Spalding Golf Club ace Simon Richardson pulled off an astonishing final-hole birdie to shoot a four-under par 69 and win the English Men’s County Champion of Champions tournament by a stroke.
The championship, on the Hotchkin course at Woodhall Spa, was reduced to 18 holes after fog delayed the start of play by three hours.
But the slow start was forgotten in a dramatic finish. BB&O’s Tim Shin had set the clubhouse target on three-under par, shortly before Richardson reached the last tee on the same mark.
Something special was called for, but the Spalding player’s drive finished on the edge of the left hand fairway bunker and his second shot clipped a tree and swerved left on to the first fairway.
However, from there he got up and down from 149 yards, holing out from about five feet.
“I just had the feeling that I probably needed to hole that putt,” admitted Richardson.
But the drama wasn’t over. Nottinghamshire’s Martin Foulkes was also three-under playing the last and his birdie putt to force a play-off just shaved the hole – and Richardson took the title.
He has been county champion four times in the last five years, but this was his third attempt at this title and he won in perfect style, with a bogey-free round.
“To win it in my home county, representing my county, with county President Les Toyne as my caddy, is great,” said Richardson. “It means so much that I could get over the line.
“I hit it inside 15 foot on the first five holes and I was level par.
“My first birdie was on the seventh, where I finally holed from 15 feet.”
Another birdie followed on the ninth where his wedge approach finished six inches from the hole and he got to three-under when he rolled in another 15 foot putt on the 15th hole.
Then it was time for his magical finish.
Richardson is the full time manager of an estate agent’s office and takes holiday to play his golf, maintaining a handicap of plus-four and taking fourth place in both the Lytham and Westwood Trophies this season.
