Hoylake to host finale in race to be PGA’s top shot

Feb 26 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

ROYAL LIVERPOOL is to host the finale of the race to be crowned the PGA’s number one professional.

The Hoylake links will stage the 2008 Srixon PGA Play-Offs in October.

The Open venue, which returned to the rota in 2006 after a 39-year absence and has played host to golf’s greatest players, further enhances the growing status of the end-of-season PGA Play-Offs, which offers the leading finishers a gateway to European and Challenge Tour events.

Now in its third year, the race to be acclaimed Great Britain and Ireland’s best player promises to be an exciting contest with the field restricted to just 21 players pitting their wits against each other over 36 holes of one of the toughest links courses in the country.

And in addition to the prize money and the title of the country’s best professional, the extra incentive for competitors is entry to four of Europe’s biggest events - the BMW PGA Championship, Celtic Manor Wales Open, Barclays Scottish Open and European Open.

At last year’s event Mossock Hall pro David Shacklady secured himself starts at a handful of Challenge Tour events after finishing fifth.

Shacklady carded level-par rounds of 72 on both days of the tournament and won invitations to the FirstPlus Wales Challenge, Challenge of Ireland and the Scottish Challenge.

Shacklady admitted afterwards that he thought his chance had passed him by, saying: “If I’m honest I played poorly. I’ve hung in at the end because I’ve had a penalty shot at the seventh and bogeyed the ninth, which left me two up at the turn and I was struggling.

“The way I was playing I couldn’t see anyway back. But I managed to hole a massive putt at 17 for eagle.”

Given the rewards on offer, PGA chief executive Sandy Jones believes Hoylake will offer the perfect test.

“The PGA play-offs has, in a short space of time, become a crucial event for our members who wish to pursue opportunities with the European Tour,” he said.

“It is therefore vital that their skills are examined on a course such as Hoylake, which is one of the finest tests in world golf.

“This point was well proved when we watched and admired the skills of Tiger Woods in winning the Open in 2006.

“I am sure the play-off winner will be a worthy champion on such a fine links.”

Southwell professional Paul Streeter landed the crown at Notts last October, with World of Golf’s Gary Marks triumphing at Woodhall Spa in 2006.

This year’s autumn battle, with Royal Liverpool hosting the event on October 21-22, will bring the curtain down on another intense season of domestic competition with in excess of 1,500 professionals bidding to reach the finale.

Qualification can only be secured through the Professional Golfers Association’s seven regional Order of Merit tables, with only the top three booking their berth. Houghwood’s Barry Taylor also qualified for last year’s event.

Advanced Fellow of the PGA and Royal Liverpool head professional John Heggarty, who was canvassed ahead of the announcement, believes Hoylake will prove an ideal venue for the tournament.

“Hopefully the professionals who come here enjoy playing this classic links course, which should prove an excellent test of golf for the best PGA players,” said Heggarty.

“Hoylake maintains its condition right through the year and it should be in excellent condition for the play-offs.”

The tie-up with Royal Liverpool, which will stage a PGA final for the first time in its history, comes just four months after Srixon agreed a three-year deal to sponsor the play-offs and has been welcomed by Leslie Hepsworth, UK and Europe CEO for Srixon.

“We think it’s a fantastic venue and we’re very pleased to be going to an Open venue and I’m confident the professionals will be too,” he said.