LIAM Bond, the 42-year-old Marriott St Pierre-based Lancastrian, made it back-to-back victories by hanging on to take the Microsoft Services Masters at Bowood after winning the Total Triumph Classic at Oake Manor.

After leading by one shot he carded level par in worsening conditions to ease out Sion Bebb (Vale Hotel) by two shots with Richard O'Hanlon (The Point at Polzeath), Scott Porter (Dorset Golf & Country Club) and Stuart Little (Minchinhampton New) a further shot back in third.

On a day when scoring was as difficult as in this year’s US Open over a tough course, Bond was always in command.

For a second time he negotiated the front nine perfectly in three-under-par 33 and held a four-shot lead over playing partner Little and was six in front of Bebb in the group ahead.

“I was almost flawless for the first 27 holes but the final nine holes played as tough as it gets when the wind came up and it started raining heavily,” he said.

“Bowood is a magnificent course but it is really a strong finish here as you can see by the scores.”

He three-putted the tenth, smashed a couple of drives into the long, clinging rough bogeying the 14th, found the fairway bunker to drop another at the 17th and three-putted the last.

The steady Bebb is a danger every time he tees up and two par rounds have propelled him into top spot in the order of merit ahead of Bond and previous leader Paul Hendriksen (Dinnaton) who shared 15th place.

O’Hanlon became the clubhouse leader after an outstanding back nine of one-under-par before the rain affected the later starters.

“I felt that if I had birdied the last, which was possible, I had a good chance with the weather closing in,” he said.

“A top ten place looked possible but to climb 15 places into third was a real bonus.

Rod Hibbitt (Cotswold Edge), who made only his second career ace with a 7-iron on the third the previous day, would have finished far higher than sixth but for four three putts in his 74.

Joe Ferguson (Celtic Manor) shot a best-of-the-day 69 to share seventh despite hitting three balls off the 18th tee. He thanked playing partner Richard Sadler (Killiow) who found his first ball just within the five-min.

Martyn Cole, the director of retail, communications and media for Microsoft Services who was last year’s Bowood captain, made the presentations, helped by Bowood director of golf Paul McLean who organised the three-day event.

McLean shot 76 and 73 for a 149 total to finish 14th.

Meanwhile, Nick Brennan is playing the best golf of his life after providing one of the shocks in the Glenmuir Club Professionals Championship at Slaley Hall where he finished fourth to win a place in the PGA Cup team to play against the United States in September.

Now the 30-year-old Dubliner has achieved his first pro-am win in his seventh year as professional at Bowood.

He shot four-under-par 67 over his home course in the Microsoft Masters pro-am that preceded the Race to Woodbury Park 36-hole order of merit tournament.

Brennan, who earned a degree in golf management at Birmingham University, and then worked at Hambrook Golf Centre in Bristol for a year, made birdies at the two par fives on the front nine, the first and sixth, but dropped shots at the par fours fourth and fifth.

His challenge really started over the last eight holes with four pars and birdies at the par three 11th, par fives 12th and 13th and another at the par four 16th where a bunker in the centre of the fairway can catch even the best drives.

But he was denied outright victory by Sian Bebb, who has been in dominant form in the West this year.

He would have won but he dropped his only shot on the par-four final hole where bunkers either side of the fairway tend to catch even the best hit drives.

He birdied the seventh and eighth and added three more in succession from the 12th in the steadiest round of the day.

Michael Watson (Wessex) was tied third after starting with nine pars before he dropped his only shot at the tenth. He finished with birdies at the 12th, 16th and 17th.

Lee Thompson (Dudsbury) also carded two-under after starting with two birdies. He dropped shots at the eighth and 1t5th and regained them at the 13th and 16th.

Selected Microsoft Masters scores - 152: Nicolas Brennan (Bowood Golf & Country Club) 76 76 £108.

153: Craig Bell (Ogbourne Downs) 75 78 £97.

155: Iain Ferrie (West Wilts) 77 77 £91. Barry Forster (North Wilts) 75 79 £91.

155: Andrew Beal (Salisbury & South Wilts) 78 77.

159: Daniel Carter (Upavon) 80 79.

160: Harry Bird (Bowood) 82 78.

161: Tim Miescher (Bowood) 78 83.

163: Alex Pike (Cumberwell Park) 77 86.

MORE PICTURES FROM THE MICROSOFT MASTERS IN NEXT WEEK'S GAZETTE & HERALD