Wall stands firm at Hayling
15/05/2017
Tournerbury Golf Centre’s Ben Wall kicked off the 2017 PGA South Pro-Am season by shooting one of the best rounds of his PGA career, a seven-under-par 64, to win the popular Hayling Pro-Am.
Proving that traditional links golf is a powerful attraction for lots of golfers, no less 49 teams of four competed over Hayling’s immaculately prepared, firm and fast links, accompanied as usual by a typically stiff breeze.
Claiming the individual title and the winner’s cheque for £1,150, Wall edged out two former Order of Merit champions, pushing the bogey free six-under-par, 65 of Canterbury’s Richard Wallis into second spot, and the 66s of the two lefties – James Ablett (Lee-on-the-Solent) and ’s Chris Gane (Left Handed Golf at Silvermere) into a tie for third.
Wall’s delight at winning was clear, as he explained: “I’ve just completed my first year as a PGA Assistant at Tournerbury, and it’s my first regional win, so I’m very pleased about that. I’m getting some guidance from one of the PGA South’s 2016 Coach of the Year, Kevin Flynn, the Tournerbury’s PGA Head Professional, and it all came together today.”
Things could have been very different if Gane could have maintained his run of form through the first 11 holes. Starting with a deuce at the opening hole and adding another at the fifth, Gane was already six-under at the turn and promptly made a third two at the 11th to reach seven-under. Yet with seven birdie opportunities remaining, things cooled down for Gane with no more birdies and dropped shots at the 12th and 17th for his 66.
In the team event though, even Wall’s supreme effort for his team still left them six off the mark, with Purley Downs’ Kevin O’Connell leading his team of amateurs to the top of the team leaderboard.
Wall was a member at Hayling for 11 years so his 64 wasn’t entirely a surprise, as he said: “I’ve shot lower rounds in roll ups and the like, but this is my best score at Hayling in a proper tournament. That rain overnight softened the greens a bit, which helped, but it was still firm and fast, and there was a two to three club wind to deal with as well.”
He continued: “Dropping the one shot on the 17th when my drive was gathered into a bunker spoiled an otherwise pretty good card, and I still had to wait three hours to find out if I’d won, as Richard Wallis was one of the last players to finish.”
He summarised: “It was a super day, very well run and very well supported, so although it was a long day, it was well worth the wait in all sorts of ways!”
