Hendriksen Wins West Region Championship
Paul Hendriksen
Paul Hendriksen handed himself an early wedding present by winning the West Region Championship for the first time in 12 attempts.
The 39-year-old Ivybridge professional is getting married next month but hopes the early spell of domestic life will be interrupted by a visit to the Play-Offs in Turkey.
“I would love to finish in the top three in the region again and qualify to play in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after my experiences there two years ago,” he said after signing for six-under-par 66 in windy conditions at The Players Club near Bristol following an opening 68.
Hendriksen has reached five of the last seven Play-Offs including the last three in a row. He began to be concerned after a merely moderate start to the season by his high standards.
“I needed to win or finish close to remain in contention as I was slow coming out of the blocks this season,” he said. “I drove the ball well and this helped on the par fives where I picked up three birdies and eagled the 11th twice. I gave myself loads of opportunities.”
Although Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) finished in a tie for ninth five shots behind he remains fractionally ahead of Hendriksen in the Marston’s Order of Merit standing going into the final phase at The Point at Polzeath next month. David Dixon (Enmore Park) is third after another strong showing.
Hendriksen started the final round two shots behind George Ryall but the 59-year-old Worlebury player only improved his score by one and paid the penalty for driving into a bunker on the 14th and dropping two shots.
This gave polished former PGA Cup-winning captain Jon Bevan (Sherborne) the chance to share the Seniors’ Championship. They both finished on seven-under 137.
Ryall said: “I didn’t make the putts today as I did in the first round and that double bogey stopped me in my tracks.”
They were joined in second place overall by Cennydd Mills who returned from Dubai this summer to coach in Cardiff.
“I am delighted as I have been out for three weeks with a wrist injury sustained at the PGA Championship,” he said.
Chris Gill (Newquay) makes a habit of coming from well behind with a spectacular final round. He did so again and included eight birdies in the best-of-the event seven-under-par 65 to leap into a tie for ninth.
Plymouth-based Scott Drummond, Ross Langdon (Brickhampton Court), Kevin Harper (East Devon) and Lee Corfield (Burnham and Berrow) shared fifth four behind.
Corfield, winner of the PGA Assistants’ title at Farleigh earlier this summer, won the regional assistants crown as well.
Jessica Bradley, 26, who has just completed her first year of PGA training at Tiverton, won the women’s championship on five-over-par 149 (72, 77).
Leading final scores: 134 Paul Hendriksen (Ivybridge) 68 66 £1,410, 137 Cennydd Mills (Mills Coaching) 69 68, Jon Bevan (Sherborne) 68 69, George Ryall (Worlebury) 66 71 £983 each, 138 Scott Drummond (Plymouth) 69 69, Lee Corfield (Burnham & Berrow) 69 69, Ross Langdon ( Brickhampton Court) 68 70, Kevin Harper (East Devon) 67 71, £487 each, 139 Chris Gill (Newquay) 74 65, Ryan Pope (Exeter Golf & Country Club) 70 69, Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) 69 70, Mark Plummer (Cirencester) 69 70, Andrew Windsor (Knighton Heath) 67 72, £300 each, 140 Paul Jones (Ashley Wood) 71 69, Stuart Little (Minchinhampton New) 70 70, Giuseppe Licata (Chipping Sodbury) 70 70, David Dixon (Enmore Park) 67 73, £193 each, 141 Mark Searle (High Post) 74 67, Matt Moseley (Tenby) 69 72, Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) 68 73, £150 each.
