Steve's at home at Cumberwell

Surry weathers the Storm to Win at Home

With gale force winds and heavy showers lashing the course at Cumberwell Park for both tournament days some of the players must have wished they’d been good at Snooker or Darts instead of golf!

A home player victory was a definite possibility with local hero Steve Surry in the field and although being a hot favourite brings its own pressures, Surry performed quite brilliantly in the conditions and returned a 4 under par 67 over the combined Red and Blue courses.

Paul Reed, who is in a rich vein of form this year, played superbly to get within one shot of Surry, scoring a solid 3 under 68 and he was joined by Challenge Tour member Kyron Sullivan and former P.G.A Champion Scott Drummond.

Adam Wootton, Ben Jones, Daniel Phillips, Sam Matton and Adam Stott formed the main chasing pack on 2 under par. To show how tough the conditions were on the first day only 15 players managed to break the par of 71 out of a field of 98.

The second day brought no respite from the strong winds and with even more rain sweeping in from the West it would be a tough day for all the players and most definitely the men would be sorted from the boys. The conditions caused a slight hiccough in the proceedings with a monsoon like downpour flooding three of the greens but with the help of the green keepers and complex owner Ali James, play was soon back on track.

Andy Shakespear and Jake Amos threw caution to the wind and extracted 3 under par 68’s from the course to elevate them into the prize fund. Multiple winner Lee James put himself into a possible winning position carding a 3 under par 68 to finish the tournament on 4 under par to be club-house leader yet again!

James had to wait for the last four groups to finish before he would know his fate but with the news that Surry was negotiating the back nine successfully and standing on 5 under par after 33 holes with the birdie able par 5 eighteenth to come it looked like a forlorn hope.

Sure enough Surry plucked a final birdie from the last hole to finish an emphatic winner on 6 under par and win a welcome cheque for £5,000 to help with his quest for European Tour status at stage 2 of Q School. Lee James although disappointed not to win had his mood lifted a little with a second place cheque for £2,500.

Cumberwell Park is a magnificent facility with a combination of 4 nine-hole courses that will suit golfers of all standards and abilities. Cumberwell also has one of the best short game facilities in the south at which you could spend the whole day and not get bored. All that combined with helpful staff and “imported” pasties from Cornwall, that do nothing for your dietary ambitions, make Cumberwell Park, is a must visit golf complex.

A welcome week off for the team now before the final push to complete the season with the last three events of a 23 tournament season.