Melding cranks up title bid

Craig Melding boosted his chances of topping the South Wales PGA Winter Series Order of Merit for the fifth year running by winning the Swansea Bay medal.

Having reached the turn in level par, the pro from Neath Golf Club moved into overdrive on the back nine.

He recorded a brace of back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12 and 15 and 16 to post a four-under-par round of 68 and finish a shot clear of St Mellons Golf Club’s Toby Hunt.

Melding and Hunt were the only ones to break par in an event which saw Celtic Manor’s Ryan Haskell and Matt Moseley of Tenby Golf Club finish tied third on level par.

Meanwhile Hunt, who won the season’s opening event at Maesteg, is the Order of Merit’s early pacemaker.

The Asbri Golf Welsh National PGA Championship winner at Ashburnham in 2018 is on 19 points, one ahead of Melding who finished third at Maesteg.

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