Wychwood PGA professional Adam Souter. Image courtesy of www.gettyimages.com
[12 August 2011] Golf captains from the South Region will team up with their club PGA professionals later this month bidding to reach a prestigious European final.
Pairs from across the Home Counties and southern England will descend on The Oxfordshire on August 24 to compete in the qualifier for the Lombard Challenge, a PGA pro-captain tournament.
At stake is a place in the grand final being staged at Turkey's Antalya Golf Club where 10 teams of captains and PGA pros will contest a £25,000 prize fund over 36-holes on the testing PGA Sultan Course from November 25-26.
Among the clubs seeking to triumph at the qualifier are Philip Bonsall and captain Chris Gill from Brighton & Hove Golf Club; David Ledingham and Andrew Lawrie of Chestfield Golf Club; Steve Geary and Jamie Williamson from Maidenhead Golf Club; and Nicholas Mitchell and John Graham from Newbury Golf Centre.
Also in action will be Wychwood Golf Club captain Darren Carver who teams up with PGA pro Adam Souter.
Like many of the captains, Carver confesses he might have a few nerves come the day of the qualifier, but the 20 handicapper can point to some form having bagged second spot in a captain/lady captain's event at the Thame venue.
And if he can summon up more good form and clinch a place in the final Carver knows it would be a welcome boost for the club's profile.
Souter meanwhile goes into the qualifier after coming joint fourth in the PGA National Pro-Am Championship qualifier at Camberley Heath earlier this month.
"Our club has never really done well in this sort of event so we're hoping we can make a mark this time," said Carver.
"It would certainly raise the profile of our club if we can get to a final like this so there's a big incentive to do well.
"However my golf is very erratic to be honest but I did play The Oxfordshire recently and came second with our lady captain so
that's given me some experience of the course.
"It's a nice place to play golf but it's very open and exposed and how difficult it will be will depend on what the weather
is like on the day."
ENDS
Full results from the event at The Oxfordshire can be found at: http://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi11/event/pgagbi1140/index.htm
Visit http://www.pga.info/ProCaptainChallenge.aspx for more information on The Lombard Challenge For further information or alternative images please contact Nathaniel Sylvester at PGA Headquarters on 01675 470 333 or e-mail media@pga.org.uk. Visit www.PGA.info for up to date reports and scores throughout the season from The Lombard Challenge and all PGA tournaments
Notes to Editors
Lombard is part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group. As one of the largest asset financiers in the UK and voted Best Leasing & Asset Finance Provider by Business Moneyfacts in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Lombard provides various forms of asset finance to businesses of varying sizes - from SMEs to large corporates. Products include Hire Purchase, Finance Lease, Operating Lease, Sale and Leaseback, Contract Hire, to Contract Purchase, as well as multi-specialist asset finance products such as marine, aviation and specific wholesale and stocking funding for distributors and dealerships.
Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2011, Lombard is headquartered in Redhill, Surrey, with an extensive network of business centres situated throughout the UK, and is an appointed representative of The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
