Monster putt seals Spraggs success

Patrick Spraggs clinched the Weston Homes plc East Herts Classic in sensational style by draining a 50-foot birdie putt on the final green.

The first-year PGA assistant from Woodbridge Golf Club led for the majority of the second round of the PGA in England (East) Order of Merit event before James Webber (Three Rivers) pegged him back at the penultimate hole.

Webber nailed a 14-footer for eagle before Spraggs missed a five-foot birdie putt to leave both men at seven-under-par heading to the last tee.

It appeared to be odds-on a play-off after neither golfer could knock it in close at the 192-yard par-three.

But Spraggs, 24, judged his long-range left-to-right breaker to perfection, celebrating with a fist pump.

And moments later, after Webber was unable to convert his 30-footer, the Suffolk-based player was able to savour the biggest win of his short professional career.

Back-to-back rounds of 67 left him victorious at eight-under-par, just nine days on from finishing dead last in a regional Open Championship qualifier at West Lancashire.

Spraggs said: “That 50-footer on the last really capped off a good two days for me. It was pretty surreal, to be fair... I was just expecting a play-off. But I’m really chuffed to hole a putt like that.

“When it was rolling, it looked dead centre to me, so I was getting a little bit excited. And the fist pump, I don’t know if that was really called for, but who cares! It feels brilliant.”

Spraggs, who completed a sports-based degree at the University of Stirling in 2013, is this season competing for the first time on the East region circuit.

He failed to make the top-40 in the two previous order of merit tournaments but indicated that his success at East Herts will give him a fresh surge of belief.  

Spraggs added: “This just means that I can actually do it again, because I was kind of doubting myself. I had a poor start to the season and Open qualifying last Monday was not very good.

“But I made a few little swing changes and Bob’s your uncle... this is great! It is a big, big confidence boost for me – a good step in the right direction.”

Webber, who won the opening Order of Merit event at Bishop’s Stortford, was satisfied with another bold display, despite coming up fractionally short after 36 holes.

He said: “It was a great couple of days. I was happy to hit the green at the last and thought that would get me to a play-off. But it was a great putt from Patrick, so what can you do?”

There is a new leader atop the East region Order of Merit rankings after Darren Charlton (Dunstable Downs) finished tied-third alongside David Salisbury (Three Rivers)

Charlton almost ended up third on his own, but a slip-up at the last left him at five-under alongside Salisbury who signed for a 66 – the lowest round of the tournament.

Charlton has edged just clear of Stuart Brown (Thorpe Wood), the latter following up his win at the PGA East Region Championship at Essendon with a solid tied-fifth display.

The next chapter of the Order of Merit race will play out in three weeks at Colchester Golf Club, venue for the PGA East Region Bowl.

Charlton said: “I am very pleased to keep the good run of consistent golf going and finish third.

"Leading the Order of Merit is great but it's early days and too early to think too much ahead.”