Thrilling climax as two players finish tied in first place
LEE CLARKE AND PHIL EDWARDS BOTH FIRE 5-UNDER-PAR 66 ROUNDS
THERE was a tie at the top in the Golfing Days tournament at Sherwood Forest, one of Nottinghamshire’s leading championship courses.
Lee Clarke (Wollaton Park), a former Leicestershire county amateur, and Phil Edwards (Coxmoor) both fired five-under-par 66 cards.
Matthew Cort (Beedles Lake), the top Leicestershire pro, hit fourunder-67 to share third with two more leading Midland pros – Paul Streeter (Lincoln Golf Centre) and Andy Willey (Oakmere).
There was another tie between pros on three-under-68 – Matt Stephens (Rothley Park), Dean Hibberd (East Midlands Golf Academy) and Matt Hogg, a Euro Pro golfer from Nottinghamshire, with five locked on the 69 mark.
These were Simon Lilly (Staverton Park), Will Painter (East Midlands GA), Ryan Brooks (Whittington Heath), Ben Hall from Rushcliffe GC at East Leake in the county, and George Bloor (Cavendish).
In a strong tightly packed field, two more county men – Olly Booth (Golfing Days) and Ashley Mason – were in a group on one-under-70 on the final leaderboard.
Mason also led his team of three amateurs to a haul of 91 points for their 19-under-par return to clinch third spot in the pro/am awards.
Mark Hatton, owner of Golfing
Days, a Leicestershire golf and specialist travel company, said: “It was another day of competitive golf on an excellent course, attracting professionals from a wide area, not only in this region, but from further afield, some of whom had made long trips to compete in this event.
“Our next event is at The Mere GC in Cheshire, but once again we are
looking forward to another successful day and there is already an enthusiastic full field of early entries.
“The field includes European Tour pros Richard Finch and South African Wilco Nienaber, so it promises to be another good competitive day.”
Simon Williams, the general manager at Sherwood Forest, is also a
former leading Leicestershire amateur golfer.
He was a first team regular, including a spell on a golf scholarship to the USA, before he turned professional.
He played a practice round with Matt Cort a few days before the tournament.