Matthew Cort completed a dramatic comeback to win the British Par 3 Championship after prevailing in a four-man play-off at Nailcote Hall in Warwickshire.
Cort, David Park, Steven Tiley and Fraser Mann all finished the 36-hole professional competition on four under par, forcing a play-off on the Cromwell Course.
Cort and Park survived the opening extra hole before Cort secured the title at the second attempt, holing a birdie putt after Park missed his opportunity.
The victory capped a remarkable final-day charge from 51-year-old Cort, who followed an opening-round 58 with an eight-under-par 46 – the lowest round of the day – to move from well down the leaderboard into a share of the lead.
“It’s amazing,” said Cort, who joined the Legends Tour last year. “I shot a great score early on and then had to wait probably three hours. I was watching the scores come through and Dave [Park] looked like he was going to push ahead.”
Park had begun the final day in pole position after a five-under-par 49 gave him a one-shot advantage over Tiley at the half-way stage. He carded a second-round 55 to finish on 104, while Tiley added a level-par 54 to his opening 50. Mann also forced his way into the play-off with a six-under-par 48 following a first-round 56.
In the deciding hole, Park hit his tee shot close to the pin, but Cort responded with an even better effort to leave himself inside his rival. “By the reaction of the crowd, I knew it was close, so I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to do the same,’” Cort said. “I managed to hit one of the best shots I’ve ever hit.”
Park then missed his birdie attempt, leaving Cort with a short putt for victory. He made no mistake to complete the comeback and claim the championship, which comes with a €50,000 first prize.
Philip Golding finished fifth on two under, with Clarke Dennis, Phillip Archer and Sam Rook sharing sixth on one under.