Kelley’s eye is in again

Filton’s Daryl Kelley won the Gloucester and Somerset PGA matchplay championship with a 2&1 triumph over Nick Ellis (Naunton Downs) at Chipping Sodbury.

Kelley’s first matchplay success gave him the perfect start to the new season after he finished the last one with three victories in the final four medals.

He started in imperial fashion with the 7&6 domination of Scott Thompson (Mendip Spring) while Ellis was taken to the 20th by Pat Baker (Bleadon Hill).

Kevin Pitts (Mendip) beat Mike La Band (Weston-super-Mare) 4&3, Roy Holland (Long Ashton) beat Graeme Biggs (Burnham Driving Range) 3&2, Ed Goodwin (Cirencester) beat Roy Baker (Isle of Wedmore) 1 hole, Robin Goodey (Chipping Sodbury) beat James Hannam (Bath) 4&3, Peter Garrett (Naunton Downs) beat David Haines (Burnham and Berrow) 4&3 and Andrew March (Brean) beat Nigel Warburton (Knowle) 1 hole.

In the quarter finals Goodwin defeated Pitts 5&3, Ellis beat Holland at the 19th, Kelley beat Goodey by 1 hole and March beat Garrett 3&2.

On a sunny but a little bit breezier second day Ellis, the Gloucester and Somerset PGA captain elect, continued his good form by defeating the multiple former matchplay champion Goodwin on the 19th green.

Many holes changed hands in the other semi-final match before Kelley preserved his one-hole lead over March.

One notable absentee was the scheduled top seed Giuseppe Licata (Bristol Golf Centre) who was with his wife who was giving birth to their second child, who finally arrived in the early hours of the second morning.