Ingram match play victory seals Longball PGA South Assistants’ Order of Merit

Jonny Ingram has notched up a memorable first year as a professional by celebrating two major achievements.

The Royal Ashdown Forest golfer chalked up a maiden professional win in the PGA South Assistants & Trainees Match Play Championship which also secured him victory in the Longball PGA South Assistants Order of Merit.

“I’m so pleased to have got my first professional win under my belt, and as it also means I’ve topped the Assistants Order of Merit, it’s a fantastic way to end my first season,” said the 24 year old.

“I’m very keen to go on and qualify, but I feel I can now focus on playing in a lot more regional events next year as well.”

Ingram started his journey with a 10th place in The Golf College Challenge at Lindfield. At the PGA South Assistants & Trainees Championship at Cuddington, Ingram was beaten by three shots by fellow Sussex Professional Ryan Fitzgerald. The Burgess Hill man shot two highly impressive rounds of 68 and 66 to win with a total of eight-under-par 134 and take home a well-earned cheque for £888.

However, by reaching second place and with the finals day of the Assistants Match Play coming up fast, Ingram had now opened up the real possibility of walking away with the crown jewels, the Longball PGA South Assistants Order of Merit.

But he had to reach the final first, and that meant not only familiarising himself with a course he’d never played before, Epsom, but also beating Matt Rice from Purley Downs, a strong contender who had already won three regional events and made a number of top ten placings this season.

In the morning of the finals day at Epsom, Ingram’s solid play shone through and he beat Rice by 3&2, so he was now the hot favourite to become the new champ. But that elusive first win as a pro was what he really wanted, and suitably inspired he delivered another even more convincing performance to beat Highwoods’ Mathew Andrews by 4&3.

Ingram’s maiden victory and a cheque for £700 meant that in the final placings for the Longball PGA South Assistants Order of Merit, he forged ahead of Rice and Fitzgerald to become the leading PGA South Assistant in 2016.

“I particularly want to thank all the PGA South, my backer Bob Rehill, and all our supporters who helped fund the events we’ve played in this year, and also Longball for supporting the Assistants Order of Merit as well,” he added.