Sell sold short in one-shot surrender

If history is any judge, the name of Alejandro Larrazabal will become a familiar one. By winning the 107th Amateur Championship here, with a one-hole victory over Martin Sell, Larrazabal became the third Spaniard to take the title. His near-namesake Jose Maria Olazabal was the first in 1984, when he beat Colin Montgomerie at Formby, while Sergio Garcia defeated Craig Williams at Muirfield in 1998.

As well as his name on the ancient trophy, first awarded in 1885, the 22-year-old Larrazabal will now participate in the Open Championship at Muirfield in July and in the Masters at Augusta next April. Olazabal became a two-time Masters champion, while Garcia won the silver medal as low amateur when he first went to Augusta in 1999.

Sell, the 23-year-old from Swindon, almost produced a remarkable comeback in the 36-hole final after going four down in the morning. Should he go on to a professional career, Montgomerie would not be a bad role model to follow.

Larrazabal has just finished his time at college in America. "I was thinking of turning professional for the Qualifying School this year," he said. "Now, for sure, I am going to wait. It's amazing to win."

His pedigree is considerable. His parents, Gustavo and Elena, a three-time Spanish Ladies champion, both play off a handicap of two. Alejandro and his 19-year-old brother Pedro both play off plus-two at El Prat in Barcelona. All four have represented Spain.

Sell, meanwhile, played football until the age of 16 and only got down to scratch two years ago. Representing Wiltshire was the height of his career. The gritty way he went about clawing back the Spaniard's lead must have impressed the national selectors. His game-plan was only undone by a putter that refused to offer a decent return.

Larrazabal has an impressively powerful swing but an indecent disregard for the fairway. If you didn't know where he came from, his Spanish golfing genes would be immediately obvious. His short game and putting were silky.

More, too, may be seen of the wonderfully manic Pedro, who acted as his brother's caddie and scampered all over the course in search of Alejandro's drives, the bag precariously perched on the trailing trolley. "Pedro was a big help to keep my confidence up," the champion said. "He was always there for me. For sure, he will caddie for me at Muirfield and Augusta."

Larrazabal almost drove the green at the first and soon built a four-up lead. But he lost a ball off the tee at the 17th to fall back to three-up at lunch. Twice on the front nine in the afternoon Sell got a hole back only to lose it again. But he won the 10th and the 11th before the Spaniard birdied the par-five 12th. Another poor drive at the 15th cost Larrazabal that hole, while the 16th was classic matchplay.

Both were short of the green in two and Sell's chip came up 40 feet short while Larrazabal put his to six feet. Sell's putt was travelling a conservative 10 feet past when the hole intercepted it and then Larrazabal missed to lose a hole he thought he'd win.

"I was buzzing when I got the match back to square and I was determined to hit the fairway at the 17th but pulled it into the rough," Sell said. Instead, Larrazabal found the green at the par five in two, despite the memory of the lost ball in the morning, and went ahead again with a birdie.

Both drove well at the last but Sell missed the green on the right while Larrazabal punched a seven-iron that almost hit the pin and finished seven feet away. He raised his arms to celebrate and when Sell duffed his chip just on to the green he conceded. "I am absolutely shattered and disappointed," Sell said. "But I came here with no expectations so I have to be delighted to have made the final."