STALYBRIDGE’S Tony Hales’ major win in President’s at Saddleworth Golf Club came as a complete surprise.
The 63-year-old was five shots off the lead after the opening round of the 36-hole competition.
And when Tony, a self-employed electrician started the second round par, bogey double bogey, he thought he had blown his chances.
“I thought that’s it and put out of my head any chance of winning,” he explained.
“I just wanted to steady things and have a casual round with my playing partners.”
Despite the mishaps, Tony returned two nett two-under par rounds of 69 for 138 off his handicap of 12 for the opening round and 11 for the second.
“They were two steady rounds, but I didn’t think I had done enough to win,” he continued.
In the opening round, Tony had three birdies and in the second, after the early mishaps, he managed a further two birdies.
Tony is no stranger to major successes as at previous club he lifted four of them, the last one the Wood Bowl in 2018.
He is in his third year at Saddleworth having decided to switch clubs as he wanted a change.
Tony has been playing golf for 26 years having earlier been an amateur Sunday league footballer.
“It reached the time in my late thirties that being self-employed I couldn’t risk getting injured and having to take time off work,” he explained.
Tony finished one shot ahead of Ian Charnock (71 and 68 for 139) who claimed second spot on the card from Roy Dobson (69 and 70 for 139).
The first day prize went to Jon Givvons with a nett 64 and second round to Nigel Hughes (66).
Martin Orme’s 70 was the best gross score in the opening round and Ben Pullen’s 71 the leading return in round two.