Callagher shrugs off change of partner to seal final debut

Adam Callagher clinched a place in his first Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship Final after his playing partner had to pull out because he is on honeymoon.

Callagher, of Wollaton Park Golf Club in Nottingham, teamed up with clubmate Shaun Smith, right, for the qualifying event at Wolverhampton’s Swindon Golf Club.

And the move paid dividends as they finished joint top of the leaderboard with Silverstone Golf Club’s Rodney Holt and Mark Jordan.

They each carded six-under-par rounds of 65 to stay clear of their rivals.

Lee Clarke, of Beeston Fields Golf Club, who has just qualified for the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team, and Jack Lynch, of Tapton Park Golf Course, were one shot back along with James Whatley (Morley Hayes) and Ian Walley (Kedleston Park).

They will join four other qualifiers at the £35,000 grand final at Carden Park in Cheshire between August 12-14 in what will be a debut in the event for Callagher.

“I missed out last year when I played with James Hale from Maxstoke Park Golf Club,” he said.

“We would’ve played in this event again this year but he’s just got married and he’s on his honeymoon at the moment so he couldn’t play at Swindon.

“But I play socially with Shaun and we got together and thought ‘let’s give it a go’ - and it came off.

“Now I’m really looking forward to going to Carden Park.

“I’ve played the Jack Nicklaus designed course there with our head pro John Lower before and it’s a fantastic venue.”

Callagher, who has worked at Wollaton Park with Lower since 2010,  admitted there were few scares for himself and Smith as he avoided the disappointment of 12 months ago.

“We each made a couple of mistakes near the end - we played some silly shots,” he said.

“But otherwise it was a solid round. I think Shaun’s played in the final before.

“But I like the team element to this format of golf, it suits me - and playing at Carden Park will be a bonus.”