Jimmy Mullen - More progress

Photo: Gary Prior

The closing stretch to this year’s Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship proved nothing short of remarkable as Daniel Hendry edged out Jimmy Mullen, who had led from the outset, in a riveting four hole play-off to win the boys’ event at the Abu Dhabi National.

Junior Golf: Final Round Scores

With the sun dropping and the pair having already played out an enduring mental test in the final round heat – they both finished at three under - the pair went down the par five 18th four times before Hendry, a Scot who resides in the UAE, finally prevailed with a birdie to lift his second trophy inside a week.

“I kept going on the front nine but it was rollercoaster play,” said Hendry, who is likely to receive a few more offers to American Universities this week - he already has eight to choose from.

“We both played great and I think it deserved a play-off like that. It was great experience for the two of us and it felt like we had been out there all day.”

At halfway, Hendry, who started the day two shots behind, had halved the deficit before striking a superb pitch to the 10th. Mullen, meanwhile, kept himself alive with two notable bunker shots in a row from the 14th.

When Mullen three-putted the final two holes to force the play-off, the balance in power shifted in Hendry’s favour. Both still had chances to win after finally avoiding safety and going for the 18th in two. Both had their chances on the green, but Mullen ultimately left himself too much to do with the putter when advantage was seemingly his for the taking.

After such an enduring battle, the Royal North Devon junior looked utterly dejected. “I should have won,” he conceded. “I hit 15 greens but finished two over par. My bunker play was great but I putted too much.”

Mullen, though, has been a real find this week. Despite his 74, Mullen showed enough talent, especially from the bunkers, to suggest he has a bright future in the game. The 18-year-old now flies to Australia in December where he starts work as a greenkeeper at Riversdale Golf Club in Melbourne. A European Tour card remains his aspiration.

As Andrew Coltart - part-time on tour and out here engaging in coaching clinics - put it afterwards: “There’s so much pressure in a Championship finale. It’s what you learn from moments like this that define you as a golfer. The sooner Jimmy gets used to it the better it will be.