A birdie-birdie finish secured a thrilling turnaround victory for Paul Jackson and Andrew Wilson in the final of the Lancashire Union Bell Trophy at Royal Birkdale.
FORMAT: 18-hole 4BBB stableford
In the annual betterball competition, the Hurlston Hall duo were trailing by six points at halfway to Craig Jones and James Davis of Huyton & Prescot.
But Jackson and Wilson stormed home with the former birdieing both the closing par fives to rack up 24 points on the back nine and 40 overall, beating the Huyton & Prescot duo by a point.
The victory also maintained the Ormskirk club’s amazing run in the event. Last year Terry Barham and Nick Gardner were the champions and in 2020 Philip Yin and Stephen Dix carried off the trophy for the third time.
For Jackson, who 13 years ago won the event in partnership with this year’s Collinge Trophy champion Joe Sawbridge, the secret of their success was the ability to dovetail. Plus he also had considerable help with 85-year-old Hurlston member Donald Marr – a two-time Bell Trophy winner – sharing caddying duties with club-mateMark Rimmer, a three-time champion of the event.
“We dovetailed really well all the way around,” he said
“Andy’s par on 12 was huge because I was in trouble and he parred it for two points.
“I know I birdied the last two to get birdies but Andy also had good chances and just shaved the hole for a four at the last.
“Overall it was a fantastic day. Royal Birkdale really looked after us.”
The event is open to county members of the Lancashire Union with two qualifying events taking place at Morecambe (June 15) and Rochdale (June 22). The top three from each made it in.
Jackson and Wilson, who had club-mate Neil Sheridan on the bag, got the final qualifying place at Rochdale thanks to a brilliant back nine which lifted them to 43 points and third place.
And again in the final they came good after an indifferent front nine. In fact they only had 12 points after seven holes but their round really started to gather momentum with nett birdies at 11 and 13 before Jackson, making his fifth appearance in the final, hit two brilliant pitches at the final two holes. Both his birdie putts were from inside three feet and those eight points proved decisive.