BOLTON golf legend Billy Bromilow has become the first man to win all three age-group Bolton golf championships.

The Horwich player made history this summer when he added the Bolton Seniors crown to the town's boys' and open-age titles he has won previously.

Bromilow is a leading figure on the Bolton golfing scene, having been a top player for decades as well as a successful county captain and England selector.

The 57-year-old's golfing career began in 1972 when he first picked up a club and started playing at Bolton Municipal golf course.

Four years later he joined Chorley Golf Club where he is still a member.

His first town title came in 1976 when he won the Bolton Boys' Championship.

Four years later he won the ultimate prize on the local golfing calendar when he claimed his first Bolton Championship.

He repeated the feat two more times when he became Bolton champion again in 1987 and 1990.

And after a gap of 28 years he has another town title after winning this year's Bolton Seniors Championship.

It came at the third time of asking after near misses in the first two years he was eligible to enter.

"When I was 55 I entered for the first time and finished second," he said.

"I finished second again last year before winning it this year at Hindley Hall Golf Club.

"It means I've completed the clean sweep of Bolton Boys, Bolton Championship and now Bolton Seniors which I believe may never be repeated – or, if it is, I can't see it happening for 30 or 40 years."

"I won the Bolton Boys in 1976 at Deane Golf Club when I was 15, then my first Bolton Golf Association Championship at Chorley Golf Club in 1980 when I was 19, and then again in '87 and '90.

"The Bolton Seniors Championship only started six or seven years ago, so no one's really had a chance to win all three before me.

"I always wanted to win it because I knew it might never be done again – it's something I'm very proud of."

His main rival this year in the competition – a gross event which does not take into account handicaps – was Bolton Old Links member Karl Bowker.

Bromilow said: "He went out in the morning and I went out after him.

"I did 69 and when I came in I asked how Karl had gone on and was told he got 70. I knew then I'd won it then."

Bromilow's focus on trying to win the senior championship over the last three years came after focusing much of his time and effort on golfing commitments for Lancashire and England.

"From 2008 to 2013 I was Lancashire county captain," he said.

"It was a successful period in which we won the English title four times in six years with good players like Tommy Fleetwood, Matthew Baldwin, Matthew Nixon, Jack Senior and Mark Young to name a few.

"On the strength of that I was invited to be an England selector which I did from 2011 to 2016.

"The highlight was winning the 2011 Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen against a USA team which included Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.

"It was quite time-consuming doing the Lancashire and England selector jobs and my own golf had to take a back seat.

"Chorley were good to me. I first became a member there in 1976 and was club captain in 1993, and when I was an England selector they made me a temporary honorary member.

"That was really nice of the club to do that.

"I enjoyed my time doing the Lancashire and England roles but I wanted to get back playing seniors golf so I stopped in 2016.

"I wanted to win the Bolton Seniors Championship to be the first person to win all three and I'm proud to have done it."