Win No 2 for Bond at Bowood

After winning the Total Triumph opening Race to Woodbury Park tournament of the season Liam Bond was almost certain that he would be leaving for a lucrative six-month coaching engagement in Russia and would miss the rest of the season.

But he is still here and displaying fine form. “I wasn’t happy with the contract situation so I decided to stay and take my chances of success in the South West,” he said.

Now the 42-year-old Marriott St Pierre-based Lancastrian has made it back-to-back victories by hanging on to take the Microsoft Services Masters at Bowood.

After leading by one shot he carded level par in worsening conditions to ease out Sion Bebb (Vale Hotel) by two shots with Richard O'Hanlon (The Point at Polzeath), Scott Porter (Dorset Golf & Country Club) and Stuart Little (Minchinhampton New) a further shot back in third.

On a day when scoring was as difficult as in this year’s US Open over a tough course Bond was always in command.

For a second time he negotiated the front nine perfectly in three-under-par 33 and held a four-shot lead over playing partner Little and was six in front of Bebb in the group ahead.

“I was almost flawless for the first 27 holes but the final nine holes played as tough as it gets when the wind came up and it started raining heavily,” he said.

“Bowood  is a magnificent course but it is really a strong finish here as you can see by the scores.”

He three-putted the tenth, smashed a couple of drives into the long, clinging rough bogeying the 14th, found the fairway bunker to drop another at the 17th and three-putted the last.

The steady Bebb is a danger every time he tees up and two par rounds have propelled him into top spot in the order of merit ahead of Bond and previous leader Paul Hendriksen (Dinnaton) who shared 15th place.

O’Hanlon became the clubhouse leader after an outstanding back nine of one-under-par before the rain affected the later starters.

“I felt that if I had birdied the last, which was possible, I had a good chance with the weather closing in,” he said. “A top ten place looked possible but to climb 15 places into third was a real bonus.

Rod Hibbitt (Cotswold Edge), who made only his second career ace with a 7-iron on the third the previous day, would have finished far higher than sixth but for four three putts in his 74.

Joe Ferguson (Celtic Manor) shot a best-of-the-day 69 to share seventh despite hitting three balls off the 18th tee. He thanked playing partner Richard Sadler (Killiow) who found his first ball just within the stipulate five-minutes.

Martin Cole, above right, the director of retail, communications and media for Microsoft Services who was last year’s Bowood captain, made the presentations, helped by Bowood director of golf Paul McLean, left, who organised the three-day event.