2026 Platinum
But that was the outcome yesterday over the increasingly blustery West Lancashire course at Blundellsands, as the top pros from the north-west competed for places in the final of Britain's premier event for club professionals.
Huyton & Prescot pro John Fisher, out in the second three-ball of the day at just after 8am, signed for a 72, that saw him and 16 others, advance into the 72-hole final of the Glenmuir Club Professional Championship, being played at Royal Porthcawl from June 12-15.
"I never for a minute thought that would hold up throughout the rest of the day", admitted 33-year-old John, who lives at Ainsdale, Southport. "After I bogeyed the 18th I felt that maybe one or two-under would be the score to beat. But certainly the wind got tougher in the afternoon." John's card was a curate's egg of five birdies and five bogeys, but it gave him a two-shot win.
Immediately after finishing what was his first competitive outing of the year, he wasted no time in booking up a holiday cottage 10 minutes from Royal Porthcawl for his wife Karen and daughter Anna, who's almost two.
"As soon as I knew I'd be going to the final I got onto the internet so that we can have a family holiday as well as trying to make the cut."
Last year was the first time John had failed to reach the Glenmuir final in five attempts - his only successful cut came at the Duke's Course, St Andrews in 2000.
But it did help yesterday that he'd joined the West Lancs club five years ago, and is by now very familiar with the layout. "My wife and her parents were already members, and since it's such a fabulous course I thought it was sensible to join."
John's rewards for his round, £250 plus the sponsors' commemorative glassware, will be dwarfed should he finish first in South Wales. The winner there receives £10,000, gets a place in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth next May, and the leading 10 finishers in Glamorganshire are exempt from regional qualifying for The Open.
Tied second were former North Region Order of Merit winner, Jon Cheetham from Gatley Golf Club, near Cheadle, and the experienced Peter Barber from Didsbury.