Cornwall Golf Union
Course Record For Jon Rowe as he wins Cornish Closed
Bowood Park greenkeeper Jon Rowe shot a course record 65 in the second round of the Cornish Closed Championship to come from behind to beat four time winner and PGA Professional Joe Cruse.
China Fleet's Jason Friend continued a rich vein of form to win the U21 Championship and Fred Kirkland (Tehidy Park) picked up first prize in the handicap element.
It really was quite an astonishing day at Bowood Park on Sunday - why? Well the bookmakers favourite was host club PGA Professional Joe Cruse who had won the competition in the previous 4 years. But at the start of the day Joe himself said "Keep an eye on Jon Rowe because if he is playing well he will beat me." Fresh from shooting 9 under pat off the yellows at Bowood Park, Rowe did just that ending up two shots better than Cruse over the 36 holes. This was maybe not on the cards through the first 18 as Cruse led Rowe by two shots after a morning round of 70 in which he admitted to holing nothing.
The afternoon round though saw a great battle between the two of them. Cruse actually extended his lead to 4 shots with three birdies on the bounce through holes 2 to 4. Rowe birdied the 3rd to stay in touch and reduced the deficit with a birdie of his own at the 5th. Cruse bogeyed the par 3 6th and we were back to where we started the round. Both made birdies at the 9th to leave Cruse still the two ahead. Rowe having birdied the 9th then went on a run with 5 more birdies over the next 6 holes to establish a lead of 2. that became 3 when Cruse bogeyed the 17th. So to the last hole. Rowe put his drive into the plantation left of the 18th and was able to take free relief but forced to go a long way back to do so. He found the green in three with Cruse on in two. A lengthy birdie putt from Cruse narrowly missed the hole and he made par. This left Rowe to cosey one up to the hole but the bogey he made was sufficient to grant him the two shot win over Cruse.
Rowe's second round 65 was made up of 8 birdies, 9 pars and that one bogey at the last. Some amazing golf, a new course record and a well deserved win, which will no doubt attract the attention and put him on the radar of the County Captain
County team member Ross Lawrance (West Cornwall) performed well to take 3rd spot on level par after rounds of 73 & 71. Graham Webb (Trevose) finished 4th a further shot back with Jason Friend (China Fleet) 5th in the overall gross competition.
Jason has been having a great year. In early June he and his partner David Sleat won best pair in the Maxam Cup competition at St Austell. Since then he has become Club Champion at China Fleet and at Bovey Castle where he also holds a membership. His reward on Sunday was to become U21 Stroke Play Champion following his rounds of a one under par 71 and a 75. Another one for the radar! Second spot went to County U18 Junior Freddie Kirkland (Tehidy Park) with two rounds of 74, with fellow county team mate Joab Atkins third with a pair of 75s. West Cornwall Champion Jamie Winfield was fourth after rounds of 79 and 74.
Whilst the main focus was on the gross scoring there were nett prizes on offer and Kirkland was top of this pile. (two nett 67s). Second was Friend (nett 66 & 70), Rowe was third (nett 74 & 67) and Matt Fox (Falmouth) with nett 72 & 70 meant a second greenkeeper was in the prizes.
CGU President Martin Edwards thanked Bowood Park for their hospitality and expressed delight the competition had gone ahead despite a smaller turnout than would have been liked. He said the golf he had witnessed more than made up for this. Edwards presented prizes to those concerned.
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