Triple chance at The Addington

Proving the resilience of The Addington’s classic design and layout, only three players in a strong field, Paul Sherman (Langley Park), David Callaway (Foxhills) and Christopher Rodgers, broke par to share the honours at The Addington Pro-Am.

Shooting one-under-par 68s for their winners’ cheques of £841 each, only four other players, Andrew Butterfield (Knole Park), David Osborn (West Hill), Craig Cowper (Surrey Downs) and current PGA in Surrey Open champion Chris Gane (LeftHandedGolf@Silvermere) managed even-par 69s for their cheques of £437 each.

The scoring reflected the test that the world famous course, designed in 1912 and relatively short by modern standards at under 6,300 yards, still presents players, even those at the top of their game.

As Sherman remarked: “It’s a super course that I always look forward to playing, and after some so so golf for the past month, it was particularly sweet to shoot a 68 around The Addington. Not surprisingly the long spell of dry weather has left it firm and running, but it was in great condition all round, especially the greens.”

Sherman’s round was initially going off course with a couple of dropped shots at the third and the sixth, but he kick-started his winning run with a ‘massive’ putt from off the green for a birdie at the eighth. Two more birdies at the par fives 12^th and 16^th put him right back in contention, and as one of the early starters he remained the clubhouse leader on 68 for quite a while.

Callaway, winner of The Sun Mountain PGA in Surrey Masters at nearby Farleigh, produced the card with the least bogeys, making just the one at the 15^th having been one-under after birdying the third and notching a fault free sequence of pars for eleven holes in succession. Full marks to Callaway therefore, when he repaired the damage immediately with a terrific birdie four at the next hole, the par-five 16^th.

Rodgers’ round was rather more adventurous, with two birdies at the fourth and fifth to go two-under, only to drop shots at the dangerous dog legs that are the eighth and then the ninth to be level at the turn. Another birdie at the 12^th was rebuffed by a bogey at the 14^th but one more birdie at the 16^th salvaged his round as he fought his way to a winning card of 68.