World champ: Powerplay winner David Kemp
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David Kemp, representing Merrist Wood Golf Club, is the inaugural UK Crown Golf PowerPlay Champion - after winning the title at Hampton Court Palace Golf Club at the weekend. The 20-year-old, three handicapper from Guildford, Surrey recorded 34pts over nine holes to edge out Pete Day from Staffordshire.
The event, the brainchild of former Walker Cup captain Peter McEvoy places two flags on each green - a white one in an easy spot and a black one in a less accessible position. You have at least three chances to improve your score by converting black flag birdies in the first eight holes but can lose points at the last if you nominate black for bonus points and fail to record at least nett par.
Kemp, a supermarket clerk, stood on the final hole one point behind Day, the clubhouse leader Day and two ahead of Sean Lockyer, from Pyrford, who had earlier staked his own claim with a brilliant Black Flag bonus PowerPlay on the last - rocketing him from 24pts to 30pts.
But needing just two points Kemp played
it cool and played safe for a two-point par to the white flag to win by one.
Kemp shot a gross 4-under par 32 to collect an impressive 20pts from his three mandatory 'PowerPlays' and said: "to become the first PowerPlay Golf champion anywhere in the world is amazing. I love the format. It's quick, it's exciting and it really makes you think about when to attack and when to defend. It has a real future in golf and
I'll be defending my title next year.”
Forty golfers played in the final after successfully negotiating qualifiers held at 29 Crown Golf courses in the UK.
Peter Manby, Chief Exec of Crown Golf, said: “We are a forward-thinking organisation that likes to give new experiences to our members, and PowerPlay Golf -the equivalent of 20/20 cricket has captured their imagination.”
Forty-two countries have now adopted the format.
