Redfern scorches round Croham to win pro-am

Former PGA Surrey Open champion Nick Redfern shot a flawless six-under-par 64 to win the Croham Hurst Pro-Am by three shots.

His nearest rival Russell Buxton (Hassocks) took second place to become one of only five players to break par. Tim Spence (The Golf College), Jamie Harris (Nevill), James Ablett (Lee-on-the-Solent) and Paul Nessling (Cooden Beach) all shot one-under-par to tie for third place.

AIA Group’s Redfern got into his charge with two birdies at the third and fourth, adding a safe par at the fifth before making two more birdies at the sixth and the eighth, parring the ninth to be out in four-under-par.

Things cooled down a bit for Redfern with five more straight pars, but he then found the birdie-making form again.

He said: “I made a really good birdie three at the long par four 15^th with a three wood, four iron and a 20 foot putt. I got up and down out of a greenside bunker after missing the fairway for the first time at the 17^th, and then kept my foot on the accelerator to make one more birdie down the 18^th and a strong finish.

“My short game was really good, with five or six up and downs. I’d gone there with the belief that if I missed the green, the short game was good enough to get up and down in two shots. That really helped.”

Redfern’s now eyeing up the next two major events, The PGA Southern Professionals Championship (10^th and 11^th September) at Foxhills and The Tylney Park Classic (23^rd and 24^th September). “I’m looking for a top three finish in each of them to get my Order of Merit situation back on track,” he said, “and some more of this sort of form will certainly help matters.”