Hertfordshire secure Belfry ticket

Hertfordshire secured the first spot in the PGA England & Wales Inter-County Championship final with a hard-fought win at Bush Hill Park Golf Club.

The trio, comprising James Ruebotham (Welwyn Garden City), Glen Portelli (Verulam) and James Jankowski, secured a three-shot win ahead of Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire.

They finished with a nine-under-par total of 131 and will now head to the Belfry for the £10,000 championship final on October 13-14 where they will try to take the title won by Yorkshire last year.

And Jankowski felt the format, from which only the two best scores count towards the final total, suited them.

“We went out there much calmer because you know if you make a mistake it's not going to cost you as heavily,” he explained.

“That means you know that you can go out there and give everything to hit birdies because you have your team mates backing you up.

“It was a great experience playing the qualifier and we’re all looking forward to going up to the Belfry to play the PGA National Course.

“I’ve not played it before so it will be a new experience for me.”

Potters Bar’s Jankowski, 30, admitted the trio are good friends having got to know each other well on the regional circuit.

“Yeah we all know each other very well so it was nice to have the chance to go out and play alongside them,” he said.

“They’re both very good players and, with Glen shooting five-under and James four-under, mine was the score that got discounted.

“But we’re all pretty consistent and hopefully that will be the key to allowing us to do well at the Belfry.

“We just want to get up there now!”