Richard Mansell, who won the Cobra Puma NXT LVL Championship at MacDonald Portal Hotel, Golf and Spa, and dedicated his win to friend and sometime caddy Charlie, who suffered a brain haemorrhage and has been left seriously ill in hospital

RICHARD Mansell has won the Cobra Puma NXT LVL Championship by three shots with a final round 69 at MacDonald Portal Hotel, Golf and Spa.

The Beau Desert golfer started the day one shot behind overnight leader Marco Penge, but the Staffordshire ace assumed the lead with a birdie at the opening hole as Penge, from Golf at Goodwood, three-putted for bogey.

Mansell only briefly slipped out of top spot on a tense final day with a double-bogey at the par-five seventh, but he reassumed control of the tournament with a spectacular pitch-in for eagle two holes later.

Mansell – who raised £4,500 last month for a friend who suffered a massive brain haemorrhage – maintained pole position throughout the back nine with birdies at 10, 12 and 17, signing for a closing 69 and a total of 18-under – and then dedicated the win to his friend.

“I did this for my friend Charlie, whose been fighting for his life in hospital,” said an emotional Mansell. “He’s been the 15^th club in my bag over the last few weeks. This feels really special.”

A special day indeed for Mansell, who’s previously recorded three runners-up finishes in his season-and-a-half on the PGA EuroPro Tour, and had his parents and friends on hand in Cheshire to witness his first victory.

Will Enefer, a Cobra Puma NXT LVL academy player from Shropshire, surged through the field with a 67 to claim second place on his own.

Clandeboye’s Jonathan Caldwell, from Ireland, and Wath’s Nicholas Poppleton tied for third on 14-under, while overnight leader Penge – a former England U16 Boys Champion – had to settle for a four-way tie for fifth after a two-over par final round.

Mansell, who shot a 58 three years ago while at Nova SouthEastern University in Florida and was signed up as an amabassador for Ted Baker Golf when he turned pro, leaped six spots to third in the Race to Desert Springs, while Enefer is up to 10^th.

Kent’s Alfie Plant, who finished tied 14^th at Portal, held on to top spot in the Order of Merit, while last week’s winner Andrew Wilson, who took the week off in preparation for the Rockliffe Hall pro’s Open Championship debut next week at Royal Portrush, remains in second.

Visit www.europrotour.com for more information and to see the final leaderboard.

•Mansell was joined by fellow PGA EuroPro player Joe Brooks in their fundraising efforts to help Charlie, who suffered the haemorrhage in the left side of his brain.

Mansell met Charlie nine years ago at the European Father and Sons Championship – and they’ve been close friends ever since.

Charlie caddied for Richard at the first stage of European Tour Qualifying School last year and successfully made it through. Brooks played with Charlie at junior level.

In little over three days, the event was organised and funds raised to help Charlie who had been unconsciousness in hospital.

The pair took on 100 holes at Beau Desert Golf Club last month taking alternate shots as a two-ball to complete it in just over 14-and-a-half-hours.

Mansell explained Charlie’s whole right side of the body had been left paralysed after the haemorrhage occurred in the part of the brain that controls understanding and speech.

Funds raised have been helping Charlie’s parents visit him in hospital.

Mansell explained: “I am hoping we can raise some money for Charlie and his family at this difficult time – whether that be for train fares, hotels, private rehabilitation, or whatever Charlie and his family need, and want to put the money towards going forward.

“They shouldn’t have to think about money at a time like this and it just proves how important life is – and none of us know what is around the corner.”

“He’s just one of them people who brings life to the room and is impossible not to love. He’s always smiling and I want to help get that smile back on his face as soon as possible.”

Mansell said the tragedy had given him perspective on life, adding: “I’ve been guilty in the past – like 99 per cent of the golfers I know – for moaning when we hit bad shots, getting down and acting like it’s the end of the world when we miss a five-footer for par.”

“In reality, it isn’t and this has been a massive reality check for me. What Charlie and his family are going through is real life and it shows how we need to not take any day or moment of time for granted – as we don’t know what’s around the corner.”

A spokesman said: “The PGA EuroPro Tour thoughts and prayers are with Charlie and his family and friends. The tour sends our best wishes in his recovery. ”

As of this week nearly £6,000 has been raised to help Charlie’s family.

•For more information on Charlie’s condition and updates can be found on the GoFundMe donation page.

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Rockliffe Hall’s Andrew Wilson claimed the MotoCaddy Masters at Linden Hall, just three days after landing a place in the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush via Final Qualifying after playing eight rounds in seven days.

DARLINGTON’S Andrew Wilson claimed The Motocaddy Masters days after clinching a place at The 146th Open later this month.

Wilson, who is attached to Rockliffe Hall, knew a good round would put him in the mix and posted his second 67 of the week to go five-under for the day to win by one shot.

It was some week for Wilson after playing two rounds of enduring Open qualifying on Tuesday at Notts GC’s Hollinwell. Wilson played his third round of the week at lunchtime on Wednesday in his opening round at Macdonald Linden Hall where he shot five-under.

Wilson said: “It was really tough. The entire day was really tough. I was just happy to finish and even better to win.

“I played here on Sunday for practice then practice round on Monday for Open qualifying, then two rounds on Tuesday –  I don’t know many rounds of golf I’ve had over the last two weeks,” added Wilson, who played at Dudsbury in the EuroPro event as well as the first round of Open Qualifying.

“I didn’t expect to be up there to be honest. I struggled a bit on Thursday. I just sort of held it and my caddy did a really good job.”

He went out in his last round with six birdies and only one bogey to put himself right into contention. Something that seemed unlikely at the start of play.

It wasn’t to be for Richard Mansell, from Beau Desert Golf Club, and Chelmsford’s James Allan, who both ran Wilson close at the end with Mansell finding the water on 18 and Allan going close with a putt that would have tied the former England amateur international and forced a play-off.

Elsewhere, it was nearly the case of deja vu for Kent’s Alfie Plant, who was leading by two shots at one stage on 10-under, as the 2017 European Amateur Champion looked to win back-to-back for the first time in the pro ranks, after his win in The Golfcatcher Championship at Dudsbury, a week earlier.

The Sundridge Park ace, finished tied for second having got to four-under at the turn in his third round, only for the birdies to dry up, and a solitary bogey at the 14th to leave him one shot shy.

Limerick Golf Club’s Tim Rice, who went close in Open Qualifying in Scotland last week, Dunbar’s Neil Fenwick, Boldon’s Rhys Thompson joined Allan, Plant and Mansell on nine-under.

Amateur Matty Lamb, from Hexham Golf Club, gave a good account for himself on the last day carding a level-par 72 to tie for eighth with Falkirk’s Ryan Campbell, Shropshire’s Will Enefer (Retail Furniture) and Tom Gandy, from Rowany  GC on the Isle of Man.

Wilson is taking the week off as the EuroPro heads to the Macdonald Portal Hotel, Golf and Spa, in Cheshire, for The Cobra Puma NXT LVL Championship, which takes place from July 10-12.

Cobra Puma Golf  announced a partnership with player management company Modest! Golf earlier this season under which  13 EuroPro Tour members were hand-picked for the ‘NXT LVL’ academy – wearing and playing Cobra Puma products.

Cobra Puma Golf – who signed a three-year extension to its deal as official equipment, apparel and footwear sponsors of the PGA EuroPro Tour – is following the progress of the ‘NXT LVL’ academy through the 2019 season on social media.

The selected players are eligible for the Cobra Puma Golf Order of merit running alongside the main PGA EuroPro Tour moneylist.

There is a low round bonus, plus five Challenge Tour starts in 2020 up for grabs with Nial Horan’s Modest! Golf management firm having agreed to be partner of the Cobra Puma Golf order of merit.

Cobra Puma Golf marketing manager Craig Verrinder said: “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to work closely with the future talent in the game.

“The EuroPro Tour really is the springboard to the best platforms in the game, and to work with these players in 2019 is a really exciting prospect. To be able to support them further with product, additional bonuses and work through our social media channels is testament of what we think of the players and the tour itself.”

He added: “Further to that, to be able to work with Modest! Golf on the Cobra Puma Golf Order of Merit enables us to use their standing within the game to offer the Challenge Tour invites in the 2020 season.

“We value its support and also how it perceives the future of golf. We would like to take this opportunity to thank both Modest! and the European Challenge Tour in the support they have shown this NXT LVL of players.”

Modest! Golf Management director Mark McDonnell said: ”We are really excited to support Cobra Puma Golf with this initiative. We appreciate that support is hard to come by for a large amount of really talented young golfers looking to make their way in the game.

“The Cobra Puma Golf NXT LVL Academy will give young talented players the support and belief at a point when they most need it.”

Niall Horan, founder and director of Modest! Golf, added: “Our company is all about supporting young talent. The NXT LVL Academy does exactly that, and we are delighted to be able to provide some playing opportunities and hope this will add as an additional incentive for the NXT LVL members.”

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