Alex is head boy as he prepares for Glenmuir final debut

Alex Boyton admitted it was third time lucky as he reached his first Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship.

The Skidby Lakes PGA professional won the qualifying event at Fulford Golf Club on countback from Penwortham’s Ryan O’Neill.

Both players carded level par rounds of 72 to top the leaderboard in difficult conditions.

They and 16 other qualifiers will now play in the £78,000 Glenmuir showpiece being held on June 11-14 at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland.

The Peugeot-supported final will decide who makes the Great Britain and Ireland squad which will compete in the PGA Cup against the USA also to be staged at Slaley Hall.

But Boyton admitted the hard work he had put in during the winter was now paying off.

The Humberside based professional said: “This’ll be my first final after just missing out in the previous two years.

“Last year, I was just one shot away from qualifying and then involved in a play-off that went on until about 9pm but I didn’t make it.

“So I’m very happy to get through this time and get a place in the final.

“I’ve been working hard on my game during the winter and that seems to be paying off.”

Boyton admitted it was tough going at the York venue.

He added: “It was very windy but I only had one really scrappy hole which I double bogeyed.

“But I finished with three birdies so that was better.

“I’ve been at Skidby Lakes for 11 years, some of them as an Assistant Professional, but now I want to be playing in events like the Glenmuir so this means a lot to me.”