ABERYSTWYTH golfer Richard James continued his excellent form by finishing second overall on the latest round of the PGA EuroPro Tour, held at Caversham Heath GC, Reading.

James finished just one shot behind Cumbrian James Wilkinson, who shot a four-under-par final round of 69, to win The Pentahotels Championship, with a 10 under overall score of 209.

James, representing Aberdovey Golf Club, and also a member at Aberystwyth, had shot rounds of 70, 67 and 73 to finish on a nine-under total of 210, finishing joint second with Mark Laskey of Brockey Hall/Team Honma.

Both needed a birdie on the last to force a play-off with Wilkinson (Penrith Golf & FootGolf Centre) - having held the clubhouse lead as the final groups played their concluding holes.

Despite scoring birdies on the 4th, 9th, 15th and 17th holes of the final round, James was left to rue a six on the par-four 7th hole, and bogeys on the 13th and 16th as he finished the last round with level par 73, narrowly missing out on the overall victory.

The Aberystwyth man had began the final round sharing a nine-under lead with Haydn McCullen (Delamere Forest) and Nick Cunningham (Bedford and County Golf Club).

Having carded a three under first round score of 70 on the par 73 course, James came close to equalling the course record of eight-under-par in his second round on the Thursday.

After scoring Eagles on the par-five 4th and 15th holes, bogeys on the last two holes meant he had to settle for s six-under par second round of 67.

Three weeks ago, James had won The Lookers Championship at Close House with a 54-hole score of 10 under to claim his first professional title.

The Welshman claimed the £10,000 cheque in dramatic fashion, having trailed Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth Golf Club) for most of the final round.

James shot a final-round 68, three under par, for the win but was three shots back when he hit his tee shot at 13. He birdied that hole and in the group behind Hemstock, then 11 under, bogeyed it to see the gap reduced to one. A birdie at 17 saw James draw level and with the pressure of needing a par at the last Hemstock pulled his tee shot at 18 into the thick rough.

With an unplayable lie he took a penalty drop and his next shot ricocheted off the short wall in front of the green and back onto the fairway.

That left the Devon man, who carded a course-record eight-under-par in his second round, needing to hole his approach to force the play-off. He came up short and double bogeyed the hole to sign for a 73, finishing two back on James on eight under.