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and Kinross County team captain Tom McLevy is off to the Algarve after winning
the 2009 PA Sunshine Challenge. The 49-year-old former Perth policeman, now
an operations administrator with Graham Pest Control, edged out former champion
Willy Hutton over a gale-lashed PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles, clinching
the title and a passport to Portugal on the 18th green with a one up win. Blairgowrie
member Tom will be packing his bags to represent Perth and Kinross at the Bill
Goff-sponsored UK finals, facing opposition from other newspaper champions with
a golf break at the five star Le Meridien Penina complex at stake. Tom,
playing off plus 2, will savour a week’s golf based at the four star Tivoli
Almansor in Carvoeiro. The championship will be played out over Salgados, Morgado,
Gramacho and Palmares. Tom said: “After the beautiful weather we had
for the semi-finals, the final was played in a horrendous gale. It was the day
the Dunhill had to be put on hold at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews. But
Willy and I decided to brave it at Gleneagles. “Not surprisingly, neither
of us produced our best golf but it was a tight final which went to the last. “It
was all down to who made the fewest mistakes. Neither of us could build a significant
lead. I missed a putt to go two up at the 13th, we both birdied 14 and at the
17th I hit my best of the day, sending a three iron to 10 feet. I could only make
my three and Willy got up and down superbly from a greenside bunker and we were
off to the 18th. “That was halved in par and I’d won the title.
It was only then I allowed myself to start thinking of what lies ahead in Portugal.
But Willy has been there before and he loved it. I’m really looking forward
to it now.” Tom played off plus three a decade back but has come down
from scratch this season, winning the Blair Open earlier in the year, with Walker
Cup duo Wallace Booth and Gavin Dear in the field. Network Rail signalman
Willy (43), from Blair Atholl, picked up a £250 Bill Goff golf break voucher
and admitted: “It was a real disappointment to miss out on the title but
Tom is a fine golfer and he should do really well out in Portugal. “The
PGA Centenary course is a great challenge and the weather made it even more daunting. “I
suspect the conditions would have been impossible for higher handicappers. The
ball wasn’t quite moving on the greens but it was coming close.” Willy,
now back down to scratch again after a three-week flirtation with his best ever
standing, has enjoyed a fine season, winning Opens at home course Blair Atholl
and Aberfeldy and taking second spots at Murrayshall and Taymouth.
Match
report from the Perthshire Advertiser
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