History man

TREBLE TOPS: Oldham member Alan Squires shows off the English Amateur Seniors trophy. Picture courtesy of Tom Ward/England Golf

GOLF: ALAN Squires has made history by claiming a hat-trick of English Seniors titles.

The Oldham member started the final round seven shots off the pace, only to produce a stunning turnaround on the tough Aldeburgh course in Northamptonshire.

A closing one-over-par 69 clinched victory by three from English seniors team-mate Chris Reynolds, with another four back to the rest of the field.

Squires is the first man to achieve three in a row — and he had almost written off his chances of accomplishing such a feat, which saw him finish on a three-round total of 221

He said: “When I walked off the final green at Thorpeness the previous day having taken a double-bogey, I said to myself, ‘Well, you can’t win it every year’.

“But I spent an hour on the practice range to sort myself out and after playing six holes at level par, I felt I still had a chance. Even then, there were a lot of good players ahead of me and I thought someone would find a good score to win.”

A winner at Carlise in 2010 and the Northamptonshire County Club in 2011, Squires had 12 players in front of him at the start of the final round. And while the leaders began to drop back, he held his game together to post two birdies and three bogeys.

Squires added: “I love this event. To win three times in a lifetime is something; to be the first man to win it three times in a row is special.”

Despite it being June, conditions were poor for golfers aged over 55, and shots were dropped at alarming rate. Douglas Cameron, the leader by one going into the final day, scored 80 and John Baldwin, a shot behind, managed only 79.