Ben Paterson held his nerve to win the Frilford Heath Gold Medal at his home club.

Needing a par on the last of his 36 holes to pip clubmate Sandy Bolton to the sought-after amateur title, Paterson opted to play safe.

Paterson gave himself a short approach to the 18th green on Frilford’s Red Course, but then left his first putt woefully short as the whole field looked on.

He was visibly shaking as he crouched over an eight-footer for the title, but drilled the ball into the back of the cup to the delight of his caddy Andrew Tucker.

The 91-strong field at Frilford included 21 players off scratch or better.

Paterson opened with a 66 on the Green Course, matched by William Roebuck (Mentmore).

Bolton carded a 70 on the Red Course and a 68 on the Green for a 138 total, which put him ahead of third-placed Roebuck on countback.

After bogeying the 17th on the Red Course, Paterson got a quiet whisper from the BB&O captain Malcolm Reid that par for a round of 71 was good enough to win.

Drayton Park’s England international Eddie Pepperell finished joint fifth on 141, along with defending champion Ashley Walton (Frilford Heath).

  • PAUL Simpson, from Witney, and The Wychwood’s Adam Souter shared the professional’s prize at Chipping Norton’s Pro-Am with four-under-par 67s.

Simpson, the West Berks pro, also won the team event.

  • WITNEY Lakes went top of Division 2 in the Central Sevens League after a 5-2 victory over Carswell on Saturday.
  • BICESTER member John Allen and professional Peter Thompson have reached the regional final of the Virgin Atlantic PGA National Pro-Am Championship.

They will tee it up at Frilford Heath on June 25 after seven-handicapper Wade won Bicester’s qualifier with a nett score of 68.