Lee Goes One Better to be Crowned Foremost Champion
James Lee went one better than his runner-up finish last year to win the 2016 Foremost Professionals Championship supported by Glenmuir at The Oxfordshire.
The former European Tour professional from Caerphilly Golf Club in South Wales carded a stunning five under par 67 to finish one stroke ahead of Jon Good (Addington Palace), who narrowly missed out on a birdie at the 18th that would have forced a playoff.
The challenging Oxfordshire layout provided a stern test for the full field of 110 Foremost members, with more than half a dozen players negotiating the stiff breeze, long rough and wet fairways to return sub-par scores.
Playing in the final group, Good required a birdie three at the uphill par-4 18th to match Lee’s round of 67, however after an accurate approach to 15 feet, his downhill putt for a three slid agonisingly past the right edge.
Having got to six under midway through the back nine, Lee dropped his only shot of the day at the tough par-3 15th but managed to hang on with a superb par-save at the long 17th and a regulation par at the last.
“I had a decent score here last year in some tough conditions and today went really well so really happy with it,” commented Lee.
“I kept it on the short stuff for most of the day and didn’t really get in too much trouble. I hit one bad shot where I knocked it in the water on 17, but managed to save par with a good pitch and a putt so apart from that it was a lot of fairways and a lot of greens and the putter behaved itself.
“I try not to put too much pressure on myself. I didn’t want to have any expectations. I just wanted to go out and enjoy it.”
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