17 July 2011 13:38
GMT
Tom Lewis joined an elite group when he closed with a 74 to win the Silver Medal awarded to the leading amateur at the 140th Open Championship at Royal St George’s.
The 20 year-old from Welwyn Garden City finished the championship on nine over par 289, three shots ahead of US Amateur champion, Peter Uihlein, and can now takes his place among an impressive list of 39 former Medallists including Frank Stranahan, Michael Bonallack, Peter McEvoy, Hal Sutton, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Matteo Manassero.
The Silver Medal was not introduced until 1949 at Royal St George’s when, Stranahan, the legendary American amateur and friend of Ben Hogan, won the first of his record four medals.
Irishman, Joe Carr, and former R&A Secretary, Michael Bonallack, are the only other amateurs to win the Silver Medal more than once.
The following amateurs have won the Silver Medal since it was introduced in 1949: Frank Stranahan (1949, ’50, ’51, ‘53), J.W. Jones (’52), Peter Toogood (’54), Joe Conrad (‘55), Joe Carr (’56, ‘58), W.D. Smith (’57), Reid Jack (’59), Guy Wolstenholme (’60), Ronald White (’61), Charlie Green (’62), Michael Burgess (’65), Ronnie Shade (’66), Michael Bonallack (’68, ‘71), Peter Tupling (’69), Steve Melnyk (’70), Danny Edwards (’73), Peter McEvoy (’79), Jay Sigel (’80), Hal Sutton (’81), Malcolm Lewis (’82), Jose-Maria Olazabal (’85), Paul Mayo (’87), Russell Claydon (’89), Jim Payne (’91), Darren Lee (’92), Iain Pyman (’93), Warren Bennett (’94), Steve Webster (’95), Tiger Woods (’96), Barclay Howard (’97), Justin Rose (’98), David Dixon (2001), Stuart Wilson (’04), Lloyd Saltman (’05), Marius Thorp (’06), Rory McIlroy (’07), Chris Wood (’08), Matteo Manassero (’09) and Jin Jeong (’10).
Stranahan (’49), Hal Sutton (’81), Jose-Maria Olazabal (’85) and Iain Pyman (’93) all won the Silver Medal at Royal St George’s.
The Silver Medal is only awarded when the leading amateur completes 72 holes.