Whatley wins 17th Glazerite Trophy by a spectacular 10 shots
15/08/2023
James Whatley (Morley Hayes Golf) left the rest of the field behind as he finished with a huge 10-shot lead at the end of 36 holes of play to win the 17th Glazerite Trophy.
The Glazerite Trophy is a firm favourite on the Midlands tournament calendar and this year’s event was no different. PGA Professionals take on 36 holes at Wellingborough Golf Club in one day, with the Pro-Am taking place the following day in support of the mental health and suicide prevention charity, We Mind & Kelly Matters.
Whatley shot a round of 69 (three-under-par) in the morning session, but it was his second round, a birdie-filled, bogey-free 10-under-par 62, that saw him take the win in such spectacular fashion. Whatley’s final score was 13-under-par, with runner’s up Stephen Roger (3 Hammers Golf Academy) and Jack Malone (Rugby Golf Club) finishing on three-under-par.
“I won it for the first time in 2012, then 2015, so I have always competed around Wellingborough and this year was just special, especially to win it by 10 shots and shoot a course record of 62,” said Whatley, who has now won the event at Wellingborough Golf Club three times.
“I’m not a long hitter, so it plays right into my hands in that sense, and the greens are quite similar to those at Morley Hayes, so I feel a bit like I’m at home.”
It’s a massive event on the schedule and there’s not many events in the country that have had that support for so long.
- James Whatley (Morley Hayes Golf) - PGA Professional
Whatley also expressed what many players feel regarding the long-term support of Glazerite. He continued: “It’s massive to have the support of Glazerite as a company - I think I have played every single Glazerite Trophy - our first one was 2005, we missed a year for covid in 2020, but other than that I have been to every one.
“It’s a massive event on the schedule and there’s not many events in the country that have had that support for so long. Massive thanks to John Hewitt who started it all off and obviously it’s been carried on by the new owners of the company - it’s brilliant.”
Whatley added: “It’s the event that you wouldn’t want to miss, especially with what they do with Kelly’s Heroes - it’s just a fantastic thing that they do to raise awareness for mental health - it’s a really important tournament to me, so that really capped it off to win it this year and win it by so many!”
