Captain Cox makes it home sweet home for Hayling

From L to R: Mark Treleaven with Hayling Captain David Cox.

Hayling Golf Club’s David Cox said he was ‘stunned’ to be heading to Spain after triumphing on home turf to reach the SkyCaddie PGA Pro-Captain Challenge final.

Club captain Cox partnered PGA professional Mark Treleaven for the South A qualifying event which saw them top the leaderboard by one point ahead of Hockley Golf’s Gary Stubbington and Damian Cain.

The Hampshire pairing put together an impressive back nine to seal their place in the £22,000 final, in association with Golfplan, which takes place between November 6-7 at Arabella Golf Mallorca.

“I suppose it does help to have home advantage,” admitted the 53-year-old 11-handicapper Cox, a retired City trader who has been at Hayling for 10 years after moving to the south coast from London.

“I had a good front nine, and Mark had a storming back nine. He birdied three of the last five holes, including the 18th, and I guess that’s got us over the line.

“I’ve played alongside Mark many times and he does know this course like the back of his hand, he was brought up here. He knows exactly what to do and where to go.

“He was a calming influence but I’m stunned to have reached the final, I’m very excited about that. It’ll mean a few days away from my captaincy year which runs through to April.”

Treleaven won the PGA Fourball Championship final four years ago with Jonathan Barnes.

But this will be his first appearance at the Pro-Captain Challenge showpiece.

“The course was a bit softer after some rain, even I thought it was quite tough,” explained Treleaven.

“That was more the advantage for us than anything to be honest, it was tricky when you know the course, if you didn’t it was doubly hard.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been close to getting to this final before so it’s great to be there.”