2025 ENGLAND GOLF SENIORS COUNTY FINALS

To be played at Harrogate Golf Club on Tuesday 7th October - Thursday 9th October with the four qualifying counties being

Cheshire, Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Sussex

The Lincolnshire squad: Darren Fuller (Cleethorpes), Adrian Allan (Belton Park), Mike Cardy (Laceby Manor), Mark Cooke (Woodhall Spa),    Ken Spencer (Holme Hall), Kevin Blow (Sleafford), Richard Latham (Woodhall Spa), Colin Trestrail (Woodhall Spa), 

Tuesday 7th October 

Cheshire 3.5 v Lincolnshire 5.5

In the morning foursomes Adrian Allen and Colin Trestrail (Lincolnshire) stormed into a 5-up lead through eight holes and saw out a comfortable 4&3 win over Richard Stockdale and Simon Bolam.

Kevin Blow and Darren Fuller (Lincolnshire) took on Martyn Grimley and Mike Wallwork with Grimley chipping in for birdie to win the 1st, before Fuller chipped in for an unlikely par to save the 2nd. The Lincolnshire pairing found themselves 1-down after 12 holes, but rallied to win four on the spin, as Blow’s tremendous chip from the trees with a restricted backswing got to within four feet, to seal a 3&2 win.

Guy Hindle and Paul Knight (Cheshire) halved the first nine holes with Richard Latham and Ken Spencer, with Latham coming inches from holing out for eagle to win the 1st. The Lincolnshire duo were 2-up through 11 but Hindle hit a 2-iron to two feet on the 15th as wins on 13, 15 and 16 edged the Cheshire team ahead, before parring the last to win 2-up.

2-1 down heading into the afternoon singles, Cheshire lost the first singles match as Adrian Allen (Lincs) beat Martin Keates. Allen birdied 10 to go 2-upafter hitting to two feet, and was never down in the contest, going 4-up through 14. Keates holed a 20-footer for birdie on 15 but Keates sealed a 2&1 win.

The next two matches went to the last hole, as Darren Fuller (Lincs) edged a tight contest 2-up after Neil Andrew unfortunately went out of bounds on the 18th, while Kevin Blow (Lincs) dealt the killer blow to seal victory for Lincolnshire, as he won on the last hole 1-up. There was never more than one hole in his contest with Martyn Grimley, who did chip in on 15 for birdie to level the match, but a fine up-and-down on the 18th sealed the 1-up win for Blow.  

Stockdale (Cheshire) made three birdies on the front nine before his sixth career hole-in-one on the 12th gave him a 5-up lead, going on to win 5&4, while teammate Paul Knight got another win on the board for Cheshire 2&1. Knight was 3-up through seven against Richard Latham but the Lincolnshire veteran won holes 8-10 to go all-square through some fantastic wedge play. However, Knight regathered himself to win 2&1.

And in the final match, there was never more than a hole in it between Colin Trestrail (Lincs) and Guy Hindle, as the pair went to the 18th. Both played some good golf including a brilliant driver and 7-iron into the par-5 11th winning Hindle the hole with birdie, but Trestrail made a fine par upwind on 18 to halve the match.

Wednesday 8th October

Lincolnshire 3.5 v Cornwall 5.5

In the morning foursomes, Guy Norris and Ian Ashenden (Cornwall) got off to a flyer against Kevin Blow and Darren Fuller, with Ashenden coming three inches from an ace to win the 2nd to go 2-up. The 9th was halved in threes where Kevin Blow hit the flag with a 30-yard chip, before Ashenden rolled in a birdie-two on the 14th to pave the way for a 4&2 win.

Colin Trestrail and Adrian Allen (Lincs) lost the 1st to Dion Keyser and Mark Johnson but hit back to go 4-up through 12, including a great tee shot from Allen which Trestrail holed from 12 feet for birdie. Allen knocked in a 15-footer for par on 14 to save the hole, as they went on to secure a 4&3 win.

Mike Cardy and Mark Cooke (Lincs) played out a dramatic match with Mike Reynard and Mark Blaber. There was never more than one hole in the contest, while there was a ruling issue on the 16th, after a twig had accidentally caused a ball to move, meaning it counted as a stroke for Lincolnshire. However, they managed to make bogey and halved the hole after the delay. A remarkable approach from Cooke on 17 from in the trees helped earn a half, and the Lincolnshire pairing then held their nerve on 18 as Cooke rolled in a five-foot par putt to win the hole and halve the match.

Heading into the afternoon singles all-square, Cornwall romped into a strong lead as three players won by a 5&4 margin.

Ian Veale, who was hard done by on day one after firing six birdies and losing his singles match, finally got his reward, as a fine putting display helped him to victory, including to a tremendous 3-wood into the par-3 9th.

Mark Blaber won by the same margin after 13 pars in 14 holes, hitting almost every green in regulation, and despite Mike Cardy (Lincs) chipping in for a par on 5 for a half, Mike Reynard won 5&4, including a stunning 5-iron to a foot on the 4th. He was also 2-under to the point of victory.

Guy Norris (Cornwall) got 4-up in a game of pars with Darren Fuller, before sealing a 3&2 win, as Cornwall secured the team victory, but Lincolnshire did get two wins on the board – which could prove crucial on the final day.

Adrian Allen (Lincs) was 2-down to Simon Knowles after the Cornishman birdied the 1st and knocked in a 40-foot par putt on 3. Allen hit back with a great par from a fairway bunker on 11 as he incredibly won five holes on the spin to go 3-up, before sealing a 2&1 win.

And in the final match, Colin ‘The Postman’ Trestrail (pictured above) delivered for Lincolnshire despite being 2-down to Ian Ashenden through three. Ashenden’s putter was hot early doors but superb up-and-downs from Trestrail saw him edge ahead. On the 18th Ashenden, as he did on day one, holed a long putt to save par, but Trestrail made his short par putt to seal a 1-up victory – meaning he is unbeaten at the event, as he was in 2024.

Thursday 9th October

Sussex 3 v Lincolnshire 6

All three foursomes matches went to the death showing the competitiveness of the final day. Kevin Blow and Darren Fuller (Lincs) were 4-down against Steve Graham and John Newsome through eight but Blow’s brilliant shot to six feet from 70 yards saw them win 9 before they added holes 11, 12 and 13 to level the tie. On 14 Fuller hit a great bunker shot stiff but Graham knocked in a magnificent 20-footer for birdie from off the green. Blow then delivered a magical bunker shot to gimme distance on 18 as Graham’s short putt went by as the match finished tied.

Adrian Allen and Colin Trestrail (Lincs, pictured above) were the only pairing to win all their foursomes matches at the event, although they were made to work for it against Andrew Smith and Arwel Roberts, who birdied the 1st. On the 11th Trestrail stiffed one to six inches but Smith rolled in a 25-footer to halve the hole. A great par on 16 got the Lincolnshire pairing ahead before a sublime chip from Allen on the last to gimme distance was enough to seal a 1-up win.

Doug Park and Richard Allen (Sussex) had a nip-and-tuck match with Richard Latham and Ken Spencer, and despite being 3-down through 13, the Lincoln duo hit back to win 15 and 17. On 18, Latham’s 30-foot birdie putt agonisingly rolled over the hole to save the match, before Park’s putt just about stayed in the hole to complete the win 1-up.

In the singles, Lincolnshire got the perfect start as their star man of the week Adrian Allen won 4&3, thanks to birdies on 1, 4 and 7. His opponent Matthew Allen made a good birdie on 10, but Allen saw out victory to make it six wins from six matches played in a tremendous week of golf.

Colin Trestrail was looking set for another unbeaten week but ran out of steam as a rampant Andrew Smith (Sussex) beat him 6&5, making birdies on 2, 4 and 8 thanks to some stunning approach play.

But Lincolnshire were on track with Kevin Blow, who made a great up-and-down from 120 yards up against a tree root for birdie on 7, before adding another on 11 and 12. Doug Park kept in the hunt with a birdie on 14 but a great up-and-down on 17 was enough for Blow to win 2&1.

One of the greatest matches of the tournament proved to be pivotal between Darren Fuller (Lincs) and Martin Galway. Galway hit to a foot for birdie on 1, before chipping in from 40 yards for another on 2! Fuller birdied 7 and 9 before chipping in for another on 10 in some high-quality golf. Fuller made another as he hit to two feet on 15, but Galway matched him once again, before making a great par from the trees to save 16. On the 18th, it looked as if Fuller had done enough until Galway had rolled in a marvellous 25-foot putt for birdie, piling the pressure on his opponent. However, Fuller celebrated as he matched his partner with yet another birdie with a fine 15-foot putt. Remarkably, it was Galway’s first loss at the Senior County Finals in 23 matches spanning five events.

Ken Spencer (Lincs) and Richard Allen halved 4 in birdies with Allen hitting to six feet and Spencer to tap-in distance, before Allen chipped in for birdie on 8.

With Spencer behind, it looked like Lincolnshire’s hopes hinged on captain and stalwart Richard Latham behind them, who found himself 2-down through seven. But Latham knocked in a 15-footer for birdie on 8 and the 67-year-old got it back to 1-down on 14.

With Spencer 1-down heading down the last, all eyes were on Latham on 17 who delivered a tremendous drive and even better approach shot, and in a fitting finale after last year’s disappointment of falling at the final hurdle, Latham rattled in his birdie to win 2&1 in emotional scenes.

Meanwhile, Spencer went up the 18th to win the hole and half a point, as Lincolnshire won in style in Yorkshire for their first ever Senior Men's County title.

Lincolnshire make history to win first title

Lincolnshire won the 2025 Senior Men’s County Finals for the first time in the competition’s 20-year history, after an emotional final session at Harrogate Golf Club.

On a dramatic day where all four sides went into the day level on match points, Cheshire beat Cornwall 5.5-3.5, while Lincolnshire and Sussex battled out a nail-biter.

With both teams requiring 3.5 points from their six singles matches to win the title, Lincolnshire had to dig deep against Sussex in the final three matches and it was 67-year-old captain Richard Latham who delivered the crucial point to ensure they’d lift the trophy, after their narrow miss in 2024.

Latham said: "It feels wonderful and means the world to everyone. Last year really hurt when we just missed out. It's been a long season to get here, we prepared well and here we are - we are champions of England and it feels very good to say that!"

Asked about his winning contribution, he added: "I did know the situation although I pretended I didn't, and I probably hit the best drive of the day I could, and the second shot just flew straight at the flag and stopped six feet from it. I knocked it in and won the match there and that was it!"

Lincolnshire teammate Adrian Allen, who was the only player of the week to win all six of his matches, added: "I don't know what the secret was, I had very good teammates and a great foursomes partner, but I had belief in the team and just had to keep on playing and keep in the zone. I'm amazed myself!

"We're going to be going back to Lincolnshire and I'm hoping Richard is going to be putting something on for us - a big celebration!"

  GALLERY