Fantastic news as Andy Marshall surged up the field from 9th place to a brilliant 5th place finish with a superb final-round 67 (-5). It was a tremendous charge on the final day and a performance full of quality, determination, and consistency under pressure.

The scoring across the leaderboard makes for fascinating reading. The top five players all recorded a very similar number of birdies, showing just how strong Andrew’s scoring potential is. When you compare the numbers, it’s clear he is right up there with the very best in terms of creating chances and converting them.

Andrew’s performance included an impressive 19 birdies, matching the leaders. The question now is where the few dropped shots came from. Were they down to course position, approach-play pressure, or just a few putts that slipped by? These are small, fine details — and exploring them with Andrew will no doubt help him uncover even more improvement, which is an exciting prospect given how well he is already playing.

Chatting to him will hopefully help uncover what’s happening out on the course. It’s always difficult to judge from the outside, and Andrew and I have had many conversations over the years about how his rounds unfold. It will be great to catch up properly and hear his thoughts firsthand once he’s had the chance to rest and reflect.

After wishing him congratulations, I did manage to exchange a quick text with Andrew. He replied:

> “Hi Stevie B, I’m obviously delighted with what the top 10 means. But very tired also — it’s been a looong trip!!!”



I messaged back wishing him a few well-earned days off and told him we’d catch up properly very soon.

Overall, it’s been a fantastic season for Andrew, capped off with a superb 9th-place finish in the Order of Merit — a brilliant achievement and a great platform to build from heading into next year.

Well played again, Andrew — it’s been great to see you enjoy such a successful season and represent Dereham Golf Club so proudly.