David Corben and Harry Crockett staged a dramatic late fightback to win the 2025 Sunningdale Foursomes, overturning a 2-down deficit with three holes to play to claim a 1-up victory over Monty Holcombe and Oscar Lent.
When Walton Heath pairing Holcombe and Lent extended their advantage on Sunningdale Old's par-3 15th, it looked as though the title would be theirs.
However, Corben fired a beautiful 8-iron to three feet on the following hole, which his partner cleaned up, and when Holcombe and Lent bogeyed the 17th, the match went down to the final hole all-square.
With the match delicately poised, both Lent and Corben managed to stay calm and find the green with their approach shots.
However, moments later, Holcombe ran his long attempt from the front of the putting surface five feet past - and Lent, with the pressure on, missed the return putt for par.
Corben, a three-time Surrey county champion, was then able to step in and tidy up for a famous victory.
"It feels so emotional," said Corben. "It was so close and such a battle but we stuck in there and worked so hard.
"Losing wasn’t really an option, but we were of course up against it after 15, so it was nice to hit that shot into 16 to give us a chance.
"However, I just wanted to fight until the end for my playing partner. He was exceptional."
Corben, who plays out of Hindhead Golf Club in Surrey, was also quick to praise his fellow amateur opponents.
"Monty and Oscar are two great players who I have got to know in recent years through playing for Surrey.
"I knew when I first met them that they were going to be great players and they showed how good they are today.
"I am sure their time will come, but for us it is so special to know that we will have our names on the famous Sunningdale Foursomes winners’ board.”
Crockett, 23, from Addington Palace, who earlier made two vital clutch putts on the seventh and eighth holes to save par, added: “It feels incredible to win this event.
"David showed his class in those closing holes and it feels very special. The Foursomes is one of golf’s most famous tournaments, so to win it is unreal."
Earlier in the day, Corben and Crockett overcame last year’s champions and favorites Dylan Shaw-Radford and Harley Smith 1-up in their semi-final.
Lent and Holcombe, meanwhile, won by the same score against professionals Harry Walch, representing Quail Hollow, and former Walker Cup player Angus Flanagan (St George’s Hill).
The Sunningdale Foursomes, which was first played in 1934 with just 46 pairs, is an annual golf tournament which takes place over four days each March at Sunningdale Golf Club.
It is an open tournament for pairs featuring any combination of male or female, professional or amateur golfers - and each player is handicapped as such.
In this year’s event, the 91st edition, 128 pairs teed it up, and it proved another memorable week at the iconic venue, with a number of big names attracting huge crowds.
Former Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and Wales legend Gareth Bale, a self-confessed golf nut (a good one, at that), was playing in his first Sunningdale Foursomes.
The former professional soccer player, who also spent a short spell at Los Angeles FC towards the end of his career, exited in the first round with playing partner Matthew Wylie.
However, Solheim Cup superstars Charley Hull and Georgia Hall proved one of the stories of the tournament, advancing to the last 16 before falling to Tom Shadbolt and Ben Evans 4&3.
