Winston strong at the finish

Pat Winston birdied two of the closing three holes to force a three-way tie in the Haverhill Golf Club Pro-Am.

Winston (33 Sports Management) was level-par approaching the par-three 16^th but made a two to enter contention. After a par at the next, he closed out his round by picking up another shot at the last and signed for a two-under-par total of 68.

Paul Hetherington, the PGA in England (East) captain for 2014, and Brett Taylor were already in the clubhouse on the same score. The groundwork for both players’ scores was done on the front nine – Hetherington (Great Hadham G&CC) making three birdies before the turn and Taylor (Brett Taylor Golf) four.

Of the later-starting players that were still out on the course after the leading trio had completed, Jason Levermore (Channels) and Richard Beadles (Royal Worlington and Newmarket) were bang in contention.

But Levermore, who was three-under at one stage, dropped back with a bogey at the 16^th and Beadles leaked a shot at the same hole, ultimately leaving the pair a shot adrift – alongside Stuart Brown (Orton Meadows).

Mark Baker (Colchester) was in charge of the winning team on 125, two better than a cluster of sides led by Taylor, Mark Stokes (Rayleigh Golf Range) and James Gurry (Basildon).