Squires puts the record straight

GOLF: ALAN Squires admitted to being “very emotional’ after finally clinching English Seniors’ Amateur Championship glory.

The 61-year-old has carried all before him on the circuit, but the title he coveted the most had eluded him until now.

Squires was on course for the Seniors’ crown three years ago at Enville in Birmingham, only to lose a five-stroke lead in the final round.

But he made no mistake at Carlisle, despite a closing 76, his worst round of the week.

The Oldham Golf Club member, who led from pillar to post, said: “Without being big-headed or anything, I should have won it before.

“I’ve let it slip on a couple of occasions, so it was fantastic to actually get over the line.

“It was very emotional. I felt myself filling up on the 15th. It was as though I had already won it, but I had to tell myself there were still four holes to play.”

After shooting 69 and 70 — the first two rounds were at Carlisle and Eden — Squires was the only player under par entering the final 18 holes.

He led by three shots from Kent’s Chris Reynolds, the defending champion, and had stretched his lead after five holes.

But history looked to be repeating itself after successive bogeys at six, seven and eight and more dropped shots at 10 and 11.

However, Reynolds was also having a tough time, even though conditions were perfect at Carlisle.

Squires double-bogeyed the 16th after three-putting from eight feet, but pars on 17 and 18 clinched victory.

He finished on a two-over-par score of 216, three shots clear of Reynolds, while Cheshire’s Philip Slater and Dave Jessup, also from Kent, were joint third on 220.

Ironically, Squires and Reynolds were playing partners on that fateful day in 2007.

Squires added: “We both played equally badly in the final round and someone crept up on us and won.

“It was hard to get over and I haven’t played in the competition since as it was held in Kent and London.

“But Carlisle is only a couple of hours away, so I thought I’d give it a go. I didn’t even practice on both courses, I just went for a bit of relaxation.

“I always think that I can win and I’m playing well, but I didn’t put any undue pressure on myself.”

Victory at Carlisle almost guarantees Squires’ place in the European Seniors’ Championships at Fair-haven, St Annes, at the end of the August, and the Seniors’ Home International in Scotland in September.