Another sunny Suffolk day set the scene for the 2025 Suffolk Senior Championship and Stowmarket provided a beautiful venue.
A large field of 3-balls which started at 8am and carried on until 11.40 provided lots of entertainment but it was two players in the first two groups that set the pace. Paul Buckle and James O’Doherty both shooting 71 (+2) would now have a long wait to find out if their lead could stand the test of time.
Daniel Griggs came extremely close to joining our leaders but a bad lie and a bogey on the 18th meant he finished one back at +3. Bryan Lee was also 3 over missing out on a playoff by 1 shot. The last player in contention was Simon Bearman who need to birdie either 17 or 18 to join the potential playoff. Simon did birdie 18 but unfortunately a bogey on 17 meant he’d sit back and watch O’Doherty and Buckle go back down the first.
A five hour wait didn’t stop either man from exploding out of the blocks in the playoff with both of them making birdies on the 1st hole. They still couldn’t be separated after the second playoff hole with both men making spectacular up and downs from left of the green. Another 3 play off holes went by and neither James nor Paul would budge. It was only the 6th playoff hole when finally the championship was decided. Buckle couldn’t make up & down from just short of the green and that meant a 2 putt par for O’Doherty was enough to crown him senior champion 2025.
Congratulations to James O’Doherty after an epic battle and a huge thank you to Stowmarket Golf Club and everyone that enabled the event to run smoothly.
