BARRY Taylor captured the Lancashire PGA Matchplay Championship for an unprecedented fifth successive time at Royal Lytham and St Annes - but only after surviving an injury scare.

The Houghwood assistant was struck in the throat when his ball ricocheted off a tree in his semi-final clash with Chris Mathews only to walk away without so much as a bruise.

“I mishit my seven iron trying to steer a shot through a gap of about two feet,” he explained. “It was a bit of a shock but I knew I’d had a lucky escape because I could have lost a couple of teeth or suffered and even worse fate.

“I don’t know if I could have carried on if that had happened although I was determined to keep hold on my title,” said Taylor, 31, a member of the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup side beaten by the United States at Loch Lomond resort The Carrick last month.

He proceeded to overcome Mathews, from Samlesbury Golf Centre, 5&3 then eclipsed Brookdale assistant Grant Hamerton 3&2 in the final to complete a county double for the second time since 2007 following his victory in the James Brearley Lancashire Open at Blackpool North Shore in August.

But the one disappointment in Taylor’s season has been his failure to reach the European Tour School final for the 11th time in a row.

“I’m determined to keep trying. I’ll consult my coach Peter Cowen to see what I have to work on and then keep practising,” he added.

Ironically Hamerton, who beat James Barr from the Chilli Dip Academy at Blackrod 3&2 in the other semi, gave up his European Tour career seven years ago when became so disillusioned with the game and stopped playing for a while.
He got off to a shaky start in the final, losing the first three holes before reducing the margin to one.

“The turning point was at the 11th where I lost my ball then Barry made a cracking birdie two at the next and I could not get back at him,” he said.