Dundonald Links to stage Final in June

Glenmuir glory

beckons at PGA

Professional

Championship

PRESS RELEASE
One of the strongest qualifying venue line-ups in history has been unveiled for the 2009 Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship.
The challenging selection of courses includes a past Open and Ryder Cup venue and the Seve Ballesteros-Jeff Howes designed Heritage course in Ireland which staged the Seve Trophy in 2007.
The eight-strong list of venues for the regional qualifiers reflects the prestige of the £78,000 event, which winning remains a pinnacle of achievement for Great Britain and Ireland’s PGA professionals.
Prince’s, scene of Gene Sarazen’s 1932 Open triumph, will host the South qualifier on Wednesday, May 20 with England’s first Ryder Cup venue, Moortown, bringing the curtain down on the qualifiers on Monday, June 1.
“As always we have an outstanding line-up of venues throughout the qualifying stages and with a return to Scotland for the final and the additional incentive of winning a PGA Cup place I suspect this year’s championship will be more closely contested than ever,” said PGA chief executive Sandy Jones.
The first competitive blows of the qualifiers begin at Hadley Wood in the East Region on Thursday, April 30 with Ireland’s pros beginning their quest for qualification in County Louth at The Heritage on Wednesday, May 6 with the testing links of Hesketh staging the north west qualifier on Friday, May 8.
Dundonald Links (pictured above), which is hosting the final on June 16-19, will stage the Scottish qualifier on Tuesday, May 12 with The Players Club hosting West Region pros on Monday, May 18.
The Harry Vardon-designed Little Aston again serves the Midland pros on Friday, May 22.
“This year’s list of qualifying venues is amongst the strongest we have ever been able to put together,” said Glenmuir marketing director Andy Bough.
“With an earlier June final in Scotland and the PGA Cup also in Scotland in September we are looking forward to a great year supporting PGA tournament golf.”
In total 156 players will compete in the championship at Dundonald Links with the added incentive of attempting to secure a place on the 2009 Great Britain & Ireland team to take on America in the PGA Cup at The Carrick at Loch Lomond from September 18-20.
The top 10 finishers at Dundonald also gain exemption from regional qualifying for the 2010 Open Championship at St Andrews.
Regional qualifiers:
EAST – Hadley Wood, Thursday 30 April
IRISH – The Heritage, Wednesday 06 May
NORTH (West) – Hesketh, Friday 08 May
SCOTTISH – Dundonald Links, Tuesday 12 May
WEST – The Players Club, Monday 18 May
SOUTH – Prince’s, Wednesday 20 May
MIDLAND – Little Aston, Friday 22 May
NORTH (East) – Moortown, Monday 01 June
Championship Final:
Dundonald Links, Tuesday 16 – Friday 19 June