Dubbo's Jones Comerford runner-up at Golf NSW Country Championship

Only a barnstorming finish from Royal Canberra's Harry Bolton stopped the Dubbo youngster from taking out the Golf NSW title at the Forbes Golf Club.

The highly-rated Bolton further enhanced his reputation by holding his nerve in a see-saw battle which saw the lead change hands several times over the closing holes.

Bolton finished at nine under par for the two-round tournament, a shot in front of Comerford.

Charlestown's Jye Pickin was in third place, another shot back at seven under.

"With tournament golf back, it's nice to get off to a hot start with a win like this," Bolton said, having endured little play due to COVID in recent times.

"I said to my mum yesterday I still had some nervous jitters getting back into the mix of it, but it was nice to be back playing."

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Dubbo was also represented at Forbes by Lachie Jones, who finished inside the top 20 at four over par.

Bolton started the final round two shots behind first-round leader, Goulburn's Dominic Falk. After a quiet start, it wasn't until the par-four 5th that he posted his first birdie for the day. He consolidated it with three more on the front nine to turn for home at seven under.

Bolton, however, wasn't the only one who was stalking the lead. Playing in the group in front, Dubbo's Comerford found some form, and with five birdies in the opening nine holes, soon became the player they were chasing.

Comerford continued to pile the pressure on with birdies on the 12th and 13th to get to eight under. A third birdie on the 16th (his 17th) to get to nine under with a hole to play looked like it might be enough, but when he couldn't save par on the 17th, his tournament was over.

Jye Pickin, playing alongside Falk and Bolton, also turned in two-under to grab a share of the lead at the halfway mark, while Falk was hanging on just a shot back.

As they say, though, the tournament doesn't begin until the back nine Sunday. Sadly for Pickin, a misbehaving driver meant his chances were few and far between on the run home, and his seven-under total saw him fall a couple short, while for Polk, the red-hot putter he rode to seven birdies in Saturday's open round suddenly went cold, leaving him rueing plenty of missed opportunities.

Bolton, however, was the man who held his nerves in check, and five straight pars from the 10th to the 15th kept him close enough to pounce.

Birdies on 15 and 16 got him to nine under, and a miracle par save on the 17th meant a regulation par on the last was going to be enough for the 24-year-old to lift his first major trophy.

Comerford finished with a second round 66, with two bogeys on the back nine the only blips on his scorecard.

Jones had rounds of 73 and 75.

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