Eight years after winning it for the first time, Moseley’s Richard Sadler rolled back the years in claiming the Midland Union Mid Amateur Open Championship at Drayton Park.
FORMAT 36-hole stroke play
The 52-year-old Worcestershire stalwart’s second round 69 left him two clear of another couple of ‘oldies’ – 47-year-old Ross Overton and 50-something Thomas Ryder.
Sadler, who is his county’s record points scorer, struggled with his irons but his short game came to the rescue time and again.
He said: “Overall the golf wasn’t very good and I only won it because I got up and down about ten times in the second round.
“Chipping was my main strength but you don’t get days like that every day.”
Having started the second round five behind behind Ryder, the Moseley player holed a 15-footer at the second to kick start his charge towards the title.
And at the stroke index one eighth, the 2010 Midland Closed champion fired a nine iron to three feet to get to three under for his round.
At the 11th a double bogey saw him drop back to level par overall as his short game briefly let him down before a birdie at 17 took him two under par for his round.
Unfortunately for Ryder, six bogeys in seven holes on the back nine saw him sink back into pack and he finished one back of last year’s champion Overton in third.
Leading scores (par 71)
1) Richard Sadler (+3, Moseley) 72, 69, 141 (-1)
2) Ross Overton (+3, Sherwood Forest) 74, 69, 143 (+1)
3) Thomas Ryder (+2, Drayton Park) 69, 75, 144 (+2)
4= Ben Woodward (+2, Worcester Golf & CC) 73, 73, 146 (+4)
4= Darren Kirton (+3, College Pines) 72, 74, 146 (+4)
4= Scott Armitage (+2, John O’Gaunt) 71, 75, 146 (+4)
7) Stephen Creed (+2, Stratford-on-Avon) 74, 73, 147 (+5)
8= Adrian Marshall (0, Herefordshire) 75, 73, 148 (+6)
8= Gordon Foster (+2, Harpenden Common) 74, 74, 148 (+6)
8= Richard Bee (0, Rotherham) 74, 74, 148 (+6)
For full scores click here
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