Fuente: © PGA (Professional Golfers' Association)
http://www.pga.info/

GOLF: PGA: Guest Of Honour

/noticias.info/ Vincent Guest was relieved he only had to negotiate 18 holes in the first round of the Automatic Retailing PGA North Region Championship at Burgham Park.

After setting the pace with a six-under-par 66 alongside Welshman Andrew Barnett, the 40-year-old Teesside professional admitted his feet had been "killing him."

On Monday he strolled to a two shot victory the North East North West PGA Championship at Seaton Carew.

"That was two rounds in one day and a lot of walking," said Guest who then plodded his way to a 74 in Burgham's curtain-raising pro-am the following afternoon.

But any lingering aches and pains soon disappeared as he birdied three of his first four holes then added three more on the home stretch in his bid to win his first regional order of merit tournament.

He's been close in the past, second in the Leeds Cup, third in The Rock and last year sixth here and this season he's also won a couple of pro-ams in addition to his success at Seaton Carew.

"My only mistake was three putting the par five sixth where I should really have picked up a shot because I was on the green in two," he said after compiling a bogey-free round.

"But I can't complain. I'm on a good run and hope I can keep it going over the last two rounds."

David Clark, attached to nearby Morpeth, was also happy with his 67, matched by Bridlington's Alec Belt, considering his self-inflicted injury which no amount of physiotherapy will cure.

"It happened on a stag do in Belfast a couple of years ago when, for a bet, I gave a 17-stone pal a piggy-back to our hotel about a mile away," he explained.

"Oddly enough I don't even feel a twinge when I'm hitting the ball but I do when I'm putting or when I'm driving my car. Apparently it's to do with posture."

Clark, 30, a former MEN Manchester Open winner, eagled the 10th, where he started his round, and the 16th then threw in three birdies and a double bogey.
Shot of the day was Craig Goodfellow's six iron to the 16th which popped into the hole for a rare albatross.

"The last time I did that was when I was an amateur playing in the Cumbria Championship at Brampton," recalled the 33-year-old from Carlisle Driving Range who carded a 68.

Defending champion John Harrison, from Matfen Hall, was on 69 with his assistant Andrew Paisley. notas_de_prensa_archivo