After four matches over Slaley Hall’s Hunting course, Vince Guest lifted the North East & North West PGA Matchplay Championship trophy for the first time.
Vince, who had made four previous trips to the final, beat Ken Ferrie 1up on a cold and blustery day at Slaley. En-route to the title, he had beaten Wynayrd’s James Harper in the morning semi-final as Ken beat Michael Pilgrim.
The Matchplay Championship brought together the top-16 available players from the NE/NW PGA Mizuno Order of Merit for a season-ending event with four rounds of matches over two days. Despite his win at the Matchplay, Vince came up just short of beating Tim Dykes to the title, ultimately finishing in third place, just behind Ken, as just 84 points separated the top three.
Meanwhile, the regionwide pro am circuit has reached its final stages with more top players picking up wins.
Morpeth’s David Clark picked up three more wins in September to add to his 2022 tally – leading the way alongside Andrew Scrimshaw at Seaton Carew (65, six under-par), alongside Ken Ferrie at Alnwick Castle (68, two under-par), and tying for the winner’s cheque with Tim Dykes at the Garesfield Centenary Pro Am (70, two under-par).
Tim also claimed the top spot in the Thompsons of Prudhoe Cleveland Pro Am alongside Vince Guest and James Harper (66, six under-par) as the event raised more than £7,000 for Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice. There were also wins for John Harrison at Brampton and Alnmouth (see page 4), Ken in the TMP Wealth Close House Pro Am (67, three under-par), and Mark Ridley – who won the Crook pro am by five shots with a five under-par round of 65.
