Turner Scales One Of His Mountains

Knaresborough’s Andrew Turner enjoyed one of the rounds of his life when he reduced the Ryder Cup course at Moortown, Leeds, to a mere 65 shots, six under par.

And the 29-year-old attributed his success in the north-east qualifier for the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship to playing less, and getting fitter.

“I’ve been preparing quite seriously these last few months for the Three Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell and Snowdon) with Gary Vickers and John Stevenson. My charity’s Cancer Research and you’re expected to do all three in less than 24 hours, with a driver ferrying you between mountains.

Turner’s recent pro career has involved a bit of travelling as well.  He briefly left Knaresborough, where he’d been teaching, to do the same in Zurich for a year in 2004, and then returned to the Yorkshire club, where he became head pro last October.

Whatever practice he’s managed since then was rewarded over the challenging Leeds course.   Seven birdies, five of them on the front nine, and a solitary bogey at the 11th gave him victory by four shots from Michael Brooks (Malton & Norton)

Turner’s summing-up of his play was like music to the ears of a tournament pro.

“My three-wood was working well off the tee, my irons were solid, and I holed out well with the putter. Plus, having my regular caddie, Terry ‘Cowboy?Smith, just makes it easier to concentrate. What more could I ask for??

Brooks, a former Scottish Amateur champion and Walker Cup player who moved from Castletown, Isle of Man, to Malton & Norton earlier this year, carded a two-under 69 comprising an eagle, four birdies and four bogeys.  

Turner now leads the 18 Moortown qualifiers to the 72-hole final at Dundonald Links, near Troon from June 16-19.

The winner there picks up ?0,000, and the leading 10 finishers, from a field of 156, will be exempt from regional qualifying for the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews, not to mention the prospect of a place in the 10-man PGA Cup team (the club pros?version of the Ryder Cup) to meet the United States at The Carrick on Loch Lomond in September.