All change for the County set

Essex go into the PGA in England and Wales Inter-County Championship seeking an unprecedented hat-trick of victories but will have to achieve it under the competition’s revised format and at a new venue.

The competition was launched in 2013 and five teams, each comprising three players, contested the final at The Belfry after qualifying via regional qualifiers.

There have been no regional qualifiers this year, however, and 27 counties will compete in the 36-hole final at nearby Sutton Coldfield Golf Club.

In addition, each team will comprise two players and, unlike previous finals which were determined by the two best scores from three over two rounds, the format for round one is fourball stroke play and round two foursomes stroke play.

The increased number of teams competing in a tournament which carries a £17,500 prize fund with £4,000 going to the winning pair means some of The PGA’s most accomplished players will be taking part.

Jason Levermore (top), who won the PGA East region Order of Merit for the sixth time last week and was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team in Texas last month, will line up for Essex.

Playing alongside Lloyd Kennedy, Levermore is the sole survivor from the trio that triumphed in 2017 and 18.

Matt Cort, another member of the 2019 PGA Cup team, will represent Leicestershire and, after doing his stint as vice-captain in Texas, Michael Watson will be back in action for Dorset.

The list of competitors also includes two former PGA Professional Championship winners:  Danny Greenwood and Andrew Willey.

They will be representing Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire respectively while the reigning English PGA champion Paul Hendriksen will line up for Devon alongside his brother Dan.

• Categories:
• PGA England & Wales Inter-County Championship