Hilleard is hot at Saltford

05/02/2016

Farrington Park’s Josh Hilleard returned from helping the England amateur team win an international tournament in Spain to claim his first Gloucester and Somerset PGA Medal with a superb four-under-par 65 at Saltford.

On a day when experienced European Tour player David Dixon (Enmore Park) was the only other player to break par in a strong field of 32, his two-stroke victory was his first in PGA medals.

The 21-year-old left-hander, who lives close to the Saltford course, is coached by Farrington’s teaching professional Terry Williams – one of four PGA pros based at the club. The fourth-ranked player in England, who plays off a handicap of plus four, has pledged himself to the amateur ranks for at least one more season.

He was one of two unbeaten England players who claimed the Costa Ballena Quadrangular Tournament in Spain for the fifth time last month.

The Saltford course has recovered remarkably well from the recent bad weather and their winter layout played every inch of its yardage for the first medal of February.

Hilleard dropped a shot at the second but followed immediately with a birdie. A series of pars followed until another birdie at the eighth. A birdie two at the 10th was followed by another dropped shot at the 13th before a trio of birdies from the 14th took him clear of his playing partner Dixon. (below)

1701West Dixon

Dixon, certainly impressed with his young partner’s game, produced another impressive return despite recovering from a bout of ‘flu.

He warmed up for his next European Tour outing in South Africa next week by carding five birdies and three bogeys.

Johnny Grace (Cumberwell Park), another Somerset County amateur, took third on level par. G&S PGA chairman Andrew March (Brean), Cirencester’s Ed Goodwin and reigning Total Triumph Order of Merit champion Giuseppe Licata (Bristol Golf Centre) shared  fourth on 72.

March holed from off the green three times in five holes for birdies on the front nine for his best return for weeks.  Licata is now second in the OOM behind Ross Langdon (Gloucester) who was joint seventh .

Goodwin moved into third as both Dan Toogood (Weston-super-Mare) and Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) were absent. Goodwin added to his winnings by being the top Over 40’s player and he also shared the birdie pot with Dixon.

Our Partners

  • Air IT
  • Banyan Tree
  • The Belfry
  • Coca-Cola
  • FootJoy
  • Gleneagles
  • Nestlé
  • PING
  • Roam
  • Titleist