A blistering start from Ormskirk’s Andrew Haswell in the Frank Stableford Scratch Open provided the platform for yet more Apeiron Northern Order of Merit success for the Lancashire squad member.
FORMAT: 36-hole scratch stableford
The 19-year-old collected his fifth win in the competition at Wallasey yesterday, scores of 40 and 36 points leaving him one ahead of local junior Spencer Davies, who came close to a what would have been a remarkable victory on his 16th birthday.
Haswell, who was part of the Red Rose side who won the County Championship last year, claimed his first Northern Order of Merit victory at Blackburn in August and then also picked up the Eaton Talbot and a course record later that month before shooting a 12-under total in winning at Bolton Old Links in the penultimate round.
This season he has already come out on top at the S&A Bowl and last night went to the summit of the overall standings. He now leads Penwortham’s Chris Parkinson by 17 points.
Haswell said: “I’m still struggling with my irons but I drove the ball well and took advantage of the par fives and short par fours.
“I am working hard with my coach Dave Corsby and this issue but obviously it was really nice to get another win under my belt.”
The 2021 Lancashire Boys champion was six under thru 14 in the morning round and was five under on the four par fives.
The first of those (the 4th) produced his opening birdie of the day after a superb approach shot.
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“That shot really got me going,” added Haswell.
He knocked his 2 hybrid to 20 feet from 270 yards before two putting and another impressive blow at the short par four sixth set up his next birdie. He stuck his drive green side before getting up and down.
That became three under at the next as he again got pretty close with approach on the par five, finishing the job well by getting down in two from 70 feet.
He dropped a shot at the eighth but got it back at the short par four 10th where he chipped to 10 feet and sunk the putt.
Back-to-back par fives on 13 and 14 were fully taken advantage of as he again hit another long drive before just missing the target with his second. The birdie became a formality as he chipped to to two feet.
It got even better at the next as he left himself just 120 yards in after a massive drive and surged ahead of the rest by holing his eagle putt from 15 feet.
In the end he had to ‘settle’ for 40 points after failing to get up and down at the long par three 16th and then three putting the last to leave himself two points ahead of Davies and Halifax Bradley Hall’s Josh Bailes.
His afternoon effort opened in slightly odd circumstances. Starting at the 10th, Haswell topped his drive but the 304-yarder meant he still had a wedge in and, despite being unsure of where he was going – a mound obstructed his view of the green – he knocked it to seven feet and holed the putt.
He got to two under for his round at 14 and also birdied the tough second, where he sank one from 20 feet.
However three bogeys in four holes coming home meant he was dragged towards the pack and Davies only just missed out after hugely impressive under-par efforts. The youngster, who finished fourth in the Midland U-16s last month, collected his first Northern Order of Merit points (20), finishing two ahead of Stockport’s Samuel Prince, who went bogey free in posting the best score of the day in the second round (41).