winner within the final six years after Jovan Rebula in 2018 and Aldrich Potgieter final yr.

Lamprecht – the highest-ranked participant within the subject at six of the WAGR – and a prodigious ball striker – squeezed into the top-64 and ties for the match play levels earlier than excelling within the knock-out format.

Within the morning motion of the 36-hole last, Lamprecht’s opening birdie gave him the benefit. However Kleu, positioned 376th on the planet rankings, settled down and achieved three birdies in a row from the sixth to go one up. Together with his precision iron play, the Swiss nationwide staff member additionally birdied the ninth to maneuver two forward after 9 holes.

In a see-saw contest, Kleu bogeyed 10 and 11– with Lamprecht additionally eagling 11 – because the match returned to all sq.. Lamprecht, a primary staff All-American for Georgia Tech with eight top-ten finishes within the 2022-2023 season, then seized management. Aided by his lengthy driving, he birdied 5 of the final seven holes – together with 4 in a row from the fifteenth. Nonetheless, Kleu closed with two birdies of his personal to remain in contact at solely two down on the midway stage.

Lamprecht, who was six-under-par for the morning’s 18 holes, had performed 21 extra match play holes this week than Kleu, however he confirmed no indicators of tiredness to take the primary gap of the afternoon spherical after Kleu’s bogey to go three up.

It stayed that method till the twenty fourth when the Swiss struck it shut to cut back the deficit. An excellent pitch from the dunes from Lamprecht restored his benefit on the twenty seventh. The 2017 South African Novice winner made one other decisive transfer on the quick twenty eighth, holing from 15 toes for back-to-back birdies to go 4 up.

Kleu missed a chance on the par-5 twenty ninth, however did capitalise at each 30 and 31 to immediately scale back the hole to 2 holes as soon as extra. There was then unimaginable drama on the thirty second gap because the Swiss made a 3rd straight birdie from 25 toes after slicing his drive into tough – but it surely was a birdie matched by a cool Lamprecht from six toes. His fifth birdie within the afternoon on the thirty third took him to a few up and a brief par putt on the thirty fourth sealed his triumph.

By advantage of his victory, Lamprecht secured exemptions into subsequent month’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, the US Open, and an invite to play within the Masters Event in 2024.

Dwell stream protection of the ultimate was out there on www.randa.org, in addition to its YouTube channel, whereas there was additionally protection on Sky Sports activities.