Led Shoots and Leaves
20/06/2013
David Ledingham (Chestfield) shot a sizzling six-under-par 65 to win the Sittingbourne & Milton Regis Pro-Am by two strokes, and take the winner’s cheque for £800.
Hard on his heels was the hot trio of Larry Batchelor (LB Golf Academy), David Callaway (Milford), and Kyle Kelsall who all finished on four-under-par. Ledingham reckoned he’d had ‘one of those days’ when everything went right for him, overturning his recent experience at Betchworth Park where his game was ‘terrible’.
Starting at the tricky 18th hole, Ledingham opened with a great birdie four after wedging to 12 feet and holing the putt. Dropping a shot at the first, after pulling a nine iron and getting a plugged lie, he went on a charge with four more birdies in the next six holes to reach four-under-par.
Ledingham made a smooth run of pars over the next six holes, narrowly missing another birdie from 12 feet on the ninth after pulling his drive. “It was one of those days when everything went for me,” he said, “there was a gap that was just big enough to go for it with a cut up wedge, and my ball just missed the bunker to leave me with a very holeable putt. It could have been a lot worse!”
Ledingham made another couple of birdies at the 14th and 17th, finishing with one of his best scores this year. “After Betchworth Park,” he said, “this was just what I needed.”
He continued “The course was in great shape and very tight with deep hay if you missed the fairways, but the greens were very smooth and a nice pace. I putted really well, drove pretty well, and the iron play was on target too.”
His escape on the ninth wasn’t the only piece of serendipity to befall Ledingham that day, as he explained “Two days before, I had one person in my team but new Head PGA Professional at Sittingbourne, Chris Weston, did a great job of finding me two others, both members of the club. My chap’s name was Ray Taylor, and believe it or not, one of the others was also called Ray Taylor!”
“Both were a bit concerned about playing,” Ledingham said, “as they had not played in a Pro-Am for some 20 years. But we all had a great time and came third in the team event as well, so they were all happy chappies at the end of the day!”
