The old adage ‘beware the injured golfer’ struck again at the Senior Frank Stableford Open at Wallasey where Lindrick’s Kevin Parkes won by one point.
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play
The 56-year-old has enjoyed an excellent start to the season, finishing second in the West of England Seniors at Burnham & Berrow last month.
However an open victory has always eluded him and he wasn’t looking good to break his duck at Wallasey either – it also counts towards the England Golf Seniors Order of Merit – as he struggled with an elbow problem, packing it in ice for three days in the hope of making it to The Wirral venue.
During that time he didn’t hit a ball, finally giving his left elbow a go as he teed off in the 36-hole scratch event on Wednesday.
But it all worked out for the former rugby player, who edged out England international Trevor Foster (Pleasington) thanks to scores of 35 and 36 points.
“I wasn’t going to play,” said the accountant.
“My elbow was resting on a bag of peas for three days but I took the chance and it paid off.”
Parkes’s performances this year are all the more commendable as he only became a scratch golfer last year having taken up the game at 34.
He quickly got down to six but then got stuck at that mark before working a bit harder to reach four eight years ago. Since then he has ramped up his practice and conditioning schedule and his current +0.4 mark is the lowest of his life.
“I have put the work in and have also concentrated a lot on stretching and the physical side of things,” added Parkes.
“I have also got some proper coaching and the work I have been doing with Andy Rossington (Lindrick head professional) has made a difference.”
At Wallasey his first round was a highly eventful one. He recorded six birdies, half of them coming in quick succession after he triple bogeyed the sixth.
He was two under after 16 but finished with three bogeys to finish one over and yesterday he finished double bogey, bogey, par as well as collecting a further four birdies for a champions-winning level-par score.
“I think it is fair to say I didn’t like the finishing holes,” joked Parkes
“Overall I am obviously really happy and it was very satisying to respond like I did after what happened at the sixth in the first round.”
* Computer problems mean we are unable to bring you the leading scores from the competition