Record for Watson as he wins again at Taunton

Michael Watson broke the course record he set a year ago in achieving his second successive win at Taunton and Pickeridge as he continued his remarkable winning streak.

It was the Wessex Golf Centre player’s fourth triumph in 10 days and he has banked in excess of £4,000 during his golden winning streak. He also won by seven shots with a course record of 63 in 2011.

His run started at the Dudsbury Masters Order of Merit tournament, followed in the Lilley Brook Pro-Am and then at Carlyon Bay in the Rotary Club of St Austell Pro-Am. His only modest return was sharing seventh at Trethorne.

His eight-under-par 61 was one shot better than last year’s return and even contained a bogey at the second. But he added seven birdies and an eagle three at the 478-yard fifth, making nine fours, seven threes and two twos.

Amazingly this was only just good enough to relegate Bristol Golf Centre’s Giuseppe Licata into second place one shot behind. The Italian’s round contained eight birdies and one bogey at the tough par four seventh. It was his best return of the year.

European Senior Tour player George Ryall (Players Club) is coming into form before the Welsh Seniors Championship at Royal Porthcawl this month. He claimed third spot with 65, making five birdies and one bogey at the 11th.

Lee Thompson (Dudsbury) and Matt Dearden (Llantrisant & Pontyclun) shared fourth on 66 followed by Paul Hendriksen (Dinnaton) on 67 with five players joint seventh on 68.They included Roy Baker (Isle of Wedmore) with his best finish of the season and Andy Beal (Salisbury & South Wilts) who was taking a break from his other role as a referee on the Ladies European Tour.

Richard Dinsdale (Parc) led John Riches, Neil Grout and Martin Adams to success in the team event on 14-under-par 124, beating Dearden and the Total Triumph trio of Neil Mossman, James Ward and Chris Warcup on countback.  The Grove Inn group of James Symons, Steve Lowe and Mark Peters, headed by David Dixon (Enmore Park) were third, also on countback.