Corfield has select band in view

Lee Corfield will attempt to become only the fourth person in The PGA’s longest running tournament – the Assistants’ Championship – to make a successful defence of the title at Pleasington Golf Club this week.

The tournament pre-dates the US Masters by four years and several players have won it twice. Just three, however, have recorded back-to-back victories.

Dai Rees, who went on to captain Great Britain and Ireland’s Ryder Cup on five occasions, won the tournament in 1935 and 36; Harry Weetman, another future Ryder Cup captain, was successful in 1949 and 50; more recently Matthew Cort won an unprecedented hat-trick of titles from 2013–15.

Given that Corfield did not start his PGA training until a couple of months after his success at Farleigh Golf Club last year, he could eclipse that achievement and win the tournament four times.

Corfield has now completed his first year of PGA training but, on a less positive note, was disappointed with his form in the English PGA Championship at Bowood last week.

“I wasn’t very good to be totally honest,” admitted Corfield, who finished tied 42^nd. “I struggled a bit. But I have been on the range working on things and I’ll have a practice round at Pleasington the day before the tournament starts.

“I haven’t played there before but I’ve heard good things about it. It will be very different to my home course, Burnham & Berrow, but so was Farleigh.”

As well as history being against him, Corfield faces some tough opposition in the Birdietime-sponsored tournament that carries a £32,000 prize fund with £5,000 going to the winner.

James Brittain, who was tied 15^th last year is in the 120-strong field and goes into the tournament having finished above Corfield at Bowood.

Moreover, the Assistant pro from the Matthew Lea Golf Academy, Telford, will be boosted by leading the PGA Midlands Order of Merit with just one event to play.

Meanwhile, Corhampton Golf Club’s Adam Reid will be looking to improve on last year’s performance which saw him sign off with a seven-under-par round of 65 to equal the course record and finish tied third, three shots behind Corfield.

When it comes to this year’s venue, Abersoch Golf Club’s Ioan jones has, in racing parlance, gone the distance and won at the course in Blackburn, Lancashire. And recently.

Jones, whose father Alan is the head PGA Professional at Abersoch, won the PGA North regional qualifier there two months ago thanks to a four-under-par round of 67.

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