Youth and experience take share of West Hill spoils

At one of the most popular Pro-Ams in Surrey and the South, cards of one-under-par 68 were good enough for Ian Golding (Kingswood), James Ablett (Lee-on-the-Solent) and Joe Simpson (West Berkshire) to win the West Hill Pro-Am.

In a day of tight scoring, each took home their winner’s cheque for £1,500. All had up and down rounds; Golding needed two birdies and an eagle for his 68, while Ablett made four birdies, and Simpson had five including two deuces.

The team event was won by Craig Sutherland’s (Poult Wood) team of The PGA in Surrey sponsors, Brand Fusion, by one point from Michael Lowe’s (Leatherhead).

For Kingswood’s Golding, this was his second win of the season after winning the Woodcote Park Pro-Am just over a week ago. But for Ablett, a multiple winner in the last two years and one of the region’s top performers, West Hill gave him the chance to celebrate his first win of the 2018 season.  It’s a new Simpson on the scene though - Joe - son of West Berkshire’s Paul Simpson, who picked up his first Regional win in his first Regional Pro-Am.

Commenting on the day, Ablett said: “All the tree work done to the course has made it an even stronger heathland challenge. The greens were excellent as usual, as was the condition of the rest of the course, and as always the club’s PGA Head Professional Guy Shoesmith put together another fantastic day of golf. Not only did 52 fellow PGA Professionals come along to compete, but they were supported by 156 amateurs as well, and all that adds up to some pretty impressive numbers.”