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Unique chance for Merseyside amateur golfers to play with the pros.....
The competition will be staged at Formby, West Lancashire and Royal Birkdale courses.
A unique competition will give amateur golfers the chance to tee up alongside local professionals on one of the most famous stretches of golfing territory in the world.
The England’s Golf Coast 54-hole Pro-Am will be staged right here at our beautiful Formby Golf Club , West Lancashire and Royal Birkdale at the end of April. The tournament forms part of the calendar for the PGA North, which represents professionals in the region.
The inaugural event last year was such a success that interest from outside the region prompted an unprecedented move by the PGA North to open it up nationwide.
“This is a glorious chance for professionals and amateurs to play these three iconic courses,” enthused PGA North secretary Graham Maly. “When we launched the competition we all felt it deserved to be shared with a wider audience.”
The first round will be at Formby on April 28 followed by West Lancs, then Royal Birkdale – voted England’s No 1 course – over the next two days.
Teams will made up of one PGA professional and three amateurs.
Birkdale, where the prize presentation will be staged, is one of the world’s great links courses and will host the Open for the tenth time in 2017.
Former Curtis Cup hosts Formby represents a tough challenge amid the pine trees of the National Trust reserve. It was the scene for a famous battle for the 1984 Amateur Champion-ship title, which saw Jose Maria Olazabal beat Colin Montgomerie 5&4.
West Lancs has been used as an Open qualifying venue and is always tricky with the winds whipping in off the Crosby coastline. Maly added: “We consider it a great honour to stage the event at such fabulous venues and we hope it will attract a full field.”
Geoff Harris, England’s Golf Coast manager, said: “It represents good value for money when you consider the venues and the prizes on offer.”
You can enter a team, which costs £1,500, at pga.info (England & Wales (North) tournaments) or by contacting PGA North on 01204 496137.
The cost includes a £7,000 prize fund based on 20 teams with a prize table and a meal at each venue. The event will be the biggest of 21 pro-ams presented by the PGA North during 2015.
Top of the list are five 36-hole tournaments counting for the Michael Slater Memorial Order of Merit from which the top three will qualify for the national PGA Play-offs
Assistant professionals are also well catered for with a record seven events including the Sue Wright Trophy at Helsby.
Chester club Eaton will host a ladies only pro-am.
Story by By Richard Williamson of Liverpool Echo
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