Water start by Windermere

Windermere Golf Club’s hopes of landing the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge remain very much afloat despite a wet start in Turkey.

Club captain Ian Gordon (below right) dunked his opening tee shot in the lake besides the first fairway of Antalya Golf Club’s PGA Sultan course but any sinking feeling proved short-lived as he and Simon Edwards fired a seven-under-par 64 to share the lead with Kedleston Park.

More great images from the grand final available here

Ian Walley, head pro at Kedleston Park, showed his enduring appetite for the event he won last year with three closing birdies in the £25,000 tournament which is supported by Canopius.

It gives his captain Ian Neal, who stands down from his role in a week, the chance of leaving his post with a second major PGA title to his name having won the Lombard Trophy in September.

The leaders are two clear of the Nuneaton duo of Craig Phillips and Tim Parker who also revealed battling qualities in overturning the disappointment of two opening bogies to card a five-under-par 66 and secure outright third place with Lee-on-the-Solent and Renishaw Park tied fourth on four under in the 36-hole event.

Gordon, a senior researcher at the University of Lancaster, admitted he ran the gamut of emotions during the round but was delighted to have played his part in propelling Windermere up the leader board, notably with a hat-trick of net birdies from the 12^th.

“We got off to a terrible start when I put my first ball in the water and I thought ‘oh dear’,” said Gordon. “It was all down to nerves but then we just settled very nicely and I was lucky because I came in on quite a few holes where I had strokes.

“I was superbly supported by Simon who kept me on an even keel. He refused to tell me the score and said we’re only going to concentrate on one shot at a time so it was a really enjoyable day.

“It’s the most beautiful course, beautifully laid out, but it’s a tough for mid-range handicappers like myself because these par fours are long but if you can keep the ball straight and avoid the traps you can make pars as I did today so I’m really happy to be in the joint lead.”

A slimmed down Edwards, who has shed two stones in a new fitness regime, was left hungry for more birdies after his normally impeccable putting yielded just three including a decisive one on the short par three 17^th.

“Nothing really dropped for me but the captain has played brilliant, particularly on making pars on the difficult 12,13 and 14th holes which is unbelievably good.

“This week is about the captains, we are trying our best to help them around to ensure they have a great week.”

For Kedleston Park it was business as usual with Walley (below right) draining birdies on the signature par five 16 while two pinpoint wedge shots on 17 and 18 very much keep alive his hopes of retaining the title he won last year with his previous club Shirland.

“Ian (Neal) played solid, came in with his shots where he needed to and I cleaned up at the end,” said Walley.

“It is very unpredictable this format, we said at the start of the day if we can get four or five under it would give us a chance so to sneak seven under at the end is good.

“Ian and I have played a lot of golf this year, I know his game pretty well, I tend to pick the clubs before he does and the nice thing is he trusts me.

“This is Ian’s last week as captain, these two rounds will be his last two competitive outings, so if he could go out by winning this it would be extra special.”

Neal added: “We started off cool but warmed up with Ian getting the closing birdies. I was teasing him saying he had to get a few more birdies because he was lagging behind."

Nuneaton meanwhile are lurking on the heels of the leaders much to the surprise of their captain who has been ill for the last three days but who benefited from some words of wisdom from his wife.

“We started off a bit shaky but my wife said last night if you mess up don’t worry just march on to the next hole and keep looking forward. That’s what I said to Craig after we were two over after two holes and fortunately we turned it around.”

Phillips, who is making his second appearance in a PGA Pro-Captain final, added: “It was a bit of a nervy start with two three putts but Tim holed a monster putt on the back nine – a forty footer and then I holed a birdie on 12 and that got us going again.”