KP go nuts at Rudding Park to seal final spot

North Yorkshire’s KP Club celebrated their 20^th anniversary year by reaching the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge final in Turkey.

Captain Gary Tavender, right, partnered professional Oliver Cross to a commanding win at Harrogate’s Rudding Park Golf Club.

They carded a 10-under-par round of 62 to win by two shots ahead of Adrian Ambler and Allan Hayman (Low Laithes Golf Club) and Mark Ridley and Michael Bowman (South Moor Golf Club).

The KP duo will now play in the £25,000 Canopius-supported showpiece final to be held on the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club, Turkey, on November 25-26.

But until recently, the Pocklington-based club operated from temporary cabins.

Now though, following a buyout, they now have a £3million clubhouse along with a spa and luxury lodges.

And Tavender admitted the Rudding Park victory has come at a time when the club is on the up.

“We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary as a club so this win can only raise our profile,’ said 16-handicapper Tavender.

“It’s a long way from when we just had a group of cabins and the club was based out of them.

“We always liked the club because of the setting and the views which are spectacular, but the club was then sold and a fantastic amount of investment has happened since.

“So it’s great to get to a final like this one in this year.”

Tavender admitted that he and Cross had few problems at Rudding Park.

“It was one of those days when everything went right for us,” said the KP captain, aged 57 and a retired civil servant from Wilberfoss, near York.

Cross marked his first win as a professional after only qualifying 16 months ago.

“I’ve only been at KP just over a year,” he said. “So I’m delighted to get this victory for us and the club.

“I’ve certainly never been to a PGA final since qualifying but I did make the Assistants’ Final at Coventry in my final year of training.

“This’ll be different though and it’ll be great to represent KP in Turkey.”