The eighties and nineties saw a remarkable change in fortune for Welsh golf with great success in the British Amateur Championship.

Duncan Evans of Leek Golf Club started off the trend with a thrilling victory at Royal Porthcawl in 1980 where he defeated David Suddards of South Africa.

Three years later the flamboyant Phillip Parkin of Newtown in mid-Wales stole the show at Turnberry after leading the qualifying he went on to record a convincing victory. Parkin’s victory was the first time that a current British Walker Cup player had defeated a current American Walker Cup player in the final. This success came a year after Phillip had secured the British Youths Championship at St Andrews.

Paul Mayo now the Club Professional at Newport Golf Club was the next Welshman to taste success. After losing in three quarter finals in 1984, 1985 and 1986, Mayo was determined to put the record straight. His year came in 1987. At Prestwick Mayo defeated former champion Peter McEvoy on the 35^th hole for a 3 and 1 victory.

1989 was the year of Stephen Dodd. Dodd captured the Welsh Stroke Play Championship at Conwy (Caernarvonshire) and followed that victory by clinching the Welsh Amateur at sunny Tenby. In between these two successes Dodd overturned his opposition by claiming the "British" at Royal Birkdale. In the final Dodd won four of the first five holes against Craig Cassells an Englishman from Murcar in Aberdeen who himself had been runner-up in the 1988 British Youths Championship at Royal Aberdeen. Dodd was too strong for the Englishman, seven up at lunch he cruised home for a 5 and 3 win.

Other success seemed to stem from these victories with Calvin O’Carroll from the same club as Dodd, Brynhill, capturing the British Boys in 1987 at Barassie, Simon Pardoe followed O’Carroll the following year at Formby while Aled Llyr was a beaten finalist in the 1980 final also at Formby.

The British Youths also proved to be a happy hunting ground for the Welsh; Parkin won at St Andrews New in 1982, Mayo at Sunningdale in 1983 and Richard Morris from the Padeswood and Buckley club near Chester won at Blairgowrie in 1984.

ROLL OF HONOUR