Double celebration for Centenary Pro-Am

Two former champions, Andy Raitt (St. George’s Hill) and Nick Redfern (AIA Group), tied for victory in the Camberley Heath Centenary Pro-Am, shooting rounds of 68 to take their winners’ cheques of £775.

While former Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit champion Raitt (pictured) cruised around Camberley Heath for his bogey-free 68, past PGA Surrey Open champion Redfern’s round was a slightly different story. Three-under after the 12th, he then bogeyed the par five 13th but bounced right back with a stunning birdie two at the 13th to grab his share of pole position.

The winning duo pushed this year’s four-time winner Jamie Harris (Nevill) and past champion Ben St.John (Woodcote Park) into a tie for second on two-under-par 69. St.John had a relatively trouble-free day with just the one badly timed bogey coming at the 17th with pole position in sight, while Harris had a roller coaster of a round scoring four bogeys, four birdies and one eagle.

Raitt and Redfern were both satisfied with their rounds. “I’ve been a bit hit and miss this season,” explained Raitt, “and had the worst round for a long time last Saturday, so I practiced quite a bit on Sunday.

“But it wasn’t a spectacular round, just a good steady one with one poor drive which I got away with, and solid putting. I holed the crucial par putts, but nothing much more. Just a nice steady bogey-free round which is always nice.”

He commented “I thought Jamie Harris would beat my score and come in with something really low, as he was playing behind me. Every time I looked round, he seemed to be holing out for a low figure, so he must have dropped a few shots when I wasn’t looking!”

Redfern was equally upbeat, and happy that the one mistake that cost him a bogey was immediately repaired with a very good birdie two as he came back down the stretch.

“I played well and was delighted to make up for that dropped shot on the 12th at the very next hole. That said, these greens were the best we’ve played on so far this year, and you really know all about your putting stroke on surfaces as good as these. Well done Camberley Heath, and thanks very much!”