Captain Bevan upbeat as first three players for PGA Cup team revealed

Newly crowned PGA No 1 Niall Kearney, Jason Levermore and David Dixon have booked their flights to California after becoming the first three players to seal their place in the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team.

The experienced trio – who will all be making their PGA Cup debuts - will be part of a 10-man team captained by Jon Bevan that will take on their US counterparts at CordeValle next September in the Ryder Cup equivalent for PGA Professionals.

They claimed their places after three days of intense competition in the Titleist PGA Play-Offs over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club.

Royal Dublin attache Kearney, just 26, played in the 2009 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team in the United States and will draw on that experience next autumn.

“I don’t know the full extent of the PGA Cup but it’s a top event and I’m delighted to have got in the team,” he said.

“Team golf is not something that happens every day and it’s going to be really good. The Walker Cup was a great experience for me and hopefully the PGA Cup will be something similar.”

Levermore, who has had a remarkable season having won the Golfplan Pro-Captain Challenge, topped his regional Order of Merit and was runner-up at the PGA Professional Championship and the Play-Offs, admitted he was glad to cement his place in the team.

“I just know what this means to everyone else,” said the 35-year-old. “Everyone I have spoken to and who has played in it has said how good an event it is and how much they’re up for it.

“I can’t wait to get out there. I know GB&I have never beaten America on US soil and if we could beat them out there, then to be part of the first team to do that would be fantastic.

“There’s three good players in and I know Bevan’s going to be a great captain as well. We’ve been texting and messaging each other before I came out to Turkey and he basically said ‘get my backside in gear and book my spot’ so I am pleased to get that spot.”

Dixon, a European Tour winner in 2008, is relishing the prospect of playing under Bevan, who he knows well from their time competing together in the regions.

“Listening to the guys talking this week it sounds brilliant and I know Jon from him being in our region,” he said.

“I love team golf. I played for England when I was an amateur and loved it. I love match play and I’m really looking forward to it but it’s not really sunk in yet.

“I can’t wait to get out there. Going over to the States and playing there is going to be awesome.” Bevan, a two-time PGA Cup player and vice-captain in 2011 when GB&I claimed a spectacular draw against their rivals, congratulated the players on making the side.

“My initial reaction is I’m delighted with the top three,” he said. “When it came down to the last round, when it really mattered, all three stepped up and posted the three best scores under the severest pressure and they comfortably met the challenge.

“They beat the who’s who of club pros so thoroughly deserve their places in the team.

“I’m really pleased to see Jason Levermore as a club pro in there. He’s probably ticked off another box for the targets he has set himself this year.

“If you look at him you would think a strong gust of wind would blow him over but he is very talented and has achieved a lot for a club pro in terms of results such as making the cut at the BMW PGA Championship.

“I’ve known David Dixon from my time in the West Region and he is a fabulous player. Very easy going, super talented, I think two or three years ago he won Q-school and maintains a very high level of performance.

“Niall has got a great pedigree. He’s played the Walker Cup, sampling match play at the highest level that he could at the time and will be a great asset.

“I’m thrilled I’ve got three top, top players on the team sheet but we are going to need seven guys to go with them of similar ability because we are not going to win the PGA Cup with just three.

“I feel for the guys slightly further down who missed out at the PGA Play-Offs but they have got a massive chance at next year’s PGA Professional Championship and most of them if not all of them are on my ever growing list of potential captain’s picks.”