Having been the first golfer to win the Island Men’s Championship at La Grande Mare back in 2019, Nicolle is now the first to claim the title on two different courses after he capped a brilliant week with a superb display to beat four-time champion Danny Blondel 8 & 7 in Sunday’s 36-hole final at L’Ancresse.
Not only did the victory mean he got his hands on the Bachmann Trophy for a second time, but doing it over his home links fulfilled a long-held ambition.
‘I grew up by the 10th. My dad got me into the game when I was about five and I’ve been desperate to win it down here for a long time now,’ Nicolle said.
‘I feel like I’ve had some really good chances since winning it down La Grande Mare, so to finally get the monkey off my back here now, hopefully we can press on and maybe pick up a couple more.’
Throughout last week, Nicolle looked like a man on a mission and from an early stage he was being tipped for success by Guernsey golf stalwarts, delivering in impressive fashion as, after overcoming the in-form Dave Robinson in the first round, he beat three former champions as well as the current Island strokeplay champion to finish as the last man standing.
‘I think I was on a losing streak to the eventual winner for the last four seasons, something like that, so to go on and win it this year was special,’ said Nicolle.
‘The last two years have been really difficult on me personally with injuries. Playing last year was excruciating at times and losing to Lewis [Marley] was a sore pill to swallow at the time because I feel like I played well, but I knew deep down if I was to get to the final, I would have been in big trouble fitness-wise.
‘So feeling much fresher this year and working on a lot of things through the winter, coming into this week, I felt I’m at my fittest I’ve been for a while and if it’s going to be any time, it’s going to be now.’
To make it an extra special success, Nicolle had his father Dave at his side the whole way.
‘Dad’s caddied for me for the last few years and with him not having won one before, I’ve really wanted to do it with him on the bag.
‘Obviously he got me into the game as a kid, so it’s just amazing to finally get it done and to get it done down here where I started playing the game – yeah, I’m relieved and absolutely ecstatic.’
The champion, who turns 30 this week, now has a Channel Islands Championship match to look forward to over his home course, too.
‘Some of the Jersey boys have been messaging me, glad to see me back playing, whether that’s because I’m an easy point in an Inter-Insular, I don’t know,’ he said with a laugh.
‘But it’s nice to see that some support coming from them and I’m loving being back in the spotlight as it were, playing at the top level again locally, and we’ll see what happens.
'Hopefully we can walk away with another trophy because I don’t have that one to my name yet.’
