Taylor stitches birdies to secure win

Abu Dhabi: Ben Taylor clinched the boys' title at the Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship (ADJGC), in association with The Daily Telegraph, with an impressive wire-to-wire 13 under par victory, while 16-year-old Hayley Davis made her overnight advantage count to secure the 2010 girls' title.

Having led from day one, Taylor, from Surrey, England, fired a winning final round of 69 to hold off an amazing late challenge from Rhys Pugh and secure the championship.

With a final round littered with birdies, including a remarkable run of successive under-par finishes between holes 10 and 14, the 18-year-old held his nerve on the final stretch and now joins the ranks of impressive previous winners, which includes Justin Rose, the four-time European Tour winner.

"It has been an amazing journey, and to win the tournament is a great honour for me, especially having faced such tough competition," he said. "My game plan was to continue as I had played yesterday (on Monday) and focus closely on hitting the ball in all the right places. Birdies on five holes went a long way to help me clinch it."

Dubai challenge

Further down the leaderboard, 17-year-old Pugh from Wales took the runners-up slot, while Jordan Ainley finished third with a score of one over par. Dubai-based Daniel Hendry, who was representing the UAE, enjoyed a spirited final day and ended in ninth place on 13-over.

In the girls' competition, Davis was in sublime form and entered the iconic Falcon clubhouse at Abu Dhabi Golf Club with a final score of four under, leaving her well ahead of nearest rival Amy Boulden, who ended on one under par. The 16-year-old, from Dorset in England, had entered the final day with a four-shot lead and never looked in danger of losing it. In the battle for second, Boulden narrowly edged out Kelly Tiddy, despite both finishing on the same final score.

Taylor and Davis were presented with their trophies immediately after the final round by Faisal Al Shaikh, Events Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) — the championship's headline sponsor.