Godwin sets course record in Royal Blackheath victory

Barnehurst Golf Club’s Jordan Godwin set a new course record as he won the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Championship South B qualifying event.

Godwin carded a four under par round of 67 at Royal Blackheath Golf Club which was staging the event for the first time.

The Kent-based player has a good track record at the South East London venue. And he was true to form although his margin of victory was just one shot ahead of  Peter Appleyard of Sittingbourne Golf Centre.

They and 10 other qualifiers will now go to Little Aston Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield for the £78,000 grand final which is being held between July 24-27.

It will be Godwin’s first final and he admitted he was happy to see Royal Blackheath was staging the qualifying event.

And recent changes to the course meant he was able to set a new best score for the venue.

“I know Blackheath quite well as I’m quite local to it, I won the Boys’ Medal around there in 2009 - which is the oldest golf tournament in the world,” he said.

“And I won the Pro-Am event there the previous week, so I have good form on that course and I was pleased to see it was staging this event.

“It’s the first time I’ve got though to the final so I was happy to get through at my first attempt.

“I’ve fully qualified last year, but I played in the Assistants’ final and got two top 20 finishes.”

Godwin said his round at Blackheath could hardly have gone much better.

“I’ve been playing nicely recently anyway with a couple of wins in the South region, and I finished second the previous Monday so the form’s been good, I  holed few more putts here and it was nice to put a score like that together,” he said.

“The round was fairly stress-free, with maybe one bad shot all day.”