England international Jack Brooks overcame a slow start and an-almost-disastrous missed alarm call to claim the highly-competitive Lancashire Links Trophy.
The event is made up of two Northern Order of Merit events – The Formby Hare and the Southport & Ainsdale Bowl – with the 30-year-old Mere GC golfer winning by three shots from Carus Green’s Will Coxon.
But Brooks almost did not make it the to the first tee at S&A on the Sunday.
“I had a 7am tee off and I’d set my alarm for 4.30am but didn’t get up until 5.45am,” said Brooks. “It takes an hour to get there so I just had to go straight to the first tee without any warm up and play.”
The extra hour in bed may have been beneficial for the plus six handicapper as he birdied the long par three first on his way to two rounds of 70 with his father on the bag.
The 2023 Northern Order of Merit running order
At Formby Brooks went out in 42 but a one under par inward nine kept him in the competition.
He added: “I have grown up playing these courses so know how tough they are and just tried to keep it simple. That said to go in 42 was not the plan but I pulled it back a bit on the back nine and then played really nicely in the afternoon.”
A second round 68 left him six shots behind Formby Hare winner Callan Barrow but with the Royal Lytham player not competing at S&A, the effective leader at halfway was Jack McPhail, who was one shot clear going into 36 holes on his home course.
However McPhail failed to sparkle – he had a pair of 73s – and it was Coxon who came through into second thanks to rounds of 70 and 71, two shots behind the S&A Bowl winner Jamie Van Wyk (Royal Lytham).