Cornwall Seniors Qualify for National Finals Again

For the third year in succession the Cornwall seniors have qualified for the England Golf Senior Men's County Finals after coming from behind on day one at Minehead & West Somerset GC to secure a 4 shot victory on day two.

With 5 scores to count from each of the six competing county's nominated six players, Day 1 had ended with Wiltshire leading on 367 followed by Devon (370) and Cornwall (371).

Day 2 was a breezy and almost entirely dry day with the back 9 holes predominantly into the wind making the finishing three holes particularly difficult. The par 3 18th for example had cost the Duchy team dearly on Day 1 but this time there was a better outcome.

With the players going out in score order there was quite a split between them in terms of where they were on the course and it literally did come down to the last two Cornish players Ian Ashenden and Guy Norris, playing in the final two groups on the course, to determine and confirm the outcome. Ashenden showed true class finishing with a birdie 3 on the 17th and then getting up and down from a difficult bunker lie on 18. Norris who had shot a 2 under 70 on day one  didn't fare so well in round 2 but a 4 over 76 was amongst the counting scores for Cornwall.

The other nominated players did their bit towards the overall team score with Mike Reynard matching Ashenden's 73, Simon Knowles recovering from a difficult first round to improve with a 74, and Ian Veale also improving on his round one score. Over the two days each of the nominated players contributed to the 5 counting scores and you can see these by looking at the links below.

Ashenden's 73 saw him gain the individual runner up spot on a 145 total, four shots behind winner Matt Stanford (Gloucestershire). Norris finished 4th on 146 the same score as third placed Mark Snape (Devon).

Cornwall's winning two day total was 744, with Devon second (748) and Wiltshire third (749). Fourth were Somerset (758) with Gloucestershire fifth and Dorset sixth on the same760 total.

Cornwall Seniors will now head to Harrogate GC, Yorkshire in October for three days of competition against the other English regional winners. (7th - 9th October). Their achievement having been at the finals in 2023 (Thorpeness, Suffolk) and winning at Torquay in 2024 is quite something. Could they yet retain their title?

Displaying strength in depth has become part of the Cornwall success story and there is no doubting the team bond and spirit, exemplified by other Cornish players who participated as individuals and registered good placings in the 70 man field. In total 16 Cornish players took part and of those outside of the nominated team David Kneebone (Truro) was best placed in 12th spot with rounds of 77 and 72 (+5).

EG Seniors County Finals Qualifier

SW Seniors Championship - Individual Scores

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