Trainor takes title

Barrie Trainor won the third East Region Order of Merit event of the season on the New Course at the Essendon Country Club in Hertfordshire - the new home of the PGA East Region Championship.

The 32-year-old from Old Joe’s Golf Range in Suffolk finished seven-under-par for the tournament. His second round of six-under-par 66 included six birdies and an eagle.

The only blemish came with a double at the 14^th when he took four from the fringe of the green.

Trainor, who moved to Suffolk in January, was Irish PGA champion in 2011 and was third in Ireland last year. His next event is the Irish Open at Carton House, near Dublin starting on June 27.

He said: “It was good to be able to build up confidence before the Irish Open. The hooks which wrecked my rounds in the last Order of Merit event, the Weston Homes plc/Bishop’s Stortford Classic, were under control this time.

“Essendon Country Club is a great venue which I thoroughly enjoyed. I am looking forward to returning next year.”

Runner-up Andrew Pestell of Chelmsford finished one shot behind. He started his round as joint leader at five-under-par and ended six-under for the tournament. He needed a birdie at the tough 474-yard par four final hole and came within nine inches of securing it with a 25-yard putt that slid to the right of the hole.

Stuart Brown of Orton Meadows and Ian Ellis of Costessey Park were joint third at five-under-par. Brown dropped a shot on each of his first two holes but then fought back to stay in contention.

Ellis, the joint first round leader, went to six-under-par with a smooth birdie at the first but a couple of three putts and a wayward drive in the first nine left him with an uphill task. However he was two-under for his final eight holes.

Nick Pateman of Pinner Hill, who took the honours in the opening order of event at Royal Cromer that was reduced to one round by fog, was catching the leaders when five-under for the tournament at the turn. His charge was checked by a couple of dropped shots but he ended in fifth place at four-under.

Jason Levermore of Channels, runaway winner of the OOM last year, was too far behind after his opening round of 75. The second day produced eight birdies and one double to put him in joint sixth place at two-under with James Ruebotham (Welwyn Garden City), Mark Stokes (Rayleigh Golf Range) and Daniel Field (East Herts).

Those who mastered the pace of the greens, running at about 10 and a half on the Stimp, did well. There was no stopping Chris Smith (Fynn Valley) who had six birdies in his first 10 holes to be up with the leaders at four-under. Then the magic departed and he dropped five shots, four of them on the final two holes.

There were two holes in one, both at the 153-yard eighth hole from Alastair Archibald of Hadley Wood and Roger Gray of Thorndon Park.

The Essendon Country Club, a new venue for this event, proved immensely popular with the players. It was formerly called Hatfield London Golf Club but was renamed last year after being bought by Kieran and Liam Griffin. The two courses are laid out in a picturesque 400-acre estate. It is one of the few clubs in Hertfordshire to see its membership and greens fees increase in the past 12 months.