Rodgers warms up for PGA Southern Pros

Richings Park’s Chris Rodgers warmed up nicely for the Westcoast PGA Southern Professional Championship at Kings Hill with a five-under-par 67 in the pro-am preceding the event.

It was his second win of the season and earned him the top prize of £750.

Rodgers’ card of 67 included two eagles and four birdies, but with three bogeys it proved only just enough to edge out Lee-on-the-Solent’s multiple winner James Ablett into second spot.

Right on Ablett’s heels were two other southern stars in the form of Chris Gane (LeftHandedGolf@Silvermere) and Richard Wallis (Canterbury), both of whom finished on three-under-par 69.

Gane also picked up the nearest the pin prize by putting his ball two feet away on the 196 yard 11th, a target pin position that was generally agreed to be exceptionally difficult.

Reflecting on his second win of the season, Rodgers said: “I really enjoyed myself out there today, playing very stress-free golf. I reckoned five-under was a good target, but left myself a lot to do after the front nine.”

Starting with an eagle at the first hole, by the eighth Rodgers was back to par, but made birdie at the ninth to be one-under at the turn. Then with birdies at the par fives 10th and 12th to reach three-under, opportunity beckoned.

“Holing an 80 yard sand wedge at the 16th for an eagle suddenly got me to five-under, but then I went and three putted the 17th, so when I put my sand wedge two feet away on the 18th green and holed the putt, I was very happy!”

Finishing with a 67 meant Rodgers squeezed past the clubhouse leader Ablett who had set a stiff target with his four-under-par 68.

111 of the PGA South Professionals line up today in season’s penultimate stroke play event, the Westcoast PGA Southern Professional Championship. Played over three rounds at Kings Hill, as well as £3,000 for the winner, there are more points to play for in the race towards the Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit.

Pentland Golf’s Benn Barham is the defending champion and the Kings Hill course is one of his favourites, as demonstrated by his emphatic victories in 2014 when he finished on 19n-under-par, and in 2015 when he finished on 14-under.

With the course fast and running and the greens in excellent shape, Rodgers is looking forward to an error-free round and a chance to get in the frame.