Matt courts Cornwall title

Matthew Cort was today chasing the £2,500 first prize in the 54-hole £20,000 PGA in England and Wales (South West) Cornish Festival after a brilliant two-under-par 70 in winds of up to 40mph at Carlyon Bay.

The in-form Beedles Lake player, who played faultlessly at Trevose the previous day, dropped his only shots of the tournament at the opening two holes but followed with four birdies at the sixth, tenth, 14th and 15th to post two-under-par 70.

It was the low round of the day, two better than Paul Mayo and former PGA champion Scott Drummond.

And he moved ahead of overnight leader Laurie Canter (Cumberwell Park) on eight-under-par in the main event, one shot clear of the European Tour man who shot an equally impressive two-under-par 69 at Trevose.

Players at Carlyon Bay faced the fierce winds over the first ten holes and it was a relief to turn back.

Cort, winner of the Midlands Order of Merit for the last three years, said: “As an example, I followed my drive at the 15th (531 yards) with a 7-iron from 220 yards and I’m not a big hitter.

“It was a battle all the time for me and my team but we felt we did all right. This was the only course of the three we hadn’t played before so we had a practice round on Monday and it certainly helped.

“It would be great to win but several players are in with a chance. Laurie is an obvious danger and playing really well.”

But he conceded that Canter, who showed tremendous spirit at St Enodoc after dropping three early shots and another at the tenth to slip back to level before birdies at the 16th and 17th, could be the slight favourite.

Canter finished two ahead of Chris Gane (Left Handed Golf at Silvermere) with defending champion Paul Broadhurst, last year’s runner-up Phillip Price and James Pickard (Honiton) next on 72.

Cort added: “I am playing St Enodoc, which is noted as the toughest of the three courses, while he is at Trevose. But much will depend on the wind and hopefully we can play in calmer conditions.”

He and amateurs Brendan Delaney, Jamie Simpson and Dean Briggs also lead Canter’s trio by five shots in the Pro-Am so he is seeking a double.

The day was one largely of carnage.

It did not take long for the serious difficulties of Trevose to emerge. Although the slick greens were watered, the winds decimated the scoring.  Danny Lee (Rushmore) and Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) were the only players to equal the par of 71.

Rounds of 80-plus damaged reputations and a score in the mid-seventies was respectable. PGA Cup captain Jon Bevan (Sherborne), 76, his vice captains Albert MacKenzie (Saunton), 77, and Martyn Thompson (Parkstone), 89, European Tour winner Gary Emerson (Remedy Oak), 80, and PGA Cup man Michael Watson (Wessex Golf Centre), 81, were among the higher scorers.

It was a complete contrast for Watson whose four-under 65 24 hours earlier at St Enodoc was probably the round of the opening day. This time he made three double bogeys, six bogeys and just two birdies as he slithered out of contention.

Drummond and Broadhurst are lurking at three-under-par while Danny Lee and Rhys Enoch (Celtic Manor) are a further shot back.  Veteran Tony Lawrence (Sherborne) and) are the only other players below par.

Teams led by Drummond, Broadhurst, Gane, Enoch and Steve Richardson are within ten shots of the leaders.