England's Joe Long overcame practice partner Joe Harvey to win the 125th Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Just weeks after playing a midweek medal together, the 23-year-old pair went head-to-head in the 36-hole final and Long emerged a 4&3 winner to secure exemptions for the Open Championship, the US Open and the Masters.
"Wow, when you say all the exemptions it's going to be incredible," Long said. "This is what I have worked hard for since I started playing golf. I really stuck in there and battled, I am just so chuffed with it really.
"It's really good and hard at the same time (to face Harvey) because we both wanted to do well. He is a really good mate and when I win it is hard to see him lose.
"But it is all part of the sport we play and the match was played in great spirit, we enjoyed it out there."
Long, who was never behind in the final, found himself three up after 11 holes before losing the 15th and 16th, but a birdie on the 17th gave him a two-hole lead at lunch.
After losing the first hole of the afternoon, Long crucially won the sixth and seventh to extend his lead and closed it out by matching his opponent's birdie on the par-five 15th.
A gracious Harvey said: "If you had said at the beginning of the week that I would be in the final, I don't think I would have believed you. I am really chuffed with the way I have played all week.
"I would like to say 'congratulations' to Joe Long. He played great today. I was so happy for Joe when he holed that (final) putt but - as a golfer - I was gutted that my chance to win had come to an end."
