EVER the perfectionist, scratch golf Adam Rowbotham was not entirely satisfied after claiming his first club championship at Saddleworth.
The 31-year-old’s four-under-par opening round 67 was followed by a one-over par 72 for a 36-hole total of 139.
“The opening round should have been a lot better, maybe nine or 10-under-par as I missed three or four putts of about eight feet,” he said.
Adam still had five birdies and one bogey in his 67 which set up the victory.
He admitted there were a “few niggling nerves” after he bogeyed the second and third holes in the second round.
But he held his game together and posted birdies at the 14th and 18th holes in the second round for a 72.
And it was enough for a five shot winning margin over elder brother Lee (69 and 75 for 144) who was runner-up. Third place went to Dave Hewitt (72 and 75 for 147).
“I said before the competition level par would win it, and that would have been the case have I shot level par rather than my three under score,” he explained.
Adam has been a member at Saddleworth for three years but, because of the pandemic, this was his first tilt at the club championship.
He is no stranger to major success, though, as he won the club championship three times at Werneth where he was a multiple major winner, between 15 and 20 by his estimation.
Adam, who lives on the Lees/Springhead border, is from a family of top golfers as he, brother Lee and father Paul all moved to Saddleworth three years ago.
There was one stage when all three played off scratch which was a remarkable achievement.
Today Adam, who has played off plus one, is scratch, Lee plus one and Paul plays off one as there is keen rivalry in their household.
The club championship subsidiary, an 18-hole Stableford, was won by Ashley Dearden with 43 points.
Runner-up was Stuart Hanson (41pts) on the card from Dave McNeill.
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