Langdon’s finest day at Dudsbury

** L-R Sara Pemberton (Marston's Brewery), Paul Palmer (General manager Dudsbury), Ross Langdon, Beate Braban (owner,Dudsbury)

Ross Langdon described winning his first order of merit tournament as his finest moment in golf as he held the Dudsbury Masters trophy after a thrilling final day battle.

The 28-year-old Brickhampton Court teaching pro from Gloucester started two shots behind home favourites Lee Thompson and Mark Wiggett, his playing partners in the final group in the event sponsored by Marston's Brewery.

Yet he finished one shot ahead on five-under-par 137 after a second round 69. Defending champion Thompson and another veteran Liam Bond (St Pierre), who carded a best-of-the-day 66, shared second while Wiggett slipped back after a series of putting woes.

By the time he had eagled the sixth after birdies at the second and fourth Langdon led by two shots and never really looked back.

A blip at the 16th when his 8-iron second shot from 160 yards found the pond and he missed a three foot putt for a double bogey proved a minor distraction.

The man who played alongside BMW PGA champion Chris Wood for seven years in Gloucestershire county golf handed credit to Simon Shanks, the senior tutor at Bowood who has been advising him since January.

“He is my performance coach who insists on me staying in the moment and not thinking too far ahead,” he said. “l have been playing my best golf for several months and having regular weekly competition with the Gloucester and Somerset PGA in the winter has been a great help.”

It was his tenth win since November and third in regional events. He has climbed to third in the order of merit and has targeted a slot in the end-of-season PGA Play-Offs as his goal.

He said: “I managed to get over the line at last. I was second to Lee last year and to pip one of the best players in the region was satisfying.”

Paul Hendriksen (Ivybridge), winner of the Total Triumph opener, still leads followed by Bond who required medical attention after suffering a cut close to his eye following a brush with a tree. He has only just returned after a four-month lay-off from a back injury suffered at Tour School in November.

Thompson faltered on the final day with a one-over-par 72 but remains strongly in contention for the order of merit as he is now fourth.

Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) lies fifth. He was a serious contender at Dudsbury until he carded three successive bogeys from the 13th. He was one of five players who shared third on 139.

Another was Wiggett who shot 73. “I three-putted four times,” he said. “The course and greens were great – it was the bloke behind the putter. I played better today than when I shot five under on the opening day.”

The others were Hendriksen, Welsh legend Phillip Price and former European Tour left-hander Stuart Little (Minchinhampton) who holed his second shot on the 520-yard for an albatross.