Visit to Hoylake crowns record year for PGA

Mar 25 2008 by Kelly Lewis, Liverpool Daily Post

ROYAL LIVERPOOL is the jewel in this year’s PGA national tournament schedule – which features the most action-packed and richest programme in its history.

It is the first time that the prestigious Open venue has staged a PGA final as it plays host to the end-of-season Srixon PGA Play-Offs in October, which will determine the country’s number one PGA golfer.

The links course, which saw Tiger Woods claim a third Open Championship in 2006, joins a distinguished group that will host a record 14 tournament finals, boasting prize money of £800,000.

Other venues on this year’s schedule include De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland, while Moortown Golf Club in Leeds, Britain’s first Ryder Cup venue, and Welsh beauty Royal St David’s, both make a welcome return.

In all, the PGA will be staging 70 events across Great Britain and Ireland to find its champions of 2008.

”It is important for the Association that we offer something for everyone and our national programme certainly does that,” said PGA chief executive Sandy Jones.

“From our Assistants Championship to our Super 60s there is not a member who does not have the opportunity to still display their skills on the golf course and we should never forget that golf is first and foremost about playing the game.”

Kicking off the schedule is the Ryder Cup Wales 2010 Welsh Open Young PGA Professional Championship, which is being held over new territory at Anglesey’s Bull Bay Golf Club.

It is one of three RCW2010 events on the calendar with Harlech’s picturesque Royal St David’s hosting the Welsh Open PGA Championship in August followed by the Welsh National PGA Championship, which returns to Cardiff.

The PGA’s flagship event, the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship, will return to Moortown for the first time since 1976. Northants County stages the Senior PGA Professional Championship at the end of May, with exemptions available to both the PGA Seniors Championship and the Weston Homes PGA International Seniors.

De Vere Slaley Hall will host the four-day PGA Seniors Championship in late August.

SCHEDULE

April 24/25: Welsh Open Young PGA Championship

May 28/30: PGA Senior Club Pro Championship

July 30/Aug 1: PGA Professional Championship

Aug 5/7: Welsh Open PGA Championship

Aug 13/15: PGA Assistants’ Championship

Aug 21/24: PGA Seniors Championship

Aug 27/28: PGA Super 60’s Tournament

Sept 2/5: Welsh National PGA Championship

Sept 12/14: PGA International Seniors

Oct 1/3: PGA Fourball Championship

Oct (TBA): PGA Play-Offs