Bubbly Bond bounces back to form

Liam Bond’s decision to forsake this week’s PGA Europro tournament in favour of playing in the West paid rich dividends as he won the Ross-on-Wye pro-am in style.

The Marriott St Pierre player shot three-under-par 69 on a fine day for golf to beat Cheltenham-based Russell Berry (Professional Golf Europe), Joe Ferguson (Celtic Manor) and David Dixon (Enmore Park) by one shot and earn £700.

After missing the cut at Celtic Manor and finishing 41^st at Frilford Heath the bubbly Bond bounced back over the magnificent parkland course on the Gloucestershire-Herefordshire border in an event sponsored by Beyond Storage.

His first regional appearance since the Cornish Festival was fashioned by a four-under haul of 33 over the front nine. He made birdies at the first, fourth and fifth and eighth and an eagle three at the sixth, dropping shots at the second and seventh. Back-to-back bogeys at the 11^th and 12^th and a birdie at the 16^th completed his impressive round.

Two in-form players James Maxwell (Teign Valley) and Ashley Mansell (Clevedon), who chipped in for an eagle at the 16^th, shared fifth while Cennydd Mills (Ridgeway) and Matt Dearden (Llantrisant and Pontyclun) were seventh on level-par.

Dan Carter (Upavon) made a late switch of teams and linked up with home members Nick Ellis, Dave Gardner and Tim Kefalas to take first prize on 13-under-par 85 points.

They beat Mansell’s Clevedon team of Robert Arthur, David Shields and David Fife by one point. Minchinhampton’s Nick Haile led his club team of Mike Williams, John Hornby and Mike Petkovic into third on 82, beating Maxwell’s trio on countback.