Stunning charge earns Matthew Fieldsend pro-am success
A stunning back nine saw Matthew Fieldsend take victory in the Oxley Park Pro-Am.
Drayton Park ace Fieldsend, the 2017 PGA assistants champion, held off the challenge of Andrew Willey to finish top of the leaderboard and claim the £710 first prize at the Wolverhampton golf club’s annual event.
Having reached the turn one shot adrift of Oakmere Park golfer Willey, Fieldsend promptly turned on the style to power to victory.
He recorded an eagle at the par-five 13th and then birdied the last to post a four-under-par 67.
That saw him leapfrog Willey, the reigning Titleist and FootJoy PGA professional champion, who could not respond.
Instead his round came to a rather sedate conclusion, featuring a birdie on the 15th to cancel out a bogey at the 11th as he finished two shots back.
Neil Wain, of The Belfry, was the only other member of the 124-strong field to break par as his 70 proved good enough for third.
The team competition was won by a trio of amateurs, led by Andrew Cheese, from the Lichfield-based Robert Rock Golf Academy.
There was also joy on the day for former Wolves, Blues and Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant, who proved right on target by winning the nearest the pin prize on the par-three 12th.
The overall event, which was once again sponsored by Wednesfield Radio Cars and supported by Churchill Contractors, raised close to £600 for two charities.
It was third time the pro-am had been held since being revived after more than a decade in 2017 by Oxley Park’s PGA Professionals Craig Thomas and Craig Fletcher, who run the pro shop and coaching at the club.
Luke Towler lit up the first event back by breaking the course record, while last year’s event saw Wain and Darren Prosser tied in first place after a thrilling battle.
Half of this year’s money was donated to Prostate Cancer UK, the charity nominated by Stuart Burgess (above), this year’s Oxley Park captain.
The other half went to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), an NHS service that works with children and young people who have problems with their emotional or behavioural well-being.
