Super Surrey book Belfry berth

Alan Lovelace fired the pick of Surrey's rounds to help steer his team to the final of the SkyCaddie England & Wales Inter-County Championship.

The Merrist Wood College pro's six-under-par 66 at Windlesham helped the county to a 10-under-par total over 36-holes alongside team-mates David Callaway (Milford) and Craig Cowper (Horton Park).

Surrey finished two shots clear of the Kent team of Nick Drane (Prince's), Benn Barham (Kings Hill) and Paul Sherman (Ashford).

PGA Cup player Callaway carded rounds of 69 and 70 with Cowper's 73 also registering towards the total with the best four of each team's six rounds counting.

Lovelace's 66 included four birdies on the front nine with no dropped shots but the tutor at Merrist College admitted to a slice of fortune with a couple of his gains.

“The 66 was a bit of a flash in the pan because we’d had our 36-hole PGA Surrey Championship the previous day and as I’m nearly of seniors’ tour age I was on my knees,” he said.

“I had a couple of bits of outrageous fortune including on one of the par threes when I fatted one to the edge of the green and then holed a 40 foot putt which would have gone about 20 feet past if it hadn’t hit the hole.

“I told the others in the afternoon round that they would have to come up with the goods and they did. David (Callaway) played well and it’s great to win.

“It’s a fun event, there’s plenty of good-natured banter between the counties and it was great to meet the sponsors SkyCaddie.”

Lovelace and his team can now look forward to trying to notch up a national trophy for their county when they compete in the £10,000 36-hole final, which will be held on the PGA National, at The Belfry on October 14-15.