Hendriksen on top again
25/05/2016
Paul Hendriksen turned the clock back 12 months to again lead the opening Order of Merit tournament of the season after shooting four-under-par 66 in the first round of the 36-hole Total Triumph Classic at Oake Manor.
Last year he surged to victory following an opening 63 with 66, beating Richard O’Hanlon (St Kew) by one shot with David Dixon (Enmore Park) and Lee Thompson (Dudsbury) two further shots back.
Hendriksen, last year’s PGA champion and a member of the PGA Cup winning team in America, is the form player at Oake Manor. He has also lost a play-off and was runner-up and third in previous years.
This year an exciting four-under-par back nine of 31, including three successive birdies from the 13th making five in all, brought the Ivybridge player a one-stroke advantage on a sunny day in Somerset.
He leads in-form European Tour man Dixon, the PGA Cup captain Jon Bevan, who has joined Sherborne, and the impressive Ross Langdon (Brickhampton Court) who has enjoyed a fine winter season.
Dixon made a wretched start dropping three early shots but he recovered with six birdies in the final 11 holes. Langton also returned in 31 with four birdies while Bevan was level par until he made an eagle four at the 15th followed by a birdie two.
O'Hanlon, Devon-based David Sheppard, playing in his first Order of Merit event since a self-imposed exile in Spain, and promising newcomer Oliver Baker (Ridgeway) share fifth on 68 with six more players on one-under-par.
The field was reduced to 40 for the second day as 80 amateurs joined the leading professionals. Paul Mitchell (Bristol & Clifton), Ryder Cup star Phillip Price and Welshman Chris Hamblin were unfortunate to miss out despite carding two-over-par 72.
