CALLUM McPhillips graduated in style by winning this year’s Bolton Golf Championship.

A former winner of the junior event in 2013, the Bolton Old Links player saw off Turton’s Mark Millhouse to win this year’s main prize at Hart Common Golf Club.

Having come through qualifying, the quarter-finals and the last four, McPhillips was a 4&3 winner over Millhouse, completing victory at the short 15th.

A strong opening nine, including a birdie at the sixth, saw the eventual winner race to four in front at the turn.

That became five with a solid par on the 10th before Millhouse pulled one back at the 11th.

The Turton man, a semi-finalist last year, was unable to make further inroads though as they matched each other shot for shot over the next four holes, meaning McPhillips got his hands on the trophy.

He had seen off Ben McSorley in the semi-finals by the same 4&3 scoreline.

A tight opening to the match meant the players were all square through six.

McPhillips then made the decisive move, winning three of the next four holes to move out in front.

He birdied the short par-four 12th before McSorley hit back meaning he was two down with five to play.

But a slip from McSorley at the next, missing the green at the par-three 14th, put McPhillips back in the ascendancy, the 2019 champion winning that hole and the next to take his place in the final.

Millhouse booked his spot in the decider with a win against 2016 champion Danny Hunt in a close match that went to the 20th hole.

Deane member Hunt looked like making his experience in the competition pay when he moved two up through five holes.

He then however missed a short putt on the 10th and failed to get up and down from the left-hand bunker on the par-three 14th, meaning the match was back to all square with four holes to play.

Three sets of pars took play to the long par-four closing 18th at Hart Common.

Hunt played to within 10ft of the pin with his second shot and with Millhouse only able to make par he had a putt for victory which agonisingly missed the cup.

There were two par fours at the 19th before the decisive moment came at the par-three 20th.

Hunt missed the green with his tee shot and saw the speed of the greens take his resulting chip past the pin.

He could not sink the return putt and Millhouse made sure of victory.

The quarter-finals had seen two of the pre-tournament favourites bite the dust.

McSorley got the better of defending champion Anthony Stirling 2&1 in a match he was always in control of after a birdie on the first hole.

McSorley was three up at the turn but Stirling was not done, winning the 11th and 12th to close the gap to just one down.

It was short-lived, though, as McSorley won the 15th to move two in front, before closing the match out on the 17th.

McPhillips had continued his road to the title by winning on the final hole against two-time champion Liam Ball, who also lost out in last year’s final.

After being initially ahead, the 2019 trophy winner was pegged back with the match all square through nine holes.

McPhillips edged ahead of the 12th and kept his nose in front before making sure of victory on the last to win 2 up.

Finalist Milliouse was a narrow winner against Deane’s Ben Killey in the last eight.

Millhouse was always ahead in this close match, only for Killey to win the 18th to take the match to extra holes.

The reprieve was short-lived though, Millhouse clinching victory at the 19th.

Elsewhere, Hunt had hit four birdies in his 5&3 quarter-final victory over fellow Deane member Ashley Williams.

The qualifying 36 holes were played on Saturday, June 15, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final played last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings respectively.

The competition to be crowned Bolton’s best golfer has been staged annually since 1913.