Best day of the year for Hunt

Toby Hunt has not enjoyed his best season but lessons with Barry Thomas, his boss at St Mellons and a former regional PGA captain, contributed to his first pro-am win of the season.

“I have been struggling but Barry has straightened me out,” he said after he repeated his 2015 win at Minchinhampton’s New course in the heart of Gloucestershire.

Last year the 40-team pro-am was held over the Avening course. This year his triumph came over the Cherington lay out.

The 2014 and 2015 West Region Assistants champion returned six-under-par 66 on a perfect day for golf to beat another promising assistant Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) by one shot.

The talented 24-year-old Welshman from Cardiff, whose only win this season was in the opening Spring Assistants series at Weston-super-Mare, picked up three shots in each half. He made seven birdies and only dropped one shot at the short 15th.

Mansell also signed for seven birdies on a day of blistering scoring but shed shots at the sixth and 16th.

Experienced trio Adam Frayne (Yelverton) with seven birdies, Lee Thompson (Thompson) with five and Liam Bond (St Pierre), who made four in a flawless round, shared third on 68.

James Ruth (China Fleet) was the other player without a blemish on his card - three birdies and 15 pars – and was joint sixth with Michael Watson (Wessex Golf Centre), another player with five birdies.

Hunt took his day’s winnings to £1,232 by leading his own Capital Group Ltd winning team of low handicappers to tie team prize on 91 points. He was joined by his father Chris, off six, scratch player Mike Britton and Des Lane off 10.

Bond, playing with club captain John Rosser, Stuart Bernau and Stuart Richards were second on 89 followed on countback by Robin Goodey (Chipping Sodbury) and Peter Ball, Joshua Ball and Clive Reynolds.