Nantwich golfer Martin O'Connor and Kenny Close

A Nantwich golfer and his playing partner have clinched a place in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge final.

PGA professional Martin O’Connor teamed up with Kenny Close from Vicar’s Cross to win the North qualifying event at Dunham Forest Golf Club.

They carded a 10-under-par round of 62 to win by one shot.

O’Connor (pictured, on left) and Close will now play for a top prize of £25,000 in the final at Lumine Mediterranea Beach & Golf Community in Spain in November.

And O’Connor said the win made up for missing out on the Lombard Trophy PGA National Pro-am Championship Final in June, when he was joint second.

He told www.pga.info: “We were seven under after the front nine and picked up our only dropped shot at the 10th, but then we made four birdies in a row.

“And we divided the birdies up between us. Kenny made five and I made six, so if your captain’s playing well then you stand a good chance of winning.

“But that was actually the first time we’d played alongside each other in a competition so we did well.”

Retired builder Close struggled to hit a ball earlier in the season following knee surgery.

“I needed a new knee and went into hospital back in February.

“It meant I was on walking sticks for a while but I was back playing again by the middle of May.

“I couldn’t do much at first but now it feels as good as new.

“So to win this with Martin is fantastic and the trip to Spain to play in the final is a great prize.”

(Copy and pic courtesy of www.pga.info)

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