Andrew Haswell Image Credit James Eades
England’s Andrew Haswell enjoyed an incredible Welsh Men’s Open Stroke Play Championship victory at Pyle & Kenfig Golf Club on Sunday.
Despite being in a car accident near the golf club on Saturday morning, the Ormskirk golfer bounced back from rounds of 74 and 75 on Thursday and Friday to shoot rounds of 70 on both of Saturday and Sunday to take fellow Englishman Tom Hughes (Formby) to a play-off.
Hughes himself had shot into contention on Friday and Saturday after rounds of 68 each day, but could only manage a 74 on Sunday, after a disappointing Thursday where he shot 79 to finish alongside Haswell on +5 (289) across the four days.
The pair went down the 10th for a play-off on Sunday afternoon, where Hughes’ 10-foot par putt agonisingly popped out the hole, as Haswell tapped in his par for the win.
Elsewhere, fellow Englishmen Ben Willis (Hunstanton, +11), Luke Metcalf (Tandridge, +11) and Sam Marshall (St Neots, +11) all finished tied-6th.
Talking about his win, Haswell said: “It’s unbelievable – I’m speechless, it’s just unreal. I’ll wake up tomorrow and it’ll probably hit me then.
“Coming down the stretch, I knew I was a couple of shots back, so I just had to keep my head right, keep putting the pressure on, get the momentum and hole putts when I needed to, so I’m proud of myself for that.”
About the accident on Saturday, he added: “I was going down the lane to the side of the clubhouse and this car was going a bit too quick. I was going nice and slow and he came round the corner, drag-like, skidded and smashed into me, so I was pretty lucky to be playing the rest of the tournament really. I’m going to get my car sorted now!”
