Little's championship challenge looms large

Stuart Little timed his first win of the season to perfection as he prepares to become the Marston's Beer Company PGA West Region champion for the fourth time in three decades.

After winning with a six-under-par 65 in his last outing at Tiverton, the former European Tour left-hander from Minchinhampton is in the mood to claim his first order of merit success since 1999.

In that time he has played more than 300 European Tour events but, at the age of 46, he is finding top form.

His target when he tees up in the 36-hole event on Monday will be to win and move a step nearer qualifying for one of the three the Titleist PGA Play-Off places in Turkey.

He is currently third in the Race to Woodbury Park behind Sion Bebb (Vale Hotel) and Liam Bond (St Pierre) after a series of consistent displays.

These included second place in the Total Triumph, sixth in the Microsoft Masters, seventh in the Cumberwell Players Championship and sixth in the Forest Classic.

With two events to play – the Race to Woodbury Park tournament is held next month – he now seeks a play-off place and a chance to savour European Tour golf once more.

He said: “My prime goal this year was to make the PGA Cup team again but unfortunately I just missed out. Getting to Turkey would be some compensation.”

But he faces stiff competition in his quest, notably from Michael Watson (Wessex Golf Centre) who enjoyed a fantastic July, winning nine times. Bond has also won three of the first four OOM tournaments while Bebb has shown an impressive consistency.

Meanwhile Paul Hendriksen (Dinnaton) is determined to reach the play-offs for the third successive year and his chances were boosted when he took an OOM title for the first time at Bournemouth. He has won twice in the last few days.

Other contenders are set to be David Dixon (Enmore Park), winner at Forest Hills, who warmed up with a win at Donnington Grove last week while former European Open champion Stephen Dodd, winner in 1991, is also in the field.

Other previous winners of the famous Lidgerwood Trophy read like a who's who of West Country golf stars since its inception in 1920.

They include former Open champions Reg Whitcombe, Max Faulkner and Alf Perry as well as 14 Ryder Cup players, among them Peter Alliss, Bernard Hunt, Gordon Brand Jnr and Phillip Price.

Even if Little follows defending champion Matt Dearden (Llantrisant and Pontyclun) with victory at the historic links, he will still be a long way behind former Whitcombe, the Parkstone professional and 1938 Open champion, who claimed a record seven championships in four decades from 1922 through to 1950.