Clarke and Lynch turn the clock back with comfortable win

Lee Clarke and Jack Lynch picked up where they left off to win the Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship Midlands qualifying event at The Staffordshire Golf Club.

The East Midlands duo are former champions after winning the grand final three years ago.

And they teamed up for the first time since then to top the leaderboard at the Dudley venue.

Clarke, of Nottingham’s Beeston Fields Golf Club, and Derbyshire-based Lynch, whose pre-event preparations were dented when he had his clubs stolen, turned the clock back with a comfortable win.

They carded a nine under par round of 62 to win by two shots ahead of Mark Sparrow (Halfpenny Green Golf Club)/Matt McGuire (Little Lakes) and Adam Keogh (Spalding Golf Club)/Michael Reed (Glen Gorse).

Now Clarke and Lynch will return to the Fourball Championship final, and join eight other qualifiers from the Midlands event, when they tee off in the showpiece event at the £33,250 BMW-supported showpiece event which will be played at Belton Woods Golf Club in Lincolnshire on August 29-31.

Clarke, who had been playing alongside PGA Cup colleague Jason Levermore in recent years, said it was good to know that the form he and Lynch had shown in 2015 was still there.

“It’s always easy playing with Jack, we’re a calming influence on each other, I’ve known him for years but after we won it last time we kept in touch and became good mates,” said Clarke.

“And he got a new set of clubs in time for the event so they came through okay with that.

“it would’ve been nice to have defended it before this, but I asked him if he wanted to give it a go this time and now we’re buzzing to be back in the final.”

Clarke says the performance bodes well for the Belton Woods final.

“I don’t want to sound big-headed but we didn’t have to get out of second gear really,” he said.

“We could see we were going to quality and looked comfortable halfway round, it was nice to win but we just wanted to get through.

“We definitely saw some encouraging signs. Jack’s averaging around five and a half birdies a round, I’m doing five. I might need an operation on my shoulder before the end of the season, it’s not looking great but I won’t do anything until after Belton Woods. We’re really looking forward to the final and playing like a kid again!”

Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship - Midlands qualifier

Tuesday, July 17, 2018, The Staffordshire Golf Club

QUALIFIERS

POS   SCORE      NAME                                     REPRESENTING

1        62 (-9)      Lee Clarke/Jack Lynch             Beeston Fields
2        64 (-7)      Mark Sparrow/Matt McGuire     Halfpenny Green/Little Lakes
                          Adam Keogh/Michael Reed.      Spalding Golf Club/Glen Gorse
4        65 (-6)      Mark Butler/Dan Lowe             Mark Butler Academy/Sandwell Park
                          Dean Hibbert/William Painter   East Midlands Golf/Morley Hayes
                          Luke Howe/Mike Dewsbury      Brocton Hall
                          Phil Cary/Darren Martin           Manor Golf Club/Barlaston Golf Club
8        66 (-5)      Adam White/Gary Gilligan       Perton Park/Lingfield Park
                          Simon Lilly/Dan Wood             De Vere Staverton/Golfers’ Choice