Ryall and Sanders tops at Burnham

Former European Tour player Mark Sanders (Knowle) and European Seniors Tour winner George Ryall (Mendip Spring) won the final Gloucester and Somerset PGA event of year.

They claimed the Pairs Championship, sponsored by Howards Motor Group, over the nine hole Channel Course at Burnham & Berrow by three shots.

Playing in the final group they shot 61 to dislodge long-time leaders David Dixon (Enmore Park) and Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) who posted 64 in the different format for each nine holes.

On a dry but cold and breezy December day 18 pairs were attracted to the Somerset coast. The winners covered front nine in 30 strokes in the scramble format and followed with a better-ball tally of 31. It was the second pairs success for both players, but with different partners.

Dixon and Mansell had to settle for second spot after halves of 32. Mansell holed a long putt at the par five 13th for an eagle and picking up a stroke on the closing hole edged them ahead of three pairs.

Ed Goodwin (Cirencester)/Giuseppe Licata (Chipping Sodbury), Ross Langdon and Luke Gaskins (Brickhampton Court) and the amateur partnership of Johnny Grace and Will Poole returned 65.

Defending champions James Jakes (Stockwood Vale) and Martin Dewhurst (Worthersee/Velden, Austria) shared sixth with Henbury’s Luke Derrick and Michael Hunt on 66.