PROPHET TAKES FOUR SHOT LEAD INTO FINAL ROUND AT THE OXFORDSHIRE

Birmingham golfer ten under as he seeks first EuroPro win

Richard Prophet will take a four-shot lead into the final round of the PDC & WSL Open at The Oxfordshire after carding an impressive and unblemished second-round six-under-par 66 to head the leaderboard on ten under.

Image credit to PGA

Peter Tarver-Jones, winner at Prince’s last week, is second on six under with Scotland’s Ross Kellett and Paul Shields sharing third on five under with Yorkshire-based Jonny McAllister.

Prophet began the day in a tie for second on four under par, and starting on the tournament’s tenth tee – the regular first at The Oxfordshire – opened his account for the second round with a birdie three. He broke par again at the 14^th and 16^th to turn at seven under for the tournament and made three further birdies on his back nine to close in on the £10,000 winner’s prize.

“I have a really bad cold, so I can’t hit the ball as hard,” admitted Prophet. “I have gone back to an old driver and putter this week which has helped as I haven’t missed a fairway and I have holed some fantastic putts.

“In the final round I will keep playing the same way I have played all week; hitting fairways and greens and holing putts. I have enjoyed it a lot more this week. I haven’t always been enjoying it this season, I have had other things on my mind, but I have enjoyed it this week and that has made a difference.

“The win would mean a lot. There are a few bills to pay and of course to win would be great on the Race To El Gouna too.

“I gained some valuable experience last year in my first season on the EuroPro. I had a second and some top ten finishes and had the chance to play with some more experienced guys, which helped me learn a lot as I moved into the pro ranks and I have built on that this season.”

A cut to the leading 50 players and ties has now been made, with all golfers with a 36-hole score of one over par or better progressing to play Friday’s final round, which will be filmed for a two-hour highlights programme to be broadcast on Sky Sports HD on Tuesday, September 8, with repeats the following day.

Spectator entry is free of charge and live scoring can be found at www.europrotour.com

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TARVER-JONES LEADS AT THE OXFORDSHIRE

Worthing golfer one ahead week after winning first EuroPro title

Peter Tarver-Jones leads the PDC & WSL Open by one stroke following the opening round at The Oxfordshire, just five days after claiming his first HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour title at Prince’s.

thanks to PGA for image

The Worthing man carded a five-under 67 to lead the field at the par-72 former European Tour venue in Thame. Richard Law, Richard Prophet, Jonny McAllister and Tarver-Jones’ playing partner James Harper share second on four under.

Tarver-Jones (Worthing Golf Club) surged to 13^th on the Race To El Gouna after his win last week and is now chasing a top-five finish on the Tour’s rankings, an achievement which would earn him a Challenge Tour category for 2015.

The 26-year-old carded seven birdies in his opening round but was held to 67 with bogeys at the 18^th and eighth having started on the tenth tee, the traditional first at The Oxfordshire.

“It was all about riding on the confidence from last week,” said Tarver-Jones. “I am full of confidence and that is what I am running on. I putted well and was sensible.

“It is wet so you don’t get any run. I used the wind and cross winds to my advantage as I can shape it both ways, so that helped me a lot. It was tough today.

“It was quite overwhelming after winning last week; you get back home and it is easy for your mind to drift and mentally get a bit tired. But I was pleased with myself; I stuck in there and stayed focused and my caddy Nige was great today. 

“I’ll be aggressive tomorrow. I don’t want to be one ahead, I want to be as many ahead as I can be and that is the mind-set I want to be in tomorrow. I have to stay aggressive, especially out there – you have to be in birdie mode whether you are on the cut mark or in the lead. 

“I think there is a lower score out there. I got it to six under and could have had birdie at the eighth, my 17^th, but ended up with a bogey, which was poor. The wind isn’t too bad and five under is a good score, but I have got a feeling there could be a better score than that this week.” 

The PDC & WSL Open is a 54-hole strokeplay event which concludes on Friday (August 29). The final round will be filmed for a two-hour highlights show to be aired on Sky Sports HD on Tuesday, September 9. Spectator entry is free throughout the tournament and live scoring can be found at www.europrotour.com. 

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thanks to PGA for press release and images

TARVER-JONES WINS WPT INVITATIONAL

Worthing golfer takes first EuroPro title by two shots at Prince’s

Peter Tarver-Jones shot a final-round 69 to claim his first HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour title, winning the WPT Invitational by two shots at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent.

Peter Tarver-Jones (image PGA)

The Worthing golfer is playing his first year on Europe’s third-tier tour and his £10,000 win moves him inside the top 15 on the Race To El Gouna, from which the top five at the end of the season graduate to the Challenge Tour.

Miles Collins (Stoke By Nayland Golf Club) came second on six under after a final round 69 (-3). Michael McGeady, Scott Fallon, Stuart Archibald and Kevin Harper shared third on five under.
Tarver-Jones began the opening round one back from Darren Wright (Rowlands Castle), but his final-round playing partner carded a four-over 76 and finished the tournament tied 16th on two-under-par.

“It is a tough front nine but I played really solid golf at the start of the round,” said Tarver-Jones, who wins a brand new Motocaddy trolley and Shotsaver range finder, as well as his £10,000.
“The putter was on fire front nine and that is key. I played with Darren in the first two rounds so I felt at ease with him and in a way I wasn’t thinking about any other players, just me and him. It was only with about four holes to play I considered other players and what position I was in.

“I tried to relax and have fun, which is easier said than done sometimes. When I hit the fairway up 18, which is a tough drive with a cross wind, that is when I knew I had won. The birdie on 17 was key, it is a really tough par-three so to birdie that was huge.

“It is huge to win. I have so much confidence going into the last two events so I feel like I can get into the top five, why not?

“I will stick to the same routine and focus and knuckle down on next week now because you have to be ready for it, I cant be overwhelmed by the win.

“This is my first season on the EuroPro and I have learnt a lot mentally. Suddenly you have a cut in evolved and when you are on the cut line it can be quite tough, but I have learnt to enjoy that. I have learnt to enjoy being on the cut line and try and push towards being ahead and being in the lead, which is why yesterday I shot a five under going for the lead rather than just trying to make the cut.”
Highlights of the WPT Invitational will be broadcast on Sky Sports on Tuesday, September 2 with repeats the following day. The HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour continues next week with the PDC & WSL Open at The Oxfordshire.

WRIGHT ON TRACK AT PRINCE’S

Darren six under and one clear ahead of final round of WPT Invitational

Darren Wright will take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the WPT Invitational after shooting a second-round 66 to top the scoreboard on six under par in the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour event at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent.

Peter Tarver-Jones (Worthing Golf Club), Richard Wallis (North Foreland Golf Club) and Kevin Harper (Sidmouth Golf Club) are all tied second on five under, while Stuart Archibald (The Legends Alliance) and Gary King (Tyrrells Wood) occupy fifth on four under, two back on the Shore and Dunes Course.

Image from PGA

Wright (Rowlands Castle Golf Club) had carded a level-par opening round on Tuesday but opened his second round with three consecutive birdies to leap up the leaderboard. He broke par again at the seventh and put together another run of three birdies from the tenth to head the scoring on seven under.

However, a double bogey at the 13th saw him return to five under before an eighth birdie of the round came at the 15th to see him sign for a six-under second-round 66.

Eighteen-hole leader Harper continued his good form in his first EuroPro event of the season with a one-under second round 71 to move to five under and a share of second place.

Also one back is Wallis, who won at Burhill last year, and Tarver-Jones, who is playing his first season on the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

Ahead of the final round a cut to the leading 50 players plus ties has been made, with the 58 golfers whose 36-hole score is two over par or better proceeding to play Thursday’s final round.

The WPT Invitational carries a £40,000 prize fund with £10,000 going to the winner. The final round will be filmed for a two-hour highlights package to be broadcast on Sky Sports on Tuesday, 
September 2. Spectator entry is free of charge and live scoring can be found at www.europrotour.com

 Thanks to PGA for press release