It's ready Freddy go!

26/09/2019

The Swanmore Golf Centre pro had eight-year-old Freddy on the bag when he used a 9-iron to chalk up an ace at the 185-yard third. Coulbert said: “It was quite mental as it was the first time he had come out to watch me play. He then sees me get a hole-in-one at what was my last hole in a shotgun start, which was brilliant. 

Coulbert added: “It took a really high bounce and it landed on the green and rolled in. I did not see it drop but the group in front of us were going crazy and then I knew. Freddy has just started playing golf. He is quite keen so it will be good to watch him progress. I started when I was eight. He is a real mini-me!"

Coulbert then finished the week by winning the Southwick Park Pro-Am with a two-under-par 69, two shots ahead of in-form Gary Stubbington. His victory took him by surprise as he explained: “I came in a little bit frustrated as I was convinced it would be overtaken. I thought some players would  cut up the course but it turned out nobody did, so it was a good finish to the week.”

Hockley’s Stubbington and Nathan Cook tied first at Skylark with a pair of 65s, four under par and they continued to set the pace at the Alresford Pro-Am. Cook chalked up another four-under par 65 while Stubbington came second,  a shot further back. It was a return to form for Cook, who took a month off after suffering pain in both thumbs due to suspected tendonitis.

A full-time coach at Southampton Municipal, Dibden and Skylark, he said: “I still have a bit of pain but not like it was. As I work  at Skylark I was expected to do well so it  was nice to finish tied first. So I went to Alresford with a lot of confidence. That was the only difference really. I got to three-under and then went bogey, bogey. In the past I might have stayed there or gone the other way. But I managed to hang in there.”