Heading into the day, Gloucestershire knew they had to beat Yorkshire to win the Men’s County Championship title for a fourth time in the competition’s 100-year history, while Yorkshire just had to avoid defeat to land their record 24th title.
Essex also had slim hopes of bagging their third ever title but needed a mammoth win over reigning champions Leicestershire & Rutland. They triumphed 5.5-3.5 to finish just a half-point behind Yorkshire in 3rd.
With Gloucestershire winning 4.5 points out of 8, they needed a half from the last match on the course, where McKinnes had battled back from 4-down through 4 against an on-fire Habib Khan, to take it to the final hole.
Both didn’t hit the tee shots and approaches they were hoping for, as the crowd gathered around the 18th, and after Khan’s 20-foot par putt just missed, McKinnes stepped up to roll in his putt.
“My heart’s still beating out my chest!” said McKinnes. “I knew the situation was building with more people turning up to watch, so I knew that it was relying on my game to get the half-point for the win. I just tried to focus and get that half. It was very entertaining and I enjoyed it a lot!
“It was a bit of redemption from missing a short putt on that hole this morning (to save a half-point). I felt like I hit a good putt that just didn’t drop so that green owed me something – and thankfully it dropped this afternoon!”
Gloucestershire stalwart Nick Day added: “This win means a lot. We’re serial qualifiers and won it back in 2021 and twice since then we’ve lost on game points. It could’ve easily been the same story again today if it wasn’t for Charlie at the end!
“Gary and Dawn behind the scenes put so much effort in – everything is done for us and we just have to turn up and concentrate on our game and that’s how it’s been for the last six or seven years – it’s just a brilliant achievement.”
Day was Gloucestershire’s star player going unbeaten with 5 points from 6, and admitted: “I didn’t play for three weeks before I got here! I had a lesson last Monday with my coach – I’m not a big practiser!
“I don’t get the chance to go round the country and play national events because of work, but I love this event and this is right up there for me. It’s the first time for this chap (Charlie) – so a huge well done as that was amazing at the end.
“We’ll be driving home shortly and no doubt there’ll be a big celebration planned for the end of the season now that we’ve achieved this once again.”
Gloucestershire’s 5-4 win was the same margin they were beaten by Essex by on day two, but their 7-2 victory over Leicestershire & Rutland on day one proved the difference through game points.
Hollinwell played host to some exceptional golf from the four finalists, in which there were moments to savour for many players, including Leicestershire & Rutland’s Will Plant, who made his first ever albatross, something his father Liam in attendance had also done just once at Men’s County Finals back in 2007.
And Essex’s Toby Peters made a hole-in-one – his fourth career ace at just 19 years old!
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