Watson wins again

Michael Watson says Cotswold Hills is one of his favourite courses and no wonder.

The Wessex Golf Centre player invariably fares well when he visits Cheltenham and he gained his second win in four years in the latest pro-am.

He won with 66 in 2011 and followed with 65 for second place the following year. This time his round of five-under-par 67 brought an early clubhouse lead before he was caught by James Ruth (China Fleet), whose previous win this season was at the Cornish Festival opener.

Watson has made a relatively quiet start to the season but is approaching the form that brought 13 wins last year.

After an opening birdie he eagled the 477-yard seventh and followed with further birdies at the 13th and 16th.

Ruth made his winning score on the back nine, picking up shots at 12, 13, 15 and 17 after an early birdie at the fourth.

Cirencester’s Ed Goodwin, who played all his early amateur and professional golf at Cotswold Hills, is another course specialist and was second man out and posted 68. He made six birdies and dropped two shots.

He was later caught by last year’s winner Welshmen Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle), who made five birdies, and former Parc Golf Academy teacher Brian Lee, who followed 12 pars with three successive birdies from the 13th and another at the 17th.

After a slow start PGA Cup player Nick Brennan (Bowood) reclaimed four shots from the 12th with an eagle and two birdies to match in-form Ross Langdon (South Cerney) on 69 for a share of sixth.

Main sponsor Nigel Newport-Black played with defending champion Bebb and was elated when his Turier Scales team of Chris Dyer and Mark Matthews returned 19-under-par 125 to beat another of the five Turier Scales teams led by Mike Watson with Henry Marshall, Jason Chaplin and Chris Karridge by five shots.

Goodwin’s Gavier & Co group of Neil Gayler, Paul Engelbrect and John Philips shot 131 to take third on countback from Gemini Financial Plan led by Paul Hendriksen (Dinnaton) with Julian Sutton, Colin Gibson and Roger Downes.

Last year’s team winner Brian Lee led Versatile Controls Ltd with Jon Slim, Joe Higgs and Ryan Gaskins into fifth on 132 beating STD led by Mark Searle (High Post) with Will Stephens, Dave Morrisey and Kevin Townend.

It was also a good day for Rob Matthews who snapped up two nearest the pin prizes at the fourth and 11th. Ryan Gaskins claimed the prize on the ninth and Rob Pond on the 15th.