Three wins out of four for Austin
23/07/2018
Barry Austin loves playing at Woodbury Park and leapfrogged the field to win one of the largest West pro-ams with a super seven-under-par 66 in the sunshine.
“I first played here more than 20 years ago when the clubhouse was just a portacabin,” the Downes Crediton club pro said after a round that could have been even better.
He was out in four-under-par 33 after birdies at the second and sixth and an eagle at the ninth. After four successive birdies he was eight-under after 14 holes but his only bogey on the par five 16th pegged him back.
The two-time Order of Merit winner plays infrequently these days as club duties remain his priority in the summer. But it was his third win in four pro-ams this season. He shared top spot at Parkstone and in the Exeter Ladies event.
Dorset pair Graham Howell (Ferndown Forest) and Lee Thompson (Dudsbury) were also late starters in the field of 44 and led briefly on 67.
Howell made an eagle and six birdies while Thompson made five of his eight birdies in a faultless back nine of 31.
Lee Corfield (Burnham & Berrow) picked up five shots on the way out and added two more until a double bogey at the 17th proved his downfall.
He shared fourth on 68 with Giuseppe Licata (Chipping Sodbury) who was the only leading player not to drop a shot in two halves of 34.
On a day of low scoring George Ryall (Worlebury), Paul Hendriksen (Ivybridge), Richard Dinsdale (Asbri Golf) and Mark Wiggett (Dudsbury) had to settle for a share of sixth place on 69.
Ryan Pope (Exeter) led Steve Westaway, Simon House and Devon county star Harrison Greenbury to top place in the team section on 20-under-par 92.
They beat Luke Derrick and his Henbury team of Nick Evans, Iain Ainscoe and Joe Wilcock on countback. Corfield’s trio of Nick Smith, Chris Miles and Matt Chant were third one shot behind.
