Talbott prevails in close contest to win the Order of Merit
01/10/2020
Mark Talbott lost the battle by finishing fourth in the Millbrook Masters but that was sufficient for him to win the war and top the PGA East’s Order of Merit.
He did so by a slender margin, however. Indeed, given the manner in which the final stages of the 36-hole tournament unfolded, calculators were working overtime and there was much scribbling on the backs of envelopes.
Fewer than seven points separated the pro from Thorpe Hall Golf Club and PGA Assistant Nic Cunningham in the Order of Merit once the tournament, which incorporated the East Anglian Open, was wrapped up.
Cunningham, who represents Bedford and County Golf Club, completed two negotiations of the Bedfordshire course in six-under-par to share first place with Sam Forgan and Rob Coles and finish a shot clear of Talbott.
That looked an unlikely scenario for Talbott when he reached the turn in round two. He was on two-under for the tournament at that stage, three shots behind Cunningham and trailing Gog Magog Golf Club’s Paul Maddy by two.
Finishing fifth behind Maddy would have cost him the Order of Merit title but three birdies in the last four holes, including the par-four 18th, resulted in him snatching fourth place.
Similarly, had Cunningham finished first outright or shared it with either Forgan or Coles he would have won the Order of Merit.
In the event each of the trio who tied for first place earned £1,342 while Cunningham and Golf Kingdom’s Coles finished second and third respectively in the Order of Merit.
Cunningham, meanwhile, had the consolation of winning the region’s Order of Merit for PGA Assistants. Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club’s Forgan, who went into the tournament buoyed by finishing tied-third in the Coca Cola PGA Assistants’ Championship, was second.
And it was another PGA Assistant, Robert Watson, who produced the shot of the tournament. He had a hole-in-one on the par-three 10th hole using a seven-iron.
Full scores are accessible here
The final Order of Merit is accessible here
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