'Its good to have a break. I get stale really quickly. I started getting my game back a couple of weeks ago in the County Match and rounds of 76 and 72 at the County Champions tournament was pretty special.'

That total was good enough for 9th place in the Championships for the more than 30 English County Champions, played at Woodhall Spa. Paul had started the 72 with a pair of bogeys and then trebled the 7th. He then played the last twelve (probably the most difficult part of the course) in five under par, form that he took onto Edgbaston with six birdies in the morning, and only two mistakes, something the rest of the field were not able to do.

Ben Stafford opened with a 67 to be two back from Randle. He had 12 birdies on the day but a run of what he called 'silly mistakes - three on the run in the afternoon after being two under after three.'

Ben would take fourth place overall. Another ex Junior Neil Taylor had eight red numbers on his card but a poor afternoon 72 would see him be one of four players on 139, including newly promoted to the EGU 'A' Squad Rob Steele who could not 'buy a putt' in his 69 and 70.

Chris Doughill, fresh from his performance in the County Finals, put 10 birdies on his card - and four doubles to give him fifth place, notably two holes where left was not an option at all and Chris went left and left. Rob Browning was very much in contention for the Open and the TP Cooke Salver, the latter awarded for the best 72 hole total from the Amateur and the Open, especially after his opening 66, one shot back from Randle. That round included two eagles hitting it close at the 11th with a driver and then chipping in at the 15th after also having tried to reach that green, an uphill par four of over 300 yards.

Andy Sullivan did make the putting surface on the 15th but could not hole anything and for Browning, the afternoon was not the great hitting he had found in the morning - the result a mid 70s score and posting a total of 283 for the T P Cooke, matching that of Rob Steele, to be eight back from Randle's winning score of 275

Carey had won the Midland Pros early on in the season after not really picking up a club pre the Championship. He found no form in an opening 71 but found five birdies and an eagle (a five wood to 1oft on the 16th) to equal the course record at Edgbaston and follow Randle into the Clubhouse with 135 for a good run at the title he last won at Rugby two years ago.

That took away second place from the late entrant Junior Robert Bardsley (Moor Hall). Robert had a good Boys and U21s Championship and has reduced his handicap from 5 to 2 through the season. He will surely be in the Boys team next year after posting two 68s to take him very close to one handicap. Those rounds of 68 included eight birdies but Robert was disappointed with his play on the only par five on the course, the 17th -

'I was +1 on that hole - that really cost me', said Robert.

The golf from the winner was spectacular, even when he made a bogey. Having hooked it off the 12th tee into one of the largest water hazards in Warwickshire, probably the UK, Paul found he could actually get to the ball with some careful steps. That was a five and his last hole was a couple of mistakes he didn't want to make after a horseshoe from 18inches on his 35th.

Having found the right hand fairway bunker on the last, Paul left the ball in the sand and found the left side of the green with his third. He could only watch the ball finish 15ft away for four shots but calmly holed that putt for the two shot win.

Full scores for the Open and the T P Cooke are available in County men | Championships | Open | Scores , together with an extensive picture gallery of players from the day.

CSS on the day was 69 for both rounds