Kennedy seals Selsdon Park Masters win

Kennedy (Chelmsford GC) went into the final round in a commanding position after rounds of 63 and 64 on Wednesday and Thursday put him four shots clear at 13 under par. But the 23 year-old bogeyed the first hole to get off to a shaky start and had cut his four shot lead to just one after further bogeys at seven and ten.

I started horrendously today, said Kennedy. Four shots is a big lead but on this course you can t take anything for granted.

I didn t really do a lot wrong but I found myself ten under all of a sudden! I got a bad lie on the tenth and that s a tough hole anyway, usually a par five but

we were playing it as a four. When I birdied 11 and 12 I knew I was back on track though and just had to make sure I didn t do anything silly as I knew there were a few players like Colin Roope who had made a move.

Kennedy picked up his 15th birdie of the tournament on the 15th to seal the victory and the £10,000 first prize, holding off the challenges of Roope (wstore.co.uk), Dale Marmion (Eaton) and Martin Le Mesurier (Vear Group) the trio finishing tied in second spot at eight under (202).

Le Mesurier started at six under and was one of the few players who broke 70 on a tough day thanks to some tricky weather, his two under 68 ensuring him a share of second spot, working out at £3,066.66. Marmion and Roope pick up the same cheque, the former shooting 71 playing with the winner, the latter going round level with a bogey at the last costing him sole possession of second spot.

Matthew Ford (Marriot Tudor Park) finished in fifth spot at five under (205) with George Woolgar (Capitalservices.com), Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre), Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland) and Steven Capper (Caldy GC) sharing sixth spot at six under (207).

Kennedy s victory moves him up to second in the Order of Merit behind Irishman Noel Fox (MMI) and ahead of Alan Murray (Greystones GC). Kennedy will be playing the rest of this year s tournaments on the Ivobank PGA EuroPro Tour, which moves to Northamptonshire s Whittlebury Park next week.

RESULT

1 Lloyd Kennedy 198 (-12) 63, 64, 71 £10,000

=2 Colin Roope 202 (-8) 65, 67, 70 £3,066.66

=2 Dale Marmion 202 (-8) 64, 67, 71 £3,066.66

=2 Martin Le Mesurier 202 (-8) 65, 69, 68 £3,066.66

5 Matthew Ford 205 (-5) 69, 66, 70 £1,400

=6 George Woolgar 207 (-3) 69, 70, 68 £987.50

=6 Andrew Oldcorn 207 (-3) 70, 67, 70 £987.50

=6 Jamie Moul 207 (-3) 66, 71, 70 £987.50

=6 Steven Capper 207 (-3) 71, 63, 73 £987.50