Vintage year for Winer

Jack Winer (Abridge Golf & Country Club) is looking to round off a great 2018 with a strong performance in the PGA Play-Offs in Turkey.

Winer qualified for the end-of-season showdown by finishing third on the East region Order of Merit.

It was just one of several landmarks in a year to savour for the likeable 30-year-old.

For starters, Winer successfully completed his PGA Foundation degree.

And in late summer he enjoyed a purple patch on the golf course.

Teaming up with his great buddy James Watts (Kingsway Golf Centre), the Essex professional claimed the Golfbreaks.com PGA Four-ball Championship.

The following week Winer ticked off another box as he claimed a first Order of Merit victory by virtue of a play-off triumph in the East Region Championship.

Off the course Winer has become the pro shop manager at Abridge.

And he has also successfully popped the question to his now fiancée Ellie. The couple are set to marry in 2019, which Winer wants to make another big year.

That’s why the the PGA Play-Offs from November 21-23 will be important for him and the 23 other players in the field at Antalya Golf Club.

The top four will secure a spot at the BMW PGA Championship – and the leading trio will earn their place in Cameron Clark’s PGA Cup side to face America late next September.

Winer said: “I’m over the moon to be going to Turkey – I can’t wait. I’ve got a lot of confidence from this year, doing what I have.

“I know it is going to take a very good week to get to Wentworth or to win the event but I’m going there with confidence.

“I’m the sort of person that wouldn’t be going to an event if I didn’t think I could contend, that’s for sure.

“I’m feeling good and looking forward to the experience. I’m not going to make up the numbers – I’m going to compete.

“It has been a really good year, there has been so many perks to it.

“Proposing to my girlfriend, winning an Order of Merit event after winning with Wattsy the week before and then getting to the Play-offs, it has been such a good year.

“If it finished on a high it would just top it off.”

From the East region, Winer will be joined in Turkey by Jason Levermore (Little Channels Golf Centre) and last year’s Play-Offs winner Rob Coles (Maylands Golf & Country Club).

As fellow Essex professionals he knows exactly how good those two but also understands the quality of the rest of the field.

Winer said: “Those two boys are winning events left, right and centre. But everyone can play well on their day and it only takes three good rounds and hopefully it’s Wentworth next year – that’s the goal.

“And trying to make the PGA Cup is a massive thing for me. There would be no prouder moment If I got into the PGA Cup representing GB and I.”

Whatever happens in Turkey, Winer will be able to reflect on 2018 with an immense amount of satisfaction.

No doubt also deriving pleasure from his achievements will be his coach Paul Holland and custom fitter/PGA professional Jason MacNiven (Golf Principles).

Winer added: “They’ve both done so much for me this year.”