Romain Langasque, 20, of France, defeated Grant Forrest, of Scotland, 4 and 2, in the 36-hole final to claim the 120th British Amateur at Carnoustie Golf Links.
With his victory, Langasque earned an exemption into next year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club, as well as a spot in the 2015 U.S. Amateur, which is scheduled for Aug. 17-23 at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. Langasque also has secured a place in next month’s British Open at St. Andrews and a likely invitation to the 2015 Masters Tournament.
Langasque becomes the third Frenchman to win the Amateur Championship, joining Philippe Ploujoux in 1981 and Julien Guerrier in 2006.
“This is just a dream for me,” said Langasque, who entered the championship No. 72 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking™. “It is just incredible that I am going to play at St Andrews in one month’s time for the [British] Open.”
Langasque, who hails from Cabris in southern France, took control from the outset, building as much as a 5-up lead during the morning 18. He converted three consecutive birdies from No. 8, and when Forrest bogeyed the par-4 11th, he was 5 down.
Forrest, 22, battled back and trailed by three holes heading into the lunch break when Langasque lost the 18th hole after driving into a right-fairway bunker. His approach landed in a greenside bunker and his third went out of bounds to the left of the green.
Forrest’s hopes of mounting a comeback were dented when his opening drive of the afternoon found a bush and he lost the hole. He fell farther behind when his tee shot found the rough on the 20th hole, and Langasque birdied the par-4 21st after driving the green. Langasque went 7 up on the 23rd hole, after Forrest missed the green to the left.
But Forrest, who recently finished his college career at the University of San Diego, won the 24th with a birdie and the 26th after Langasque found a bunker with his tee shot. Forrest’s rally continued on the 30th hole when he holed a near 60-foot eagle putt. At the 32nd hole, Langasque found three bunkers and Forrest won the hole with a birdie 4.
Langasque ended Forrest’s comeback by hitting a wonderful 190-yard, 7-iron approach from a fairway bunker on the 33rd hole, which was halved. He closed out Forrest after knocking a 4-iron tee shot to the par-3 34th hole to 10 feet for a conceded win.