Devon Features

Devon Fourball Championships

Monday 26th April 2010
Padbrook Park

Leading Scores

First after Playoff
65 Dan Hendriksen Teign Valley and Paul Hendriksen Fingle Glen
Runners up
65 Gary Milne Exeter and Iain Parker Royal North Devon
Tied third
66 Paul Jordan Bigbury and Stewart Barrett Dartmouth
66 Sean Mason Exeter and Neil Holman Torbay DR

Fourball Champions
Dan & Paul Hendriksen

The Devon County PGA Fourball was played at Padbrook Park this Monday, and after the very dry weather, the golf course was playing very firm and fast. With the new 9 holes now fully bedded in the course presents an excellent challenge to even the best professionals, the severely sloping greens really test the players short game skills and shot control.

Scoring was good on the day and two pairings tied on 7 under par totals of 65, neither pair dropped a shot during their rounds always a key in this format. Brothers Dan and Paul Hendriksen were last out on the course, and when they posted their 65 that meant a playoff with `experienced pair` Iain Parker and Gary Milne.

In regulation play Paul was the player on form on the front 9, but `Dan was the Man` on the back 9 holes, on a course where short game and brave putting were the key both holed out well on the severely sloping surfaces.

Iain and Gary, who was still feeling the effects of travel stress, after being stranded in the US for nearly a week, started like a house on fire. Parker birdied 3 of the first four holes to set the tone, and then added 3 further birdies, Milne rounded of an excellent score with a chip in for birdie on 18 from the fringe.

Shot of the day though was on the tricky par three 16 th of 179 yds where Paul Jordan `caressed` a 9 iron into the green and saw the shot roll beautifully into the hole for his first hole in one !! The cheers from his group could not have been louder had there been a new car on offer !!

In the playoff Iain had an opportunity, to win the event for third year in succession from 10ft, after both brothers had failed with attempts from 20 and 25 ft, his putt just slipped past. On the exciting dogleg par 4 2nd again, with both Hendriksen`s 25 and 15 ft away, Parker looked favourite, after a delicate approach to 5 ft. Dan though was the man again with the putter, and he rolled in a superb 25 ft putt from above the hole, Iain now had to hole to keep the game alive but just failed as his effort lipped out.

In all a very exciting tournament and very popular with the competing players, Padbrook again proved a great venue, and with the course `bedding in well` it looks to have a very bright future at the centre of Devon`s golf scene.

County Secretary Sean Mason presented the prizes and thanked everybody at Padbrook Park for hosting the days event and looked forward to being back in years to come.