Richard Wallis fired six birdies and an eagle in a blistering eight under par 63 for 44 Stableford points to win the Southern Open Championship.

Great Britain and Ireland international Wallis, from Canterbury Golf Club, won from a starting field of 115 at the par 71 Paultons GC at Romsey, Hampshire on Thursday. He won by a single point from a charging Jordan Godwin (Rochester & Cobham Park GC), who had needed to eagle the last to catch the Canterbury teaching professional.

Wallis, who had a late tee time in the worst of the weather, with strong winds and rain, was out in four under par, including a chip in birdie at the par 3 8th and shaved another four shots off par on the back nine, highlighted by his eagle at the 474 yards par 5 13th and a final birdie at the 18th.

Wallis also finished tied first in the London Open in July and said: ''Jordan birdied the last as well but he would have needed to hole his second shot to beat me.

''I'm delighted, over the moon. This is my fourth win this year and I'm closing in on 150 In my career.

''The eagIe was on a shortish dogleg right par five. I hit a good drive down the left hand side which was perfect to open up the green and then hit a wedge, 151 yards straight downwind, four feet behind the hole.

''It's quite a short, fiddly sort of golf course, which I stayed just tried to stay patient on. I hit 17 out of 18 greens and the one green I missed I chipped in, I gave myself loads of loads of chances today.''

But, with Covid-19 restrictions still in place there was no presentation ceremony. Richard, who lives in Herne Bay, added: ''You're not allowed to stay.

''There's a trophy but I didn't get to see it. I just did an interview with some media people, got in the car and drove home, through a rain storm on the M25.''

The event was the second of the season that involved the PGA South teaming up with another region, this time the South West, after the London Open, which was staged with the East region.

Wallis has now won them both and is now more than 75 points clear of Godwin, his 2019 Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team-mate in the PGA Order of Merit table.

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