DEARDEN WINS WEST WALES

CLASSIC IN AWFUL WEATHER

AT ASHBURNHAM

Vale of Glamorgan professional Matthew Dearden won the West Wales Classic in appalling conditions at Ashburnham Golf Club on Tuesday.

This was the fifth event of this season’s Dragon Tour, Wales’ first professional golf tour, and now rebranded as the Celtic Pro Tour and including events in Scotland and Ireland.
Dearden was in second place overnight after former Gower amateur, Lee Lewis, who turned professional last week, started his new career among the paid ranks with a round of two under par 70 to lead by one shot from Dearden who shot a one under par round of 71.
At one stage in round one, Dearden stood at four under par after 12 holes, only to drop three shots in the last six holes. In joint third place, also dropping shots on the last six holes of day one, was Matthew Prior (Machynys Peninsula) who was leading the field at four under par with Dearden after 12, but finished at level par 72.
Three other players sat alongside Prior at level par - Matthew Griffiths (Caerphilly), who won the Carmarthen Bay open at Machynys Peninsula last month, Asian Tour player Craig Smith (St Mellons), who won the last Celtic Pro Tour event in Wales at Garnant Park, and amateur Pete James (Belmont Lodge).
One of the stories of the first day was that of the only lady golfer in the field, Lauren Diggle (Celtic Manor).

Standing at four over par after 12 holes, while the men struggled on the last six holes, she gained two shots to finish at two over par after day one for a share of eighth place overnight, within striking distance of her first pay cheque on the Celtic Pro Tour.
Day two was a completely different affair, with the forecast heavy rain arriving overnight on Monday and continuing into the morning, meaning that a one hour suspension was required before play could start in round two in squally conditions.
Going out in the final grouping with Dearden and amateur Pete James (Belmont Lodge), Lewis found the going tough and drifted out of contention after 12 holes with the wind picking up. Diggle also struggled to cope with the conditions, but can be proud of her effort from the back tees, in finishing in tied 11th place in the professional event.
After 15 holes, Dearden had picked up further shots to go four strokes clear at -3, with Griffiths next at +1. After a shaky final few holes, dropping two shots in the process, Dearden held his nerve to win the event by two shots from Griffiths, with the only under par aggregate score of -1, collecting £1,000 a Sunderland of Scotland waterproof suit and a Powerbug electric trolley.
Griffiths’s second place finish (+1), winning £500, catapults him into second place in the Celtic Pro Tour Order of Merit, after seven events, and looks in great form, having finished as winner, runner up and runner up in each of his last three outings on the tour.
New Order of Merit leader is David Price (Aber Wrought Iron / http://www.vale-hotel.com/) whose third place finish at Ashburnham on +2, after two rounds of 73, won him £250.
Sharing joint 4th place were Prior and James Lee (Caerphilly) on +3, each picking up £125, while the leading amateur vouchers went to Pete James (Belmont Lodge) and James Frazer (Pennard) who finished on +5.
The next Celtic Pro Tour event is the Swansea Bay Open at Clyne Golf Club, next Wednesday and Thursday, August 22 and 23

For more information, visit the website at http://www.celticpro.com/ or telephone Rhydian Thomas on 07861 686568.