Maryport Golf Club was the venue on August Bank Holiday weekend as the seasons final 'major', the County Matchplay Championship took place.

Qualifiers from the County Strokeplay Championship held in June assembled on the West Cumbria coast to battle it out for the Matchplay crown.

On Sunday the players had to compete against their opponents as well as some stormy weather that rolled in for the afternoon.

Highlights from the first round included Kirkby Lonsdale's Ian Robinson making a spectacular albatross 2 on the par 5 6th. He followed that up with an eagle 3 at the next par 5 as he squeezed past Seascale's Jack Stubbings on the 2nd extra hole. Kieran Waters was emphatic in his match against Cumbria team mate Rob Spence, Waters running out a 5&3 winner to set up a quarter final match with defending champion Jack Hunter. There was last hole drama when Paul Jenkinson drove out of bounds on the 18th to go down by 1 hole to Penrith's James Atkinson.

The quarter finals got underway as the clouds burst, creating very challenging conditions for the players. Form horse Jack Hunter, who had been crowned Cumbria Master Golfer and broken his home clubs course record a day earlier took out his Cumbria foursomes partner Waters 3&1.

2024 champion Craig Morrow faced the youngest player in the field as he took on his club mate Brad Quayle. A birdie on 16 gave Craig the edge and he made 2 steady pars to close out the match on the home hole and advance to the semis.

Robinson wasn't able to repeat his morning heroics as he came up against matchplay granite in 6 time champion Will Bowe. The Workington stalwart sealing a 3&2 win over his Cumbria team mate.

Atkinson was pitted against Men's team Captain Simon Young in the last quarter final and he showed his skipper a clean pair of heels as well as a very sharp short game as he sealed the match on the 16th green.

The 4 semi finalists boasted a wealth of matchplay experience with 9 County titles and close to 300 appearances for Cumbria between them.

Thankfully, the forecast was dry for Monday although the wind was set to be stronger than day 1 so there would be no let up for the competitors.

In the first semi, Hunter made a scrappy bogey on the 2nd to go 1 down to Morrow before balancing the books with a birdie on the par 5 6th. The game continued to be very evenly contested around the turn with only 1 hole separating them after 11 holes, courtesy of a Hunter birdie on 9. Such was the quality of golf that birdies were required to win a hole. Jack came up with another on the 12th to extend his lead.

The next 3 holes were shared in pars before Morrow got one back after Hunter failed to get up and down for par on 16. The wind was howling over the players left shoulders as they stood on the par 3 17th tee and both players fell victim to a gust as they both missed the green right, Morrow in the greenside bunker, Hunter wide of that. As has become a trademark of his game, Jack played a stunning chip to within gimme distance and when Craigs bunker shot was strong he was left with 10 feet to stay in the match. When Morrows putt slipped by Hunter had reached the final for the second year running.

In the 2nd semi final Workington's Will Bowe was aiming to reach the final for a 3rd successive year and add to his 6 titles. Atkinson wasn't going to make it easy for him and it was he who drew first blood winning the first after Bowe made a sloppy bogey. As he has done countless times in his career, Bowe bounced right back and won the next 2 holes. The 4th was halved in birdies and when Will made another birdie on the 6th, his 3rd of the match, he stood 2 up in the game. James hit what looked like an unmentionable off the par 3 7th tee, gifting his opponent another hole but he made birdie on 9 after driving the par 4 green to make the turn 2 down.

The par 5 10th was halved in yet more birdies before both players went long into trouble behind the 11th green. Atkinsons 4 proved good enough to win the hole and get back to within 1 hole. Each player won 2 of the next 4 holes to leave Bowe 1 up with 2 to play. With the honour, Atkinson struck a beautiful iron to around 20 feet behind the hole. Bowes response was to miss the green short right from where he hit a lovely chip to tap in range only for Atkinson to hole his birdie putt and take them down the last all square.

Neither could seize the birdie to finish it off in regulation so we were back down the first in sudden death.

It was Atkinson who blinked first when his tee shot found the gorse on the right hand side. Bowe did what he needed to do and bunted a low drive down the middle. With James' ball nestled in the bushes, he was forced to take a penalty drop and was unable to match Bowe's par 4 as the match ended on the 19th setting up a repeat of last years final as Hunter took on Bowe again.

As the final got underway we were reminded that as well as last years Matchplay final, these 2 had gone to a sudden death playoff in the County Strokeplay Championship earlier in the summer. Hunter coming out on top both times.

The finalists opened with steady pars on the first 2 holes before Bowe pitched to a foot on the 3rd. The putt was duly conceded by Hunter who was 20 feet behind the hole in 2 and faced a tricky putt to stay level. He poured it right in the middle to half the hole in birdie 3's. Amazingly, Bowe hit his approach the the 4th to gimme range again, this time Hunter couldn't respond and the first hole of the final to be won went to the 6 time champion. He added another with a birdie on the 6th. Jack got a hole back with a birdie of his own on the 9th to make the turn 2 under par but 1 down.

The golf being played was of the highest standard and was worthy of gracing any final.

Bowe made birdies at 10, where his tee shot took a fortuitous ricochet off a tree back into play, and on 12 following a lovely pitch to move 3 up.

When both players parred the 13th neither had made a bogey in the final. Will was 5 under par to this point against Jacks 2 under.

On 14 the bogey-free run looked like it might come to an end when both players drove over the hill but too far left. Bowe's backswing was hampered by a tree and Hunter was further left had had to hit over or through some trees to have any chance of making the green. Given the lack of a full backswing, Will played a great shot that just missed the green on the right. Jack then played a fantastic shot from behind the trees and somehow managed to get his ball onto the surface. Perhaps misjudging the wind that was pumping from behind Bowe his chip was overhit, leaving 15 feet for par. Jack rolled his putt up close enough to be conceded and he must have thought he'd got a hole back. Bowe had other ideas as he dropped his 15 footer for the half and seemingly got one hand on the trophy.

Perhaps a little shell-shocked Hunter hit a wayward drive off the 15th tee while Bowe was down the middle. Hunters tee ball had just stopped short of the gorse bushes allowing him a full swing and access to the green. With the wind as strong as ever he struck a superb 4 iron into the heart of the green. Although in the fairway, Wills ball was above his feet and with the wind hard off the right he needed to guard against it turning over too much. As consequence he sent his approach too far right and it took a bounce further right into some heather from where he could only pitch back over the green into a bunker. With Jack sitting pretty on the green Will needed to hole his bunker shot to stand any chance of sharing the hole. He failed in his attempt and the pair crossed back over the road with Bowe 2 up.

2up became 1up when Bowe made a mess of 16 after over-shooting the green and leaving himself no shot for his 3rd, a Hunter par was good enough to get another hole back.

The 17th hole hadn't got any easier and Hunter made his best swing of the day as his ball sailed on the wind toward the hole, it looked good from the tee but had actually just ran through the back of the green. Bowe hit his tee shot into the right bunker but was closer than Hunter. Putting from the off the back of the green back into the wind would be a slow putt. Hunter knew this but overhit his effort to 8 feet behind the hole. In response Will played a tidy bunker shot to within 3 feet. When Jacks putt slipped by Bowe was left with a 3 footer for the championship. He hasn't missed many of those in his life and duly slotted this one straight in the middle to come out on top by 2&1 and incredibly win his 7th Matchplay Championship.

The final was played in fantastic spirit and after the customary handshakes and congratulations between the players there was an embrace between champion Bowe and the winning caddy, his 9 year old son Bobby who had now seen close up what it takes for his dad to return home with trophies as often as he has.

Maryport GC had been a great venue for the Championship. The course was in great shape and the hospitality experienced by players, spectators and officials had been top notch. A view echoed by both Acting President of CUGC Andrew Kendall and the new Matchplay champion Will Bowe in their remarks at the presentation.