Seaton Carew Golf Club crowns nine-time champion ahead of English Amateur Championship

Record-breaking Hughie Hamilton has never seen Seaton Carew Golf Club’s links in such “world-class condition” ahead of next week’s English Amateur Championship visit.

Hughie paid tribute to course manager Tom Coulson and his greens team after becoming the Seaton Carew club champion for the ninth time.

No player can even come close to claiming the prestigious and historic title as many times as the 54-year-old, who would love to make it double figures in the future.

And his brilliant display in relentless conditions on the 150-year-old course has left him excited for the visit of the English Amateur Championship next week.

Hughie said: “I was at Royal Troon last Friday to watch The Open and there was no difference in the condition, I really mean that, that is how good Seaton Carew is right now.

“Troon looked exactly the same and that is high praise indeed because Troon is obviously one of the best in the world.

“I can’t wait for next week to watch the golf stars of the future, these are the best amateurs in England. These young golfers hit it a country mile.

“I had a course walk today and in my 40 years of being a member, I still walk through those gates and it is an absolute privilege to be a member.”

The English Amateur arrives in this neck of the woods for the first time. Two practice days on Sunday and Monday will be followed by two strokeplay qualifiers at Seaton Carew and Hartlepool Golf Club on Tuesday and Wednesday before four rounds of knock-out match-play culminating in the final on Sunday, August 4.

That arrives just two weeks after Hughie became club champion for the ninth time, some 23 years after claiming his maiden triumph in 2001.

He said: “Phil Nicholson has won it five times and he was getting a bit close to my record so I thought I had better practise a bit more and it worked!

“I am unbelievably proud. To be club champion when I become captain in December in a huge year like this, serving alongside current captain Phil Cain, is fantastic. Phil and Simon Neill are my best friends and were both there the first time, and greeted me with a hug this time too.”

Hughie, who previously played Brabazon Trophy and British Amateur as well as coming within a shot of qualifying for The Open in 1993, finished ahead of the rest on a weekend when the conditions wreaked havoc on the Micklem course.

Saturday's howling winds and torrential rain turned fairways into hazards and rough into jungles as scores soared. Sunday's slight reprieve couldn't mask the toll taken, with only Hughie managing a sub-par round.

His 80+70 = 150 total proved his class, securing victory by a six-stroke margin over first-round leader Connor Wilson (78+78 = 156). Reigning champion Alex Shaw (80+78 = 158) battled valiantly but ultimately settled for third.

Hughie, whose victory means he will be reigning club champion when he becomes captain for 2025, added: “I would like a tenth, I won’t lie! Whether I get ten is another matter.

“Just to become club champion once was always something I strived for, so I never thought I would have done it nine times.

“It was a surreal time playing the second round. I was really calm considering I’d been fighting the yips for two years.

“I feel I had a couple of guardian angels on my shoulder. I’m sure my late partner Mary and my late father Hughie Hamilton Snr were there with me. All the way round I just felt I could win and I was so calm with it.”

The remaining club championship divisions witnessed equally fierce competition, with Steve Ford claiming the 2nd Division title (87+77 = 164), two strokes ahead of Jacob Crowle (81+85 = 166).

Division 3 saw a nail-biting finish, with Stuart Lithgo prevailing over Neil Kennedy in a back-nine countback. Michael Charlton, a relative newcomer to Seaton Carew, dominated Division 4, triumphing by four shots over Kevin Wood.