Stunning Licata stretches lead

Giuseppe Licata fired a five under par 66 at The Mendip Golf Club to extend his lead to 20 points in the Gloucester & Somerset Total Triumph Order of Merit.

The weekly medal had looked in doubt with heavy rain swamping much of the two counties but Mendip’s quick-draining turf withstood the deluge and Licata capitalised in style to win by three strokes from George Ryall.

A field of 30 plus players took to the fairways but it was a familiar story as Licata continued his superb form of the previous week at Cleeve Hill with a six birdie salvo for back to back wins.

He opened up with a brace of threes to move two under early on and then added another pair of birdies at the seventh and eighth to turn in just 33 strokes.

Another birdie followed at 11 and while a bogey on 15 briefly set him back he returned to five under with his final gain at the closing hole.

It was his third win of the campaign and a profitable day also saw him collect the birdie sweep money.

Runner up Ryall carded a typically steady score of 69 but was left to bemoan a couple of short missed putts.

Ryall birdied the fourth and fifth before immediately giving those strokes back at the next two holes ahead of his third birdie at the short eighth.

Just a single birdie at 13 spoilt the run of pars on the Burnham & Berrow based Seniors Tour player’s card coming home.

In taking third place Wells assistant James Keitch scrambled well to post a level par 71 and secure his best finish of the season so far.

Despite maybe not always being on the short

Another with a season’s best result was Orchardleigh Assistant Charlie Cossins as his 72 gave him a share of fourth with The Mendip amateur Liam Copp.

Another amateur Will Poole (Mendip Spring) was also in the prizes sharing sixth position on 73 alongside G&S PGA Chairman Andrew March from Brean.

Next week the series moves back to Gloucestershire for the final time in 2016 when they take on the Forest Hills course in Coleford.