New Mills Golf Club

Derbyshire PGA Professionals Championship 2011

by Carl Cross 

Well what a great day I had at the Derbyshire Pros Championship on Monday.

It was played at Kedleston Park Golf Club in Derby. I have not played here for a few years and there have been a number of changes to the course - mostly extending the course from the tournament tees to nearly 7000 yards and didn't my legs know it afterwards!

It was great to catch up with old friends and fellow players as this was the first Pro competition for over 3 years.

This most definitely showed on the first hole as it took me 6 shots to get on the green, but managed to scramble a 7, and after a very unlucky bogey at the 2nd I was thinking this is going to be a long day. After such a poor start though, I soon settled down making 2 more bogeys on 9 and 16 and a solitary birdie on the beautiful par 3 7th. I finished the morning round at +4, and in 6th position, feeling I played a lot better than this but didn't sink enough putts.

I knew the afternoon round was going to be a long one as I can't remember the last time I played 36 holes, especially round a course as long as this. I played the first hole alot better, making birdie from 15ft, and followed with birdies at the 7th and 8th to turn in 33 (-3) and get me back to +1 for the tournament.

A clumsy 3 putt on the 10th cost me my first bogey of the round but with 3 more birdies I got back to level par for the tournament (-4 for the round). After missing another very good birdie chance on 14, things went a little wrong with a bad tee shot on 15 costing me a bogey and after missing another good birdie chance on 16, 2 more slightly off line drives on 17 and 18 resulted in bogeys costing me 2nd place.

I am pretty happy to have finished in 3rd place especially as the top 2 are full-time players, but I was still a little disappointed with my weak finish. This also qualifies me for the matchplay championship at the end of June. Click on this scoresheet link for the day's scores.

I must add a very big thankyou to Paul West who had the full day off work to come and caddy for me and did a great job. I am sure he enjoyed his day at this fantastic venue, the greens were some of the best I have ever played on so if any of you get a chance to play Kedleston Park GC, do it.

I have also been invited to play in a PGA Pro-AM at Mickleover on Tuesday 24th May, but need a team of 3 amateurs to play with me. If anyone would like to play this event please let me know, the approx cost is around £30.