Thompson's Mitie Bigbury triumph

Lee Thompson issued a warning to fellow West players after winning his fourth top prize inside a month in the Mitie Big Pro-Am at Bigbury, the first regional pro-am of the season.        

“I started playing and practicing earlier this year and intend to travel further from home and play in more pro-ams this year as I feel in good form,” he said.

His three-under-par 67 brought a one-stroke advantage over Paul Hendriksen (Dinnaton) and David Dixon (Enmore Park) in the £5,530 event, sponsored by the strategic outsourcing and energy services company.

Thompson, 42, shot 67 at his home course Dudsbury and 66 at Salisbury to win Dorset and Wiltshire PGA medals and 62 at Ashley Wood in The Bournemouth Professional Alliance. The start to his round at Bigbury was little short of sensational as he posted a five-under-par front nine of 31.

He took advantage of the three par-fives when he chipped in from just off the green for an eagle three at the fourth. He followed with routine birdies at the eighth and ninth following a birdie three at the sixth.

But the 230-yard par three downhill tenth hole cost a double bogey. His seven-iron tee-shot ended at the back of a bunker. “I played a good shot from the sand but just failed to clear the top of the bank and faced an impossible chip so took five,” he said.

It was a double triumph as he led the TEC Construction team of James Carson, Mike Penlington and Hayden Priscott to victory in the team section on 12-under-par 128. They beat Dixon-led Bromheads (Peter Hamon, Nick Bunch and James Heath) by three shots.

Chris Gill (Newquay) and his Wear the Fox Hat team of Alan McSweeny, Mick McNulty and Pete Robinson carded the same score to finish third, beating regional chairman James Lee (Caerphilly) and his Brittany Ferries Golf Holidays team of Graham Ruth, Bev Ruth and Andy Carpenter on countback. 

Dixon made two eagles, the first at the par five eight and another when he pitched in for a two at the 366-yard 14^th. It was a roller-coaster round as he also made four bogeys and two birdies at the 11^th and 16^th.

Hendriksen’s was a more conventional round. A dropped shot at the par-three fifth was followed by birdies at eight and nine and then nine pars coming home.  Mark Searle (High Post) started by shedding shots at the first two holes but re-grouped to become the only other player to return below par on 71, one ahead of a cluster of six players on level-par.