Close call at county shootout
14/10/2013
David Shacklady (above) hopes watching his close pal win the world darts championship can inspire him to hit the bullseye in the inaugural SkyCaddie England & Wales Inter County Championship.
The Lancashire player and his team-mates Jeff Mathews (Oak Royal) and Barry Taylor (Houghwood) jointly top the leader board with Suffolk and Warwickshire after the first round of the £10,000 event being staged at The Belfry’s PGA National course.
Mossock Hall pro Shacklady revealed he was glued to the TV as Steve Bunting won a second BDO World Darts Championship but wasn’t quite as accurate in treacherous scoring conditions with a double bogey at the par three 15th costing his county the outright lead.
However with two from three scores counting in each of the two rounds of the 36-hole final, the north region order of merit winner and former PGA Cup player is very much in contention with he and Mathews firing matching four-over-par 76s.
“I’m gutted with that score, I was one over at the turn and was thinking I could get it to level or better but the wetter it got the harder it got and then I put it in the water for a double bogey on 15,” said Shacklady.
“But the weather is set to pick up tomorrow so there’s still plenty to play for.”
Stonebridge’s Darren Murphy meanwhile ensured the local county had something to shout about with a 75 to add to the 77 of Stratford’s Fred Jewsbury while Suffolk’s two counting scores came from Felixstowe Ferry’s Peter Latimer with a 75 and a 77 from Laurence Dodd (Bury Golf Range).
Murphy admitted he was delighted with his score given the rain-sodden conditions.
“It feels like a 65! That was really tough, at times it was borderline unplayable with the rain driving in your face, but it is what it is, it’s October, it was fun.
“I tend to do okay when the weather is horrific whereas a lot of other players aren’t so keen on it but I’m quite happy.
“I just keep my head down, trying to make pars. You know full well that no-one is going to shoot 62 out there so it was one of those where if you can keep it as close to par as possible you might be in with a chance, so that was the aim to day.
“Usually you walk off with a 75 and your head’s down but that’s under par today.”
Murphy is the general manager at Stonebridge and having gone through a difficult 12 months with the loss of his sister, has returned with a more relaxed attitude to the game.
“I have probably played 10 times this season and every time I’ve gone out there I’ve enjoyed it and have got a completely different attitude.
“I managed to win the Midland league with Warwickshire as an amateur so to win this in our home county would be brilliant.”
Suffolk, which also includes Bury Golf Range's Kevin Earp, earned their place at the top with a battling score from Latimer playing in the last group.
Latimer, originally from St Andrews, is well versed in playing in difficult conditions thanks to his Scottish roots. He birdied the first but revealed it was a 30 foot putt for bogey on the fourth that helped set him on the way.
“I birdied the first and the 10th but lost shots at three and four where I put it in the water but holed a 30-footer for five which got me going. And I just hung in there which is all you can do out there and see what happens.”
The tournament sees a welcome return to PGA Partner SkyCaddie, the world’s No.1 range finder, as title sponsor having previously backed other PGA national tournaments.
