The production line of outstanding talent continues out of Western Australia with amateur Haydn Barron recording his first win in a professional event at the two-day Mitchell and Brown Spalding Park Open at Spalding Park Golf Club in Geraldton on Sunday.
With veterans and accomplished PGA Tour of Australasia players eager to apply early pressure, Barron began Sunday’s second round with a three-stroke advantage and did enough to hold them at bay, closing with a 3-under par round of 69 and a two-round total of 9-under for a one-stroke victory.
Runner-up at the WA Open to fellow amateur Hayden Hopewell late last year, Barron continues to build an impressive resume as he considers the possibility of joining the professional ranks.
With the Spalding Park Golf Club presented in impeccable fashion and weather to match a charge was bound to come from somewhere and two players in particular ensured Barron had to work to the end.
Kwinana Pro-Am winner Andrew Kelly peeled off five birdies in his final 10 holes in a round of 5-under 67 to reach 8-under for the 36-holes while the round of the day came from part-time professional Stephen Dartnall.
Like Kelly, the 2016 WA PGA champion did the majority of his best work on the back nine, making the turn in 2-under and adding further birdies at 10, 11, 15 and 17 to shoot 6-under 66 and earn outright third position.
Former Spalding Park Open winner Dean Alaban added a second straight round of 2-under 70 to earn a share of fourth alongside Simon Houston who had an eagle, six birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey in a wildly fluctuating round of 5-under 67.
The next Adidas Pro-Am Series event scheduled for Western Australia is the Rio Tinto Karratha Pro-Am at Karratha Country Club on Thursday.
