Background knowledge will help Bicester duo in Portugal

Bicester Golf & Country Club duo Peter Thompson and David Shields have a chance of winning Europe’s biggest pro-am when they compete in the grand final of the Lombard Trophy in sunny Portugal next week.

Head PGA Professional Thompson and amateur David Shields will go head-to-head with 14 other clubs in the 36-hole showdown in the Algarve.

More than 700 clubs entered the popular PGA National Pro-Am Championship which reaches its climax at Pestana’s stunning Vila Sol Golf & Resort Hotel on the Algarve from September 21-22.

Thompson and Shields clinched their spot in Portugal after winning their regional qualifier at Camberley Heath Golf Club back in March.

The Bicester duo finished on 11-under-par 60 at the Surrey Venue, which would normally have been enough to go through to the final, but another pairing finished on the same score.

It meant the one qualifying place up for grabs went down to a countback and Thompson and Shields won it with a back nine of 28, which included two eagles and a birdie at the 18^th.

“I know people hadn’t seen scoring like that for some time in this event, but the greens were the best I’ve played on, absolutely marvellous,” said 49-year-old Shields, who works as a prison officer.

“I can’t wait to get to Portugal now. I’ve never played in anything like this before. It’s going to be great. I was worried when we tied though, I thought there might be a play-off and I’d had a couple of beers!”

Thompson added: “I was there last year and I’ve played Vila Sol a few times. It’s a lovely track and hopefully a bit of background knowledge will help.”