Dinsdale Rides Out Storm At Ashburnham

Date Published: 02/07/2010
Richard Dinsdale
Richard Dinsdale

Richard Dinsdale held his nerve and defied the elements to ensure a home win in the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 Welsh Open PGA Professional Championship.

And Dinsdale, the head PGA pro at Parc Golf Academy, near Newport, did so in dramatic fashion by beating England's James Whatley in a sudden death play-off at Ashburnham.

Both men ended the three rounds locked on a total of 212 - four under for the tournament with Whatley forcing the play-off by chipping to five feet and holing out following a wayward approach at the last for a level par 72.

His challenge, however, effectively ended when his tee shot at the first sudden death hole - the treacherous par three 16th - found a bunker.

The ball was almost buried and Whatley's two attempts to escape handed Dinsdale the initiative.

"I've never had a plug like that, ever," rued the 27-year-old from the East Midlands Golf Academy. "If I'd been in a tournament I would have declared it unplayable. It was that bad."

Dinsdale, meanwhile, kept his cool as his opponent toiled and followed up by rolling a long putt to within two feet and secure the £4,350 winner's cheque.

That had appeared an improbable outcome at the start of the day for the 38-year-old.

He began it a shot behind Whatley and seven adrift of Andrew Sherborne, the leader at the end of the first and second rounds.

Fours strokes separated the 49-year-old from Kendleshire Golf Club, near Bristol, and the rest of the field.

But his misgivings about the possibility of the forecast bad weather wreaking havoc with his game proved a self-fulfilling prophesy.

As the wind and rain battered the Carmarthenshire links, replacing the benign conditions of the first two days, Sherborne's game unravelled.

A round of 81 reduced the 10-under-par total he started with to one-under for the tournament and consigned him to joint third with Royal Liverpool's Matthew Davies.

While Sherborne had foretold his demise, Dinsdale, a member of the 2005 Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team that defeated the USA, was taken aback by the manner of it.

He said: "I know Sherby well and I'm very surprised by what happened. It's very unusual for him. I wasn't expecting to win to be honest, I thought I'd have to do a little bit better than I did for that. But obviously I'm delighted."

Dinsdale, who won the Welsh National PGA Championship in 1999, put this success down to his holing out as well as a familiar presence on the bag - his father, John.

"I didn't hole many long putts but made all my short ones," he added. "And my dad was very helpful. He was on the bag, the last time I won a national tournament. That was 11 years ago - hopefully I won't have to wait so long again."