Lee’s perfect Glenmuir preparation

Brian Lee warmed up for his trip to the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship at Slaley Hall with a record-breaking victory in the first professional event played at Ross-on-Wye for 19 years.

The Parc Golf Academy player, once at Newport Golf Club, struck a six-under-par 66 to win by three shots from Ed Goodwin (Cirencester).

It bettered the previous best posted by John Peters, the present Southerndown head professional, in an Assistants League event.

After his early surge Lee must have known it was going to be his day.

He was five-under-par after six holes, courtesy of an eagle at the fifth and birdies at the first, fourth and sixth.

Although he dropped his only shot at the par five eighth to be out in four-under 33, he made further birdies at the tenth and 14th to return in another 33.

He is fully justifying his decision to play more this year. He finished fifth in the Cornish Festival and led the Glenmuir qualifiers at Bowood.

Goodwin, who made six birdies and dropped three shots, claimed second place although both James Lee (Caerphilly) and Liam Bond (St Pierre) could have matched or beaten him instead of having to settle for a share of third.

Lee bogeyed the final two holes while Bond, after starting the day with an eagle two, made a triple-bogey seven at the last.

Sion Bebb (Vale Hotel) led the winning home team of James Hay, Jamie Wilde and Tom Walker into first place in the team section on 94 stableford points. They were followed on 89 by Alex Nicholson and his Tracy Park trio of John Harvey, Richard Wiseman and Terry Box.

Goodwin’s Cirencester team of Lee Johnson, Andy Browning and Samantha Woods were third on 88.