Rimmer gets helping hands to clinch a fourth final appearance
12/08/2014
Little Aston Golf Club captain Geoffrey Hands, left, admitted he was star struck after booking his place at the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge final in Turkey.
Sutton Coldfield-based Hands teamed up with experienced PGA Professional Brian Rimmer who is a two-time overall winner of the event.
Former European Tour player and PGA Cup squad member Rimmer will be taking part in his fourth Pro-Captain final.
But the duo needed an outstanding finish to make sure of a one-shot victory at Enville Golf Club in Stourbridge.
They will now go to the £25,000 grand final, supported by Canopius, at the PGA Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club, Turkey, from November 26-27.
Hands and Rimmer beat Craig Swinburn and Mark Pearson (Brierley Forest Golf Club); Simon Harrison and Eddie Robinson (Lilley Brook Golf Club) and Ian Proverbs and Dave Cowper (Walsall Golf Club) in a tight finish.
The Little Aston pairing seemed to be way off the pace at the halfway point.
But they came from nowhere with four birdies and a nett eagle in the last six holes to return a seven-under-par round of 65.
Rimmer made a vital birdie at the 18th hole to make sure of outright victory.
Hands, a retired financial services director who plays off a handicap of 17, admitted later he knew Rimmer was the man for the pressure shot at the end.
“If anyone was going to do it then Brian was,” he said.
“But when you consider where we were at the turn then it was an unexpected victory.
“It was a deserved win though when you consider how well Brian played - I think he felt seven-under-par would be good enough and it was.
“I’ve been a member at Little Aston for 35 years but I’ve never made it to an event like this before so I felt a little star struck at the end!”
Rimmer will be on familiar ground after qualifying for three successive finals a decade ago and winning twice.
“We made it through to Bahrain and I won my first final,” he recalled.
“Then we did it again the year after and finished second.
“The year after, with the same captain, we got to a third final and won it again!
“But we didn’t look like making it through this time. We were one-under-par and suddenly we started getting birdies and an eagle.
“Then I realised if we could birdie the 18th we’d stand a good chance of winning even if it went to countback.
“But we were really just enjoying the day before finding ourselves in a position to win it.
“Now I’m looking forward to going back to the final at a new venue in Turkey.”
