Europro Tour Longhirst Hall Golf Club ‘Dawson & Sanderson Classic’ 29 June 2016
My next stop on the EuroPro Tour was in Newcastle Upon Tyne at the lovely and open Longhirst Hall golf club.
After a successful practise round I felt like this course would suit me and I was looking forward to getting out there.
Round 1
Nothing much to talk about for my opening nine holes except a lot of missed chances. Nine straight pars, nine straight green saw me out in 37 level par.
My first birdie came at the tenth with an iron for safety off the tee setting up a 48 degree wedge shot to ten feet. A solid up and down at 11 kept my spirits high as I then went on to birdie 12 after a 7 iron off the tee left me 20 feet uphill and a rock solid stroke sent the ball down for a 2.
A par at the tough 13th set me up for another birdie as i crushed a drive up 14 leaving me a gap wedge which i stiffed to 4 feet converting the chance and now being -3 for the day and in the lead of the tournament!
Coming in I dropped my only shot of the day on the difficult par three 16th but two pars to finish and i signed for a round of 70 and i was in a tie for 5th place.
Round 2
A sleepless night but knowing a solid round would see me make the cut kept me going on day two.
A windier day was ahead of me and a solid 9 holes with one birdie and one bogey and I was level at the turn and still at -3 for the tournament. Some steady pars followed and a great drive up 14 once again set up a birdie opportunity.
A well holed putt saw me climb to -4 and another chance followed at 15 with me only two off the lead a birdie would see me take sole possession of second place. The putt just grazed the hole and I stayed at -4 with a tough finish to come I knew if I stayed steady I was making the cut by a country mile.
I three putted 16 from the other side of the green and a poor tee shot and second shot saw me bogey 18 which left a sour taste in my mouth however I had made my first professional cut on the EuroPro Tour at -1 and was in a tie for 16th place!
Round 3
An exciting day ahead and hoping I could maybe chase the leaders on the final days play at Longhirst Hall but again high winds and rain was not going to make this an easy day.
I bogied two of the first 4 holes but my nerves were settled by a birdie at the 5th hole and my first round of applause I’ve ever received at the back of the green in a professional tournament. Unfortunately a bogey at 8 had me reach the turn in 39 +2 and now +1 for the tournament.
Three straight pars but a tee shot in the lake on 13 was another dropped shot setting me even further back. I wasn’t giving up though and on 15 I nearly holed my second shot from 120 yards and made another birdie to get back to +1 overall. Once again though a poor tee shot at 18 and I made another bogey signed for a 75 +3
+2 for the tournament and I finished in a tie for 26th position and a nice pay day.
Here’s my card
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