SOUTH-EAST Essex’s top amateur, Matthew Southgate, won the prestigious 2010 St Andrews Links Trophy with a final round five under par 67 over the Old Course.

The driving rain failed to deter the 21-year-old from Thorpe Hall whose 13 under par total of 275 was five better than Philip McLean from Peterhead and Stiggy Hodgson from Sunningdale, who tied for second on eight under par.

A member of the England A squad, Southgate’s biggest win prior to this was the Essex Open, but he has been knocking on the door in recent times with second spot in the 2008 English County Champions event, third place in last year’s Welsh Open strokeplay while this year he has finished fifth in the Portuguese Amateur and seventh in the Irish Open Amateur.

“I couldn’t have picked a better place for my biggest win,” said Southgate, who shared the lead at halfway with Denmark’s Daniel Lokke and Welshman Ben Westgate on six-under-par 138.

Hodgson took over the lead after a third-round 67 for 207, one ahead of Southgate, who forged clear on the final circuit with his own 67, going out in 34 and coming home in 33.

The event attracted some of the world’s top amateur players and has been won in the past by top names such as Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia who have gone on to become top players in the professional ranks.

After his latest success, Southgate is staying north of the border for next week’s Amateur Championship at Muirfield.