Woodman chops down opposition at Knole Park

Longball’s UK clothing ambassador Guy Woodman continued to warm up nicely for this month’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, notching up his third win of the season by winning the Knole Park Pro-Am with a four-under-par 66 to claim the £900 winner’s cheque.

Style guru Woodman’s two birdie bursts proved to be just enough to see him home, and edge out the trio of former Regional number one Richard Wallis (Canterbury), Scott Stevens (The Ridge) and local man Ben Martin, all of whom shot three-under-par 67s for their cheques of £533.

Starting at the fifth, Woodman made an inauspicious start by opening with a bogey four at the short hole, but he then found the groove and birdied the sixth, seventh and ninth to reach two-under-par. Six safe pars followed, and then Woodman delivered another birdie-filled barrage through the 16^th, 17^th and eighth to reach five-under after 14 holes.

Three more pars left him with just one more hole where Woodman made an uncharacteristic bogey – but he still got away with it to finish a shot ahead of the following pack.

Of these three, starting at the 16^th Wallis was looking good at three-under after 12 holes, but a dropped shot at the short 12^th set him back, although a birdie at his last hole got Wallis back in the frame.

Stevens achieved that rarest of golfing achievements, an albatross two at the 17^th, but he could only find two other birdies to offset the two bogeys he also made on the way round. Martin made five birdies, but two bogeys at the second and 11^th meant he just missed out being the local hero.

Woodman was delighted with his golf. He said: “I’m in full preparation for my start at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, and a win like this is just the ticket to boost my confidence going into such a major event. Knole was in terrific condition, and the great weather as well is always a blessing for a day like this.

“My swing’s in good shape, but for Wentworth my long game will need to be spot on and my short game needs to be really sharp. At least with the Longball gear, I won’t have to worry about looking really sharp!”