Challenge Tour player, Dale Whitnell's First Jamega win

Challenge Tour player, Dale Whitnell with amazing consistancy ( missing just 1 green in 36)
takes his first Jamega win

With unusually light winds to deal with the players were in confident mood that the scoring would be low over the short but tricky course at The Bristol Golf Club which starts atop a hill with stunning views overlooking The Severn Estuary with the Welsh hills beyond.

Dale Whitnell produced the low round of the day reducing the 6100 yard layout to a mere 64 shots to head the leader board on 6 under par.

Close behind, snapping at his heels, came Jonathan Caldwell on 5 under par 65. Liam Robinson who is showing good form of late was a further shot adrift on 4 under par.

The former BMW PGA winner Scott Drummond was well in the hunt on 3 under par alongside Kieran Staunton, the ever present James Ablett and Ryan Adair who is just getting back into tournament golf. In all some 17 players broke the par of 70 leaving the tournament wide open for anyone to win.

Fortunately the horrendous weather forecast for the second day failed to materialise and despite windier conditions the general scoring seemed to be better especially for Challenge Tour player Kyron Sullivan who holed in one at the par 3 second on his way to a second round 3 under par 67 and a bonus prize of £100.

Lee James set the early clubhouse target at 6 under par thanks to a blistering last 5 holes that he completed in no less than 6 under the card!

Sam Robinson soon spoiled James’s day by adding his own 6 under par effort to his first round 1 under 69 to take the clubhouse lead on 7 under par. Asian Tour player Yasin Ali equalled Robinson’s final total and both had to sit it out and wait for the final two groups to appear.

In the penultimate group only Scott Drummond made the clubhouse leaders sweat a bit scoring a second 67 that saw him finish on 6 under par.

As the last group approached the last green a rash of rulings were required including a bizarre incident when the Jamega tour van saved Liam Robinson’s ball from going out of bounds over the back of the green when his ball stuck the side of the lorry and just bounced back in play!

The remaining members of the group Jonathan Caldwell and Dale Whitnell, who were both tied at 9 under par, waited patiently while all this was going on as they prepared to act out the final scene of the event.

It was Caldwell to play first, having to hole from some 20 feet to remain at 9 under par and tied with Whitnell, who had a chance of a birdie from around 15 feet to put the matter beyond doubt.

Caldwell narrowly missed his par save and dropped back to 8 under par which then left Whitnell with the seemingly easy task of two putting from 15 feet for the win. “It went orf in me hands guv” can best describe Whitnell’s first putt that raced by the hole finishing some 4 feet past leaving him a tricky putt to win.

With nerves of steel Whitnell bravely holed out for the narrowest of wins and a nice cheque for £5,000. This left Caldwell in second place on his own with a consolation cheque for £2,000.

The Bristol Golf Club is easy on the eye and a good course to play with excellent facilities and a clubhouse where you can be fed and watered at a reasonable price. It’s well worth a visit after you’ve dropped the spouse off at the magnificent Cribbs Causeway shopping Mall!