The iconic Belfry witnessed more golfing history as former PGA Assistants’ winner Craig Goodfellow completed a unique double by securing the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship in association with Peugeot.
The 35-year-old Carlisle Driving Range PGA professional is the first player to have won both titles, having lifted the assistants’ crown a decade ago.
Goodfellow added the PGA’s flagship title to his trophy cabinet in some style over the PGA National course with his fourth successive round under par in the £78,000 flagship event.
A steady one-under 71 took him to seven-under-par for the tournament, securing him a bounty of riches including a winner’s cheque for £10,000, his place on the 2011 GB&I PGA Cup team, and a place in the end-of-year PGA Play-Offs in Turkey.
“It feels awesome to have won,” he said. “It’s a strange day as it didn’t feel like a final round as I was totally relaxed, which is different to how it has been in the past. I felt incredibly calm and why I probably managed to get over the line. I was dead solid, didn’t miss many greens and didn’t put myself under pressure apart from a couple of shots.
“It’s amazing to be the first player to win this and the Assistants’ championship. This tournament has been my goal all year. It was going to be the only tournament I was going to play in. I don’t know what winning gets me but a nice cheque and into the PGA Cup.”
Second place was taken by Greenore’s Rob Giles, who carded a third successive level par 72 for a four-under-par total and will now be making his PGA Cup debut.
Also making his debut at the age of 47 will be Ganton’s Gary Brown. He shot a one-over-par 73 to claim third spot at three-under-par.
Former Glenmuir PGA Professional champion Simon Edwards (Windermere) and Exeter’s Chris Gill completed the top five finishing at two-under-par. They also made the GB & I PGA Cup team.
Completing the 10-man side, which is captained by Russell Weir, are the top three from 2010 – David Mortimer (Galway), David Shacklady (Mossock Hall) and Stuart Little (Minchinhampton). The final two places went to Matt Morris (Walmley) and John Wells (Cherry Burton) following a five-man play-off.
The PGA Cup is a biennial Ryder Cup-style between PGA professionals from Great Britain & Ireland and the United States. It was first competed for in 1973.
Glenmuir www.glemuir.com
Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship and PGA Cup http://www.pga.info/PGAProfessionalChampionship.aspx