Welsh international Tom Matthews put in a brilliant display in the second Apeiron Northern Order of Merit qualifier of the season.
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play
The 2021 Welsh Amateur champion won the Delamere Horn by three shots from Matthew Lever (Bolton) and Oliver Cage (Moortown)as he opened with a six-under 66 and followed it up with 68.
“I set myself the target of 11 under after the first round and was quite surprised to have won by three,” said the Oswestry player.
“I thought someone might jump out of the pack with a 64 or 65. There were plenty of good players close enough.”
Playing in his second Northern Order of Merit – his debut came in last year’s Birkdale Goblet where he came 15th – a bogey at the first once again proved ‘a good sign’.
“For some reason if I start with a bogey it tends to settle me down,” added Matthews.
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“Thankfully the putter warmed up pretty quickly too.”
Matthews was back on level terms after the second and his round really gathered momentum after chipping in on six and a further birde on seven helped him reach the turn two under.
An eagle on 11 was quickly followed by birdies on 13 and 14 and he got to seven under with another hole out on 17.
He dropped a shot at the last as he failed to get up and down and reached halfway a shot ahead of Yorkshireman Cage.
Matthews only had a ten-minute break at half-time “but a quick lunch helps me out a lot.
The leader added: “I knew if I could get through the first six holes level I could shoot three or four under and kept telling myself to keep doing what I had been doing.”
The Welshman achieved his first ambition but got a huge bonus on seven after holing out from 20 feet for an eagle, getting the ultimate reward after a “perfect drive”.
Solid pars followed at the next two and a birdie on 10 kept him well clear before further birdies on 12 and 13 got him to 11 under for the tournament.
A miss from six feet on 16 meant he would eventually close out with a four-under round and 25 points to leave him level with overall champion Jack Brooks in the early Northern Order of Merit standings.