Bearsted golfer Matt Ford produced a big finish to win the Kent Open.

Ford hit two birdies in the final six holes at Princes Golf Club to snatch the title from Michael Lowe (Leatherhead) and Richard Wallis (Walmer & Kingsdown).

Rounds of 68, 69 and 75 gave him a four-under-par total of 212 and secured his largest winner’s cheque of the season – £2,000.

He was four shots off the lead on the 12th hole but dug deep while long-time leader Wallis faltered.

Ford said: “I made a couple of great up-and-downs on the 13th and 14th, a good two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th and hit my approach to six feet for another one on the 16th, which put me all square with Richard after he’d made bogeys at the 13th and 15th.

“I knew I needed to make at least a par down the 18th to have a good chance of winning, although at that point neither of us knew that Michael had shot 69 to be the leader in the clubhouse on three-under.”

After splitting the fairway, Ford made one of the best approaches of the day to the final green by hitting his ball to five feet. And although the putt didn’t drop, he finished on four-under-par to lift the title by one shot from Lowe.