FOWLES' LAST-ROUND 64 WINS HIM PGA EUROPRO £10,000 PRIZE

By NICK TEALE

A superb final round of 64 saw Billy Fowles win the Kerry London PGA EuroPro Tour by two shots at Burhill Golf Club on Sunday.

The Wentworth golfer came into the final day one over par, four shots behind then leader Dale Whitnell (Five Lakes) having shot a three-over-par 75 on Saturday.

Fowles began his final round with a par four at the first before gaining a shot at the second. Pars at three and four kept him level for the tournament before he leapt up the leaderboard with consecutive birdies starting at the fifth. He drew level for the lead by taking the par-three eighth in two.

The 11^th was the tournament’s most generous hole and Fowles took full advantage of the par five with an eagle. Further birdies at 12, 15 and 16 extended his lead and despite bogeying the par-three 18^th he took away the £10,000 winner’s cheque at the end of a tough 54 holes of golf on Burhill’s New Course.

“It was tricky in the bad weather,” confirmed winner Fowles after the tournament. “The final round was a lot calmer but it was tough in the wind and rain on the first two days.

“The main problem was the wind, but if you could get through the holes that were going into the wind it wasn’t too bad as once you got it behind you the holes were playing a lot shorter and you could get some good scores on the longer holes.

“Even though I started the final day a shot above par I felt I had a chance. I was only four shots off the lead and I thought I could go out and post a low score; I felt I had been playing well enough to do that.

“I hit it close on eight for a birdie which took my round to four under, so I knew at three under overall I was level with the overnight lead. Then I saw the leaderboard at the ninth and knew I was up there.

“It was an anxious wait in the clubhouse, especially with Alex Belt playing well. I knew he was only a couple of birdies from my score so I was a bit worried.”

Belt (The De Vere Club) was Fowles’ closest challenger but was left to rue bogeys at 10 and 12 which cost him the chance to take the tournament to a play off. He signed for 69 at the end of his final round.

Overnight leader Whitnell struggled on the final day, concluding the tournament tied for 11^th.  A bogey at the first wasn’t an ideal start and despite notching up three birdies he carded a 75.

Ryan Brown (Worksop Golf Club) and Paul Reed (Bristol and Clifton Golf Club) shared third place on two under. Reed, who won the Ulster Bank Open at Galgorm Castle nine days ago, hit a par-72 final round with his three birdies cancelled out by the same number of bogeys.

Brown shot a 68 in his final round to climb the leaderboard on the final day. The Worksop golfer was two above par overnight but an eagle at the fifth and five back-nine birdies took him into the top five.

The next event on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour is the WSL Open at Collingtree Park, Northampton, which begins on June 20.

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