Short game delight for Ellis
24/03/2014
Ian Ellis maintained his good start to the season with victory in the Norfolk PGA pro-am at Sheringham in breezy conditions.
The recently-appointed head professional at Great Yarmouth and Caister Golf Club produced a level-par round of 70 to beat Suffolk raider Neil Mitchell (Bury Golf Range) by a single shot.
Ellis said: “The course was in excellent condition but I didn't hit the ball particularly well. I was saved by my short game, requiring only 23 putts. I had quite a few scrappy bogeys. The highlight of my round was a birdie at the signature fifth hole with a driver, a four-iron approach to eight feet before holing the putt.”
Mark Spooner (Bawburgh) and Mark Allen (Eaton) were joint third with rounds of 72. Sam Cubitt (De Vere Dunston Hall) was fifth with 73.
Ellis also won the pro-am with his team of Dylan Green, Brad Smith and Harry Leivers.
He explained: “My team played great golf including a chip-in and a 50-yard pitch for eagle by Harry Leivers on the par-four 16th. They finished in style by holing two monster birdie putts on the 11th, our final hole, for an 11-under-par score of 129.”
Cubitt, Sam Debenham, Simon Stevens and Graham Lay were runners-up with 130.
Ellis also won the Norfolk PGA pro-am at Thetford at the start of this month and has established a big lead at the top of the county Order of Merit.
He is one of a trio of PGA in England East players looking forward to the challenge of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth between May 22 and 25. The other two are Mark Hooper (The Rayleigh Club) and Jason Levermore (Channels).
