Webb ready to handle the heat at Coxmoor

Matt Webb insists his win in last year’s Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Final has taught him how keep cool under pressure.

Webb, of Northumberland’s Bedlingtonshire Golf Club, was a dominant winner of the 2016 event held at Little Aston Golf Club near Birmingham.

He recovered from missing the cut 12 months earlier to win by two shots ahead of Rushcliffe Golf Club’s Ben Hall after carding 12 under under par over the three days of the event.

Now Webb, aged 27, is back to defend the title at the £32,000 final which takes place at Coxmoor Golf club in Nottinghamshire between August 2-4.

Webb also rounded off a busy fortnight last year by taking the PGA Fourball Championship with Snainton Golf Centre’s Alex Belt.

And while Webb is making no predictions, he maintains that his ability not to crack while in the lead at Little Aston means he can go to Coxmoor knowing how to deal with being one of the pacesetters in a competition like this.

“During the first two days it went really well and I didn’t make any mistakes, on the last day a made a couple but came back and fixed them,” he recalled.

“I handled the pressure quite well too, I knew what I had to do and I got the job done, I was really pleased with how I performed last year - it felt like an ‘experienced’ win in that I did what I needed to do.

“I had a three shot lead on the last day, it’s a funny position to be in, you have to be a little bit defensive but, at the same time, keep doing what you were doing. I knew I had to shoot under par and I played solidly.”

Webb says the event is unpredictable and the final will be played at a venue he has never visited before.

It will be his last opportunity to play the event has he has now passed his final PGA exams.

“I’ll be playing a bit more now, give it a little bit of time and see if I can make it as a player - but if not, I now have my degree to fall back on,” he said.

“I played full time when I first turned pro and I wish I’d done by PGA straight away. I going to see if I can raise my game enough over the next couple of years.”

Other Assistants from the North of England playing at Coxmoor include: Sean Blinkhorn (Leigh Golf Club); Tim Ford (Liverpool Driving Range); Jamie Howarth (Davenport Golf Club); Dan Wilkes (Garforth Golf Club);  Iain Burrow (Preston Golf Club); James Ward (Dewsbury District Golf Club); Matthew Mew (Altrincham Golf Course).

To find out more information on the 2017 Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship, click here.