Route 66 for hot Hilleard

Farrington Park’s England amateur international Josh Hilleard triumphed over another strong field in the first Gloucester and Somerset PGA medal staged at Orchardleigh, near Frome.

The 21-year-old left-hander scorched around in six-under-par 66 to beat Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) and Bristol-based Paul Ryder by three shots.

Many players only saw the tough 6,800-yard East Somerset course for the first time and teed-off in pleasant calm conditions.  

Hilleard started quickly and holed short putts for a birdie at the first and an eagle at the second. He gained another stroke at the fifth before he found the water with a wayward drive at the ninth to drop his only shot. He took his birdie tally to five with three more at the 11th, 14th and 15th.

His playing partners Mansell and Will Hobbs (Mendip Spring) also bettered par and both said that it was wonderful to have a front row seat to witness such an accomplished round.

Mansell owed his score to his renowned scrambling skills and he got up and down eight times and he was the only one of the 35 players not to drop shot. Ryder was three-under-par on the opening nine holes, making a fourth birdie at the 14th after dropping a shot at the 11th.

Ross Langdon (Brickhampton Court) made a successful return from a wrist injury to claim fourth on 70. Hobbs shared fifth on 71 with Paul Barrington (Inplay Golf) to take the lead in the Total Triumph Order of Merit.

Burnham Golf Range’s Graeme Biggs recorded the shot of the day to record the first G&S ace for several years. His 8-iron disappeared on its second bounce into the tricky 17th hole.