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Matt Ford made up for lost time in style at the PGA Professional Championship - by winning the tournament at his first attempt.
Ford led from start to finish across the four days at Trentham Golf Club. He's been a pro for 17 years but, following a rule change and a reduced schedule this year due to Covid-19, it was his debut outing at the event.
Ford, 42, banked the £10,000 winner's cheque after an impressive final day saw him finish seven shots clear of the field.
He'd led on days one and two before he was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Paul Hendriksen after two bogeys at the end of his third round.
A six-under-par final round of 66 meant Ford, from Bearsted, finished 19-under.
Talking about his final round, Ford said: "I had a good start and the guys around me didn’t start as well as they probably hoped.
“I knew they were going to be there or thereabouts so I tried to keep my foot on the gas and keep going.
“I probably didn’t hit the ball as well as I did over the first three days but I holed some crucial putts after missing a few.
“It was key I made a few, especially on the front nine. That kept my round going nicely.”
Ford's enjoying an excellent run of form.
He was beaten in a play-off by Hurly Long at the Italian Challenge Open the previous week and has already landed both the Westcoast Pro-Am and PGA Surrey Open Championship earlier in the summer.
"It’s been a good couple of weeks,” he added. “I’m a bit tired after the last two weeks to be honest - it’s been pretty draining.
“I’ve done quite a lot of travelling and played a lot of golf. There’s also been a lot of pressure and that takes its toll as well.
“It’s been a very strange year. Financially I wasn’t in a very good place in the spring and during lockdown.
“A few months down the line and I’ve turned things around, played some good golf and all of a sudden the bank balance is looking better.
“I’ve earned some good money over the last few months and that makes a big difference to me and my family.”
