Galvin Green PGA Assistants' Championsip
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WEBBER WIPES SLATE CLEAN WITH
BIRDIE BLITZ
James Webber erased bad
memories of Little Aston with a birdie laden 68 to lead the Galvin Green
PGA Assistants’ Championship on day one.
The Three Rivers Golf and Country Club assistant suffered a first round exit as an amateur
in the British Boys Championship but on his return to the Harry
Vardon-designed course peppered the pin to reel off six birdies.
Webber’s four under par
tally leaves him one clear of Ireland’s Ciaran Malloy (Blackwood Golf
Centre), Northumberland’s Mathew Webb (Bedlingtonshire) and 2014
champion Gareth Davies (Abbeydale) who birdied the last for a 69.
While Webber enjoyed the
more benign early conditions, an even better score slipped through his
fingers after he dropped a shot on 13 and three putted the par five 15th.
Nevertheless, Webber was
more than happy with his opening round in the 54-hole event which
carries a £5,000 first prize and entry to the end of season PGA
Play-Offs at Saunton in October plus a clothing deal with sponsors
Galvin Green.
“I three putted the par
five unfortunately but apart from that I played really well and hit it
really close which is always nice. I was within three feet for five of
the six birdies I made which is a huge bonus,” said Webber.
“I played Little Aston a
long time ago in the British Boys but I didn’t fare too well and got
knocked out in the first round. It’s a great course though, it is
looking fantastic, lush and the greens are soft, it’s very playable. If
your wedges are on, you can fire at pins which is what I did today and
it came off.”
Also enjoying laser like
accuracy was Webb who rattled in five birdies in his opening seven
holes. A bogey at eight plus a double bogey at 14, courtesy of a lost
ball off the tee, halted his charge but a birdie on the last eased the
pain and he remains well on target to avenge his disappointment at
missing the cut last year.
“My game was really
good, I had a lot of opportunities, I was not making as many putts as I
maybe should have done but overall I’m happy with that score,” said
Webb.
Golf is very much in the
family for Webb - he works for his dad Marcus, a PGA Fellow
Professional - but despite that was left to find his own way into the
sport.
“I hit a few balls at eight or nine but didn’t start playing until
I was 14 because he didn’t want to push me into it, I used to play
football,” he added.“After that I kind of got the golfing bug and really enjoyed it. The handicap system of always trying to beat yourself, I found it really enjoyable so got addicted to golf I guess.” Malloy meanwhile, who described his form as blowing very hot and cold coming into the event, must have feared the worst when he bogeyed the first two holes.
But the Bangor man
sparked into life with a run of five birdies in six holes to the eighth
to lead the Ireland charge which also includes Balcarrick’s Iarlaith
Keane at two under and Dunloaghaire’s Michael Kelly and Limerick’s Tim
Rice a stroke further back.
“I fell asleep this morning but got a few birdies going there thankfully,” said Malloy.
“My form has been pretty
rubbish coming into this and I’ve been carrying a few injuries but I
did okay, hit some close today and hopefully can carry that on.”
Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship, August 3-5.
Leading first round scores
Pos Score Name Represents
1 68 (-4) James Webber Three Rivers
2= 69 (-3) Ciaran Malloy Blackwood Golf Centre
Mathew Webb Bedlingtonshire
Gareth Davies Abbeydale
5= 70 (-2) Iarlaith Keane Balcarrick
Jonathan Levey Matfen Hall
Toby Hunt St Mellons
Full leaderboard here https://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi16/event/pgagbi16660/contest/1/leaderboard.htm
Image of James Webber attached for free use courtesy of Jan Kruger at Getty Images
For further information please contact Nat Sylvester at the PGA Media Department on 07866 540287 or email nathaniel.sylvester@pga.org.uk
Visit www.PGA.info for the latest information and scores throughout the season from the Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship and all PGA tournaments, discover more via www.facebook.com/thepga or follow us on Twitter @ThePGA
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Labels: PGA
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, August 04, 2016
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