Cuddington calling for Harmston

Having set the target of a scorching seven-under-par 64 to be the early clubhouse leader, Sunningdale Heath’s Warren Harmston had to wait most of the day before finding out that Cooden Beach’s Paul Nessling had caught him. The wait was worth it, as both walked away with cheques for £1,700.

With each player making Cuddington their fourth win of the season so far, their birdie filled performances left the 66s of rivals David Copsey (DCGS Poult Wood), Andy Raitt (St. George’s Hill) and Michael Lowe (Leatherhead) trailing by two.

Harmston commented: “I only made it into the field last night and so I reckoned I had to seize the opportunity! The course suited me really well and I’m looking forward to the PGA Surrey Open tomorrow now.’’

After enjoying a festival in Hastings the night before, Nessling tweeted: ‘Nice way to finish the week! Festival was great last night then the putter got hot today. Lovely course, Cuddington greenkeepers greens are amazing!’

Setting of from the 10^th in a two tee start at 08:20 in the morning, Harmston went like a train with birdies on his first three opening holes but dropped a shot at the 14^th to turn in two-under-par. Then he found that grove again and made four more on the trot from the first to the fourth, with one more for good measure at the ninth, his last hole.

Nessling teed off the first at 13:15 and also started well with two opening birdies and two more on the fourth and fifth for an outward four-under-par 32. Two more birdies came at the 12^th and 13^th, but a bogey at the 15^th put him back in the pack until he finished with birdies at the last two holes to tie with Harmston.

But as impressive as both their cards were, out of a field of 48 teams, neither came close to the winners of the team event, led by local Cuddington Assistant Brad Skeates with a -19 under-par total, leaving the teams of Adam Wootton (Oxford Golf Centre) and Richard Wallis (Canterbury) trailing by three.