The Royal Jersey player was excellent in breezy conditions in Saturday afternoon’s first round of the 36-hole contest and opened up a 5 up overnight lead, which left Marley with a mountain to climb.
However, the Guernsey champion produced some sensational golf the following morning with eight birdies in 16 holes to get back to within one with two to play.
Quail held his nerve, though, and holed a 30ft birdie putt on the 35th to clinch a hard-fought 2 & 1 victory.
‘I was really nervous the first few holes [on Saturday]. I played really well in the middle section but then lost it a bit more towards the end and dropped a few that I probably shouldn’t have in the last nine,’ Marley said.
‘But I couldn’t have asked to play any better today [Sunday] – eight birdies and only the one bogey. If you’d offered me that I’d have bitten your hand off.
‘My attitude was make as many birdies as possible and just attack everything I can, and try to get the putter working as well as it could have done – and I putted the best I ever have.’
Looking back at one of the key moments of the match, Marley admitted that a big momentum shift came in the first round when Quail holed from 35ft for par on the ninth that kept him 1 up before then winning five of the first six holes on the back nine.
‘That probably took more of like the sting out of the game than I thought it did at the time,’ said the Guernsey champion.
‘He did really well to make four and then obviously I had a little tickly one I couldn’t attack for birdie.
‘I was fine to keep it at one after the start I had, but with him birdieing 10, then it took a bit more of a toll and he kept streaking away on the back nine when I was falling off a bit.’
Quail, who was approximately four under par for his 35 holes, was both delighted and a bit relieved as he held the trophy.
‘It was definitely very nervy towards the end,’ he said.
‘I think as a whole I thought I played very steady throughout both days.
‘I think Lewis was absolutely unbelievable today [Sunday] and took me all the way. I really, really had to dig deep today, so a massive fair play to him.
‘When I teed off this morning [Sunday], I was having a word with the caddie and going, “I’d like to put it to bed early”. Granted, I was doing pretty well – I think I was probably about one or two under at the turn – but Lewis had come in at about four under.
‘So I was like, all right, well we’re going to be going down the back nine, so I’ve just got to keep finding fairways, keep trying to hit greens and hole the putts when you can.’
