Bishop’s Stortford High School student Ben Sessions comes fourth in Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship

Ben Sessions showed bags of character as he recovered from a disappointing first round to finish fourth in the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship.

The Bishop’s Stortford High School student was six over par at the end of the opening 18 holes in Portugal, but, two rounds later, ended up two under par and only two shots adrift of the joint runners-up.

Sessions, 16, lined up alongside 11 other boys, aged 12 to 18, at Quinta do Lago to battle it out for the unofficial major of junior golf.

He was also bidding to follow in the footsteps of fellow Bishop’s Stortford Golf Club member and friend Max Hopkins, who became the youngest winner of the Telegraph Junior Golf Championship in 2017 when, as a 14-year-old, he shot a two-under total of 214 over the three rounds. He was also joint runner-up two years later.

Sessions endured a difficult opening round on the venue’s South Course as he shot a six-over-par 78.

But the talented teenager, who made his England under-16s debut in the autumn, showed his class and determination to bounce back with a bogey-free five-under-par 67.

He then concluded the tournament, whose previous winners include event sponsor Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick, with an eagle, birdie finish for a three-under-par 69 in the third round.

Sessions finished fourth on two under par, two shots behind Ben Bolton, of Enville Golf Club, and Romford’s Henry Styles.

Champion Charlie Rusbridge, from Colne Valley, produced an outstanding 12-under-par total to claim the trophy.