Play-off defeat fails to mar season for Gavins

The De Vere Oulton Hall professional lost in a play-off at the Clipper Logistics Championship at the Leeds course yesterday.

After carding a 64 yesterday – the round of the day – the player who has won once and finished runner-up in the last month and a half finished on 12 under after three rounds of the inaugural tournament.

That gave him a tie for the lead with Billy Hemstock of Teignmouth, who after shooting a 65 himself, went on to win the Moor Allerton event in a play-off.

Despite defeat, Gavins pocketed a £5,000 cheque and is now certain to play on the Challenge Tour next season.

Howley Hall’s Marcus Armitage did his hopes of making the top five and qualifying for the second tier the power of good by finishing in a tie for third, three shots back after a final-round 67 yesterday.

Armitage is eighth on the EuroPro Tour’s order of merit, a little over £2,000 shy of climbing into the top five with the final event held at Princes next month.

Alex Belt (De Vere Oulton Hall) and James Hepworth (Ilkley) retain faint hopes of gate-crashing the top five after finishing in a tie for eighth; Hepworth carding a 65 yesterday and Belt 68.

n Gwladys Nocera and Joanna Klatten shared the lead at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France halfway mark.

The French pair enjoyed a successful second day in hot and humid conditions at Chantaco in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.

First-round leader Klatten was joined on 10 under par by former European No 1 Nocera, who fired a 63 in temperatures of 30 degrees celsius.

“I’m very happy with my round and very happy with how I handled things today,” Klatten said.

South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace was alone in third place on eight under, with Solheim Cup pair Charley Hull and Azahara Munoz a further shot back alongside home player Valentine Derrey.