EVERY aspiring golfer dreams of sinking a putt on the 72nd hole at St Andrews to win The Open.

And while that’s not exactly what Park North’s Jake Bolton did in Scotland last weekend, to him, it will feel close enough for now.

Trailing by five shots as he started his fourth round on The Dukes Course on Sunday, the Ogbourne Downs member would ultimately emerge victorious at the Scottish Open Amateur Championship thanks to a birdie on the final hole.

The 21-year-old was the joint leader after Friday’s opening round courtesy of a sparkling 64 before Saturday’s three-under effort sent him out on his own at the top.

Yet, a disastrous third round on Sunday morning – wrecked by a mud-ball and some unfortunate lies in the rough – sent Bolton to five-over before the afternoon’s final round.

Behind by five shots with 18 holes to play, Bolton vowed to his dad that he would continue fighting until the end, and one magical round of 64 later, the Swindonian rolled in a putt to give him his first major tournament success.

“I told my dad, who was caddying for me, to go and get a drink and some food ahead of the fourth round,” said Bolton.

“I had a sandwich in the bag, but I was quite frustrated at what had just happened in my third round.

“I hadn’t played badly, I was just unlucky, and I didn’t want to eat.

“I went straight to the putting green and just had 20 minutes to myself to warm down while also preparing myself for heading straight back out.

“When we got to the first tee, I said to my dad ‘we’re going to give it everything this afternoon.’ I ended up shooting seven under and birdying the last to win. It was quite unbelievable.”

The Swindon golfer revealed how the disappointment of missing out on a place in this year’s Walker Cup team – the Amateur men’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup – potentially fuelled the fire within to go and show those who made the decision what they had missed out on.

Bolton admitted to being equal parts relieved and excited as the ball hit the bottom of the cup for the final time, and is looking forward to achieving more success in the future as he works his way towards making it as a professional.

The 21-year-old said: “Once I holed that final putt, it was a mix of relief and excitement.

“More relief because of the hard work that goes in all year and me telling everyone at the golf club that one is definitely going to come soon.

“I’ve been playing well all year, but I just hadn’t got over the line, so it was really nice to get this one done.”