PGA professional Ian Walley (left) and club captain Paul Robinson (right). Image courtesy of Getty Images.
[15 November 2011], Shirland Golf Club captain Paul Robinson believes that the club's appearance in The Lombard Challenge in Turkey is a case of perfect timing.
Robinson will join forces for a second time with PGA professional Ian Walley after the duo reached the final of the PGA Pro-Captain Tournament by winning the regional qualifier at Huddersfield Golf Club in July. They will face nine other clubs from across the UK in the £25,000 event being staged over 36-holes at the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club from November 25-26. And Robinson admits the additional publicity from making the final could not have come at a better time for the Alfreton-based club, which is currently trying to attract new members and enhance their junior section.
Robinson said: "It's been a big year for the club where we've been trying to raise our profile by increasing the membership. We've also now got a thriving junior section where we didn't really have one before. We see the younger players as the future of the club and hopefully we can get the parents involved too but getting to the Lombard Challenge final has helped us get the club's name out there as well. There's been a lot of interest in the final at the club with people coming up to us and asking us when we're going. You find yourself saying 'its months away yet' - but suddenly it's upon us and we're really looking forward to it."
Robinson admitted that he Walley had produced a near flawless display to qualify at Huddersfield but knows the final will be a different proposition for the Derbyshire pair.
He added: "I just hope our luck doesn't run out in the final. When we qualified, it was one of those days when everything dropped perfectly. Ian's a very steady player and managed to keep me calm when we were going around so I hope he'll do the same out in Turkey. Ian's had a very good year on the Midland circuit and I've been playing well too, so let's hope that combination works when we're out there. We're both very excited about playing in the final. I know Ian's never been involved in one of these finals before - while I've never even been to Turkey. I'm looking forward not only to getting out there for the golf but I also want to sample some of the culture while I'm in a new country."
The pair would normally have played in the Midland regional qualifier but had to switch to the North East event in West Yorkshire.
Robinson explained: "We took a chance as neither of us had played at Huddersfield before so we went into it 'blind' as it were."
For Lombard meanwhile, the PGA Pro-Captain event has been a welcome return to golf following their long association with the PGA National Pro-Am Championship.
As managing director Alexander Baldock explained: "Having previously enjoyed a very successful relationship with the PGA in sponsoring the PGA National Pro-Am we were confident that partnering with the PGA to present The Lombard Challenge, a PGA Pro-Captain Tournament, would be an exciting initiative to be part of and one that we are very proud of too - and it has proved just that!
"We have seen a great deal of golfing entertainment over the qualifiers and now we look forward to heading off to the finals in Antalya to watch the pros and captains from around the UK battle it out to become this year's champions."
The Lombard Challenge, a PGA Pro-Captain Tournament
2011 Finalists:
| Club | Professional | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| Northampton | Nick Soto | Keith Heard |
| Westerham | James Marshall | Glenn McMahon |
| Malden | Rob Hunter | Terrence Higgins |
| Dukinfield | David Green | Steve Warburton |
| Marriott St Pierre | Craig Dun | Alan Beach |
| Ashbourne | John Dwyer | Martin Farrell |
| Downes Crediton | Barry Austin | Tony Cockayne |
| Shirland | Ian Walley | Paul Robinson |
| Strathaven | Stuart Kerr | Jim Preston |
| Mundesley | Ryan Pudney | David Crosby |
ENDS
For further information please contact Nathaniel Sylvester at PGA Headquarters on 01675 470 333 or e-mail media@pga.org.uk
Visit http://www.pga.info/ProCaptainChallenge.aspx
Visit www.PGA.info for up to date reports and scores throughout the season from The Lombard Challenge and all PGA tournaments
Note 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.
