Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Leggatt ends his lean spell with cup success
Canterbury
A year that until now had produced nothing but frustration for Simon Leggatt changed dramatically at Canterbury on Sunday when the Herne-based builder shot a magnificent eightunder-par 63 to win the KCPFA Cup.
It has been two years since Leggatt last wrote his name on the honours boards with a victory in the Powers Cup.
That was in May 2015 and in August that year, the 46-year-old matched the winner’s score in the prestigious Pilgrims Cup but had to settle for third place on countback.
Subsequently, Leggatt has had a largely disappointing time, producing only the odd round of significance.
Then, last month, he gave an indication of a change in fortunes with a two-under-par net 69 that earned him joint fifth place in the Style Cup.
And on Sunday he made his return to the winner’s enclosure in sensational fashion.
The seven-handicapper could not have wished for a better start, picking up three shots in his first two holes, making an eagle three at the first and a birdie two at the second.
After four pars, Leggatt collected another birdie at the par-five 7th but after a par at the short 8th, he dropped a shot at the ninth to reach the turn in 33, three under par gross.
A bogey at the 10th was followed by two pars and then a third birdie at 13.
A mis- hit second shot at the 14th threatened to derail Leggatt’s charge as he could do no better than a double-bogey after having to dig his ball out of the rough but he quickly regained his composure to par the next two holes.
And although he dropped a shot at the long 17th, a fourth birdie at the final hole secured a gross one-under 70, net 63.
Three strokes behind Leggatt in second place was 15-handicap Andy Williamson, who had a mixed round that contained everything from birdies to a triple-bogey. He scored well over his first nine, making birdies at the first and 8th to reach the turn in a three-over 39.
But although he picked up five pars on the homeward half, he also had a double-bogey at the 14th and dropped three shots at the 17th to finish with a net 66.
Three players finished a stroke further back in third place and perhaps the doughtiest performance on the day came from 17-handicap Luke Mcintosh.
He started from the 10th with four pars and made birdie at 16 before suffering a heartbreaking 10 at the par-five 18th.
But he managed to put that experience behind him to play steadily on his back nine, finishing with back- to- back birdies for a satisfying net 67. Leading scores: 63 S Leggatt (h7); 66 A Williamson (h15); 67 J Higgins (h10), S White (h6), L Mcintosh (h17); 68 G Tottman (h8), J Isherwood (h15); 69 R Askham (h7), L Johnson (0), D Tottman (h13), F Davis (h12); 70 C Jamieson (h18), S Williams (h15); 71 J Coupe (h13), R Evans (h22), T Wenham (h12), S Eeles (h11); 72 M Curd (h23), I Cusselle (h12), T Pearce (h12), P Bundock (h10), A Evans (h9), N Robertson (h10), D Simmons (h10), T Place (h13), G Miller (h19), R Beer (h8), R Stedman (h18);