Cartwright and Callaway clean up at Copthorne

Stuart Cartwright (World of Golf) and David Callaway (Foxhills) showed a strong field a clean pair of heels, shooting three-under-par 69s to share the winners’ cheque at the Copthorne Pro-Am.

Between them they notched up 11 birdies around the course, which as Callaway remarked, has now got a terrific layout following some routing changes and some tee lengthening to a couple of holes.

In the runner’s up spot was the man from Left Handed Golf at Silvermere’s Chris Gane, whose three birdies and an eagle mixed with three bogeys meant the Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit contender fell just short of pole position.

Both winners praised the condition of the heathland Copthorne layout, whose greens were specially praised by Callaway when he described them as “smooth as silk,” adding: “and the rest of the course was very good too, after all the rain they’ve had in the last few days.”

Ironically, both winners managed to earn themselves some other claims to distinction. Playing in his first regional event of 2015, Cartwright hit the first tee shot of the day at 8:20am, while Callaway started in the last group at 13:40 and played the last shot, a tap in putt on the last green as the light was fading.

Cartwright’s round was a game of two halves in more ways than one. He produced two birdie-bogey-birdie bursts in seven holes to be two-under at the turn. He then parred all the holes back, save the 13^th where he made one more birdie, for his 69. As Cartwright later added: “Played one, won one!”

Callaway had three birdies and two bogeys going out, then charged through the next four holes with birdies at the 10^th, 12^th and 13^th, only to get a flyer out of the rough at the 16^th that overshot the green and left Callaway making a bogey and sharing the win with Cartwright.

Nonetheless the Foxhills star was very happy, as he said: “It’s been a long summer and generally I’m pretty happy with my game. I’ve had five wins so far, I played OK today, and I’m really looking forward to the Farnham Finale here. With a bit of luck there’s a chance to finish the season in style.”