Licata maintains the pressure at Minehead

Bristol Golf Centre’s Giuseppe Licata took full advantage of Ed Goodwin’s absence to close the gap at the top of the Gloucester and Somerset PGA Total Triumph Order of Merit as he claimed victory at Minehead.

 He made the long journey to West Somerset worthwhile as he shot a four-under-par 68 to win by three from Wheathill’s Mark Luckett and collect the maximum 10 points on offer.

It was Licata’s perfect opportunity to close the sizeable lead that Cirencester’s Goodwin holds over him at the top of the table and he grasped the chance with both hands.

He made birdies at the second and three in a row from the sixth to turn in 33. Another birdie at the short par 15th was cancelled by his only bogey at the infamous and notoriously difficult par three closing hole.

Luckett knows the Minehead course well after spending his amateur days attached to the club. He started with a steady run of fours, interrupted by a par five at the seventh and again by a birdie three at the ninth.

A two putt from the wrong level of the green at the par five 11th moved him to two-under but that shot was immediately returned at the next. A pinpoint approach at the 13th led to another birdie but he gave it back at the 16th.

County PGA chairman Andrew March (Brean) was one of three players to sign for 72. He showed his liking for the Minehead links with four birdies, sharing with Somerset amateur Matt Kippen (Enmore Park) and Chipping Sodbury’s Robin Goodey who made an eagle and three birdies in his opening six holes to take the Over 40’s sweep.