BEN Cummings defied doctor’s orders to win The PGA in Hampshire’s Pro-Am at Burley, thanks to a helping hand from across the Atlantic, writes KEN GAUNT.

Cummings from Brighton Hill, a short-game coach at Golf Principles and pro at Alton, shook off a nagging elbow injury to chalk up a six-under par 65.

That splendid score was enough to give him a two-stroke cushion over Jon Barnes with Christian Tyrrell and Gary Stubbington joint third.

Cummings steered clear of his rivals with a brilliant burst of eagle, birdie, birdie, at the eighth, ninth and 10th holes.

It was a welcome return to form for Cummings, who recently discovered he has moderate tendinopathy in his right elbow and advised not to play for several weeks and then only putting.

The injury stretches back to February 2015 when he suffered a micro tear after lifting a washing machine.

However he carried on playing “I love competing” taking painkillers and the like to try and manage the injury but without success until he arrived at Burley.

His triumph came days after he was prompted by Golf Principles director Jason MacNiven to look at a video by US PGA coach Scott Hamilton, who has his own Academy in Georgia.

With the aid of the Trackman swing analyser, Cummings was able to make adjustments and said: “I hit it lovely. The pain was not as severe as the swing became left-arm dominant.

“I took what I learned into Burley and it was so pleasing to have such a good round as I have really struggled recently. Even hitting balls was difficult.”

“I am due to have surgery on the elbow in six weeks, but I may hold off until October.”