Nessling clinches Sawgrass victory double

Golf star Paul Nessling claimed an exciting double victory in The Pro-Am Tour's prestigious Sawgrass Classic Pro-Am at TPC Sawgrass.
The winning team in the pro-am team event. From left: Dean Manning, Nick Hill, Joe Hales and Paul Nessling.The winning team in the pro-am team event. From left: Dean Manning, Nick Hill, Joe Hales and Paul Nessling.
The winning team in the pro-am team event. From left: Dean Manning, Nick Hill, Joe Hales and Paul Nessling.

Nessling, a professional at Cooden Beach Golf Club, won the professional individual and the team event just days after The PGA Tour’s Players Championship,

Like the majority of the competitors, Nessling watched Si Woo Kim’s historic victory over the iconic TPC Sawgrass Course on the Sunday.

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After practice rounds on the Monday, the Sawgrass Classic Pro-Am was played in perfect weather on four superb courses in the Ponte Vedra Beach area with the final round at The Players Stadium Course.

Paul Nessling tees off on the first hole at TPC Sawgrass.Paul Nessling tees off on the first hole at TPC Sawgrass.
Paul Nessling tees off on the first hole at TPC Sawgrass.

The opening round was staged at TPC Sawgrass Dye’s Valley Course. Lee-on-the-Solent’s James Ablett opened up a three-shot lead, but his good friend and fellow PGA South Region player Nessling caught him after the second round at the exclusive Ponte Vedra Inn & Club Ocean Course.

Ablett regained his three-shot lead after round three at the King & Bear Course at World Golf Village, after which many of the competitors visited the nearby World Golf Hall of Fame.

The final round saw the competitors experience the tournament condition of the extremely challenging Players Stadium Course with the grandstands still in place.

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Ablett slipped out of contention with a disappointing 81, leaving the door open for Nessling to claim a four-shot victory and the $2,200 prize-money with a steady round of 74.

Paul Nessling drives on the 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass.Paul Nessling drives on the 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass.
Paul Nessling drives on the 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

In the pro-am team event, Nessling’s team of Joe Hales, Nick Hill and Dean Manning built a lead after two rounds only to see the teams of Ablett, Michael Vandenberg and Jason Kelly fight back in round three.

Once again, the challenge of the final round at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course set up an exciting finish, with Nessling’s team having to negotiate the treacherous finishing holes, including the nerve-wracking island green 17th.

They managed to find the green with two balls on the par three and a steady finishing hole gave them a two-shot victory over Ablett’s team, with Vandenberg’s team a further shot back in third.

Further information can be obtained from The American Golf Holiday on 023 8046 5885 or The Pro-Am Tour’s website at www.pro-amtour.com