The PGA's brightest crop of players will undergo a stern test of their abilities after East Sussex National was revealed as the new host of the Powerade PGA Assistants' Championship in association with FootJoy.
It sees a return to the PGA national schedule for one of the country's premier golfing venues having staged the Assistants' Championship in 1992 and the PGA Fourball Championship in 1991.
The tournament, which carries a prize fund of £32,500 and an invite to the 2011 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth for the winner, will be played over the challenging East Course between July 28-30.
The East Course's pedigree is unquestioned having played host to two European Opens featuring some the cream of world golf including major winners Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and Jose Maria Olazabal, as well staging five Challenge Tour events and Tour school.
Derek Howe, general manager at East Sussex National, said: "We welcome the opportunity to stage the PGA Assistants' Championship.
"This will give the competitors the opportunity of taking up the challenge of the renowned East Course at East Sussex National and see them follow in the footsteps of the likes of Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Vijay Singh to name but a few of the world's greatest players who have competed at the National."
This year, as well as hosting the PGA Assistants' Championship, which was first competed for in 1930, it will also play host to Open qualifying - a further testament to its quality.
Simon Higginbottom, head of golf operations at the PGA, said: "The East Course at East Sussex National is a proven championship venue and will no doubt prove to be a tough test for our best assistant professionals."
A field of 120 players will contest the championship with upwards of 500 assistant professionals attempting to qualify via seven regional qualifiers - including 2008 champion Guy Woodman of East Berkshire, who finished second last year.
It will be his third and final attempt to compete in the tournament, with entry only open to those undergoing their three-year PGA training programme.
The championship has been won by some of the biggest names in British golf including two-time major champion and Ryder Cup-winning captain Tony Jacklin, Peter Alliss (eight Ryder Cup appearances), Harry Weetman (six appearances and 1965 captain) and Dai Rees (nine appearances and captain five times).
Charlotte Goff, account manager for Coca Cola Enterprises, whose products include Powerade, said: "It's our seventh year supporting the tournament and as always we're looking forward to another excellent year of golf.
"It also promises to be an exciting championship with a new final venue and one that possesses such a tournament pedigree."
The regional qualifiers will be staged at Verulam, Coombe Wood, Whittlebury Park, Auchterarder, County Meath, Cirencester and Penwortham.
08 February, 2010