The season ending Total Triumph Strokeplay Championship 2024 at Lilley Brook Golf Club took a mammoth playoff lasting 7 holes to crown Ross Langdon champion after a day of fantastic golf from two standout players.

Brickhampton Court’s Ross Langdon and Weston Super Mare Assistant Ali Balcombe were both 5 under the card for the 2 rounds and it took another 7 additional holes to separate them with Langdon taking the spoils.

For once the weather co-operated with the Pro’s plans and the heavy overnight rain ceased as play began and remained dry throughout the day on the well-prepared and challenging course on the outskirts of Cheltenham.

Langdon set the pace in the morning with a blistering opening to his round and was seven under par after 13 holes.

A couple of bogies slowed his progress but a birdie at the last saw him signing for a round of 63.

Balcombe, playing in the group in front, started more serenely and was level par arriving at the 12th tee.

Five birdies in the next seven holes and just 29 strokes on the homeward run though took him to within one of lunchtime leader Langdon.

Mark Plummer of the host club matched the par of 69 to sit third with Jamie Clare (Long Sutton) and Mark Singleton (Wheathill) another stroke further back.

After lunch, Langdon started slowly and dropped a couple of strokes but had regained them all by the time he boarded the 17th tee.

Unfortunately, a bogey 4 followed and this brought him back level with Balcombe who had posted the clubhouse lead on -5 after his level par round including another sub-par back nine.

Jamie Clare ended the day in third with a 142 total, a distant 9 strokes behind the leading duo.

Host Professional Ed Goodwin recovered from a poor morning circuit with a best of the afternoon 68 to share 4th with Plummer on 143.

Into extra time the leading pair went and halved the opening hole in birdie threes.

Balcombe produced a superb up and down to stay alive at the second after driving into trouble.

The first two holes were played again and were both halved thanks to more Balcombe short game magic at the tricky second again.

A third ‘lap’ of the opening pair of holes still didn’t find the winner but a trip over to the par three third hole did the trick as Langdon won his second Total Triumph Strokeplay title with a part 3 that Balcombe failed to match.

Langdon had already secured his retention of the Total Triumph Order of Merit title before the playoff commenced.

His morning round gave him enough breathing space to prevent second placed Singleton being able to get in a blow.

In the end Goodwin just failed to overhaul Singleton and remained third with Balcombe leaping up to 4th ahead of Brean’s Andrew March who missed the event through illness.

Oli Storrer (Gloucester Golf Centre) and Scott Bellinger (Cannington) took 6th and 7th place respectively ahead of Luke Derrick (Clevedon) who rounded out the top 8, and Clare was awarded the leading Trainee prize.