GOLF
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SHEPPARTON golfer Brett Bishop has come from nowhere to claim the Wagga City Golf Club championships in dramatic fashion on Sunday.
Bishop came from 10 shots off the lead at the halfway mark of the competition to edge out Junee sportsman Ben Lord in a four-way playoff.
Bishop mastered the wet and windy conditions over the weekend to complete a remarkable comeback and clinch the title for the first time.
Bishop and Lord tied on 312 for the 72-hole event that sent the championships into a four-hole playoff.
The pair parred the first, birdied the second then Bishop was able to get one shot up on the third.
They both parred the fourth to give Bishop victory.
Bishop, 33, moved to Wagga at the start of the year with the RAAF and was pleased to come away with the title.
He admitted he gave himself little hope of victory heading into the final two rounds this weekend.
"I was 10 shots behind on Saturday so the plan was to shoot a decent round on Saturday, which I did, to get close enough for Sunday," Bishop said.
"I was back within two after that.
"I wanted to try and get in the 70s pretty much again on Sunday and it got me a tie, which surprised me."
Bishop shot rounds of 75 and 78 over the weekend while Lord struggled in the conditions with closing rounds of 83 and 80.
Darren Watt, playing with hickory clubs, was a further four shots back in third.
Bishop was unfazed by the pressure the play-off presented.
"It was good, I've played enough pennant golf over the years not to worry about all that," he said.
Bob McKenzie captured the B grade title, while Scott Purcell claimed victory in C grade.
Clarrie Ridley, who finished fourth overall, claimed the senior championship.
Leaderboard
Wagga City Championship
312 Brett Bishop (82-77-75-78)
312 Ben Lord (77-72-83-80)
316 Darren Watt (79-79-78-81)
320 Clarrie Ridley (75-78-80-87)
A grade
Handicap: 287 Ray Bell, 293 Mick Avramovic
B grade
Scratch: Bob McKenzie 341, Jim Neiberding 349
Handicap: Elliott Green 285, Mark McIntyre
C grade
Scratch: Scott Purcell 368, Ryan Mauger
Handicap: Kevin Wales (winner), Rod Whitlock (runnerup)
Gold Medal: Ray Bell
Wal Fawcett matchplay: Bill Whalan
Senior Championship: Clarrie Ridley
