Crowder puts crash agony behind him to win at Delamere

Chris Crowder qualified for the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship final just nine months after being badly injured in a car crash.

Crowder, of Liverpool’s Lee Park Golf Club, finished joint top of the leaderboard with David Smith, of Swinton Park Golf Club in Manchester, at the North West qualifying event held at Delamere Forest Golf Club in Cheshire.

They will join 14 other qualifiers at the £78,700 Peugeot-supported event at Blairgowrie in Scotland on August 5-8.

But for Crowder, his display meant a lot after both he and his wife were taken to hospital after the accident which took place in Scotland.

Crowder had been playing in the Lombard Trophy final which was held at Gleneagles.

“We’d only been travelling for about 10 minutes after leaving Gleneagles,” said Crowder.

“It happened as soon as we got on to the A9 and the car rolled.

“My daughter and playing partner Ronnie Singleton were in the back seat, but me and my wife were both injured.

“She’s still recovering from it. I had mainly facial injuries - nose, teeth - and I didn’t think I had any hope of doing well at Delamere Forest.

“I’ve only picked a club up a few times since, and this is maybe my third event in the last six months.

“So to do as well as I did had a lot more meaning to it.”

Crowder admitted he was now determined to do well in the final which sees him return north of the border.

“I really looking forward to it, 100 per cent,” he said. “Now that I’ve come back and played well, I want to keep it going now.

“I’ve made the final a few times before and made the cut. But this one’ll be special.”

Crowder admitted he felt at home at Delamere Forest - and finished in style with two birdies at the 17^th and 18^th holes after a shaky start which saw the Merseyside Professional make two bogeys in the first four holes.

But he got into his stride from the seventh hole onwards.

“I’ve played the course lots of times before, so I knew my way around,” he added.