Professional golfers returned to Minchinhampton Common last week to compete in the Old Course PGA Pro-Am, writes Simon Stroud.
For the first time since its inception 28 years ago, there was no competition last year due to Covid, so a full field of 52 teams returned onto the tee.
The event attracts one of the largest fields in the PGA regional calendar, with club professionals drawn from all over the West of England & Wales. Local Pros included Minchinhampton’s Chris Steele, Rob Ralph & Nick Haile. Teams of 4 players, consisting of 3 amateurs plus a professional, lined up to compete for the spoils, in addition to the professionals individually vying for a total prize fund of £8,500.
In the professional event, previous winner Ross Langdon (Brickhampton Court), one of the early starters, set the pace with a superb 5 under par round of 66. It turned out to be a score that nobody would beat.
Early team starters, Thrupp Services, carded an impressive 18 under par total and held the lead for most of the day. They were, however, pipped at the post by Kyloe Partners, who went just one shot better to win the team prize with a fantastic 19 under par. The Ladies event saw Charlotte Hindmoor crowned professional winner and the team prize went to Carpet Hotline Ladies.
Full results:
Men’s professional: 1st Ross Langdon (Brickhampton Court) 66 (-5); 2nd Richard Brookman (Creigiau GC) 67 (-4); 3rd Toby Hunt (St. Mellons GC) 68 (-3)
Men’s Team: 1st Kyloe Partners (Chris Benians (Pro), Ray Pennie, Dave Rees, Dave Thomas) 123 (-19); 2nd Thrupp Services (Rob Ralph (Pro), Clive Hathaway, Steve Biddle, Nigel Townsend) 124 (-18);
3rd Ecohaus (Ross Langdon (Pro), Dave Luff, Alan Grant, Steve Smith) 126 (-15); 4th Q S Services (James Hannam (Pro), Stuart Tym, John Nutting, John Nation) 127 (-15); 5th G L Transport (Jon Deare (Pro), Karl Kirtley, Angel Azcona, Mark Helm 128 (-14)
Ladies professional: 1st Charlotte Hindmoor (unattached) 80 (+9); 2nd (tied) Jo Lee (Cocks Moor Woods GC) & Polly Norman (Kings Lynn GC) 82 (+11)
Ladies Team: 1st Carpet Hotline Ladies (Jo Lee (Pro), Dawn Williams, Sue Rosbotham, Katharine Nash) 137 (-5); 2nd Old Course Ladies 1 (Charlotte Hindmoor (Pro), Michelle Brown, Jenny Dwight, Angela Coubrough 144 (+2)
PICTURES: Ben Kirby, BCK Photography
Ladies’ Runners-Up: Old Course Ladies 1 with winning lady professional Charlotte Hindmoor
Ladies’ winners: Carpet Hotline Ladies with Old Course Vice-Captain Simon Stroud
Team Ecohaus captain Dave Luff (left) with men’s professional winner Ross Langdon (right)
Thrupp Services captain Clive Hathaway (centre) with Rob Ralph, Minchinhampton GC Pro
2021 Old Course Pro-Am Team Champions: Kyloe Partners
(left to right) Ray Pennie, Dave Rees (Simon Stroud) & David Thomas