A pair of amateur golfers from Surrey head to Africa in February for the final of the 2015 Morocco Matchplay, powered by HowDidiDo.

Walton mortgage broker John Hennessy, 53, and 49-year-old Cobham property developer Peter Smart, above, scored 45 points to win the Morocco Matchplay southern regional mixed pairs final at the Manor House Golf Club in Wiltshire last week.

The Pyrford Golf Club members are preparing to travel to Golf de Mogador in Essaouira on Morocco's Atlantic coast for the final.

Hennessy said: "We holed everything - 45 points was a great score.

"When you fill in the form at the start of the season, you never actually expect to get there. We played some very good golfers on the way and we came close to losing matches.

"We've really only just paired up and this is the second success we've had. The chance of success in one competition is slim, let alone twice in one year.

"I've done a charity walk in the Atlas mountains before but I've not played golf.

"I have to say thanks to the Morocco Matchplay because this has been brilliant - the course, the organisation, everyone has been fantastic. And the venue was a brilliant choice."

Smart added: "The key for us was the putts. It wasn't as if we were rolling them up and giving ourselves a little tap-in.

"There were about seven four-to-five footers to hole and we made most of them. And John chipped in on the par-five 15th.

"I've played in this sort of competition for probably 15 years and have never done anything until this year.

"We like this course because we're not big hitters, but fairly straight hitters - John in particular, so it played to his strengths. And the switch to back to matchplay for the final will be good for us."

Four competitions culminate at the grand final - singles, pairs, mixed pairs and senior pairs -  with 32 golfers ultimately fighting it out for the titles in the Moroccan National Tourist Office sponsored event.

The Moroccan National Tourist Office's director for UK and Ireland Amine Boughaleb said: "Last year was the centenary of golf in Morocco and, fittingly, the first year our country was the title sponsor of the HowDidiDo Matchplay.

"The event was such a huge success, however, for both the participants and Morocco, that we were only too happy to renew our association with the competition.

"We are confident that the excellent facilities on offer at both the hotel and golf course will leave the lucky 32 golfers keen to return to see more of our beautiful country."