Double delight for Forrester Park

Forrester Park Golf Resort pro Paul Edgcombe, right, reached his second national final in the space of a couple of months as he and captain Andrew Sturton beat the elements to win the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro Captain Challenge Scottish qualifying event at Haggs Castle Golf Club.

The pair carded a six under par round of 66 at the Glasgow course to win by one shot ahead of Kenny Monaghan and Iain Harrison of Linlithgow Golf Club.

But they had to work hard for their victory as the event was held in driving rain which tested the competitors.

Edgcombe and Sturton will now play in the £25,000 final which takes place at Spanish destination Lumine Mediterranea Beach & Golf Community.

The resort, which features two Greg Norman designs, will stage the event over 36 holes from Wednesday, November 30 - Thursday, December 1.

Seventy-year-old Sturton, who plays off a handicap of 10, admitted it had been difficult for all the players.

“The weather was bad, but it was just a case of getting on with it,” he said.

“We were playing with another good group so we just made the best of the conditions and in the end, we didn’t think about it too much, it just sort of happened.”

Sturton was in good company as Edgcombe has already brought success to the Dunfermline club.

He booked a place in the PGA National Pro-Am Championship in June. But Sturton, a retired company manager, said there was no pressure on him to repeat that in the Pro-Captain event.

“Not at all, we just went out there to try and enjoy ourselves - I think you have to in this format,” he said.

“Now we’re heading to Spain and I’d hope the weather would be a little better when we get there!”

Edgcombe has surprised himself this year after his latest victory.

“I’d never qualified for a PGA final before, now I’ve done it twice in the space of a couple of months,” he said.

“But I want to say thanks to the Forrester family who run the club and let me play my golf which is much appreciated.

“It was good to play with Andrew though, he’s a very nice guy and we were able to dovetail nicely with each other on the day. But we were both drenched and needed clean change of clothes afterwards.”

Host team Campbell Elliott and John Leitch (Haggs Castle Golf Club) finished in third spot, two shots behind.