Golf: Coburn clinches Echo match play title (From Bournemouth Echo)

Golf: Coburn clinches Echo match play title

7:00am Monday 19th October 2009 in

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IT was case of mind over matter for newly-crowned Sunshine Challenge champion Peter Coburn at Remedy Oak on Saturday morning.

The 19-handicapper overcame an injury scare to win a six-hole play-off against Brokenhurst Manor’s Anthony Allen.

The pair had returned to the prestigious Horton course after bad light stopped play on Thursday evening with the scores all square after 18 holes.

“It was touch or go whether I was going to make it after pulling muscle while swimming,” explained Coburn.

But after an hour’s meditation at 5am and a meticulous warm-up routine, Coburn passed himself fit to resume battle at 8am.

It was 14-handicapper Allen, however, who settled the quickest to early start time by finding the heart of the green with his five-iron second shot, only to three putt and let his Christchurch opponent off the hook.

Coburn, who was never down in the entire match, found the centre of the fairway at the par-five second before following his opponent into the water with his third shot.

The successive stalemate was followed by another at the third before Coburn drew first blood at the demanding par three fourth. His three-wood drive rolled to the back of the green after Allen had found trouble off the tee.

Allen, however, hit back immediately with a par to win the next before both players left themselves a par putt at the sixth.

Coburn coolly sank his six-footer to take the title while Allen missed a putt of half the distance.

The 41-year-old will represent the Daily Echo at the grand final in Portugal on November 1-8.