Bell chimes for Colchester winner Mark

Mark Bell clinched his first ever Order of Merit triumph – at his final appearance on the PGA in England (East) circuit.

Bell, 28, is all set to move his golf academy from a Middlesex base to Surbiton Golf Studio.

But he signed off in style with a two-shot success in the PGA East Region Bowl at Colchester Golf Club.

Bell added a sizzling 66 to a first-round 69 to finish at five-under-par with fellow Middlesex PGA Professional Glynn Harris (Mill Hill) in second place.

The winner said: “I will be moving to the South Region in the next couple of weeks, so it was nice to finish on a high.   

“My goal at the start of this year was to finish in the top three of the Order of Merit – obviously that is not going to happen.

“But it was also a goal of mine to win an event, which I have done now. So, I am delighted.”

Bell struck early in his final round with a birdie at the opening hole. He hit a sand iron to eight feet and holed a birdie to make inroads on the overnight leaders David Salisbury (Three Rivers) and Neil Mitchell (Bury Golf Range).

But it was really on the back nine that Bell started to hit the high notes. From the 11^th, he birdied four of the next six holes, including a 50-foot putt for a two at the par-three 16^th.

Bell, who also claimed the Middlesex Professionals’ Championship in the spring, added: “It’s always nice to hole one on the first and from there you kind of get good vibes for the rest of the round. It can set the tone.

“I just kept it in play, hitting a lot of irons off the tee. But when I needed my driver, I hit it quite long and straight as well. So, I never looked like losing a ball – and I holed a few putts.”

On the Order of Merit, Darren Charlton (Dunstable Downs) retains his lead, albeit a slender one from Salisbury.

Charlton finished tied-10^th at Colchester, while Salisbury closed the gap on him, thanks to a share of third spot alongside Fredrick Harrington (Rochford Hundred), Mark Talbott (Thorpe Hall), James Ruebotham (Welwyn Garden City), Sean Whiffin (Hertfordshire G&CC) and Mitchell.

Whiffin is now up to third place in the Order of Merit race, which resumes with the Weston Homes Royal Cromer Classic on September 1-2.