Wootton and Ablett tie up Henley with 63s
03/08/2016
Spectacular rounds of seven-under-par 63s left two of the PGA South region’s recent winners, Adam Wootton (Oxford Golf Centre) and James Ablett (Lee-on-the-Solent), sharing the honours in the Henley Pro-Am.
Three shots behind despite an impressive score of four-under-par 66 was Billy Hemstock for £700. One shot further back was Bearwood Lakes’ Martin Woodbridge, who also led his amateurs to victory in the team event after a countback from Ablett’s.
Reflecting on his eleventh win of the season, Ablett commented: “The score was down to my putting, as I made three 25 footers and one outrageous 70 footer. Henley requires you to run some shots in and to take account of the slopes, which Adam and I obviously managed to do pretty well!”
Off an hour earlier than Ablett, newly crowned CK Group PGA Kent Open champion Wootton opened in spectacular fashion with three birdies in the first three holes, but a fourth at the sixth was traded for a bogey at the par five ninth to be out in three-under-par.
Birdies at the 10th, 12th and 14th pushed Wootton up to six-under-par, but again a bogey – this time at the 16th – threatened to spoil his card. Then on the final hole Wootton produced a terrific eagle finish for his 63 and his fifth win this year.
Current Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit champion Ablett got an early boost to his round when he bottled a handy putt of 70 feet at the fourth. He went on to make three more to reach the turn in four-under-par to be snapping at Wootton’s fast moving heels.
Three more birdies at the 11th, 14th and 16th set him up with an amazing opportunity to overtake Wootton’s card, after he learned that he just needed one last birdie at the par five 18th. But after a poor drive and a bunkered second shot it wasn’t to be, and so he shared top billing with Wootton.
Ablett said: “My swing’s not spot on yet, but I’m making the scores and my stroke average is bang on 70, so I’m in a good place right now. But with four Virgin Atlantic PGA South Order of Merit events left, there’s a lot work to do if I’m going to defend the Order of Merit successfully, so I’ll be working hard to get in the right shape for the PGA Southern Open Championship in a few days’ time.”
Wootton and the new PGA Surrey Open champion Jon Barnes will, with the rest of the southern stars, be doing their best to challenge Ablett over the two rounds of the PGA Southern Open Championship, which is once again at East Sussex International on August 11th and 12th.
