ROSS Golf Club assistant professional Zach Galliford showcased remarkable composure to win the 2024 Asbri Welsh National PGA Championship at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club.
Battling through challenging weather conditions, he emerged as the only player to finish under par, securing victory by four shots from Chelmsford’s Andrew Pestell.
Zach’s victory at Pyle and Kenfig adds to his impressive list of achievements, having won the Welsh Amateur Championship in 2016 at Southerndown Golf Club, and now joins a select group of golfers to have captured both titles.
After two tough rounds on Saturday to Sunday, September 4-5, where relentless rain on day two tested players' endurance, Zach carded rounds of 70 and 71 to finish one-under-par.
And the Tim Hall School of Golf assistant at the Gorsley-based Ross club said: “It's great to have won such a prestigious event and one of the tournaments I look forward to the whole year – great to get over the line and be victorious.
“On the first day I really just stayed patient out there. I knew it was going to be tough on day two but I started extremely well.
"I didn't hit many greens, but I could rely on my short game and putting, which was a big relief and a big stepping stone in terms of my golf too.
"The weather really turned on that back nine – there was a lot of rain and the ball wasn't going very far, so it was just all about trying to hit one shot at a time, try and just find the fairway and then go from there really.
"Stay patient, think smart and try to be mentally really good for whatever was thrown at me.
“It was great to win the Welsh Amateur at Southerndown Golf Club just down the road, and then to win the professional now is phenomenal. I'm not sure how many people have done it, so it’s great.”
Zach credited his familiarity with the challenging coastal courses of Wales, having grown up playing at Borth & Ynyslas Golf Club.
The finance graduate at The University of Texas at Arlington added: “The conditions were tough, but I’ve always enjoyed playing in Wales, where you have to be resilient and adapt to what the weather throws at you."