Gary King wins EuroPro opener at Celtic Manor
Gary King has won the World Snooker Open, the PGA EuroPro Tour season opener at Celtic Manor Resort.
The final two rounds of the event were played on the final day with persistent rainfall meaning play had to be abandoned on Thursday.
This left 50 players and ties having to play two rounds on the final day with eventual winner King starting the last round four off the lead.
King’s final-round 66 (-3) took his tournament total to nine under, while a double bogey on the par-five ninth proved fatal for Hemstock, who carded a 71 after a five-under 64 earlier in the day.
“When we started the final round I was on six under and Billy was on ten, and he had been playing great golf all day,” said King, who has netted £10,000 as well as a brand new Motocaddy trolley, Bushnell Tour X range finder, a pair of Bolle sunglasses and £500 to spend at HotelPlanner.com.
“I was going to have to go out there and post a good one but I got off to a slow start and was one over through nine.
“I started to make some really good swings on the back nine, kept my head still on the putts and they started to drop.
“I didn’t actually realise the last putt was to win. I thought Billy had a short one to get to nine under but I didn’t realise he had a double on nine, so I was thinking I needed that putt for the play-off.
“It turns out I had won. It was a blessing because I was always thinking I needed one more but it turns out I didn’t.
“I knew my game was good enough to come out and compete this season. The last couple of years I have been in contention a lot of times so it was just about refining a few things mentally and I think a lot of technical improvements I have made have held up under pressure there on the back nine.
“It is a great confidence builder for next time I am in contention and it is really pleasing. The goal this season is definitely top five and if I can get off to a start like Jack Senior or Will Harrold did last season, they ended up playing a lot of Challenge Tour last summer and the beauty of the EuroPro is you get those opportunities.”
Highlights of the World Snooker Open from Celtic Manor Resort will be broadcast on Sky Sports on Tuesday, May 26th.
The next PGA EuroPro Tour event is the Buildbase Open at Frilford Heath Golf Club in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, May 20th-22nd.
