Ablett stripes it round Littlestone

James Ablett (Lee-on-the-Solent) produced yet another flawless performance, a bogey-free five-under-par 66, to win the Littlestone Charity Pro-Am and a cool £900.

Underlining how good Ablett’s 66 was, not only did the following pack all drop shots on their way to the finish, but Ablett was playing Littlestone for the first time. However, it still couldn’t match Paul Sherman’s shooting a new eight-under-par course record 63 just two days previously on his way to a six shot victory in The PGA in Kent Championship.

Closest challenger was second placed David Ledingham (Chestfield) with 67; five-under-par after the 14^th, he dropped shots on the 15^th and 17^th before recovering with a birdie four at the 18^th. Three other players tied for third place on 68: local man Charles Wilson (Littlestone), Kent PGA Champ Paul Sherman (Langley Park) and Alan Lovelace (Merrist Wood College).

Ablett started strongly, with three birdies in the first five holes with another at the 10^th. A run of pars for the next seven holes left him needing a birdie down the par-five 18^th to secure his winning 66, and continue his fine run of September form.

He explained: “Yes, I am definitely on the ball again! I’m enjoying some good results on courses I love playing - that said, I’ve never played Littlestone before! I played with three low handicap members, one of whom was the vice-captain off three, so I had the ideal bunch to show me the way round. I hit every green in regulation and as it turned out, we won the team event as well!”

Ablett continued: “The conditions were ideal, hardly any wind to blow the early morning mist away, but it picked up enough to help me make the final hole with a three-iron and then a five-iron for a handy two putt birdie.

A lesson a couple of weeks ago underlined the need for him to maintain width in his downswing, something that as a tall player the Lee-on-the-Solent man is keenly aware of.

He said: “Getting in the right plane makes things a lot simpler, and in turn gets me focused on the job in hand. I haven’t had to chip or play a bunker shot and make a putt for par in the last 36 holes, and it makes for very stress-free golf!”

Ablett’s focus is now fully on that third place in the Order of Merit to secure a slot in the Titleist PGA Play Offs in Turkey, A semi-final in the Keith MacDonald Matchplay is lined up against PGA Southern Professionals Champion Benn Barham (PGolfCoaching@Pedham), and the last major event of 2014, the Tylney Park Classic Order of Merit Finale.