Didlick delight after Woodcote Park win

Jonathan Didlick is hoping to finally make his mark in the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Championship final after winning the South B qualifying event at Woodcote Park Golf Club.

Didlick, of Hankley Common Golf Club in Farnham, sneaked home by one shot ahead of  Mark Talbott, of Essex’s Thorpe Hall Golf Club.

The 39-year-old Welshman carded a two under par round of 70 at the Surrey venue to top the leaderboard.

Didlick, along with 16 other qualifiers from the south, now heads for the £78,000 showpiece final at The Oxfordshire course between July 26-29.

And he hopes a winning performance in the qualifying event will be enough to improve on his recent visits to the final.

“I’ve got there twice before and missed the cut once, it’s been a bit of an on and off event for me in the past, it’s often come along at a busy time for me,” said Didlick who works alongside head professional Peter Stow, a former European Tour player, at Hankley Common.

“But this year I made a commitment to play in the qualifying event and my game has been consistent this year so I’m hoping I can take better form into the final than I have in previous years.

“I intend to get in a lot more practice during the summer before the event and we’ll see what happens. It’d be great to do well in the final, I’ve played The Oxfordshire a few times so I know it well.

“And I was also familiar with Woodcote Park. So I hope a bit of knowledge counts in terms of the venue.”

Didlick admitted it was a day when he started well and finished well - and that proved enough to seal victory with only himself and Talbott managing to go under par.

“I started well with two birdies at the second and third holes,” he said.

“Then I dropped shots at the eighth and ninth holes but made two more birdies on the back nine - the last of which came at the 18th, so I was pleased with that.”

Paul Creamer, of Surrey's Foxhills Club & Resort, made a hole in one at the par three third hole - while the host club professional Ben St John  (Woodcote Park Golf Club) qualified for the final in third spot after making level par for the day.

Scoreboard here.