O’Hanlon revving up for Total Triumph Classic

Richard O’Hanlon, arguably the most colourful professional in the West, is certainly due an Order of Merit victory after a successful decade in the West.

The St Kew professional was a prolific winner during his earlier career in the Midlands and won the Order of Merit in 2006. He came close to victory in his first West OOM outing, the inaugural  Total Triumph  Classic in 2009.

He was beaten in a play-off by Chris Gill (Newquay) that day and his only success was in the Forest Classic in 2011. Although he has been close in many subsequent events he has never won since. But his early season form and outstanding pedigree that includes two national Par 3 Championships suggests this could be his year.

He will be one of the favourites when the 36-hole Classic opens the region’s tournament season for the tenth time at the outstanding Oake Manor complex near Taunton.

He started the season by winning a North Overseas pro-am at Monte Rei in Portugal, followed with three fourth places in the Midlands and now has qualified for the Staysure Trophy final after  success in the Midlands leg at Maxstoke Park .

But the busy Cornish-based player will face stiff opposition from all the leading West players. Previous winners Gill, Jon Bevan (Sherborne), defending champion Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) and Paul Hendriksen (Ivybridge), who made a successful defence in 2016, are in the field.

David Dixon (Enmore Park) has also made his mark on the course, is playing well again this season and can never be discounted.  Michael Watson (Wessex Golf Centre) is in great form after breaking the course record at Sherborne this month.

This year’s format has been altered. Each professional is bringing an amateur to compete in a unique event. The pro-am is staged on Thursday June 7, the opening day, when both amateur and pro-am prizes worth £2,000 will be on offer and more than 200 players will tee off from dawn to dusk.The leading 40 professionals return the following day to compete for the trophy. 

Sponsor Neil Mossman, managing director of Taunton motor cycle dealers Total Triumph and a former captain at Oake Manor, is excited by the new format. He said: “I am really looking forward to this year’s Classic as we have a fantastic entry with 108 amateurs and pros from all over the West and Wales competing.

“They will play on a superb Oake Manor course in probably the best condition I have ever seen it.”

West regional manager Robert Moss said: “Neil is a fantastic supporter of both professional and amateur golf within the region. His tournament is the perfect vehicle to give the amateur players the opportunity to play with the best players in England and Wales (South West).”