Chris Parkinson came in as the latest of late replacements for Sunday’s Birkdale Goblet but certainly took full advantage as he won blue riband Apeiron Northern Order of Merit event by one shot.
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play
The Penwortham player, who is second in the overall standings, was originally second reserve when the uber-strong field was initially released by the Open venue.
After playing in The Northern Order of Merit event at Childwall on Friday, Parkinson was still not in the field but a late withdrawal by Greg Holmes opened the door and on Saturday he was told he had made it in at 24 hours notice.
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The Lancashire player then held it together well after a dreadful start – he was three over par for his first five holes – and finished one ahead of Hillside’s Tom Watson and Northumberland golfer Jonny Cossar (Ramside Hall). A birdie at the last proved very handy for Parkinson as he closed out on level par for his two rounds.
“I felt like I could do well round there,” said Parkinson, who has now won five Northern Order of Merit events in the last two years. “Having played it enough times, I knew where to be and where not to be.
“I have been playing decent over the last couple of months but it hasn’t really happened. This week I gave myself a bit of a talking to and I was really pleased with my attitude. I kept my head, even after leaving three in the bunker at 15.”
Parkinson reached the par five 15th three under for his second round, having opened up with a two-over-par 74 in the morning.
He parred 16 and 17 before just missing the green at the par five last, before two putting from 40 feet to close with a 70.
With Northern Order of Merit leader Andrew Haswell (Ormskirk) and West Lancashire’s Adam Ryan having opened with a 68 (-4), Parkinson had a lot of ground to make up.
But the cards fell nicely for him as Haswell (79) dropped out of it and Ryan imploded down the stretch, finishing bogey, quadruple bogey, triple bogey, birdie, bogey. He would eventually finish with an 81 but a day later would have plenty to celebrate thanks to his win in the four-round North West Links Trophy, which combines the Birkdale Goblet and Hillside Pines.
Having started the second round six back of the two leaders, Parkinson made an immediate move by birdieing two and three, holing out from 40 feet to get things going.
“I played really well in the afternoon” added Parkinson. “I hit 16 greens in regulation and gave myself a lot of chances. I was please that I stayed patient and it all worked out in the end.”
The 34-year-old ended a run of seven pars in a row with a birdie on 11, where he finally took advantage of another excellent approach, rolling one in from 15 feet.
However disaster struck at the par five 15th, where he just missed the green in two and then tried to get a bit greedy out of the sand trap. After escaping at the third attempt he two putted for a double but held it together with pars on 16 and 17 before that critical birdie at the last.
He had more than an hour to wait to see if he had done enough and Hillside player Watson was in the final group out but his birdie at the last was not quite enough as he closed out with a one-under 71 to claim second on countback ahead of Cossar.