Ablett and Callaway share Sand Martin honours

Two of the top PGA Professionals in the South Region - Lee-on-the-Solent’s James Ablett and Foxhills’s David Callaway - have shared victory in the Sand Martins Pro-Am, after both shot rounds of four-under-par 66.

Taking home cheques for £950 each, both birdied the last four holes. Out in one-under with a solitary birdie at the seventh, Ablett was back to level par after a bogey at the 13^th, but his round caught fire from the 15^th as he made birdies all the way home for his 66.

Teeing off an hour and a half later, Callaway was out in one-over-par after three bogeys and two birdies. Back to level after a birdie at the 10^th, things took a dramatic turn at the 13^th with a second 90 minute delay while a thunderstorm passed through.

Back in the clubhouse Callaway could see Ablett’s final score and once the back nine greens had been squeegeed, he knew what he had to do. Pars at the 13^th and 14^th left him having to find four more birdies in four holes, but Callaway reeled off four brilliant birdies in succession to join Ablett in pole position.

The two leaders edged out the following pack of well-known names who finished on three-under-par: Martin Woodbridge (Bearwood Lakes), CK Group PGA Kent Open champion Adam Wootton (Oxford Golf Centre), Tom Fleming (Donnington Grove), Guy Woodman (Longball) and former Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit champion Andy Raitt (St. George’s Hill).

Current Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit champion Ablett has now notched up eight wins so far. Back from the BMW PGA Championship experience, he’s got right back in to the driving seat in the last week with a win and two top three placings at the Woodcote Park, Surbiton and Hartley Wintney Pro-Ams.

Ablett is looking forward to the rest of the southern season: “I’m delighted to be back in the saddle and sharing the honours with David at Sand Martins – with all that rain interruption, I really thought it was going to be just about good enough to give me sole possession of the top spot!

“My swing’s in great shape and my short game’s sharp enough at the moment to capitalise on the shots to the green, so if I can keep things going, I’ll be working hard to defend my Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit title.”

Callaway added: “My scoring going out reflected how important it is to get the course management right at Sand Martins.

“The greenkeepers did a brilliant job of getting the course playable again after all the rain, and it was terrific fun to find those four finishing birdies to tie with James. Combined with my winning 64 at the Milford Pro-Am four days earlier, I’m having a good run!”