Six of the best for Harris

Jamie Harris (Nevill) played some of his best golf this year in the Laleham Pro-Am, shooting a six-under-par 64 to win by a stroke and take the winner’s cheque for £800. 

Finding his form after winning at Royal Blackheath, Harris hit a wedge at the final hole to four feet and holed the birdie putt to edge out Christopher Aubrey (Lindfield) on 65, closely followed by Gregg Blainey (Billingbear Park) on 66.

Harris acknowledged his early start meant he probably enjoyed most of the relatively dry weather on his front nine, where he started with a birdie and played steady golf, shooting another birdie at the eighth to turn in two-under-par. Yet as the rain started to come down, Harris birdied the 10th and 11th to reach four-under-par, and then the 15th and 16th to reach six.

“Although three-putting the 17th was a bit unnecessary,” he said, “I actually putted quite well. I had a couple of lip outs for birdies on the front nine and left an eagle putt just short on the 10th, lipped out again on the 12th but pulled my second putt on the 17th.”

Harris’s hallmark, his accurate driving, lived up to expectations. “My driving was the best this year so far. I hit all the fairways and kept out of the rough, which with all the rain we’ve had was wet, thick and tangly so you’ve got no control over the ball in terms of shots to the green.”

Harris enjoyed his return visit to Laleham, which was in top condition once again. “The course was ideal, very good greens, and very scoreable if you were on the fairways.”

Despite the trip up at the 17th, Harris saved his best for the last to snatch victory from the chasing pack, as he explained. “I finished well, hitting two good shots at the par five 18th to set up a wedge which I hit to four feet. That left me a final birdie putt which, as it turned out, made all the difference!”