Room-mates to face off in the final showdown at LGM

Defending champ Steve Richardson had his reign ended by newcomer Adam Chapman yesterday as the four professionals in the draw fought it out to be in the showpiece at La Grande Mare.

Chapman will now face his room-mate Max Penney, who edged out Darren Leng in one of the most remarkable matches ever seen in the seven-year history of the tournament as both players won five holes in a row at separate points in their encounter.

On another very tough evening for golf with the wind gusting to force seven, it was Leng who got off to a nightmare start finding water on the first, then hitting a shocker off the tee at the second before lipping out for par at the third and then driving out of bounds at the fourth.

Penney was quietly going about his business and when he moved 5 up through five, he must have thought he was in for an early night.

The gap was still five after 10 holes, but then came the amazing Leng fightback.

Although he won 11 and 12, the bounce had yet to return to his step, but when he sunk a nice birdie putt on the 13th it was obvious momentum had shifted.

He clawed back another on the 14th and when Penney found trouble off the 15th tee and was unable to save par, suddenly they were back to all square.

The quality of the match then went up a few notches.

With the honour on the short 16th, Leng hit a beauty over the top of the pin with sufficient spin to leave him with a 10-footer for birdie.

In reply, Penney came up short, leaving himself with an awkward 40ft putt that was uphill for much of the way before falling away past the hole.

Some spectators were giving him little chance of getting down in two, but he judged the putt to absolute perfection and it toppled into the cup on its final revolution for a brilliant two.

Just for good measure, Leng followed him in for the half to remain level.

With the wind howling back into the players’ faces on the 17th, it made for an unappetising tee shot and Leng leaked his to the right, but Penney drilled a stunner straight at the flag and finishing just off the back of the green, making him a slight favourite to edge ahead once more.

He did just that, although Leng was desperately unlucky to see his chip get a ‘dead’ first bounce in the fringe that left a 12ft par putt which slipped by the right side of the hole.

Needing to win the last to stay alive, Leng opted to take the attacking line down the 12th fairway and bombed a superb drive to leave him 165 yards to the pin on the par five.

Penney took the more conventional route, but after their second shots to the green he was a yard closer than Leng, who had 45ft for eagle.

Knowing he probably had to hole it, Leng finished 4ft past the hole but Penney briefly heightened the tension by leaving his approach 5ft short before converting his birdie putt to seal victory.

Chapman always had the edge over Richardson in the other semi-final once he won the first hole and he never looked like letting the defending champion get back into the match, which came to an end on the 15th.

‘Conditions were brutal – it’s really hard selecting a club and even to putt because the ball was sometimes oscillating when you were standing over it,’ Chapman said.

‘But I was pretty solid, I started off well and I think I ended with 11 or 12 pars and a birdie, which is pretty good when the wind’s like this.

‘Now I’m going to be playing my room-mate and I know he has got a bit of sore wrist, so I might shake his hand hard on the first tee,’ he added with a chuckle.