Maddy takes PGA Europro Tour Championship

Paul Maddy won the 888poker.com PGA Europro Tour Championship at Woburn with a 54-hole score of 10-under-par and in doing so progressed to the 2013 Challenge Tour.

The top five on the 888poker.com PGA Europro Tour Order of Merit are awarded cards on next season's Challenge Tour and Maddy joins Duncan Stewart and Stuart Manley, who already had cards.

Wallace Booth will also play on next season's Challenge Tour, as will James Hepworth. Booth began the week fifth on the Order of Merit and finishing tied 10th at Woburn ensured he finished in the same position.

A European Tour member in 2004 and 2007, Hepworth finished third this week to displace Paul Reed from the top five and return to the Challenge Tour, where he has played eight seasons as a regular since 2000.

A foggy start on the final day at Woburn meant play did not get underway on the Marquess' until 11:45am, with a shotgun start ensuring play finished before light was lost late in the afternoon.

Maddy began the final round with a four-shot lead and a level-par final round ensured he won the event, though it wasn't a straight forward 72.

He was going well over the first six holes, with five pars and a birdie. However, a double bogey at seven gave the chasing pack a sniff and his birdie two at eight was quickly cancelled out with a bogey at nine.

At 12 he suffered a second double bogey, leaving a three-way tie for the lead at seven-under between himself, Hepworth and Duncan Stewart, who finished fifth on four-under-par.

However, a magnificent eagle at 13 restored parity and Maddy concluded his round with four pars and a birdie at 17 to earn the £15,000 winner's cheque.

"I made a sloppy double bogey on the hole before," he reflected. "I stood on the following hole, hit the tee shot a little too far left but then hit it from 135 yards, four foot passed the hole and spun it back in. You just know it is your day when that happens.

"I am shattered now! I could not have dreamt of a better week. I can look forward to next season now but I need to concentrate as the job isn't done, I am off to final stage of European Tour Qualifying School"

Lee Clarke concluded the week second on seven-under-par and took away a cheque for £8,000. James Hepworth finished third, six-under-par, with James Watts one stroke behind in fourth.