SOMERSET golfer David Dixon finished one behind last season’s Total Triumph Order of Merit winner, Giuseppe Licata from Bristol Golf Centre, who opened his winning account for this season with a six under par 65 at The Kendleshire last week.

Licata’s score was built upon a super fast start which saw him race to 6 under par in the opening five holes.

A wet and dismal morning greeted the players as they arrived for one of the most popular events of the year.

The excellent drainage at the well appointed Bristol venue coped with ease with the morning deluge and play began on time with the early starters having to contend with the still falling rain.

The course played up to it usual high standard with the quality reflected in the scores the pro’s produced.

Licata was one of those early starters but the drizzle could not prevent his superb start to the round.

He opened with a brace of birdies before an eagle at the long third was sandwiched by another brace of birdies at the fourth and fifth.

A three putt bogey halted his momentum slightly at the ninth but he still turned in just 31 strokes.

His second and final bogey of the day came at the 12th before he picked those shots back up with birdies at the 13th and 18th to accumulate eight ‘gains’ which also not surprisingly scooped him the birdie sweep too.

The runner up Dixon is coming in a nice run of form before he begins his quest to regain his European Tour card next month. He could not match Licata’s start though and a couple of makeable putts slipped by before he got into his stride.

He picked up shots with birdies at the fourth, fifth, 12th, 13th and 16th plus an eagle at the par five eighth with his dropped shots coming at the first and seventh.

In third spot was David Williams, who maintained his excellent start in G&S events.

The left handed Knowle Assistant beat par by three to finish in the prize money for the third Medal in a row.

Another player who can claim that same feat is fourth placed Dan Toogood from Weston.

His 69 brought him fourth place and moved him up to second in the Order of Merit behind the new leader Ross Langdon. Langdon rounded out the top 5 on the day with a one under par 70 and he now holds a slender one point advantage over the young Somerset 1st year Assistant.

Five players tied on 71 including Kevin Pitts who claimed the Over 40’s Sweep.

Next week the G&S PGA travel to the other side of the City of Bristol with Bristol and Clifton being the host venue in seven days time.