Sanders moves closer after number five win

10:24am Wednesday 30th April 2008

MARK Sanders (Knowle), pictured right, kept the race for the Gloucester and Somerset PGA order of merit title alive after his second consecutive medal victory at Cirencester and his fifth success of the season.

He has moved to within 11 points of David Haines (Brean) so the issue will not be decided until after the end of the 36-hole championship at Oake Manor this month.

Sanders, who played alongside Haines at Cirencester, produced a typically solid card as he was the only player to break par. A solitary birdie at the seventh enabled him to turn at one under par.

He dropped shots at the 10th and 11th and again at the 18th, but made birdies at the 12th, 15th and 17th.

George Ryall (Players Club) and amateur Chris Evans (Kendleshire) shared second place a shot behind. Evans dropped three shots on the first two holes. He followed with an eagle at the par five third and moved back to level with another birdie at the 12th whilst he completed every other hole in par.

Haines was left to rue a poor finish when he dropped two shots in the last three holes to finish on one over par when he could have clinched the OOM title.

Unusually a player outside the top prizes scooped the birdie sweep. Charlie Harraway, who has moved to Taunton and Pickeridge from South Cerney, had a mixed day.

He managed three birdies and an eagle to take the pot but a triple bogey and four other dropped shots left him on 73.

l Mark Sanders beat a limited field to take his fourth Gloucester and Somerset PGA Medal of the season at Clevedon.

The former European Tour player suffered an up and down round but he climaxed with a birdie at the final hole for a round of 71 to beat a trio of players by one shot.

The consistent Haines tied for second. His 72 was also matched by Steve Ritchie (Farrington) and Russell Berry (Cleeve Hill) who each produced four birdies.

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