BLACKBURN golfer Simon Townend might have blown a four-shot lead half-way through the final round of the De Vere Hotels PGA North Region Championship at Heron's Reach.

But Wilpshire-attached Townend, who teaches at Lee Valley Driving Range in Rishton, still managed to raise a smile when he collected his £1,350 winnings for a three-way share of second place - even though that was half the amount he would have won for finishing first.

"I'm a little bit disappointed I didn't go on to win it, but I still enjoyed myself," said Townend.

"I made a couple of bad decisions on the back nine which ended up costing me in the end.

"But that's one of those things."

Townend looked odds on to take the title in the final round after reaching the turn four shots ahead.

But a bogey on the 11th, followed by a disaster on the 15th, saw his lead whittled down and he eventually lost by a shot to Sheffield-based Robert Wragg.

Now he aims to play in as many events as possible until the end of the season before focusing on his teaching work at Lee Valley through the winter where they are hoping to install new floodlights.

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