Midland Golf Union
Lincolnshire Seniors Crowned EG Senior County Final Winners at Horrogate.
Lincolnshire Seniors Crowned EG Senior County Final Winners edging out Cheshire by a single point.
On a dramatic day where all four sides went into the final day level on match points, Cheshire beat Cornwall 5.5-3.5, while Lincolnshire and Sussex battled out a nail-biter.
With either team needing 3.5 points from their six singles matches to win the title, Lincolnshire had to dig deep in the final three matches and it was 67-year-old captain Richard Latham who delivered the crucial point to ensure they’d lift the trophy, after their narrow miss in 2024.
On the final day all three foursomes matches went to the death showing the competitiveness of the final day. Kevin Blow and Darren Fuller (Lincs) were 4-down against Steve Graham and John Newsome through eight but Blow’s brilliant shot to six feet from 70 yards saw them win 9 before they added holes 11, 12 and 13 to level the tie. On 14 Fuller hit a great bunker shot stiff but Graham knocked in a magnificent 20-footer for birdie from off the green. Blow then delivered a magical bunker shot to gimme distance on 18 as Graham’s short putt went by as the match finished tied.
Adrian Allen and Colin Trestrail (Lincs, pictured above) were the only pairing to win all their foursomes matches at the event, although they were made to work for it against Andrew Smith and Arwel Roberts, who birdied the 1st. On the 11th Trestrail stiffed one to six inches but Smith rolled in a 25-footer to halve the hole. A great par on 16 got the Lincolnshire pairing ahead before a sublime chip from Allen on the last to gimme distance was enough to seal a 1-up win.
Doug Park and Richard Allen (Sussex) had a nip-and-tuck match with Richard Latham and Ken Spencer, and despite being 3-down through 13, the Lincoln duo hit back to win 15 and 17. On 18, Latham’s 30-foot birdie putt agonisingly rolled over the hole to save the match, before Park’s putt just about stayed in the hole to complete the win 1-up.
In the singles, Lincolnshire got the perfect start as their star man of the week Adrian Allen won 4&3, thanks to birdies on 1, 4 and 7. His opponent Matthew Allen made a good birdie on 10, but Allen saw out victory to make it six wins from six matches played in a tremendous week of golf.
Colin Trestrail was looking set for another unbeaten week but ran out of steam as a rampant Andrew Smith (Sussex) beat him 6&5, making birdies on 2, 4 and 8 thanks to some stunning approach play.
But Lincolnshire were on track with Kevin Blow, who made a great up-and-down from 120 yards up against a tree root for birdie on 7, before adding another on 11 and 12. Doug Park kept in the hunt with a birdie on 14 but a great up-and-down on 17 was enough for Blow to win 2&1.
One of the greatest matches of the tournament proved to be pivotal between Darren Fuller (Lincs) and Martin Galway. Galway hit to a foot for birdie on 1, before chipping in from 40 yards for another on 2! Fuller birdied 7 and 9 before chipping in for another on 10 in some high-quality golf. Fuller made another as he hit to two feet on 15, but Galway matched him once again, before making a great par from the trees to save 16. On the 18th, it looked as if Fuller had done enough until Galway had rolled in a marvellous 25-foot putt for birdie, piling the pressure on his opponent. However, Fuller celebrated as he matched his partner with yet another birdie with a fine 15-foot putt. Remarkably, it was Galway’s first loss at the Senior County Finals in 23 matches spanning five events.
Ken Spencer (Lincs) and Richard Allen halved 4 in birdies with Allen hitting to six feet and Spencer to tap-in distance, before Allen chipped in for birdie on 8.
With Spencer behind, it looked like Lincolnshire’s hopes hinged on captain and stalwart Richard Latham behind them, who found himself 2-down through seven. But Latham knocked in a 15-footer for birdie on 8 and the 67-year-old got it back to 1-down on 14.
With Spencer 1-down heading down the last, all eyes were on Latham on 17 who delivered a tremendous drive and even better approach shot, and in a fitting finale after last year’s disappointment of falling at the final hurdle, Latham rattled in his birdie to win 2&1 in emotional scenes.
Meanwhile, Spencer went up the 18th to win the hole and half a point, as Lincolnshire won in style in Yorkshire for their first ever Senior Men's County title.
Captain Richard Latham said: "It feels wonderful and means the world to everyone. Last year really hurt when we just missed out. It's been a long season to get here, we prepared well and here we are - we are champions of England and it feels very good to say that!"
Asked about his winning contribution, he added: "I did know the situation although I pretended I didn't, and I probably hit the best drive of the day I could, and the second shot just flew straight at the flag and stopped six feet from it. I knocked it in and won the match there and that was it!"
Lincolnshire teammate Adrian Allen, who was the only player of the week to win all six of his matches, added: "I don't know what the secret was, I had very good teammates and a great foursomes partner, but I had belief in the team and just had to keep on playing and keep in the zone. I'm amazed myself!
"We're going to be going back to Lincolnshire and I'm hoping Richard is going to be putting something on for us - a big celebration!"
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