CIRENCESTER Golf Club pro Ed Goodwin bids for a hat-trick of victories in the Gloucestershire & Somerset PGA medal events this week after completing back-to-back wins.

Having been successful at Bath Golf Club the previous week, Goodwin shared top spot at Cotswold Hills last week along with another in-form local golfer, Rod Hibbitt (Cotswold Edge), when scoring a four under par 68.

For Hibbitt it was also a second win of the season, having triumphed at Brean in early October and it stretched his lead in the Total Triumph Order of Merit to just over ten points.

Cotswold Hills was in excellent condition and, given the good weather, low scoring was inevitable.

At the course where he learnt his golf and spent the early part of his professional career, Goodwin picked up one of only two birdies on the day at the tough uphill 3rd to move under par and then proceeded to take advantage of the reachable par 5s.

He picked up shots at the 5th, 7th and 16th to get to four under with two holes remaining. His only poor shot of the day came at the 17th where a wayward wedge shot cost him his only bogey. He bounced back well with a closing birdie three for his winning total of 68 and his five birdies also shared the birdie sweep money with Taunton Vale assistant James Keitch.

Hibbitt has been the model of consistency this winter and yet again this proved to be the case as he matched his good friend’s score of 68. His card showed no bogeys and his four birdies were logged at the 5th, 7th, 10th and 13th.

With Goodwin and Hibbitt in this sort of form they must rank as firm favourites when they team up to defend their G&S Pairs Championship at Burnham & Berrow in less than a month’s time.