Andy DevaneyStuart Archibald made Logan Trophy history at Hadley Wood Golf Club as the Test Valley golfer edged 2023 champion David Corben by a single shot to become only the fifth player to win the title three times.
It was not quite a procession, though for two rounds it looked as if Archibald might have mislaid the field somewhere in the Hertfordshire rough. He began the final day with a three-shot lead, and a closing 71, one under par, proved just enough to get the job done.
Just enough, of course, is still enough. Golf does not care for neat margins or tidy coronations. It prefers to leave a man staring at a four-footer while his pulse plays the drums.
Archibald Joins A Very Short List
Archibald’s third Logan Trophy title puts him in rare company. Only four players before him had managed the same feat, and this latest win also makes it back-to-back victories for a golfer who arrived at Hadley Wood with more domestic turbulence than competitive rhythm.
He was chased hard by Corben, whose final-round 68, four under par, was the best sort of nuisance: elegant, aggressive and deeply inconvenient for the man out in front. But Archibald had enough in hand, enough control in the closing stretch, and enough memory in the muscles to finish at the top.
For a player who admitted he has hardly been living the life of a full-time tournament machine, it was some piece of work.
He said: “I’m surprised I managed to keep myself in contention as I’ve been rusty. I’d only played one big tournament this year but I’m delighted to get over the line as I know fellow Hampshire golfer Alan Mew had won three titles, so it was always a goal of mine to see if I could equal his and maybe get four in the future.
“Next year is at my old club Blackmoor. I love that place and it’ll be great to have a few people watching that I know, and to have a good go at it.
“We had our second daughter recently, my other daughter is starting school soon, we’re moving house, I’ve started a new job recently – everything has been quite chaotic so golf has taken a bit of a backseat but I’ve got a few things at the end of August/September and I’ll keep going and see what happens next year!”
Corben’s Charge Made Him Earn It
Corben, the 2023 champion, did everything required of a pursuer except quite catch the leader. His closing 68 moved him to three under par overall, one shot behind Archibald, and ensured the final round had a proper edge rather than the faint hum of administrative inevitability.
That mattered. A third title should not come wrapped in tissue paper. It should require a little discomfort, a narrowing leaderboard, and the sense that one loose swing might send the whole thing sideways.
Archibald’s 71 did not need fireworks. It needed composure. On a day when Corben was pressing, that was the more useful currency.
Only Three Players Finished Under Par
The scoring told its own story. Kevin Freeman of The Berkshire finished third on one under par overall, three shots behind Archibald and two behind Corben.
Only three players ended the 54 holes under par, which gives the result a little extra weight. This was not a week for decorative scoring or careless birdie binges. Hadley Wood asked enough questions to make the leaderboard honest, and Archibald answered just enough of them better than everyone else.
A Champion With Plenty Going On
There is something pleasingly human about a golfer winning a historic title while life is staging a full-scale ambush in the background. A new baby, another child starting school, a house move, a new job and tournament rust is not exactly the traditional blueprint for calm championship golf.
Yet that is precisely the charm of this victory. Archibald did not arrive as a perfectly polished golfing machine. He arrived as a man trying to keep several plates spinning while someone quietly added a chainsaw.
Then he won anyway.
Asked about celebrations, he admitted: “I’ll be trying to find some way of resting and recuperating before getting up at 1am to watch England hopefully beat Mexico!”
A third Logan Trophy title, a place in the history books, and an alarm set for the small hours. Golf, like life, rarely allows anyone to enjoy a clean follow-through.
