Cash for Ash the Total Triumph champ

Ashley Mansell was the runaway winner of the 36-hole Gloucester and Somerset PGA Total Triumph Strokeplay Championship after an outstanding opening round of four-under-par 67 at The Kendleshire.

The Clevedon assistant followed with 73 as Ross Langdon returned 69 for the only sub-70 afternoon card on a difficult day for scoring. As he opened with 76, the Brickhampton Court man was only able to share of second place with Mark Pitcher (Stinchcombe Hill).

The annual season ending event attracted a full field of 27 players competing for a record prize fund in excess of £3,000.

Mansell started with birdies at the opening two holes and another at the fifth. After a bogey at the seventh he made three successive birdies from the 11^th before his second dropped shot at the 17^th.

In the second round he made three bogeys, a double at the par three ninth and closed out with his third birdie of the round and  ninth of the day on his 36th hole to claim his first major G&S PGA title.

In the morning Ian Brown (Newent) was the only other player to break 70 with an opening 69 but he slipped out of contention after lunch. Pitcher on 70 and Russ Berry (Broadway) with 71 were also in the mix. Defending champion Giuseppe Licata (Chipping Sodbury) carded a steady round of 73.

Several players faltered in the tricky breezy afternoon conditions and Brown even signed for 88. Licata secured the Order of Merit title with another 73 but he failed to make a clean sweep after starting the season by winning the Marstons Matchplay championship.

He said: “I really wanted to hold all three trophies at the same time but it wasn’t to be. But I’ll take being the OOM champion after another long winter. My congratulations to Ash who was awesome today.”