Luke Derrick kicked off the new winter series season with an impressive win at Brean.
On Saturday, September 23, the Clevedon golfer triumphed in the opening event of the Gloucester and Somerset Winter Series, becoming the only player to break par on a breezy day at the North Somerset venue.
Derrick clinched victory with a score of 37 points, winning by one from three other players.
The course, known for its many hazards, was in excellent condition despite recent wet weather.
However, the tricky breeze required players to use their course management skills to navigate the challenges.
Derrick started with a stroke drop at the third hole, but back-to-back birdies on the front nine saw him finish one better than par at the halfway point.
Another birdie at the 11th was countered by a bogey at the long par-four 16th.
Closing with two pars, Derrick finished the day one point clear of double-defending Total Triumph Order of Merit champion Ross Langdon, Somerset players Ali Balcombe and Worlebury’s Roy Baker.
Baker, a former club champion, started strongly with birdies at the first, third, and fifth holes, matching Derrick’s sub-par front nine score.
However, a couple of bogeys saw him slip over par by the time he reached the home hole.
A birdie at the 18th brought him back to level par, setting the early clubhouse lead.
Balcombe, one of Brean’s course record holders, had a mixed day.
His opening nine was not his best, with three dropped strokes.
However, he recovered well, coming home with the best of the day score of 33, ending on 36 points alongside Baker and Langdon.
Langdon had a steady round, covering the outward half with nine straight pars.
He had birdies at the 10th and 13th but bogied the 11th and 15th, finishing at even par.
Filton’s Giuseppe Licata rounded out the top five, earning the final prize money with his 35-point score.
As the opening event of the season, Derrick assumes the early lead in the Total Triumph sponsored Order of Merit.
He will retain this position for a couple of weeks at least, as the G&S PGA takes a one-week break next week for a Regional Order of Merit in Wiltshire.
Action resumes at Mendip Spring on Thursday, September 26.
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