Golf trio have strong weekend
Shropshire’s trio of professional golfers on the European Tour enjoyed another productive weekend after strong displays.
Former Shropshire & Herefordshire junior Aaron Rai posted four under-par rounds around Celtic Manor.
The world No.236 finished in a tie for 31st at the Celtic Classic after closing with a two-under-par 69, following up rounds of 67, 70 and 70.
His total of eight under par was 10 shots off eventual winner Sam Horsfield.
Hawkstone Park ace Ashley Chesters and Ludlow’s Oliver Farr were a shot behind Rai in a tie for 39th.
Both had fought back from rounds of one-over-par and two-over-par on the opening day to make the cut, and then continued their progress up the leaderboard, closing with rounds of 69 and 68.
Horsfield shrugged off a two-hour weather delay to claim his second European Tour title in the space of three weeks in the Celtic Classic.
Horsfield carded a closing 67 at Celtic Manor to finish 18 under par and two shots ahead of Belgium’s Thomas Detry, a repeat of their finishing positions in the Hero Open at Hanbury Manor.
An emotional Horsfield had struggled to speak after his maiden win, but said: “This time I can speak. It was pretty crazy. My goal this weekend was to have no bogeys and I was able to do that, made a huge putt on 17 to keep that alive. I just played solid all week and to have a nice cushion coming to the last was nice. I never really felt nervous or uncomfortable, maybe because I was in the situation a few weeks ago. The birdie on 14 was huge because it gave me the option to lay-up on 15, where there is so much trouble.”
