Hewitt produces crisp display to book Gleneagles place

Potato researcher Peter Hewitt, right, skinned the opposition to win a place at the Lombard Trophy Final at Gleneagles.

The Woodhall Spa amateur teamed up with PGA Professional Scott Emery to claim victory in the regional final held at Lindrick Golf Club in South Yorkshire.

But the Lincolnshire duo tied at the top of the leaderboard with Andrew Willey and Chris Smedley of Nottinghamshire’s Bulwell Forest Golf Club.

Both teams recorded seven under-par-rounds of 64.

But it was Hewitt and Emery who won the event on countback to give the club a final spot in their debut in the competition.

They will now play in the £43,600 final over the King’s Course at Gleneagles between September 2-3 - just three weeks before the Ryder Cup is held at the same venue.

Hewitt, 46, who works for an agricultural researcher specialising in varieties of potato, admitted this was his biggest achievement in golf.

“I don’t have to think twice about that, this is the best result I’ve ever had in the game,” he said.

“I can’t quite believe we actually made the final, it was a fantastic day.

“Once I’d qualified to play alongside Scott, I knew what the prize would be - but to be going to Gleneagles now is going to be a great experience.”

The pair knew they had to keep their nerve on the 18th hole after seeing Willey and Smedley post their score.

“There was a bit of pressure on at the end, we knew we couldn’t drop a shot, but Scott saw us home,” said Navenby-based Hewitt, who plays off a handicap of 10 and has been a member at Woodhall Spa for 12 years.

Emery admitted the club’s decision to enter the competition had paid off.

Willey and Smedley’s double bogey at the 15^th hole meant that the Woodhall pairing had the better back nine.

“I don’t know why we decided to finally enter the competition, we’d never taken part before,” said Emery.

“It’s a case of turning up on the day, playing your best golf and hoping it’s good enough - we had a one in 64 chance of winning and we did it.

“I’ve never been to Gleneagles before and to play there just before the Ryder Cup means the course is going to be immaculate.”