Rothley Park’s Matthew Cort (above) shot a stunning first round 63 to set up his second Midlands Masters victory.
Cort added a second round of 66 to finish three shots clear of Sutton Coldfield’s Andrew Cheese at Kedleston Park.
Simon Lilly (Wellingborough) was a shot further back as Cort added this year’s Masters title to the one he won in 2007.
The Leicestershire golfer got off to a flying start with four birdies and an eagle on the front nine of his first round. He added four birdies with a just the one blemish for his 63 in the morning to take a one-shot lead over Lilly.
In the afternoon he notched another seven birdies with just the one bogey to keep his rivals at arms length.
Cort said: “It’s a cracking tournament and we’ve played on a great course. I love the course and it’s the second time I’ve won it now. It’s not a walkover this course but it does produce low scores.”
He added: “It was low scoring in the Pro-Am so I didn’t know what to expect. The course is pretty soft with the greens so that’s why the scoring is so low. It is probably some of the best golf I’ve played over 36 holes, I had a couple of bogeys but I kept in play and tried to hole some putts and it equals my best ever score.
“My iron shots were good you’ve got to hit the fairways then with the soft conditions you can really fire it in there. I was seven under after 10 holes but you’re still wary because one bad shot can ruin it. It is brilliant to win it again and I’m chuffed.”
The win took Cort to the top of the PGA in England (Midlands) Order of Merit standings with 615 points but he is only five points clear of Lilly. Third place is held by South Staffordshire’s Peter Baker on 500, with Lincoln Golf Centre’s Paul Streeter (495) and Cheese (490) completing the top five.
The top three players at the end of the season will qualify for the Titleist PGA Play-Offs on the PGA Sultan Course, at Antalya Golf Club, Turkey.
| Pos | Player | Scoring To Par | Rounds | Total | Points | Prize Fund | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Thru | Current | 1 | 2 | ||||||
| 1 |   Matthew Cort Rothley Park Golf Club | -15 | F | -6 | 63 | 66 | 129 | 270.00 | £1,500.00 | |
| 2 | Andrew Cheese Sutton Coldfield Golf Club | -12 | F | -6 | 66 | 66 | 132 | 240.00 | £968.80 | |
| 3 | Simon Lilly Wellingborough Golf Club | -11 | F | -3 | 64 | 69 | 133 | 220.00 | £680.80 | |
| 4 | James Whatley Morley Hayes Golf | -8 | F | -4 | 68 | 68 | 136 | 200.00 | £535.00 | |
| T5 | Craig Shave Whetstone Golf Club | -7 | F | -4 | 69 | 68 | 137 | 185.00 | £399.60 | |
| T5 | Mark Smith Erewash Valley Golf Club | -7 | F | -7 | 72 | 65 | 137 | 185.00 | £399.60 | |
| T7 | Daniel Wood Brampton Heath Golf Centre | -6 | F | -4 | 70 | 68 | 138 | 165.00 | £299.80 | |
| T7 | Joshua Thornton | -6 | F | -4 | 70 | 68 | 138 | 165.00 | £299.80 | |
| T7 | Stuart Davis Kedleston Park Golf Club | -6 | F | -5 | 71 | 67 | 138 | £299.80 | ||
| T10 | Daniel Greenwood Forest Pines Golf Club | -5 | F | -2 | 69 | 70 | 139 | 145.00 | £217.60 | |
| T10 | Christopher Evans Wishaw Golf Club | -5 | F | +1 | 66 | 73 | 139 | 145.00 | £217.60 | |
| T12 | Jak Hamblett Handsworth Golf Club | -4 | F | -3 | 71 | 69 | 140 | 120.00 | £163.84 | |
| T12 | Jack Lynch Horsley Lodge Golf Club | -4 | F | -2 | 70 | 70 | 140 | 120.00 | £163.84 | |
| T12 | Ian Walley Kedleston Park Golf Club | -4 | F | -1 | 69 | 71 | 140 | 120.00 | £163.84 | |
| T12 | John-Paul Banbury Moor Hall Golf Club | -4 | F | -3 | 71 | 69 | 140 | 120.00 | £163.84 | |
| T12 | Paul Streeter Lincoln Golf Centre | -4 | F | +2 | 66 | 74 | 140 | 120.00 | £163.84 | |
| 17 | Peter Baker South Staffs Golf Club | -3 | F | +1 | 68 | 73 | 141 | 105.00 | £148.00 | |
| T18 | Andrew Jones Stonebridge Golf Club | -1 | F | -2 | 73 | 70 | 143 | 95.00 | £131.47 | |
| T18 | Nicholas Taylor Kedleston Park Golf Club | -1 | F | -1 | 72 | 71 | 143 | 95.00 | £131.47 | |
| T18 | Andrew Willey Notts Golf Club | -1 | F | -3 | 74 | 69 | 143 | 95.00 | £131.47 | |
| T21 | Daniel Clarke Market Rasen & District Golf C | E | F | E | 72 | 72 | 144 | 77.40 | £88.00 | |
| T21 | Scott Emery Woodhall Spa Golf Club | E | F | E | 72 | 72 | 144 | 77.40 | £88.00 | |
| T21 |  Matthew Harrison Burghill Valley Golf Club | E | F | -2 | 74 | 70 | 144 | 77.40 | £88.00 | |
| T21 |  Shane Peacock Oakmere Park Golf Club | E | F | E | 72 | 72 | 144 | 77.40 | £88.00 | |
| T21 | Phillip Edwards Phil Edwards Golf | E | F | +1 | 71 | 73 | 144 | 77.40 | £88.00 | |
| T26 | Joseph Smoothy Robert Rock Golf Academy | +1 | F | +5 | 68 | 77 | 145 | 60.50 | £63.33 | |
| T26 | Alec Smith Trentham Park Golf Club | +1 | F | E | 73 | 72 | 145 | 60.50 | £63.33 | |
| T26 | Matt McGuire Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Club | +1 | F | +3 | 70 | 75 | 145 | 60.50 | £63.33 | |
| T26 | Brian Rimmer Little Aston Golf Club | +1 | F | E | 73 | 72 | 145 | 60.50 | £63.33 | |
| T26 | Adam White Perton Park Golf Club | +1 | F | +1 | 72 | 73 | 145 | 60.50 | £63.33 | |
| T26 | James Stafford Burton On Trent Golf Club | +1 | F | -1 | 74 | 71 | 145 | 60.50 | £63.33 | |
| T32 | Matthew Whelband Park Hill Golf Club | +2 | F | -4 | 78 | 68 | 146 | 50.00 | ||
| T32 | Levi Desmond De Vere Belton Woods | +2 | F | -1 | 75 | 71 | 146 | |||
| T34 | Owen Evans Three Hammers Golf Complex | +3 | F | +2 | 73 | 74 | 147 | 43.00 | ||
| T34 | Jeremy Nicholls Ledene Golf Centre | +3 | F | E | 75 | 72 | 147 | 43.00 | ||
| T34 | Daniel Hewitt Newcastle Under Lyme Golf Club | +3 | F | +2 | 73 | 74 | 147 | 43.00 | ||
| T34 | Thomas Rastall Sleaford Golf Club | +3 | F | +1 | 74 | 73 | 147 | 43.00 | ||
| T34 | Alasdair Thomas Wollaton Park Golf Club | +3 | F | +5 | 70 | 77 | 147 | 43.00 | ||
| T34 | Lee Clarke Beeston Fields Golf Club | +3 | F | +4 | 71 | 76 | 147 | 43.00 | ||
| T40 | Steve Carter Walmley Golf Club | +4 | F | +3 | 73 | 75 | 148 | 35.00 | ||
| T40 | James Crompton Kenilworth Golf Club | +4 | F | +2 | 74 | 74 | 148 | 35.00 | ||
| T42 | Ian Lyner Leicestershire Golf Club | +5 | F | +5 | 72 | 77 | 149 | 28.00 | ||
| T42 | Henry Walton Stanton on the Wold Golf Club | +5 | F | +3 | 74 | 75 | 149 | 28.00 | ||
| T42 | Mark Butler Mark Butler Golf Academy | +5 | F | +1 | 76 | 73 | 149 | 28.00 | ||
| T42 | Shane Owen Trentham Golf Club | +5 | F | +2 | 75 | 74 | 149 | 28.00 | ||
| T42 | Kevin Taylor Brailsford Golf Course & Drivi | +5 | F | +3 | 74 | 75 | 149 | 28.00 | ||
| T47 | Craig Swinburn Riverbank Driving Range | +6 | F | +2 | 76 | 74 | 150 | 19.00 | ||
| T47 | Shaun Ball South Staffs Golf Club | +6 | F | E | 78 | 72 | 150 | 19.00 | ||
| T47 | Adam Myers Northants County Golf Club | +6 | F | +3 | 75 | 75 | 150 | 19.00 | ||
| T47 | David McNicholas Normanby Hall Golf Club | +6 | F | +1 | 77 | 73 | 150 | 19.00 | ||
| T51 | Adrian Carey Walmley Golf Club | +7 | F | +5 | 74 | 77 | 151 | 13.00 | ||
| T51 | Joshua Charnock Shrewsbury Golf Club | +7 | F | +6 | 73 | 78 | 151 | 13.00 | ||
| T53 | Nick Soto Northampton Golf Club | +8 | F | +2 | 78 | 74 | 152 | 9.50 | ||
| T53 | Daniel Lowe Sandwell Park Golf Club | +8 | F | +4 | 76 | 76 | 152 | 9.50 | ||
| T55 | Ben Challis Lea Marston Golf Centre | +9 | F | +6 | 75 | 78 | 153 | 7.00 | ||
| T55 | David Cranage Menzies Welcombe Hotel Spa & G | +9 | F | +6 | 75 | 78 | 153 | 7.00 | ||
| T55 | Keith Preece Burghill Valley Golf Club | +9 | F | +7 | 74 | 79 | 153 | 7.00 | ||
| T58 | Thomas Cheetham Chase Golf Club | +10 | F | +5 | 77 | 77 | 154 | 4.50 | ||
| T58 | Barrie Stevens Beau Desert Golf Club | +10 | F | +6 | 76 | 78 | 154 | 4.50 | ||
| T60 | Tim Rouse Northants County Golf Club | +11 | F | +6 | 77 | 78 | 155 | 2.00 | ||
| T60 | Richard Challoner Mark Butler Golf Academy | +11 | F | +1 | 82 | 73 | 155 | 2.00 | ||
| T60 | James Hale Maxstoke Park Golf Club | +11 | F | +6 | 77 | 78 | 155 | 2.00 | ||
| T63 | Simon Booth Chilwell Manor Golf Club | +12 | F | +8 | 76 | 80 | 156 | 1.00 | ||
| T63 | Joseph Biggs Morley Hayes Golf | +12 | F | +6 | 78 | 78 | 156 | 1.00 | ||
| T63 | Rodney Holt Silverstone Golf Club | +12 | F | +6 | 78 | 78 | 156 | 1.00 | ||
| T63 | Paul Bradshaw Gainsborough Golf Club | +12 | F | +6 | 78 | 78 | 156 | 1.00 | ||
| T67 | Matthew Southwell Chase Golf Club | +13 | F | +4 | 81 | 76 | 157 | 1.00 | ||
| T67 | Richard Reed Notts Golf Club | +13 | F | +5 | 80 | 77 | 157 | 1.00 | ||
| T67 | Martyn Brown Oakmere Park Golf Club | +13 | F | +7 | 78 | 79 | 157 | 1.00 | ||
| T67 | Luke Howe Brocton Hall Golf Club | +13 | F | +6 | 79 | 78 | 157 | 1.00 | ||
| T71 | Mike Gallagher Farthingstone Hotel & Golf | +15 | F | +6 | 81 | 78 | 159 | 1.00 | ||
| T71 | Adam Mason AJM Golf | +15 | F | +2 | 85 | 74 | 159 | 1.00 | ||
| T73 | William Davies Melton Mowbray Golf Club | +17 | F | +8 | 81 | 80 | 161 | 1.00 | ||
| T73 | Jonathan Newham Mapperley Golf Club | +17 | F | +10 | 79 | 82 | 161 | 1.00 | ||
| T75 | David Clark Birstall Golf Club | +18 | F | +6 | 84 | 78 | 162 | 1.00 | ||
| T75 | Warwick Holland Redditch Pitcheroak Golf Club | +18 | F | +12 | 78 | 84 | 162 | 1.00 | ||
| 77 | James McDowall Chevin Golf Club | +21 | F | +11 | 82 | 83 | 165 | 1.00 | ||
