Benson and Campbell try to emulate Poulter

Leighton Buzzard head PGA Professional Maurice Campbell will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of Ian Poulter by qualifying for the Lombard Trophy Final.

Campbell and amateur partner Lawrie Benson are in action in the regional final which is being played at Studley Wood Golf Club, Oxfordshire, on Friday 19 July.           

And if they make it to the final they will emulate Ryder Cup star Poulter who reached the Lombard Trophy grand final in 1996 when he was a young PGA Pro at Leighton Buzzard.

Poulter, who will be starring in next week’s Open Championship at Muirfield, finished joint fourth overall with then-partner Peter Brennan and if Campbell and Benson win at Studley they will secure a place in the £43,600 grand final which will be held at the PGA Centerary Course in Gleneagles from September 3-4.

New Zealander Campbell, who has been at Leighton Buzzard for 18 years, admitted he was well aware of Poulter’s achievement.

“It would be wonderful to emulate what Ian Poulter did. It’s a little bit of club history and we’ll be going for it.”

Benson, 61, an electrical engineer with London Underground, plays off a handicap of nine will be taking tips from his son Graham before he gets to Studley Wood.

“I’ve not played there before but my son has and all I’ve heard is good things,” added Benson, who has been a member at Leighton Buzzard for 33 years.

“I’ve not been playing too badly recently, but with the job I do I can really only play at the weekends so I don’t get the opportunity to practise as much as I would like.

“It’ll be difficult for us to match what Poulter did, but we’ll be trying our very best.”

Other players taking part at Studley Wood include former Glenmuir champion Paul Simpson and Richard Mulddon (West Berkshire); Rodney Holt and John Bradley (Silverstone); Alistair White and Shaun Franklin (Royal Ascot); Joe Templer and Terry Hearmon (Reading); Steve Geary and Paul Horbur (Maidenhead) and Lee Jackson and Robert Jackson (North Oxford).