Watson eyes PGA Cup spot

He’s won the PGA Play-Offs to be crowned the PGA’s No 1 player, he’s won the PGA Fourball title and yet it has taken Michael Watson more than 20 years to finally clinch the West Region Order of Merit.

It was also a surprise to his Regional peers that the 44-year-old Wessex Golf Centre pro had never come top of the pile.

In a summer in which he has dominated the scene, five top three finishes have finally got the monkey of his back.

“Most of the guys couldn’t believe I’ve never won it because I’ve finished in the top three a number of times but never managed to win it,” he said.

“This year my results have been consistent with my five counting events being two wins, two seconds and a third. But even before this I did go 13 years between event wins on the Order of Merit.”

In the final event, the Marston’s West Region Championships, he happened to play with David Dixon – the only man who could deny him.

“I knew what I needed to do to ensure that David couldn’t catch me and that finishing in the top 10 would be good enough,” he said.

“David was leading but I was surprised how close I got to him in the end.”

The summer has been a blur for Watson, a habitual winner this year with eight pro-am victories to his name.

If he’s not competing he’s working at the range, located in Weymouth. Days off don’t exist, particularly as Fern Grimshaw, who is also based at the golf centre, is currently off having recently given birth.

“Everything revolves being at the range or competing so it means things at home just don’t get done – simple things like mowing the lawn or taking stuff to the tip,” he said.

“It’s taken me eight weeks to get some rubbish to the tip as it’s never open when I’m passing in the morning or going home.

“When I am not playing I am at the range. I’m here every weekend and on the days I’m not competing and if I’m lucky I might squeeze in a day off and manage to do something with the family.

“But as the season is so condensed for us it’s always going to be that way. In the winter, I don’t play at all.”

Winning the Order of Merit has given Watson another crack at the Titleist PGA Play-Offs, which he won at Little Aston in 2009 (above).

This time, it’s off to Turkey in November to compete in a 54-hole shootout with a field of just 24 players – the top three from each of the seven PGA regions, the top two from the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship and the winner of the Powerade Assistants’ Champion.

And for Watson, there’s only one target – to secure a place in next year’s Great Britain & Ireland PGA Cup team.

That honour will fall on the top three players eligible for the side. It is something his former Wessex colleague Jon Bevan experienced twice as a player and last year as PGA Cup vice captain.

“Making the PGA Cup – that’s my ambition now,” he added.

“I lost out in play-off in 2011 at the Belfry and it was a horrible feeling. I know what’s required and that’s to get one of those three spots.

“It’s three months away and so it’s about keeping my game in shape and remaining competitive.”