HIGH Post’s Mark Searle hung on to claim victory in the Cumberwell Park Players Championship as Dudsbury’s Lee Thompson made a spirited late challenge to reduce the winning margin to one shot, writes PETER GODSIFF.

Searle, 35, who shattered the course record with an incredible ten-under-par 61 on the opening day, said after a level par 71 second round: “I just got over the line for the biggest win of my career.”

He played European and Challenge Tour golf during his early days as a professional but described this win worth £1,900 as ‘fantastic.’

“It means everything to me and is a reward for the hours of hard work and practice I have put in. I have been waiting for a result like this for a long time and just hope this is the start of more.”

Searle, who won two Wiltshire amateur championships at the Cumberwell course he knows well and enjoys, started three shots ahead of Paul Turpin (Carlyon Bay) and five better than Dan Carter (Upavon). But the challenge eventually came from the seasoned players who had underperformed on the first day.

Seniors Tour winner George Ryall (Burnham and Berrow) shot the day’s only faultless round of 65, Ross Whitelock (St Mellion) joined him on seven-under 135 after 67 and Richard O’Hanlon (St Kew) made it a three-way tie with 68.

But Thompson is probably the region’s most formidable campaigner. Although Searle increased his lead to four at the turn, the Dorset man kept chipping away at the lead. He made four of his seven birdies in five holes from the third.

A final gain at the 17th took him to nine-under-par and in with a chance. But Searle’s calm final two-putt for par from eight feet was just enough.

Thompson said: “I was six back at the start of the day and my target was simply to go as low as I could. I’ve not been playing a lot but to finish second was really satisfying.”

Matt Dearden (Vale Resort) claimed sixth after a second 68 while Adam Frayne (Yelverton) and Carter shared seventh on five-under 137.

The shocks continued on a day of cloud, wind and intermittent rain in a three-day festival sponsored by Lansdown Mazda.

Order of Merit leader Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) was suffering from illness and exhaustion, Paul Hendriksen (Ivybridge), who won four out of six events earlier in the month, said: “My iron play is simply not good enough at the moment.”

Michael Watson (Wessex Golf Centre), winner of four events in recent weeks including the pro-am, and Dudsbury Masters winner Chris Gill (Newquay) languished in joint 51st.

The Order of Merit is now wide open before the West Region Championship at Burnham and Berrow in two weeks’ time.

Michael Watson (Wessex Golf Centre) won the 46-team Players Championship pro-am with a return of seven-under-par 64 in the at Cumberwell Park.

Four birdies on the way out and four more at the 11th 12th, 17th and 18th were enough to sneak ahead of joint clubhouse leaders Scott Drummond (Skills Group) and Matt Dearden (Vale Resort).

Drummond also made eight birdies but dropped shots at the fourth and 15th. Dearden’s flawless 65 included four birdies and an eagle at the 12th.

Former West Assistants champion Nick Korynevsky, a Cumberwell member who now works for Callaway Golf, also made eight birdies over a course he knows so well to share fourth with Adam Frayne (Yelverton) on five-under 66.

Charlie Cossins (Orchardleigh) and Toby Hunt (St Mellons) shared sixth on 67.

Seventeen of the 46 players broke par on a perfect warm, sunny day for scoring.

Richard O’Hanlon (St Kew) led the Grenke team of Gary Standon, Richard Maunder and Peter Maunder to the team prize on 92. They beat the A J Removals team of Kieran Bye, Liam O’Mara and Adam Jolly, led by James Hanham (Bath) on countback.

Alex Blewett, a Cumberwell assistant, won his first cheque by piloting Ashmead Roofing into third on 90. The trio of Mo Mousley, Si Mealing and Mark Swift pipped Watson’s Turier Scales team on countback.

Leading final Cumberwell Park Players Championship scores: 132 Mark Searle (High Post) 61 71, £1,900, 133 Lee Thompson (Dudsbury) 67 66, £1,425, 135 George Ryall (Burnham and Berrow) 70 65, Ross Whitelock (St Mellion) 68 67, Richard O'Hanlon (St Kew) 67 68, £771 each, 136 Matt Dearden (Vale Resort) 68 68, £490, 137 Adam Frayne (Yelverton) 69 68, Dan Carter (Upavon) 66 71, £410 each, 138 Mark Wiggett (Dudsbury) 69 69, Barry Austin (Downes Crediton) 67 71, Dan Toogood (Weston-super-Mare) 67 71, Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) 67 71, £305 each, 139 Alex Higgs (Stinchcombe Hill) 71 68, Paul Turpin (Carlyon Bay) 64 75, £222 each.