FERNDOWN Forest teaching professional Graham Howell was first off in the annual Ferndown pro-am played in fine weather and set a fine target of two-under-par 69.

He made the most of the best of the conditions over a course he played as an amateur although he only turned in level par. He birdied the tenth but gave the shot back at the 14th. But he finished strongly with birdies at the 15th and 17th to keep the lead for a long time. He eventually settled for third, taking home £474.

Exeter’s Chris Gill is just running into top form at the start of the new West Region season that suggests he is going to be the player to beat. The 29-year-old gained a two-shot win over Mark Plummer (Cirencester) with a five-under-par round of 66.

Ferndown, par 71, Individual pro scores: 66 Chris Gill (Exeter) £750; 68 Mark Plummer (Cirencester) £592; 69 Graham Howell (Ferndown Forest) £474; 70 Paul Jones (Canford Magna), Jon Bevan (Wessex Golf Centre), Nick Redfern (unattached), David Hutton (Hamptworth), Bruce Parker (Brokenhurst Manor) £276; 71 Kevin Spurgeon (Ferndown), Stuart Martin (World of Golf) £148; 72 James Baldwin (Parkstone), Michael Watson (Weymouth), Lee Thompson (Dudsbury), Scott Godfrey (Ferndown) £67.

Team: 126 -16 Sime Darby, Nick Redfern (£201), Ralph David, Paul Wright, Frank Thow; 128 -14 The Fairway Wanderers, Jon Bevan (Wessex, £168), George Clelland, Adrian Page, Kevin Roberts); 130 -12 Carpetbarn, David Miles (Knighton Heath, £134), Darren Ironside, David Ironside, Mike Lewis (on countback).