Big guns line up for Denbigh showdown

The PGA in Cheshire and North Wales breaks new ground next week with a new tournament at Denbigh.

First up is a curtain-raising pro-am on June 12 which will feature 15 teams.

But the main course will be the GW Insurance Cheshire and North Wales Masters the following day which has attracted a field of 48 professionals, many of whom are household names in the region.

Top of the hit parade is Carden Park's former European Tour player Garry Houston, above, who equalled the course record in the Brough Pro-am this week and bids for a Leeds Cup hat-trick at Howley Hall in August.

Fellow Welshman Matthew Tottey, from North Wales Golf Club, defends his PGA North Region Championship crown at Carus Green on June 15-16.

And Pennant Park's former PGA Cup player Andrew Barnett will also be a strong contender at Denbigh along with the likes of Birchwood's Phil Archer, back in the region after nine years on tour; the irrepressible David Shacklady, from Mossock Hall, and Hart Common's Steve Parry, another former Leeds Cup winner.