Harrison mounts renewed bid for Assistants’ glory

Jack Harrison took the first steps towards wrapping up some unfinished business by topping the leaderboard at the Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship at Coventry Golf Club.

The Wildwood assistant PGA Professional led for two days in the same event 12 months ago, even hitting a hole-in-one during a stellar first round, yet missed out by one shot after a disappointing final day saw him cut adrift of the top two.

So determined was he to end his Assistants’ jinx at the third, and final, time of asking, he even declined a place in the Challenge Tour’s Northern Ireland Open to take his place among the 120-strong field at the West Midlands venue.

The £32,500 three-day event is only open to PGA Professionals completing their training and, as a final-year assistant, this is Harrison’s last shot.

And there was no stopping the Surrey pro as he carded two birdies over his first three holes, carrying the momentum forward to finish the day with a five-under-par total of 68, one-shot clear of his nearest challengers.

“I definitely felt that I had unfinished business so I really wanted to come back here to try to better myself,” Harrison explained.

“I finished third last year, second the year before. I turned down an invite to the Challenge Tour’s event in Northern Ireland because I really want to win this one.”

**Top up your knowledge of the West Midlands layout ahead of day two by watching our interview with head pro Martin Sutliff.

Harrison, who is aiming to secure a place on the European Tour, admitted the experience of missing out last time around has helped him to improve his game.

“I learnt a lot from the experience of missing out last year. I went into the last round far too defensive rather than continuing with the frame of mind that had got me into that position in the first place.

“I’m definitely a better player now than I was then and the mental side of the game is where I feel I’ve made my biggest improvement.

“I’ve started work with a sports psychologist and he’s helped me to focus on one shot at a time and think carefully about my routine.

“I had a top 10 in Switzerland on the Challenge Tour this year which was my best finish. I’m making cuts and finishing in plenty of top 20s but I want to continue to push on and do better.”

Former European Tour player David Griffiths, above, who is in his first year on the PGA training programme, shares second place with Thomas Obergan (Berkhamsted) – both carded four-under-par 69s.

Griffiths from West Herts Golf Club, and a former England boys’ captain, only stepped foot on the course for the first time in a practice round so was pleased with his display.

“It was pretty solid, just the one bogey and a couple of decent saves for par,” he said.

“Considering I only played it yesterday for the first time, it felt pretty good and I took advantage of a couple of the par fives. One long one that went in when I was trying to get it close, overall it was all pretty solid.

“I think you have to have a definite strategy for it, got to get yourself into play off the tee and on a lot of holes there’s a definite side to miss if you’re going to miss.”

Obergan, above, revealed he’d felt good coming into the event but admitted to a slice of fortune on the inward nine after starting with an eagle on his opening hole.

“I was actually quite lucky towards the end, I’d hit the ball really solid all day and then hit a couple of loose ones. I ended up bogeying three of the four par threes, managing to par the last one.

“I made an outrageous birdie on 16 from trees on the left, hit the trees again and made a four somehow so it was a good ball striking day but quite lucky towards the end.

“It’s my best round of the year, it’s quite promising and I’ve been feeling good coming into the event and it is nice to get a low round.”

Ireland's Neil O'Briain from Old Conna, out in the second last group of the day, staged a late fight back with five birdies on his closing nine holes to shoot a 70 for a share of fourth.