Cotswold Hills Golf Club player Brandon Skidmore wins Lagonda Trophy at Gog Magog Golf Club

Brandon Skidmore was triumphant in the 49th edition of the prestigious Lagonda Trophy.

The Cotswold Hills Golf Club player, who has followed in the footsteps of previous winners such as Lee Westwood and Luke Donald, was one of just two players to finish under-par at Gog Magog Golf Club last week.

Getting under way at 7.20am on the Old Course, the best round in the morning was an impressive 64 from Oliver Allison of the Colchester Golf Club.

Allison, who incidentally led after the opening round last year, managed six birdies and an eagle to hold a four-shot advantage from three other players, including Danny Loveday of St Neots.

The second round followed similar patterns of scoring with the low rounds of the afternoon a pair of 65s, the first by Bailee Curran (Orsett GC) with the only blemish on the card coming with a bogey on the 18th, followed a few hours later by Luke Perkins (Frilford Heath GC), with only a bogey on the 9th to show beside his six birdies.

However, it did not go too well for Allison during the afternoon round despite playing the first 10 holes in one under par as he struck an eight at the 12th and three bogeys left him on level par for the tournament.

The leader in the clubhouse after 36 holes with scores of 69-66 for a 5 under total of 135 was Luke Jenkins (Rochester & Cobham GC), with Loveday (St Neots GC) 68-68 and eventual winner Skidmore (Cotswold Hills GC) 69-67 just a shot further back at 136 (-4).

Gog Magog member Jake Plumb was five back of the lead after even par rounds of 70-70. New member Teddy Hall went three better in the afternoon at 74-71, and finished alongside George Howard, who carded 72-73. Both would start the day 10 shots off the lead, with Paul Collington a shot further back at 71- 75 for 146. Ed Dimambro had a strong second round of 72 but a morning round of 77 for 149 left him three adrift of the cut line that fell at 146 (+6)

Making a charge up the leaderboard on day two was Beaconsfield’s Tommy Evans, who recorded a 67 to leave him only two strokes off the lead.

Elsewhere, Jenkins salvaged a bogey at the last hole for a 72 to be just one stroke behind the third-round leaderboard topper Skidmore, who added a level par 70 to lead on 206.

There were 16 players within six strokes of the lead going into the final round, with the local hopes being pinned on Loveday, who was just three back and Plumb, who trailed by six strokes.

As the day wore on the pack started to fall away aside from a run of birdies from Allison that saw him eventually finish in third place.

The battle for the top prize became a duel between Jenkins and Skidmore, with the latter giving his opponent some encouragement via a double bogey on the 15th hole.

However, dropped shots from Jenkins at holes 16 and 17 handed Skidmore a three-shot lead heading into the 18th and final hole, at which he recorded a par to finish with a total 275 (5 under par) – three better off than his playing partner.