Browned off Stuart aims to find form at Gog Magog

Peterborough professional Stuart Brown is hoping his involvement in the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Championship follows a familiar pattern this season.

But the Thorpe Wood Golf Course player admits it is the years in between that are the problem.

Brown is set to tee off in the East qualifying event at Cambridge’s Gog Magog Golf Club on Tuesday, May 1.

Two years ago, he made it to the grand final at The Oxfordshire and finished third to put him in line for a shot at a place in the Great Britain & Ireland PGA Cup team.

But last year, he came 44th at Luttrellstown Castle Golf Club in Ireland to leave him out of the picture for the clash against the USA at Foxhills.

This time, Brown will be aiming to return to the £78,000  final which will be staged at Little Aston Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield between July 24-27.

“Last year I went to Luttrellstown and I was in a good position for the PGA Cup in the standings for that event, so there was a little bit of pressure on then,” recalled Brown.

“This time there’s a little bit less pressure than there was. But I seem to do better in the years when it doesn’t count quite as much.

“What I’m hoping to do is get to the final and put a few points on the board again - get myself into a similar position once more.”

But if Brown does make it to the final again then he will not have to travel to Ireland and to a venue that was unfamiliar to many of the players.

“Little Aston is relatively local to me so it’ll be nice and central in terms of getting there,” he said.

“But I just didn’t play that well in the final last year, in the end I was happy to make the cut and anything else was a bonus.

“It’s the event that we all look forward to as club professionals though.

“I hope I can play well with a bit of luck.”

Brown admits that his preparations have not been helped by the poor weather conditions.

“It’s been the same for everyone, stop start, and the course has been flooded on a few occasions,” he added.

“That’s made it a bit tricky, I’ll just have to take my chances in the qualifying event. It’s a strong qualifier this year, there’s some good players and it’s not going to be easy, especially as I’m getting a bit older!”