Barnham Broom lead the way at Hunstanton

It was a red-letter day for two Barnham Broom assistants who swept aside 22 rivals to occupy the top two places in The PGA in Norfolk pro-am.

The winner was Alex Beckett, nephew of racehorse trainer and former England, Southampton and Norwich City footballer Mick Channon, who finished his round at Hunstanton for a one-over-par 73.

Beckett is emerging as a leading competitor in the PGA in England East Region having been joint winner at their two-day Ingrebourne Links Autumn Classic with his amateur partner at Aldeburgh and Thorpeness last October.

The runner-up at Hunstanton was Barnham Broom’s Matthew Gardner with a round of 75 which left the cream of Norfolk professional golf in his wake.

Michael Few of Weston Park was third with 76 despite losing two balls. There was a four-way tie for fourth place between Ian Ellis (Costessey Park), who was third in last year’s East Order of Merit, Ryan Pudney (Mundesley), Mark Allen (Eaton) and Suffolk raider Neil Mitchell (Bury Driving Range). They all signed for 77.

A highlight of the round was a hole in one for PGA in Suffolk captain Frank Hill (Thorpeness) at the 167-yard seventh hole. Hill, a PGA Super Sixties winner in 2006, is a former captain of The PGA in England (East).

Ellis won the team prize with amateurs Thain Hacon, Brad Smith and Dylan Green with a score 137. They gained the verdict on count back from Will Cross (Thetford) and amateurs Andrew Horsburgh, Matt West and Matthew White. Third place, with 138, were Tim Lond-Caulke (Diss Golf Centre), Tom Fitchew, Guy Baker and Ross Bailey.