Green in the red to win

David Green (Wildernesse) shot a two-under-par 69 to win the Rochester & Cobham Park Pro-Am by one stroke, edging out Steve Cowle’s (Blacknest) one-under-par 70 into second place.

Green’s performance not only earned him the winner’s cheque for £950, but the unique distinction of leading the only all left-handed team in the event, including the Wildernesse Men’s and Ladies’ Club Captains.

Starting at the 10th, Green got away to a good start with a birdie four, but dropped shots at the 11th and 13th to be one-over-par.

A birdie on the 17th restored both his score and sense of patience, but he knew he still had a lot to do to get anywhere near the lead.

Sure enough, from the second onwards Green became a man inspired, shooting no less than four birdies on the run through the second to the fifth to reach four-under-par.

Now right back in contention, Green had four holes left but Rochester & Cobham Parks’s penal rough cost him a dropped shot at the seventh and then another at his last hole, the ninth, after being just a foot off the fairway and finding his ball buried.

“The rough was brutal and the pin positions were tricky. It’s a long course but it was running, and it helps if you know it,” he said.

“You have to keep the ball in play round there, and the back nine doesn’t really offer any opportunities, you just have to play well enough to hang on, whereas the front nine is where you can really make a score.

“I holed a good downhill par putt on the 17th to keep things going, and then made a lot of really solid tee shots using my 3-wood on the front nine, setting up four birdies and only needing an eight iron and a nine iron on the two par fives.

“The bogey on my last hole was a bit frustrating, and I thought two-under would get caught by the stronger players going out in the afternoon. So of course, we then had to wait all afternoon for the result, but as it turned out it was well worth it!

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in contention and the demons come into their own down the stretch on the last few holes, but I felt I played pretty well and the club lays on a great day for this event, so I’m delighted with the result.”

*http://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi13/event/pgagbi1332/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

**http://www.rochesterandcobhamgc.co.uk/