College hoping to be a different class at Goodwood

Alan Lovelace will be hoping youth has its day when he tees off at the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge South qualifier.

Lovelace (pictured) is the experienced PGA Professional at Guildford’s Merrist Wood College Golf Club but his captain will be student Robert Scully who plays off a handicap of five.

The duo will team up for a shot at national golfing glory when they tee up at Golf at Goodwood on August 27, bidding to reach the £25,000 final which is supported by Canopius and will be staged at the PGA Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club, Turkey, from November 21-22.

And former finalist Lovelace will be aiming to go one better than last year when he just missed out on winning the qualifying event.

Lovelace said: “It is a different set up to most clubs because I am the professional at Merrist Wood and almost a senior while our captains, like, Robert, who is in his early 20s, tend to be a lot younger.

“It certainly helps to have a younger captain on the longer courses, but we still have to play well.

“I came close last year with Chris Wakefield at Effingham Golf Club so it’d be nice to improve on that and get back to the final again.

“It’s always nice to have that carrot to go for in an event like this.”
Scully will be looking to make the most of his opportunity having taken the reins from Merrist Wood’s original captain.

“Our original captain for the year stood down so Robert stepped up from being vice-captain,” explained Lovelace.

Merrist Wood is an award-winning college offering youngsters a route into professional sport including golf where successful graduates are well placed to join the PGA’s three year training programe to pursue a career in the golf industry.

But playing will dominate the thoughts of Lovelace and Scully who will face stiff competition for the trip to Turkey in the shape of Craig Sutherland and Colin Bedford (Cherry Lodge); David Baillie and Terry Kent (Dulwich & Sydenham Hill); Ben Clayton and Alan Snowball (Hindhead);  Christian Tyrell and Peter Christie (New Forest); Alistair White and Kenneth Martin   (Royal Ascot); Stuart Collier and Peter Johnson (Stoke Park); and  James Gardener and Peter Howell (Worthing).