Ruth goes low to win at Exeter

James Ruth carded five-under-par 64 as the lowest round over the new Exeter Golf and Country Club lay-out but it will not stand as a record as the lift and place rule was in operation.

It was the China Fleet trainee‘s third pro-am win of the PGA in England (South & West) season at the club’s 40th annual charity event which has raised more than £300,000.

This year’s beneficiaries are Exeter Deaf School and Children’s Hospice South West.

Ruth’s previous successes came at St Mellion and Bristol and Clifton. He also won a Devon PGA event at Okehampton and finished second to Barry Austin (Downes Crediton) in the Exeter Ladies pro-am in May.

This time the roles were reversed as course specialist Austin was runner-up one shot behind.

On an overcast mainly dry day the birdies flowed and more than half the field shot par or better.

Ruth made six and after an ordinary opening nine, returned in four-under 34, picking up further shots at the tenth, 13th, 17th and 18th. It could have been better for he was unhappy with his putting.

Austin doubled his birdie count when he finished with three in succession. Rhys Enoch (Celtic Manor), who has been struggling with a wrist injury, started with two bogeys and made another at the fifth.

Then he roared home in five-under 29 picking up shots at the 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th for 66. He was joined in third place by Matt Dearden (Cardiff) who was three under after five holes and went on to make four further birdies on the way home after dropping four shots.

Seven players followed on 67, including Tom Jessamine (Woodbury Park) who recovered from a poor start to play his final 13 holes in eight under par.

Dentacast, who regularly sponsor the first hole, won the team award for the first time on 17-under-par 121 with former Exeter assistant  Andrew Fox (Bovey Tracey Golf Centre) at the helm assisted by Jerry Wollen, Tom Bailee and Alex Worthington.  

Former Exeter club pro Gary Milne (Woodbury Park) and his Moorland Fuels team with Ben More, Debbie More and Abi Turner, were second on 122 followed a shot back by Multifoil headed by Exeter golf manager Ben Martin with Darren Thorpe, James Reed and star county amateur Ryan Pope, off a handicap of plus two.