ALAN MEWS WINS ENGLISH SENIORS' COUNTY TITLE

Mew finds his seniors victory hard to believe “I don’t believe it,” was Alan Mew’s reaction to his victory in the English Seniors County Champions Tournament on a dull and cold afternoon at Woodhall Spa. Despite a last hole bogey, which didn’t prove disastrous, Mew (image © Tom Ward) carded a second 76 for 152, six over par, for a one shot winning margin over playing partner Bob Aston, who also signed for 76, with John Willis from Cumbria third on 155 after a closing 77. In contrast to the first round, the 30 seniors in action were greeted by a cold day on the testing Hotchkin Course and the scores reflected that. With his county President Tony Cullen acting as caddie, Mew, the former Hampshire county captain, began the round just one ahead of Staffordshire’s Aston but he didn’t make the best of starts. “The highlight of the day was that I didn’t lose the tournament in the first few holes,” he said. “I hooked a three wood on the first and made bogey then found a bunker off the tee on the second but managed to can a 20-footer for par. “On the third I hit a four iron to eight feet for birdie but on the fourth I drove into rough, hacked out then chipped in for birdie. “After that I settled down. But I hit too many poor tee shots and if you don’t hit the short stuff on this course you are in trouble. But my irons were good and I putted better today.” With the rest of the field not making a charge, Mew was not subjected to any pressure but he still wasn’t completely happy with his game. He managed to stay two ahead of Aston and enjoyed that cushion to the 18th. “You’d have thought I’d never won anything they way I played and to finish with a bogey was disappointing,” he added. “I hit a good drive, hacked a three wood, then played what I thought was a good chip but it ran to the back of the green.” From there he took three more for a bogey-six. But Aston, having birdied the 16th, was in a greenside trap, came out well but shaved the hole with his birdie putt which would have earned him a tie. Aston, who matched Mew with a front nine of 36, double-bogeyed the tenth, which, in hindsight, probably wrecked his chances. “Bob let me off the hook on 17 when he thinned his approach into the face of a bunker and took an unplayable, which kept me two clear playing the last,” Mew admitted. At the age of 59, Mew could prove a candidate for the England seniors international team. “I think I’m good enough but my game isn’t in good enough shape at the moment”, he said. Bob Lander from BB&O shot the best round of the day, a level-par 73, which, after an opening 88, left him in eighth place on 161. Of the senior internationals on view, Tyrone Carter finished equal fourth on 156 after an 80, Andrew Carman tenth also after an 80, Geoff King shot 85 for 166 and 15th and Jon Marks 24th on 178 after a closing 90. For all the final scores visit the Championships section of the England Golf website  Lynne Fraser Marketing and PR Manager ENGLAND GOLF  Email: pr@englandgolf.org Tel: 01526 354500