West Sussex Golf Club played host to a spectacle worthy of any dramatic script. In the tempest of a closing day, it was John Moran of Ireland who stood tall, not merely surviving the squall but mastering it to claim the Reid Trophy.
As the rain pelted and winds howled, Moran, alongside four formidable contenders, found themselves knotted at +4, propelling the event into a sudden death playoff that would carve itself into the annals of this storied tournament.
The opening salvo of the playoff on the par-5 1st was a dance of precision under pressure.
While Ollie McEvoy’s early brilliance seemed set to steal the day, a slip on the greens allowed the resilient quartet to extend their dreams with well-earned birdies. The next test, the par-4 4th, saw everyone hold their breath and their par, setting the stage for further drama.
Amidst this, Casper van Rensburg and Fraser Walters, representing the proud golfing nations of Wales and Scotland respectively, saw their championship hopes dim.
Van Rensburg’s encounter with a bunker and Walters’ struggles in recovery left them spectators to the unfolding duel between Moran and Louis Le Sager of France.
Back on the 1st for the fourth and final playoff hole, Le Sager found the rough, laying up cautiously, while Moran’s bold approach strayed right.
It was here, on the cusp of triumph and tragedy, that Moran conjured a moment of magic—a 25-foot putt that curved into history, crowning him as the champion while Le Sager’s attempt narrowly missed, sealing a thrilling conclusion to the contest.
Reflecting on his victory, Moran shared, “It was intense but I was just focusing on my own golf.
I felt like I’d been giving myself really good opportunities all day and I just had to wait for the putts to drop and fortunately, on the last it did.
Anything could’ve happened in the weather. I’ve played enough golf to know that anything can really happen and I know Louis is a fantastic putter, so I knew I had to give it a go and see what happens. All I could do was focus on my own game and luckily it went in.”
His triumph not only marked his first in the Reid Trophy but also his farewell to under-14 competition.
“It’s great to be crowned champion. It’s the first competition I’ve won so it’s a pleasure for this to be the first one.
It’s great to be in the history books with all the great names who have won the Reid Trophy and it’s my last under-14 event so to come out on top is great,” Moran exclaimed with the glow of victory.
As Moran sets his sights on future challenges, the echoes of this victory will resonate, a reminder of the day West Sussex bore witness to a clash not just of golfers, but of wills, under the watchful eye of a relentless English sky.
