Repeat winner beats the odds

Feb 26 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

THE old adage ‘beware the injured golfer’ rang true as Ormskirk’s David Shacklady retained his Lancs PGA Overseas Pro-am title in Portugal.

He looked well out of the running after suffering from such severe back problems he was forced to wear a brace and improvise his swing in the third round.

But the 40-year-old Mossock Hall professional, the top player in the PGA North Region last season, beat the pain barrier and recovered sufficiently to post a sparkling final round seven-under-par 65 at Vilamoura’s Victoria course to win by four.

Shacklady, three off the overnight pace set by Paul Eales, did not make his move until the inward half when an eagle at the 12th and four birdies saw six-under for the nine holes.

Former Tour player Eales, from Royal Lytham, closed with a 72 to take second place, a shot ahead of half-way leader David Green, from Dukinfield.

LEADING SCORES: 281 David Shacklady (Mossock Hall) 72,70,74,65; 285 Paul Eales (Royal Lytham) 74,67,72,72; 286 David Green (Dukinfield) 69,72,73,72; 287 Stephen Raybould (Bridlington Links) 72,72,70,73; 289 Brian Rumney (Marriott Hollins Hall) 75,71,72,71; 291 Darren Leng (Far Grange) 75,73,72,71.

THE Cheshire and North Wales AGM Fourball takes place at Caldy on Thursday.

Entries include: Thomas Atkinson/Ross Cornford (Heswall); Paul Grannell (unattached)/Daniel Hewitt (Astbury); Toby Spence (/Jody Addison (Royal Liverpool); John Watson (Adlington)/Scott Booth (Chester); Martin Robinson/Alan Gibbons (Caldy); Jon Haines/Ged Walters (Drive-Time); Adrian Fryer/Mark Williams (Drive-Time); Peter Barber (Didsbury)/ Andrew Murray (Portal )