If you ever needed proof that golf is a game of inches and intestinal fortitude, Stephen Jensen just provided it in spades.
The 58-year-old orchestrated one of the most remarkable turnarounds in English Seniors Championship history, pulling off a Houdini act on the 18th hole to claim his second title at Brancepeth Castle.
Now, you’d be forgiven if you thought this one was over before the back nine even started.
Jensen was staring down the barrel of a 5-down deficit as he trudged towards the 10th green, with Steve Sansome, who was playing like a man possessed, in full control.
But if golf teaches you anything, it’s that momentum is as fickle as a two-year-old at naptime.
The day began under glorious skies, and both players calmly parred the first two holes, setting the stage for what everyone assumed would be a gentlemanly duel.
But on the 3rd hole, Jensen’s drive went wayward, prompting a frantic ball search that, if nothing else, could’ve been used as a training video for lost-ball etiquette.
Sadly for Jensen, they found his ball, but not within the allotted time, forcing him to trudge back to the tee.
By the time Sansome cosied up to the green, Jensen had already conceded the hole.
Fast forward a few holes, and Jensen was starting to look like he might be renting a permanent spot in the rough.
By the 9th, he was 4-down, and things were going sideways faster than you can say “banana slice.”
But golf is as much about guts as it is about glory, and Jensen wasn’t about to go quietly into that good night.
The 10th hole brought a bounce so wicked it could have made the devil blush, with Jensen’s ball ricocheting off a mound and nestling under a buggy.
But instead of packing it in, Jensen conjured a bit of magic, making an up-and-down for par that had even the squirrels stopping to watch.
Sansome, perhaps thrown off by the sight, three-putted, and suddenly, Jensen was back in the game, trimming the lead to three.
Reflecting on that pivotal moment, Jensen said, “I had nothing to lose really, staring defeat in the face and luckily played an exquisite chip to four feet.”
With momentum now swinging faster than a Pendulum putter, Jensen reeled off pars and an eagle-like he was playing a practice round.
By the 12th, he’d cut the lead to one and had Sansome looking over his shoulder. And while Sansome nearly stuck his approach on 13, Jensen wasn’t done—he dropped a 25-foot bomb to halve the hole in birdies, leaving the crowd wondering if they were watching a golf match or a magic show.
The 14th saw Sansome stumble off the tee, allowing Jensen to square the match on 15 after a costly three-putt from his opponent. The script had flipped, and for the first time all day, Jensen was in the driver’s seat.
By the time they reached the 16th, Jensen’s tee shot had found refuge behind a tree, but no matter.
The man was on a mission. His chip for eagle flirted with the flag before settling, and they halved in birdies, setting up a nail-biter finish.
Drama struck again on the 17th, with Jensen in the long stuff and needing two shots to escape.
Sansome, ever the opportunist, took the hole, sending them all square to the 18th.
On the final hole, both men hit solid drives, but Jensen’s approach was a stroke of genius.
The ball stopped just inches from the cup, a stress-free birdie in the bag. Sansome’s 15-footer for a tie cruelly lipped out, handing Jensen a 1-up victory that will be remembered for years.
Reflecting on his incredible win, Jensen said, “The momentum changed – I just had to stay in it and rattle him a bit if I could. He’s a fantastic player and played well all day.”
Jensen’s victory, his second in three years, secures his place in the annals of the English Seniors Championship, and he’s already got his sights set on Burhill next year.
“I’ll be trying very hard to make it three in four next year!” he declared with a smile.
Of course, no victory celebration is complete without the support of loved ones, and Jensen was quick to praise his wife, who drove five hours to cheer him on.
“We are going to go out somewhere very nice for a meal and a couple of glasses of wine,” Jensen said. “She is a calming influence and I wouldn’t have done it without her.”
In other news from the tournament, last year’s champ Stephen Creed found himself on the wrong end of a quarter-final upset, while Danny Holmes fell victim to Jensen’s semi-final charge.
The other semi saw 71-year-old Alan Mew narrowly beaten by Sansome, proving that age might slow you down, but it certainly doesn’t stop you.
