Berry makes hay in Cotswolds

Broadway’s Russ Berry collected his second PGA in Gloucester & Somerset win in three weeks as he claimed top spot at Stinchcombe Hill with a stunning five under par 63.

His card showed only threes and fours culminating in an eagle at the par five closing hole to give him a two stroke winning margin over Cirencester’s Ed Goodwin.

Rain-softened greens at the Cotswolds venue invited accurate iron shots and the players capitalised in style with three players holing out from over 60 yards during the day.

Berry began with a birdie at the first before dropping his only stroke to par at the long par 3 fourth.

Immediately he regained that shot at the next hole before collecting four more shots to par in the closing five holes.

Birdies followed at 14 and 17 with a closing eagle to cap a fine round.

After a slow start to his campaign he has now enjoyed three consecutive weeks in the top two and must have a good chance of making that four as next week sees him return to the course where he started at Cleeve Hill. Goodwin is another with a short distance to travel next week as the Cheltenham resident took full advantage of Ashley Mansell’s absence to move back to the top of the Total Triumph Order of Merit.

His round of 65 started slowly with a bogey at the second but like Berry he birdied the fifth to return to par at the turn.

Coming home the only interruption to steady par figures were a brace of two’s with the first being a birdie at the 11th and the other being an eagle two at the 17th.

Goodwin holds the Cirencester pro shop bragging rights this week as he edged his assistant James Harraway into third spot. Harraway who was only making his second appearance of the season made five birdies in his round of 66 but his dropped shot at the final hole cost him the chance of a tie with his boss.

The host club’s assistant Mark Pitcher produced another solid round in his first winter of G&S competition with a 67 to share fourth with Burnham & Berrow’s George Ryall.

Five more players matched the par to share sixth. Roy Baker, David Haines, Paul Barrington, Giuseppe Licata and Tom Duke were the players to hand in scores of 68.