Dodd all smiles after reaching second Powerade final

Lawrence Dodd believes he is coming into his best years as a player after winning the Powerade PGA Assistants’ Championship qualifier at Chigwell Golf Club.

Dodd, of Suffolk’s Bury Golf Range, headed the field by just one shot after being the only player to go under par on a day of tricky scoring.

He carded a one under par round of 70 to join 16 other qualifiers from the event who will contest the £32,000 grand final which is supported by FootJoy and will be held on August 7-9 at Coventry Golf Club.

Dodd is a second year assistant but has experience of the European Tour and the PGA Europro Tour.

He said: “My golf career has been all about playing - I represented England as an amateur and went to Tour School in 2008 and 2009.

“But now I have a family which means there are other responsibilities to think of so I decided to take the PGA route to give myself other career options in golf.

“However I’m 30 this year and I’d like to think I have a lot of good golf in me yet and hope I’ll be able to take the playing side further as I think I’m becoming a better player.”

Dodd returns to the final after tying for 12th place last year at East Sussex National.

He pipped the unattached Nicholas Pateman and Hadley Wood’s Thomas Phillips who both finished on level par at Chigwell.

Dodd said: “The conditions were very dry in contrast to last year when I also played here to qualify so I was last in so I knew what was needed.

“But I wanted another crack at the final even though I know very little about Coventry so I’ll be going into it blind. I’d like to improve on last year if I can.”