EVESHAM Golf Club professional Dan Clee and member Mark Harrison produced a spectacular late rally at Little Aston to qualify for the final of the Virgin Atlantic PGA National Pro-Am Championship.
The final of the tournament will be contested at the Jack Nicklaus-designed SouthShore course at the Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort, in December.
However, their place in it hinged on them posting a birdie on the final hole of the qualifier to complete a remarkable turnaround and finish with a seven-under-par round of 65.
Clee and his amateur partner looked out of contention after 11 holes. They were three strokes behind Kedleston Park pro Paul Wesselingh and amateur Carl Baker and four adrift of Walmley pair, PGA Cup representative Matt Morris and Pat Kehoe.However, they negotiated the last seven holes in six-under-par, recording eagles at the par five 12th and 15th, a birdie at the 183-yard 13th and another when Clee holed out at the par four 18th.
That left all three pairs level but Clee and Harrison secured their place in the final of Europe’s biggest pro-am on count-back.
Harrison, 48, from Flyford Flavell, said: “I played one of my best rounds ever to qualify for this. But then my form dipped and I was worried I might make a fool of myself.”
Clee added: “Apart from an event two days beforehand, I hadn’t played in about seven weeks!
“When I made the putt at 18 I’d already sneaked a look at the scoreboard and seen the leaders had already posted seven-under, so I knew our back nine should make us leaders in the clubhouse.”
The winning professional at the grand final will take home a cheque for £5,000.
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