Island champion McKenna conquers tough conditions

However, in winning the Investec Trophy off scratch in the annual 72-hole strokeplay marathon, the 17-year-old Island champion produced some golf that even had his Island teammates shaking their heads in disbelief.

On paper, a level-par third round of 70 might not seem particularly outstanding, but it was arguably the round of the year at L’Ancresse given the context.

Island Games silver medallist Jamie Blondel, who had shot the low round of the week with a five-under-par 65 gross just 24 hours earlier, was also playing in the evening wave and he carded an 80, which he regarded as ‘not too bad’ in the conditions that combined howling wind with pouring rain. In fact, Blondel likened it to the horrendous weather that hit the final day of competition at Guernsey 2023.

McKenna, though, dropped just two shots and he cancelled out those bogeys at the first and 11th with back-to-back birdies at six and seven. The rest were all, remarkably, pars.

‘On my Thursday round I was saying walking off the fourth green “this is unplayable”, but I was adamant that I was going to continue,’ McKenna said.

‘It was not fun. I was completely soaked, crazy winds – I was hitting seven irons from 125 yards, just shots I’ve never hit before. But it was working, so I just kept going.’

That amazing round gave him a one-shot lead over Danny Blondel going into the final day, when the teenager was in the final group out.

By the time he teed off, he knew his nearest challenger had finished with a 76 for a total of 289, which gave McKenna a bit of wriggle room and he knocked it round in 73 for a 285 aggregate and a four-shot win.

‘I knew that I had six shots to play with, so I was kind of damage limitation all day – just do what I’ve done all week, just don’t change anything.

‘I knew going down the last I had five putts to win, so I was pretty confident that I wasn’t going to lose.

‘I kept the ball in play all week, didn’t lose a ball, just kept it straight and narrow, hit greens, two putted... I didn’t go under par, didn’t have a crazy amount of birdies, but I didn’t have many bogeys.’

Splitting the Blondel cousins in second and fourth, with Jamie having finished on 293, was Jeremy Nicolle, who put up a fine title defence in third on 292.

They were the only four players to break 300 gross for the week.

In the UV Trophy off handicap, Steve Robert had a debut 72-holer to remember as he took the honours in fine style, winning by six shots with a level-par nett total of 280.

The 11-handicap was in contention from day one, when he led thanks to an opening 69.

‘I had a bad couple of bad holes – I lost seven shots straight on two holes – and then I just sort of put myself together and I managed to catch up,’ said Robert of his first day.

A 75 followed on Wednesday, but his early morning tee time ensured he had the best of Thursday’s conditions to shoot a brilliant 66 to regain first place going to the final day and he was uncatchable after carding a closing 70.

‘I have been playing quite well lately. I’ve been sort of consistent and I’m just lucky that it all came together,’ said Robert, who added that he was ‘chuffed to bits’ to win the prestigious silverware.

Adie Coquelin took second place on countback from Chris Mason after both finished on 286 while George Melhuish completed the top four on 289.

Junior Thomas Chamberlain shot the best nett round of the week with a 64 on Friday.

Ian Garner took the spoils in the Stableford competition, lifting the trophy with a total of 136 points.

Peter Richards was runner-up with David Bromley third.