Dixon storms to Jamega win and into the record books

Record eight-shot victory for Bridgwater professional at Magnolia Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LONDON, UK (30th July 2015)

 

David Dixon swept to the greatest margin of victory the Jamega Pro Golf Tour has witnessed in a dominating display at the Magnolia Park Golf and Country Club near Thame.

 

The Bridgwater professional, 38, put his 11 under par, eight-shot victory over the two days down to avoiding the “jungle warfare” of the Oxfordshire course’s punishing rough.

 

“It was quite windy and the guys struggled if they went off the fairway because there was a lot of long stuff to lose the ball in,” he said. “I just kept hitting it straight and that was obviously a big advantage.”

 

It was the largest winning margin since the tour’s 2004 inception and the silver medal winner as leading amateur at The Open in 2001 made his intent clear from the off.

 

Dixon began with three straight birdies and followed it up with a matching streak through holes 12, 13 and 14 as he carded an opening five under par 68 to establish a three-shot lead at the end of the first day ahead of Hillingdon’s Michael O’Connor, with Woburn’s Sam Whitehead and Foxhills’ Gus Mottershead a further shot back.

 

Day two was even better for Dixon as he did not drop a shot and closed with successive birdies for a 67, leaving him eight shots clear of Craig Adams, with Kenilworth’s Rory Kirwan tied with Whitehead for third a further four shots adrift.

 

“I putted nicely, not brilliantly, but I didn’t miss any silly putts and took advantage of the par fives,” Dixon said, referencing the eight shots picked up with birdies on both days on the par five first, third, 13th and 18th.

 

“My playing partners in the second round both lost a ball midway through the front nine and a big gap opened. I knew as long as I didn’t have a disaster or do anything silly it would be difficult for them to catch me.  It was nice to be in a position where I didn’t have to force anything.”

 

Dixon’s winning score matches South African Tyler Hogarty’s tally from 2014, where Adams again finished second, on that occasion tied with Martin Sell at six under par.

 

“I’ve played the Magnolia course before and knew the layout, but they toughened it up this year,“ Dixon added. “The rough was really brutal, like jungle warfare if you ran into it. I have quite a bit of experience on tough courses, such as Machynys [the first event on the 2015 Jamega Tour, which Dixon won] where it was blowing a gale.”

 

The win moves Dixon (£6,950) clear of second-placed James Ruebotham (£5,000) in the 2015 order of merit, but while it’s a welcome bonus, his focus remains on returning to the European Tour.

 

“I’m playing all sorts of events to try and keep making money and get ready for the qualifying school in November” he added. “This had been the third season I’ve not played on the main tour, and while I’ve enjoyed the last two or three years, I’m not getting any younger. I want to get back out on tour and give it one last go.”

 

“Jamega is a great development tour and I am always made to feel extremely welcome. The bigger and better it becomes the better for everyone.”

 

The Jamega Tour returns to the Bedfordshire for the second time this season next week (August 3-4).

 

Final Leaderboard

 

1st 135 -11 David Dixon (68, 67)

2nd 143 -3 Craig Adams (74, 69)

3rd= 147 +1

• Rory Kirwan (73, 74)

• Sam Whitehead (72, 75)

5th= 148 +2

• Tom Hayward (75, 73)

• Luke Groves (75, 73)

• Michael O’Connor (71, 77)

8th= 151 +5

• Paul McAvoy (am) (73, 78)

• Tom Collins (75, 76)

• Will Bailey (76, 75)

• Gus Mottershead (72, 79)

 

About Jamega Tour

 

The Jamega Tour was established in 2004 as a fair, open and honest pro golf tour run on behalf of aspiring tournament professionals in southern England. Now in its eleventh year, a series of two-day, 36-hole events provide a competitive challenge for professional and low handicapped amateur golfers. 

 

Press Release issued on behalf of Jamega Tour by 4Ball Media.