Men’s & Ladies Club Champions, Brian McEwan & Barbara Conley
Glaswegian Brian McEwan does not think winning the Club Championship at Seaton Carew Golf Club will sink in until he sees his name on the board in the clubhouse.
McEwan added his name for the first time to the esteemed list of men’s Club Championship winners with a commanding victory.
And that followed Barbara Conley’s latest chapter of her own remarkable success story, securing an impressive seventh Ladies’ Championship title.
For McEwan, who only joined the club three years ago from Bedale GC, he is still adjusting to becoming Seaton Carew’s club champion.
He said: “From leaving the golf club as club champion on Sunday night to heading into work at 6.30am Monday, I’ve not had time to digest it all. I thought it would have taken me longer to win it because the calibre of players at Seaton Carew is unreal. I am so honoured.”
McEwan, a Scotsman now residing in Northallerton after 22 years in the RAF, acknowledged the strength of the competition.
“I could name the quality of the single handicap golfers vying for it, so I don’t think this will sink in until I see my name on the board,” he joked. While he has claimed similar titles at previous clubs like Bedale, he stressed “nothing of the calibre like this.”
The two-day event presented a stark contrast in conditions, testing the mettle of all competitors. Saturday offered benign conditions, where McEwan found himself three-under par on the 14th before a “horrendous triple bogey” brought him “back to earth.”
He finished the first day with a bogey on the 18th, carding a 72 to sit three shots behind early leader Rob Clark, and tied with Alex Shaw and Mark Westmoreland.
“Going into Sunday, I was in the second last group,” McEwan said. “I wanted to mirror the conditions and thought if I can get anywhere near where I was I’d have a chance.
“Little did I know others would struggle. I set myself 72 and 72, so I was delighted.”
Despite the brisk northerly wind making the back nine particularly tough off the blue tees, McEwan’s consistent play with another 72 on Sunday sealed the title by a five-shot margin. Clark’s second-round 80 saw him slip to third, while this year’s Seaton Salver winner, Dominic Moon, moved up to second with rounds of 74 and 75.
This was McEwan’s third attempt at the Seaton Carew Club Championship and has found his love for links golf all over again.
The 43-year-old said: “I have just been getting back into links golf. I played Parklands prior to that but played a lot of links as a kid at Troon and courses around there.
“Glasgow is similar to North Yorkshire because we used to go to the west coast on the courses there to play links when it was wet, like some do at Seaton and I haven’t looked back since joining Seaton – but I must say how much of an understanding wife I have in Julie McEwan.
“It is not just a golf club, because of how welcoming and friendly everyone has been. That goes for the staff, to the committee members, to a random person who I have never met before.”
Meanwhile, the Ladies’ Club Championship, contested on Thursday and Friday, enjoyed somewhat easier weather.
This led to some impressive scoring, with Conley ultimately triumphing to secure her seventh Championship title with rounds of 79-79 for a total of 158. Eleven-time winner Jane Longhorn secured a respectable second place.
Club Secretary Roy Leonard extended his congratulations to all participants. He said: “Well done to all those who took part over the four days of championship golf. A massive thank you also goes out to our greens staff, professional team, admin staff, and bar & catering crew, without whom none of this would happen.”
