Cruse and Coupland share the Cornish Festival spoils

The outcome of the Carlsberg Marstons Cornish Festival proved a case of honours even after Joe Cruse and Dave Coupland completed their negotiations of St Enodoc, Trevose and Newquay Golf Club.

Both played their final round at Newquay and Coupland, a former DP World Tour player who is a year two PGA trainee attached to Woodhall Spa, went into it with a two-shot advantage over his rival.

But Cruse, who has recently been appointed head PGA professional at Bowood Park, Cornwall, was equal to the challenge after Coupland signed off with a birdie to finish four-under for the tournament.

Having started two-and-half hours later than Coupland, he had reduced the deficit to a shot by the turn and a birdie at the par-five 15^th ensured parity and an equal share of £5,050 in prize money.

It also gave them a two-shot advantage over Bude and North Cornwall’s Adam Curtis, the only other player to break par in the 120-strong field that included several former DP World Tour players, not least Peter Baker, the Legends Tour’s 2023 Road to Mauritius winner.

All appeared, in varying degrees, to struggle with the windy conditions that prevailed at all three courses over the first two days. Not so Cruse.

“The opening two days were really tough,” he admitted. “But controlling my ball flight is probably the best part of my game. I learned to play at St Enodoc and that’s what you must do.

“I wasn’t in too much trouble over the three days. I don’t think I had a double bogey but there were a couple of anxious moments near the end when I had a couple of short putts.

“I’ve been struggling with my short putts recently, so it was good to hole them under a bit of pressure.”

Coupland’s decisive putt on the 18^th was far from being short by contrast. “I’d been flirting with the hole all day, so this was a bit of a hit and hope effort,” he admitted.

There had been no evidence of hit and hope golf 24 hours previously at Trevose where Coupland recorded eight birdies in the final 13 holes for a six-under par round of 66.

“It was one of those occasions when you get in the flow of things, hit good shots, and read the greens well.” he reflected. “It was one of those rounds when everything clicked, and that set me up for a good day today.”

In terms of clicking, seven-handicapper Joe Weeks did just that, as did Barry Austin and his team in the pro-am that featured 120 pros and 360 amateurs.

Weeks recorded the second hole-in-one during the Festival with an ace at the par-three 135 yard 16^th at Newquay.

Meanwhile, Austin and his trio of amateurs – Ian and Michael Edwards and Chris Grimshaw – amassed 261 Stableford points to finish 11 clear of the field.

Follow this link for a full list of scores

https://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi24/event/pgagbi24210/contest/7/leaderboard.htm

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