WoodmuGuy Woodman completed an assistants' double as he added the PGA South Region Assistants' Championship, supported by The Golf Business, to his national title.

Played at The Drift GC over two rain-soaked rounds, the East Berkshire pro's total of seven-under-par 139 was two shots ahead of the second-placed Stephen Mitchell (Blackmoor).

Sharing third spot were Samuel Clayden (RAC Club) and Darren Peters (Hampton Court Palace) on a four-under-par 142. Woodman's winning performance earned him a cheque for £1,000.

Woodman showed the rest of the field the same winning form at The Drift that made him the Powerade PGA Assistants' champion back in July.

Despite the rain, Woodman produced a scorching six-under-par score of 67 for the first round, and knew he was well placed at two strokes ahead of the main pack comprising JD Lombard (Birchwood Park), David Callaway (Milford), Stephen Mitchell, and three ahead of Samuel Clayden and Dong-Kyon Lee (World of Golf).

The afternoon round was to prove a different kind of game as the rain continued to pour down. Consequently, several greens came close to flooding and preferred lies were played throughout the course.

For Woodman it was all about grinding out a score with as few mistakes as possible. Bogeys were swapped for birdies and despite the odd stray shot off the fairway into the trees, Woodman came down the last needing a par for a par round. Unsure if the 12 foot putt for birdie was needed to win, Woodman slotted it home like a true champion.

Having won two Assistants titles in 2010 at National and Regional level, Woodman is currently in the lead for the SkyCaddie Assistants and Trainees Order of Merit, with Darren Peters close behind.

Woodman's ambitions lie in qualifying for the Tour School this year and with three more rounds to go this week at The London Club, Woodman is in good shape at three-under-par for the first round, after which he had a few thoughts about the day and his performance.

He said: "I've never played The Drift before but had heard it was rather tight and tree-lined. I drove well in the morning, setting up lots of opportunities and the 67 could have been lower if one or two more putts had dropped.

"In the afternoon round, playing in wet gear again was harder work, and my game wasn't as sharp with a few errant drives. The key shot was at the 14th in the afternoon, as I'd driven left into the trees, had to chip out and then wedged to 20 feet. I made the par putt which really kept up my momentum, with a par at the next, bogey at 16, another par and then a final birdie on the 18th."

01 September, 2010