Abbey Hotel, Golf and Spa: The Abbey Hotel Midland PGA Pro-Am Sponsored by Carlsberg

Last Thursday 12^th September the 4 star Abbey Hotel, Golf & Spa in Redditch once again hosted a very successful Midland PGA Pro-AM sponsored by Carlsberg UK.

The Abbey course was immaculately presented for this prestigious event on the Midland PGA calendar and once again attracted a high quality field of Professionals from across the region - including Paul Broadhurst - a former Ryder Cup player and multiple winner on the European Tour. The event was a shot-gun start format of 18 teams consisting of 3 amateurs and a Professional with magnificent team prizes and a £2100 prize fund for the professionals. Although played from the back tees measuring a very challenging 6700 yards the weather was perfect for some good golf.

Favourite for the event had to be Lincoln’s Paul Streeter, already with 12 wins under his belt this season and an impressive 35 under par tally for his last 10 events. Last year’s winner Broadhurst was also strongly fancied to take the honors again as he has rarely been outside the top 5 in most Midland PGA tournaments this year.

Some difficult pin positions were set and so even in perfect conditions only 2 players managed to break par. With 5 birdies and 3 bogies, Nottingham based Andrew Willey a former European Challenge Tour player scored 70 to finish 2^nd. Broadhurst didn’t manage to retain his title but still finished 3^rd with level par 72. Streeter started his round on the 18^th and with just 7 holes left to play he was ‘only’ level par but with a birdie at the par 5 11^th, an eagle at the par 5 13^th followed by another birdie on the 14^th and 3 pars to finish, his 4 under par (68) course record equaling score was good enough to take the title. The excellent winning team score of 135 (-9) was from the Cocks Lloyd team consisting of Peter Aldridge, Paul Sidwell & Chris Lee with Professional Joe Smoothy (Robert Rock Golf Academy).

Winning pro Streeter said I’ve been coming here for 4 years now and the course keeps getting better, it’s been a pleasure and a nice change to play on such receptive greens and see the ball spinning back so much’ As well as thanking the main sponsors Carlsberg who provided free on course hospitality all day he also mentioned how good the 3 course dinner was and looked forward to coming back next year.

Co-ordinator of the event - The Abbey’s Head Professional Rob Davies was also delighted with the day “It’s great to hear so many of my fellow professional’s enjoyed the course, our brilliant facilities and first class hospitality have impressed everyone who played today. We are really are very proud of what we have to offer here and I look forward to organising next year’s Pro-Am”.