[June 2011] The Lombard Challenge, a PGA Pro-Captain Tournament - Results
Mundesley Golf Club captain David Crosby admitted he felt like he had won the pools after clinching a trip to Turkey in the East Region qualifier for the Lombard Challenge, a PGA Pro-Captain tournament at Bush Hill Park Golf Club in London.
Crosby teamed up with PGA professional Ryan Pudney for the event as the Norfolk pair romped home by two shots after carding an 11-under-par round of 59.
Image of Mundesley club captain David Crosby (left) and PGA Professional Ryan Pudney. Pictures courtesy of Getty Images.
Their display earned them a place in the £25,000 Lombard Challenge grand final which will be played over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club from November 25-26.
And Crosby admitted the triumph has finally put Mundesley on the golfing map.
He said: "We'll be telling everyone at the club about this because it just shows what can be achieved in this sort of competition if you put your mind to it. This has raised our profile like never before as this is the first time anyone from our club has reached a PGA final.
"The fact that there can be only one winner and we end up playing in the final in Turkey is a bit like winning the pools - it's a good job there was a roof on the car on the way home because I think I'd have floated away! I was on such a high afterwards. "We thought we could do well, we seem to gel, we get on, and I don't think anyone has beaten us yet in various competitions.
"We wanted to be competitive and it just happened. It was a big field too so we did well. I got to play with some quality golfers and it was the sort of thing you can only dream of."
PGA Professional Ryan Pudney (left) and Mundesley club captain David Crosby (right). Pictures courtesy of Getty Images.
Pudney was just as satisfied, particularly as he is new to the coastal club. But he admits that the duo did their homework and prepared well as they finished ahead of another Norfolk pairing from Weston Park.
Pudney added: "This was my first event as a head pro so I'm really pleased to have won it. I've only been at Mundesley for seven months. We tried to prepare as best we could, I knew Bush Hill having played there before and I thought it would benefit my partner to play a practice round on the Monday, so that's what we did.
"We stayed over so we didn't have another three hour drive in the morning and it paid off. I wish that's all we had to do to win these sort of events. But I had a funny feeling about this event because our course at Mundesley, even though it's only nine holes, is very similar. So I thought David would play well and he did. It couldn't have gone better. We started fast and kept the momentum going, by the time we reached the last we were 11-under.
"We didn't want to count our chickens but if anybody had beaten that then they'd have deserved to have won. We made sure we got our par on the 18th and that proved enough. Whatever we had planned for the week of the final will be moved!"
Qualifiers:
| Pos. | Score | Pro | Captain | Represents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 59 (-11) | Ryan Pudney | David Crosby | Mundesley |
| 2 | 61 (-9) | Michael Few | Keith Bowyer | Weston Park |
| 3= | 62 (-8) | Martin Porter | Ian Wright | Enfield |
| Chris Smith | Donald Munro | Fynn Valley | ||
| Robert Pritchard | Mel Harridine | Cretingham |
