Griffiths Caps First Start With Win - 14/05/2008
DAVID GRIFFITHS capped his first appearance on the 2004 PGA EuroPro Tour with a win as he picked up The ISM Classic title at The Shropshire Golf Centre on Friday. 
Griffiths, representing West Herts, finished with a total score of 205 (11-under-par) to edge out James Holmes by a single shot and claim the £10,000 top prize.
For Griffiths it was a second highlight of the season after he squeezed his way in to the main field for the Open Championship.
Having been marked down as fifth reserve, Griffiths waited patiently for his chance and once top American David Duval had withdrawn, he was handed his spot - although sadly failed to make the cut.
Nevertheless, Griffiths carried the confidence of the experience over as he carded rounds of 69, 68 and 68 over the three days.
Holes nine and 11 were birdied in every round and he made one eagle and four birdies in his final round before a double bogey on 17 threatened to rob him of top spot.
"I'd got off to a really good start but the wind made things tricky towards the end and I lost the plot on the 17th with a double bogey five, he said.
"But I pulled myself together and chipped and putted for a birdie to end on and that proved enough.
"On the back of playing in the Open it's a great win for me and I'm pleased with how I'm playing at the moment."
Holmes, who pocketed £5,000 for his second place finish, had shared the lead after day one with a seven-under-par 65 score, and he stayed in contention until the end until, like Griffiths, he double bogeyed the 17th.
In the end, the 35-foot putt he needed to force a play-off proved a bridge too far and Holmes was forced to settle for second place.
Australian John Wade, who had led overnight after the second round, had a disappointing one-over-par final round to finish on 207 (nine-under-par) for the tournament.
In the end, the first two days efforts were enough to keep Wade in the money, but he admitted his putting had been too poor in his final round to give himself a chance.
Pos | Score | Par | Name | Represents | R1 | R2 | R3 | Prize£ | | 1
| 205
| -11
| David Griffiths (ENG)
| West Herts
| 69
| 68
| 68
| £10,000
| | 2
| 206
| -10
| James Holmes (ENG)
| Mornflake Oats
| 65
| 71
| 70
| £5,000
| | 3
| 207
| -9
| John Wade (AUS)
| Australia
| 68
| 66
| 73
| £2,500
| | 4=
| 209
| -7
| Craig Cowper (ENG)
| World of Golf
| 75
| 68
| 66
| £1,393
| |
|
|
| Eamonn Brady (IRE)
| Ireland
| 69
| 72
| 68
| £1,393
| |
|
|
| Mark Smith (ENG)
| Erewash Valley
| 72
| 68
| 69
| £1,393
| |
|
|
| Sam Pigott (ENG)
| West Malling
| 71
| 66
| 72
| £1,393
| | 8
| 210
| -6
| Geoffrey Harris (ENG)
| Reading Golf Club
| 70
| 70
| 70
| £950
|
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