Groat victorious at Barnham Broom

Jason Groat of Denver Golf Centre produced a stirring finish to win the Norfolk PGA Pro-Am at Barnham Broom.

The current Norfolk PGA stroke play champion (above) birdied the last in testing conditions to shoot a level-par 72 – and edge home by one from Neil Mitchell (Bury Driving Range) and Alex Beckett (Barnham Broom).

Groat’s closing hole was the ninth, a testing par four that played all the harder due to the elements.

Taking up the story, Groat said: “I was stood on the tee with wind and rain against. I was going to hit driver but I couldn’t even hold the club!

“So, I hit a back-foot 3-iron up the avenue of trees and another back-foot 3-iron that ran on the green to 15 foot before holing the putt for a three. I would have taken a four stood on the tee and gladly walked into the clubhouse!”

A switch to a new set of Callaway irons has worked well for Groat, who a week earlier made it through to the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship.

Groat, along with two other Norfolk players – Ian Ellis (Great Yarmouth and Caister) and Mark Allen (Eaton) – qualified at South Herts for the prestigious tournament, which will take place at Blairgowrie from August 5-8.

Ellis led the successful team at Barnham Broom. He Jason Howard, Simon Hobbs and Mark Jackson finished on 132, three better than the quartet led by Matthew Gardner (Barnham Broom).