Basildon to host PGA East Anglian Open Championship
29/01/2014
Basildon Golf Club is to be the home of the prestigious PGA East Anglian Open on September 15 and 16.
This championship has previously been won by famous golfing names such as Eddie Whitcombe, Brian Huggett and Lionel Platts. In 1997 Ian Poulter was presented with the silver trophy.
It will be the fifth of six PGA in England (East) Order of Merit events this year with Mark Hooper the defending OOM champion.
The first championship on the schedule is the Weston Homes plc /Bishop’s Stortford Classic in June 4 and 5, and less than a fortnight later the Essendon Country Club will host the PGA East Region Championship on their New Course.
There are also two events in July both sponsored by Weston Homes plc. The Region returns to Colchester Golf Club after a gap of three years for their Classic on July 23 and 24.
Four days later there is a seaside test set by the Royal Cromer Classic where they will be hoping for better luck with the weather after the second day of their 125th anniversary event was called off last May because of fog. This left Nick Pateman of Pinner Hill as the winner on the strength of his first round.
The final two order of merit events are both in September. The PGA East Anglian Open at a venue at which PGA Professional Colin Jenkins has taken a long lease from the Basildon council with exciting plans to restore this course to its former glory.
The Rayleigh Club will host the final event which will settle which three players will represent the East in the PGA Play-Offs in Turkey from November 20 to 23.
There are the usual trio of two-day Classics. The Searles’ Leisure PGA Spring Classic will be at Hunstanton and King’s Lynn on April 10 and 11.
The Marstons Beer Company Summer Classic will be at Royal Cromer and Sheringham on July 8 and 9. The Ingrebourne Links Autumn Classic will be at Aldeburgh and Thorpeness on October 2 and 3. The format is for a professional and an amateur with foursomes (or perhaps Greensomes) Stableford on the first day with a better ball round on the second day.
There will also be a range of new venues on a long list of pro-ams throughout the season including at The Grove and Brooksmans Park.
“The commitment and generosity of our sponsors plays a large part in success of our order of merit tournaments which I anticipate will be shown both on television and on YouTube attached to our website,” said John Smith, secretary of The PGA in England (East).
“I hope that competitors will take advantage of the special rates both at Heacham Manor Hotel and at Searles Leisure for the Spring Classic and that professionals will recommend the North Norfolk Tour, with rounds at Hunstanton, Heacham Manor and King’s Lynn to their friends and club members.
