Blinkhorn battles through wind to reach final

Leigh Golf Club’s Sean Blinkhorn says he was lulled into a false sense of security by an unpredictable Hesketh course before the Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship North qualifier.                            

No player was able to go under par at the windy Southport venue.

A big field struggled with the conditions with a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.

Blinkhorn carded a two over par round of 74 and he was joined by Tim Ford, of Liverpool Driving Range, and Jamie Howarth, from Stockport’s Davenport Golf Club.

They finished one shot ahead of Daniel Wilkes (Garforth Golf Club) and Alistair Waddell (Styal Golf Club).

In all, 18 assistant professionals from the north of England qualified for the £32,000 final which will be held at Coxmoor Golf club in Nottinghamshire between August 2-4.

But Blinkhorn admitted it was not an easy day.

“I’d played at Hesketh Golf Club the week before and the conditions were good and I felt comfortable with the course,” he said.

“I’d actually played it a lot before as well. But when it came to the event itself, the conditions were totally different.

“It was very windy and being on the coast it comes right in off the sea, it made things difficult. You had to re-think your shots, I only used my driver twice all day. The ball seemed to roll for miles.

“It caught a lot of people out and I’d been lulled into thinking it would play differently based on a week previously.”

Blinkhorn only had one major blip when he made a double bogey at the par four 12th.

“It was all about getting round, avoiding the bogeys and trying to qualify for the final,” said the 23-year-old first year assistant.

“I was pleased in the end and I’ll step up the playing side now I’m in the final.”

Blinkhorn turned professional last year and knows being part of the PGA is a major part of his game.

“I want to play more professional events, and you need to be in the PGA to get those competitions,” he said.

“But I’m combining coaching and playing at the moment.

“I played at Coxmoor once in the British Boys’ Championship, I don’t remember too much about the course but it’s great to be in the final.”