Woodman cuts West Surrey down to size

Fresh from the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, Longball’s Guy Woodman has delivered another stylish performance.

He shot a bogey-free four-under-par 67 to win the West Surrey Pro-Am, which was celebrating its 40^th anniversary with some extra special prizes.

Timing his final birdie to perfection at the last hole to win by one shot, Woodman snatched the £1,000 winner’s cheque away from runner up James Johnson (Bramley), whose 68 still made him a tidy £800.

Woodman was delighted with his game, as he reflected: “I managed my way round the course, keeping my ball in business and setting myself up with as many opportunities as possible. The putter wasn’t that hot today, but it all came together well enough down the last, where I knew I needed a four to win.”

Tied for third place, four more southern stars lined up behind Johnson with cards of 69: former Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit champion Andy Raitt (St. George’s Hill), Michael Lowe (Leatherhead), David Callaway (Foxhills) and Matt Rice (Purley Downs).

 After his experience at Wentworth, Woodman had commented that he’d learned a lot about competing at the top level, and that seemed to bear fruit as he swept through West Surrey’s tight and challenging course without dropping a shot.

Arriving at the 16th on two-under-par, he made a terrific birdie at the 16^th, parred the 17^th and made one more birdie down the last to claim victory.

Of the four in third spot, Raitt’s last hole bogey probably proved the most expensive. Four-under-par at the turn, bogeys at the 10^th and 12^th followed, but a fine birdie on the 17^th setting him up for a grandstand finish was soon undone with the bogey at the last hole, taking him out of a tie for second spot with Johnson.

The man from St. George’s Hill still recouped some of his losses though, by winning the post-tournament 7-man Lanson Champagne Shootout.

Raitt’s shot from 180 yards to the 18^th green in front of a sizeable West Surrey audience was to prove the closest, earning him an extra £500 and no less than an entire methuselah, equivalent to eight standard bottles, of Lanson’s White Label Champagne!