Tommy Fleetwood is the English champion after a battling performance in a see-saw 36-hole final that went the distance at Little Aston.

The pupil of Putting Coach Phil Kenyon edged out Surrey's Warren Harmston by one hole after he had been 2 down with seven to play and looking like another national title would pass him by.  But a run of three birdies in four holes from the 12th turned the final on its head after Harmston had been in the driving seat for much of the morning and a great deal of the afternoon round.

So it was a mightily relieved Fleetwood who added his name to an illustrious list of champions of this old event, celebrating its 80th playing.

"I was due a win in a national event," said Fleetwood. "I was shocked to be 2 down after 11 holes this afternoon and it didn't look promising.  I hit good putts on the tenth and 11th but I wasn't getting the run of the ball. But from then on my game turned round completely.

"All I was thinking all the way round I didn't want to end my amateur career on a low. But I hit some good birdies and it all came right in the end.  When I went 1 up on the first this afternoon it was the first time I'd been up in a final since the Amateur Championship which must be well over 100 holes."

Harmston, who looked for much of the final as if he would pull off a superb victory, was naturally disappointed.

"It's never nice to lose but credit Tommy. He made the birdies at the right time which swung the match in his favour," he said.  "I didn't expect to reach the final but having done so it's a bit frustrating after all the hard work over the week. But I'll take a lot of good things away from this week."

Having lost three national finals, the Amateur Championship, Spanish and New South Wales, Fleetwood had laid his personal bogey and joined the likes of Sir Michael Bonallack, Nick Faldo, Mark James and Paul Casey on the English Amateur Roll of Honour.