GARRY Slade is looking forward to enjoying his reign as king of the county once again after winning the Wiltshire County Championship for a second time last Sunday.

The 25-year-old, from Studley, near Calne, claimed a narrow victory at Cumberwell Park last weekend to clinch the county title by a single shot, adding to the crown he clinched back in 2012.

Slade, who plays out of Bowood, beat Ali James (71 and 68) and Paul Matthews (70 and 69), both from host club Cumberwell, with two sub-par rounds of 69.

“It was great to win it again and especially because this is the first time it’s been over 36 holes, rather than 72,” said Slade, who works at Tesco Express in Calne.

“It was special the first time and this one was much more a sprint but it was still great to win it.

“I just wanted to put together two good rounds and I didn’t really know how the others were doing.

“It gives me a lot of confidence ahead of the competitions I want to do this summer.

“My handicap isn’t low enough to do the top amateur competitions but I can still do things like the English Amateur (Championship).”

Slade is now set to represent Wiltshire in the County Champion of Champions tournament at Woodhall Spa in September.

Meanwhile, Cumberwell’s Myles Edwards clinched the nett prize with 71 and 77 off a five handicap, whilst there was a memorable first County Championship for South Cerney’s Gert Coetzee, who was fourth overall with 69 and 74.

In the Team Shield, the host trio of James, Matthews and James Cooper were the runaway winners with an aggregate score of four-under-par, 11 shots clear of the Bowood team of Slade, Luke Gorman and Jacques Hugo.