The irrepressible Andy Rowe (Looe GC) - pictured above -  is the 2016 Seniors County Champion after he won a 3 man sudden death playoff at Newquay GC yesterday evening at the end of a day which saw 121 competitors take to the links overlooking Fistral beach.

With prizes on offer in four different age groups (55-59, 60-64, 65-69 and 70 and above) in a stableford competition the main event of the day was the medal strokeplay which would identify this year’s champion.

On a day where fog threatened to delay the start and then intermittently intervened almost throughout Trevor Ashton (Trevose) - pictured above - who was out early, returned an excellent gross 71 made up of 12 pars and a brace of birdies. He was out in level par front nine of 34.

Rowe was the second man to return a 71 in the middle of the day. Having gone out in a 1 under front 9, he made a total of 14 pars and just the one birdie before dropping 3 shots in the last 4 holes to match Ashton.

Former County Seniors Champion (2014) and current Seniors County Captain Simon Harper (St Austell) - pictured above - became the third player to return a 71 after a mixed bag of 6 bogies and 4 birdies with a level par 35 on the back 9 holes seeing him home.

The sudden death playoff was designated to take place over the first 3 holes. Drawing lot 1, Rowe blocked his tee shot right onto an upslope short of the 3^rd green. Harper found the fairway and Ashton appeared to have the edge with a long tee shot up the left. Rowe found the rough to the right of the green with his second whilst both Harper and Ashton came up just short of the green. When Rowe escaped the rough but only just found the putting surface some 40 feet from the hole it appeared as though his race might be run. Harper first and then Ashton putted up just short of the hole.

Rowe light-heartedly offered a half to his fellow competitors - an offer which was very politely declined. Then Rowe remarkably holed his 40 footer for a four and with humour immediately suggested ‘I bet you wish you’d taken a half now’. Both Harper and Ashton holed out and the three players moved to the second tee.

Whilst the first hole produced excitement the second produced misfortune almost all round. Rowe found the greenside bunker with his ball lying in a furrow. Harper seemingly followed him into the same bunker but in fact his ball was stopped by the bunker rake on the grassy downslope before the sand. Ashton missed the green pin high right and was first to play. He failed to reach the putting surface with his second but chipped on in three. Harper faced a horrible shot and was unlucky to see his ball almost make it over the bunker before rolling back into the sand.

Rowe played first from the sand but his lie prevented any real control and he finished some 25 feet away from the pin. Harper splashed out and finished closer but still some distance away. Rowe was first to putt and calmly rolled the ball towards the hole. Harper needing to hole failed to do so and the same scenario then took place for Ashton.

This meant Rowe had a short bogey putt to win and he duly obliged much to his delight. Below CGU President Glyn Rowett congratulates Rowe on his win.

Rowe, 56 years, was County Amateur Champion back in 1978. After his victory yesterday he said ‘I have really enjoyed today and will probably be quite unbearable for a while now’. To those who know him well this is possibly an understatement. Rowe is now eligible to represent Cornwall in the England Golf Seniors Champion of Champions Final at Woodhall Spa next month.

Newquay Golf Club Captain Nigel Eustice welcomed all the competitors and the Cornwall Golf Union to the club and expressed the club’s delight at hosting this event before CGU President Glyn Rowett  thanked the host club and its members and presented prizes to Rowe and the other prizewinners.

In the over 70s bracket the host club took the top two prizes. Owen Allen (13 H’cap) took the main honours with an excellent 41 points following a gross round of 80, just pipping fellow club member Tony Farrell on 40 points, with a gross 74 . Third place in the category went to Carlyon Bay’s Mike Rees on 36 points.

The 65-69 bracket was won on countback, also by a Newquay member, Martin Williams on 39 points from 2015 Seniors Champion Paul Clahane (Trevose). Third place went to Les McGirl (Carlyon Bay) on 37 points.

In the 60-64 age group top prize was won by Porthpean’s Mike Hackett on 35 points, one ahead of CGU Vice President Mike Ellis (Trevose). Third place on 32 went to Budock Vean’s Geoff Mills.

The 55-59 group winner was Ashton on 39 points with fellow Trevose member Tony Murtagh on 36. Harper was third also with 36.

55-59 Results

60-64 Results

65-69 Results

70 and above Results

Top Gross Scores

71 - Ashton, Rowe, Harper

73 - Clahane

74 - Farrell

75 - D Kneebone (Truro), R Stacey (Newquay), M Wigley (Trevose)

76 - M Ellis (Trevose), P Clayton (Newquay), D Goodman (Bowood Park), D Powell (Carlyon Bay)

77 - D Chapman (Newquay), A Clotworthy (Tehidy Park), M Edmunds (West Cornwall)

79 - R Frost (St Enodoc)