Reuben Harvey was back from college in America and was looking to make it three in a row after his last two amateur championship wins. Whilst some in form players like Connor Talbot, Marc Duszynski and Taylor Crisp along with the home stars of Russell Oakey and Sam Renville would be looking to stop him.

Day 1 was exciting and the scoring was good. The players seemed to handle the heat pretty well. Duszynski was in early with a -2 (70), he was then joined by Halesworth’s Danny Milne and local lad Louis Sturman who was making his Suffolk Amateur debut. As the later starters began to come in the scoring remained strong. Taylor Crisp joined the group of 70s whilst Sam Renville’s -3 made him the first to break 70. Renville only had the lead for a few minutes because not long after him came defending champion Reuben Harvey; living up to expectation with a 68 (-4) to lead the field after day 1.

Day 2 was another scorcher. The top 30 and ties headed out early into the sun and once again the scoring was good. However, one players scoring was exceptional through nine holes. Patrick Coffey was -6 for his round when he approached the turn. Whilst Patricks birdie fest dried up a little bit he still posted an extremely strong 67 (-5) to take him straight to the top of the leader board. Better news for Patrick was over night leader Reuben Harvey was struggling a little as his jet lag had started to catch up with him. His morning 73 meant he now had his work cut out.

Renville, Oakey, Crisp and Talbot were all had Coffey in their sights as the PM round commenced but our new leader was unfazed. The front 9 at Bury St Edmunds was quickly turning into Patrick’s favourite place and he turned this time in -4, -10 for the tournament. As quick as Patrick began to seem out of sight, he really was. The chasing pack began to fade and Patrick’s back nine became a victory lap. He parred his final hole for a 69 and an emphatic 5 shot victory over Russel Oakey, the only other under par golfer this tournament.

Patrick’s win was a victory for many, including the SGU junior committee who were overjoyed by his win but also the 8 other juniors who made the cut. It was another junior, Ethan McCleary, who scooped the nett prize. Ethan was 5 under his handicap through 54 holes showing some great character along the way.

We must add extra special mention and hats off to Patrick for showing many just how to prepare for an event. Choosing not to attend his High School Prom Night to ensure his best performance the day after. His dedication is exceptional and his sacrifice paved the way for his well deserved success. Congratulations again Patrick Coffey - Suffolk Amateur Champion 2026!