Dearden's love affair with Devon course continues

WELSHMAN Matthew Dearden must wish he could play all of his tournaments at Woodbury Park judging by his incredible success over the East Devon course.

On his first visit there last year he won the inaugural Race to Woodbury Park tournament and 12 months later he consolidated his position as winner of the 2012 Race to Woodbury Park order of merit.

Then the next day Dearden returned to the same venue and produced a career-best round of 10-under-par 62 to win the end-of-season Pro-Am that proceeded the gala dinner in the Greg Norman Suite.

“It’s now got to be my favourite course,” said the 33-year-old Welshman, who represents the Vale Hotel in Cardiff. He even bogeyed the 10^th when his drive landed on the cart path and the ball bounded into the rough and was lost.

The fact that he made a birdie with his second ball was testimony to his superb form. At the time a 59 could have been within his grasp as he was five-under-par at the turn.

After a par at the next he played the final seven holes in six-under with an eagle at the par five 14th and four more birdies.

Fellow Welshman and another Vale Hotel player, Sion Bebb, was quietly confident of another win as he plotted his way round faultlessly with six birdies. But then he discovered he was four behind.

Richard Dinsdale of the Parc Golf Academy in Gwent finished in a tie for fourth alongside Englishmen Roderick Hibbitt and Russell Berry on five-under-par while St Pierre’s Liam Bond was one of seven players a shot further back.

Welsh golfers were on top form at the Bristol GC Pro-Am with four finishing in the top five, including winner Cenydd Mills of Tredegar Park. His one-under-par round of 69 gave him first prize ahead of Bebb, Paul Mayo (Newport) and Jon Bevan (Wessex).

Dinsdale tied for fifth with the host club’s Mark Boscott on +1 with Bond joint seventh with Saunton’s Nicky Maddison four strokes back.