Torquay are kings of Bovey Castle

Builder Lee Buckingham, left, cemented a place in the Lombard Trophy final after victory at Bovey Castle Golf Club.

The Torquay Golf Club amateur teamed up with PGA Professional Jason Fullard, right, to record a six under par round of 64.

That was enough to see them home by one shot in the regional final of the pro-am event ahead of Barry Austin and Adam Hull (Downes Crediton Golf Club).

Buckingham and Fullard will now play in the £41,500 grand final. The Lombard sponsored tournament, supported by Coca Cola is being held at beautiful Pestana Golf Resort in Vila Sol from September 22-23.

And 13 handicapper Buckingham, 37, from Babbcombe, admitted it was a great moment when it was confirmed he and Fullard had won the event.

“It’s a great experience I can tell you, and a bit of a surprise as well,” he said.

“We got in with a score of 64 but we thought there was a 63 out there and we were in second spot.

“It turned out we’d misread the scoreboard and we were winning, and the closer to the end it got, the more chance we had, When there were only two teams left out there we were willing them to hurry up and finish.

“Now we’re heading to Portugal and it really hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Buckingham has only been a member at Torquay for a year.

“It’s great to do this after such a relatively short time at the club,” he said.

“I’d had three years out of the game before that while I was renovating my own house. Golf took a back seat then. When I came back I was a 16 handicapper but I’ve got that down.

“At Bovey Castle, we dovetailed nicely throughout the day and Jason got an eagle at the 10th hole, but we followed that up with a double bogey! We had a bit of a tense wait go an hour at the end.”

Fullard played in the final in the early 90s and is relishing the prospect of returning.

“I can’t wait to go back there. It’s a great event and it holds a special place in my heart having played in it before,” he said.

“I try and qualify every year, you hope and pray you play well for your amateur and that he does for  you, because I want them to go to the final and experience it. It happened here and we’re both really excited about it.”