EUROPEAN Tour winner John Bickerton celebrated his debut in a PGA West Order Of Merit tournament with a two-shot victory in the Total Triumph Classic at Oake Manor Golf Club.

Despite suffering from a virus picked up on holiday in Turkey, he shot a record 12-under-par 128 after rounds of 63 and 65.

The three-time Tour winner quit Europe after 20 years for a quiet life as a club pro at Minehead & West Somerset Golf Club after a freak elbow and wrist injury.

Bickerton, 48, has eased his way back and was persuaded to play in the opening OOM event at Oake Manor by sponsor Neil Mossman.

David Dixon (Enmore Park) mounted a spirited challenge, until three dropped shots saw him finish sixth on 131.

Scot Simon Stevenson (Taunton & Pickeridge) claimed his best OOM finish in 14 years on 132.

Left-hander Matt Turner, who has just signed as a PGA trainee at Oake Manor, began his professional career well.

He opened with a four-under-par 66 but faltered in the second round, making 73, to share 30th place.

Result
PGA West Total Triumph Classic (at Oake Manor) leading final scores: 128 John Bickerton (Minehead & West Somerset) 63 65 £1,750; 130 Dan Carter (Upavon) 65 65, Richard O’Hanlon (St Kew) 64 66, Toby Hunt (St Mellons) 64 66, Ashley Mansell (Clevedon) 63 67, £975 each; 132 Simon Stevenson (Taunton & Pickeridge) 67 65, Sion Bebb (Morlais Castle) 66 66, £450 each.
Amateur gross: 65 Bradley Scott (Tiverton), 68 Nick Davies, 69 John O’Neill, 70 Josh Martin, Jay Scott.
Div 1 (net): 66 John Chivers, 67 Simon Mankin, 68 Bradley Davies, Ricky Jones, 69 Mike Spearing.
Div II (net): 67 Martin Blizzard, Richie Joslin, James Macey (Oake Manor), 68 Darren Steadman, 69 Leighton Hill.
Better ball: 58 (-12) Devon Greenslade and Adam Hull (both Tiverton), 59 Paul Jones (Ashley Wood) and James Macey (Oake Manor), 59 Lee Thompson (Dudsbury) and James Ward (Oake Manor).

In the Friday Stableford competition at Oake Manor Golf Club, Joshua Cridland won with an incredible 44 points, Glenn Bates came second with 42 points, Andrew Ford was third with 39 points and Steven Wright came fourth, also on 39 points.

Over 120 players took part in the Saturday English Golf Union Medal Competition.

Joshua Martin won Division 1 with a nett 66. Playing off a 2 handicap, he scored the best gross of the day, a 68.

Paul Hadley was second with a nett 68, Harry Wagstaff was third, also nett 68, and Paul Nicholls came fourth with nett 69.

Stephen Plowman won Division 2 with a nett 65, the lowest nett score of the day.

Trevor Lant was second with nett 66, Thomas Robbins third with nett 67 and Nigel Foster fourth with nett 70.

On Monday, the Seniors held a 14-hole, three clubs and a putter competition; captain Jeff Copp won Division 1 with 30 points, Mike Shaw came second on 29, holing his second shot for an eagle on the four-par third hole.

Charles St George was third with 28 and Peter Swann was fourth with 26.

Terry Brown won Division 2 with 32, Michael Lloyd-Davies came second with 31, Trevor Cook was third with 30 and Gordon Gosney fourth with 28.

Jenny Musgrove won Division 1 of the Ladies’ Tuesday Stableford with 39, Alison Harman came second with 37, Sue Corlett was third with 35 and Jane Clist fourth (34).

Karen MacKenzie won Division 2 with 38, Rachel Hughes was second with 36, Patricia Brown came third with 33 and Betty Marney fourth with 32.

Jeremy Winter won Division 1 of the men’s Wednesday Stableford Competition with a brilliant 43, ahead of Martin Adams (40), Joshua Cridland and Jason Brock (both 39).

In Division 2, the top three all had 42; on countback, Phill Saunders came first, Meredith Collins second and Antony James third. Richard Crouch (41) was fourth.

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TERINA Parker, with 39 points, was the winner in the Taunton & Pickeridge Ladies Section’s Silver Division of the Hawkes Salver Stableford on Tuesday.

Carol Keenan was second with 36 points, while third place went to Caroline Cooper on countback from Mary Guy, after both scored 34.

In the Bronze Division, it was Linda Knowles with 35 points who was the winner, with Jackie Lynn second on 34 and Vicky Davies third.

The 9-hole Stableford winner was Jan West with 16 points, and second was Jean Kennedy with 15 points.

On Sunday 18 couples took part in the annual Husbands and Wives Greensomes Stableford.

First place went to Rob and Marion Darvell with 43 points, one ahead of Chris and Jo Evans with 42 points, on countback from Pete and Georgia Richards.

Best Front 9 score with 19 points – John and Jacky Ford; Best Back 9 score with 22 points – Richard and Berni Hatcher.

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THE Seniors’ Championship at Vivary Golf Club saw Graham Stagg and Nigel Peatfield battle for the prizes and end up sharing the honours.

Stagg took the Dave Carter Trophy for the best gross score of 72 and Peatfield came second with 73.

Dave Hawkins was third with 80.

In the Alex Field Trophy for the best nett score the places were reversed.

Peatfield won with 64 and a better back nine than Stagg, also on 64. Nigel Griffin came third on 65.

Pete Jeffery won the Pro-Am qualifier with 37 points.

Keith Wood was second on 35 and Bob Claydon third with 34.

Chris Stone showed the chasing pack a clean pair of heels in the Pat Carey Bogey with a confident plus six.

Second was John Fisher on plus two with Pete Jeffery third on plus one.

The Reg Fortnum Stableford was won by John Blissitt collecting 38 points.

Steve Berry and Bob Stock scored 36 but Berry took second on countback.