WESSEX Golf Centre's Michael Watson set a new course record with an outstanding fault-free eight-under-par 64 to win the Sherborne Pro-Am by five shots.

“Everything went right,” said the professional from Weymouth who has won at the Dorset country course in the past and is a frequent visitor.

“I only had to make one decent save and played without stress,” he said after carding two nines of four-under 32, finishing with three successive birdies. “I hit it close and when my putter works I can score well. Although it was a perfect day it can be tough at Sherborne when it is firm.

“It is a course where you need to hit the ball in the right places to give yourself chances. That was probably why some of the scoring was a little higher than usual.”

Although he usually starts each season slowly he has been playing more regularly over the past few weeks and is looking forward to making another challenge in the Order of Merit with a play-off place and possibly another appearance in the PGA Cup team in prospect.

Louis Boston (Chippenham) was the only other player not to drop a shot in a three-under 69 and shared runner-up spot with Dan Carter (Upavon) whose round contained five birdies and three bogeys.

Guseppe Licata (Chipping Sodbury) and Mark Searle (High Post) followed on 70 with Lee Corfield (Burnham and Berrow) and Robert Jackson (Morriston) the only other players to break par with 71.

Former PGA Cup-winning captain Jon Bevan finished joint first with prolific winner Paul Hendriksen in the Broadstone pro-am to complete a successful week.

Earlier the Sherborne teaching professional shared eighth spot as the best West competitor in the PGA Seniors Championship at Foxhills. Then he shot 70 at sunny Broadstone to claim his first top place of the season.

He drew level with Hendriksen with his fourth birdie at the 18th. The Devon player made a double bogey on the sixth hole and two further birdies to cancel his four birdies.

Home professional Adrian Harris was one shot behind and shared third with former PGA champion Plymouth-based Scott Drummond and another local player Andrew Windsor from next-door club Knighton Heath.

A high finish seemed improbable for Harris after he bogeyed the second and made a triple bogey at the fourth. But he made an eagle two at the fifth and drew level with birdies at the tenth and 12th before shedding two late shots.

Home assistant Jacob Hunter was joined by by visitors Joe Simpson (West Berkshire) and Luke Derrick (Henbury) in sixth place on 72.

Last man Richard O'Hanlon (St Kew) won the team prize on 18-under-par 90 with Peter Chinnery, Hanna Dabroski and Scott Chandler, two better than Bevan’s trio of Stuart Coleman, Simon Rudd and Dave Hollow. Hendriksen with Luke Hodgetts, Matthew Smith and Ed Player were third on 82.