ROB Pritchard, the PGA trainee at Stonham Barns, won his first professional event when his round of 75 was good enough to see off the challenge of his professional rivals in the Suffolk Winter Alliance meeting at Diss on Sunday.

By Tony Garnett

ROB Pritchard, the PGA trainee at Stonham Barns, won his first professional event when his round of 75 was good enough to see off the challenge of his professional rivals in the Suffolk Winter Alliance meeting at Diss on Sunday.

Pritchard dropped five shots on his first nine, but was level par coming back.

A field of 98 players enjoyed glorious sunshine for the Millennium Cup meeting which was won by 19-handicap Tony Stanley from Gorleston and ten-handicap Paul Boswell of Waldringfield. They had 44 points.

It was a new pairing which gelled amazingly well.

Rushmere men's champion Tom Wright, off four, and one-handicap Michael Buck were runners-up on countback with 42 points.

Haverhill pair Pat McGarr and Wayne Penman took third place.

Stoke by Nayland captain Ian McKay and Ian Carter had a betterball score of one under par, but could only manage 40 points.

The course had dried out so well that a trolley ban was lifted.

Betterball Stableford

44pts: Tony Stanley (Gorleston) and Paul Boswell (Waldringfield).

42: Tom Wright and Michael Buck (Rushmere), Pat McGarr and Wayne Penman (Haverhill).

41: I McKay and I Carter, R Toone and D Pearl.

40: T Dobson and P Dobson, T Clarke and M Symonds.

39: T Lunness and E Simpson, D Leeder and K Davey, C Sissons and D Whelan, C Flores and S Ferrell.

38: M Pearse and C White, B Smy and A Richardson, K Earp and D Ball, G Day and T Went, G Whiting and R Collins, J Walker and G Price.

37: J Smith and K Hume, J Wilding and R Brazier.

36: J Thompson and M Pickup, K Brett and H Foster, K Rooney and K Jameson, B Darling and R Pritchard, B Thompson and G Borthwick, C Briggs and T Fairhead.

35: E Kiddle and G Baird, N Duc and E Bareham, F Looman and M Waite, G Ashcroft and D Whiting, A Fish and S King, T Holley and P Presland.

34: L Chandler and J Davis, J Markham and P Davey, R Ross and M Virley, S Moye and J West, M Haylett and R Reynolds.

33: R Chalmers and R Tokley, J Whiting and T Paine, G Carol and R Baker.

32: D Daniel and C George, A Tokley and D Brace, R Woolmer and D Cohen, S Buxton and P Jiggens.

31: S Nichols and K Brown, J Williams and K Smales, P Wallace and B Lancee, R Ransome and P Mendham,

30: S Double and L Isherwood.

28: K Ward and R Rand.

26: W Richards and E Goodwin.