A PLAY-OFF decided the club championships at Worcester Golf and Country Club, with the outcome settled on the first extra hole.

Paul Matthews birdied that hole to defeat reigning champion Anthony Ottway.

The two-day competition was well supported and 47 players made the cut for the second round.

Ottway, who plays off two, shot a gross 69 in the first round and Matthews (2) was four shots behind after firing a 73.

In round two, Matthews hit back with a 71, while Ottway struggled with his putting and recorded a 75 to finish with a two-round total of 144.

Followed by a large gallery, the match went down the first and both players were on the green for two.

However, Matthews holed a 30-foot putt for a birdie which Ottway couldn’t match, leaving the former to pick up the trophy.

Eighteen-year-old Max Begley won the D’Arcy Hughes Trophy for the best overall nett score.

Begley (8) carded an 80 in round one but then shot an amazing gross 71 in the second to claim top prize for the best nett.

Meanwhile, in the July Thursday medal, 78-year-old Dave Evans shot his age to win Division Two with 78-13-65. Evans beat fellow veteran Roy Matthews (84-19-65) on count-back with Kevin O’Dwyer (88-21-67) in third.

Mark Bishop won his first medal at the club when he topped Division One with 72-8-64. David Hunt was second with 72-6-66 and Ottway (69-2-68) pipped Simon Gerard-Jones (71-4-67) on count-back. Ottway recorded the day’s lowest gross.

Meanwhile, a large turn-out supported club skipper Phil Macdonell on his captain’s day. The four ball alliance stableford format, with three scores to count on par threes proved tough but, strangely, all the prize-winners came from the afternoon groups when the wind was stronger.

Leading the way with 98 points were James Driscoll, Richard Plews, James Howl-Newton and Simon Gerard-Jones. In runners-up spot on 95 points were Roger King, Chris Kyte, Don Hooper and Paul Matthews.

This group won on count-back in front of Duncan Macpherson, Lee Richardson, Ian Henry and Sean Lloyd.

Henry won the longest drive with a mammoth 360-yard effort down the dog-leg 18th fairway and Robin Davies won nearest the pin, finishing 52cm away.