Ice cream supplier Pete chills out at Camberley Heath

Farnham amateur Pete Talbot completed a memorable 24 hours for the club to seal a place in the Lombard Trophy final at Gleneagles.

Talbot (pictured on right) was due to play the regional final at Camberley Heath with Farnham Head Professional Rob Colborne - but he had to pull out as he was about to become a father.

With the baby arriving the evening before the event Colborne's replacement Luke Bone (left), a PGA Assistant at the Surrey club, stepped in to team up with Talbot.

And the pair rose to the occasion with a dominant nine-under-par round of 62 to set the early pace.

Only one team came close to it with Stuart Collier and Sebastiano Rizzo, of Buckinghamshire’s Stoke Park club, finishing just one shot behind.

Had they birdied the 18th then they would have beaten the Farnham duo on countback with both pairs returning impressive back nine finishes.

Talbot and Bone 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.

“I didn’t realise how close it was in the end, I went home and followed the scores online,” admitted 34-year-old Talbot, who works as an ice cream distributor.

“Rob only withdrew from the competition on Friday but Luke stepped in and it all worked out.

“It’s been a big day for the club.”

Fleet-based Talbot says he is playing his best ever golf after getting his handicap down to nine for the first time.

“I’ve been with Farnham since I was a junior, but I’m playing a lot more now.

“And I won’t need any better incentive to hone my game even more than to play at Gleneagles.

“I want to take my A game to the final if I can.”

Although Bone stepped in for his boss, he does not see himself making way for Colborne in Scotland.

“I don’t think that’ll be happening,” he smiled.

“It’ll be a privilege to play at Gleneagles, especially with the Ryder Cup coming up.

“Not only have I never played there, I’ve never even been to Scotland so I’m really looking forward to it.

“Pete played well on the front nine but then I went bananas and probably made my year’s quota of birdies near the end.

“We were six-under on the back nine, but it was a tight finish.”