Lancashire Amateur Championship ends with three-man play-off
FORMAT 72-hole stroke play
After a couple of near misses, Richie Blundell finally got over the line in the Lancashire Amateur Championship at Southport & Ainsdale yesterday but only after a nerve-wracking three-man play-off.
The 37-year-old, who has made 40 appearances for the Red Rose County’s men’s team, has twice led going into the final round without winning – in 2011 (at Manchester) and 2013 (at Hillside).
But he held his nerve in brilliant style to take the shoot-out by a shot from Lancashire Links Trophy champion James Holland while Pleasington’s Calum Metcalfe, who had stormed through the field on the final afternoon, was a shot further back.
“It doesn’t get any better than this for me on a personal perspective, “ said the Hillside player, who works for Clubhouse Golf. “I work full-time so it’s difficult to play that often.
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“I have won the Lancashire team title and county foursomes but it is nice to stand out on my own.”
Yesterday Blundell again looked in danger of just missing out as he walked up 17 trailing Holland by two. The S&A player was paired in final group with 36-hole leader John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot).
Blundell was facing an 80-footer up the 17th for birdie having left his tee shot on the edge of a bunker. He could only nudge it forward just short of the green but sunk the bomb to draw level with Metcalfe, who had birdied his last three holes on his way to a closing 67 (-5).
The Hillside player then parred the last while behind him Holland bogeyed the tough par four 17th and then parred 18 to also finish level par so the trio went back to the second to play that hole as well as 17 and 18.
The 17th would turn out to be Blundell’s friend again. Having driven into the semi rough, he pinged a 180-yard seven iron to two feet to get the first and only birdie of the play-off.
Metcalfe, who had bogeyed the second having failed to get down in two from just off the front, almost got it straight back, shaving the hole at 17 while Holland remained level par having done well to reach the green in two and then getting down from 30 feet.
At 18, Holland missed the fairway with his drive and also the putting surface short right with his approach while the leader found the middle of the green in two. The S&A man then chipped to six feet and holed the putt while Blundell made no mistake with his three-foot, title-clinching putt.
Earlier in the day the would-be champion struggled to get going and it took a stunning up and down at perilous eighth to give him some momentum.
“It was a bit scrappy early doors but getting that par at eight was a real momentum builder.”
Having short sided himself with his tee shot, he did well to restrict the damage to just a 15-foot par attempt and he holed it to stay two over par for the tournament having picked up bogeys at the second, third and fifth.
He got one back at 14 where his approach “danced around the pin” but then he hit one of the putts of the year three holes later to help him finish level par for his round (72) and set up his first county title victory.