Defending champion Alex prepares for another thriller in Glenmuir final

Huddersfield Golf Club’s Alexandra Keighley is expecting another close run as she defends her Glenmuir Women's PGA Professional Championship at De Vere Slaley Hall next week.

Keighley won last year’s event at De Vere Carden Park by just one shot in a thrilling finish.

And although the Yorkshire professional has made the final her priority this year, she believes it will be even more competitive than last year.

Keighley will tee off in the £5,000 final to be held at the Northumberland venue on June 13-14.

“I think it’s going to be a stronger field than last year,” she said.

“You’ve got the likes of Suzanne Dickens, Tracy Loveys, Fern Grimshaw and Maria Tulley who are all good players so it’s going to be really close.”

But Keighley, who won the WPGA One Day Series event at Dunham Forest last month, has never played at Slaley Hall before.

“I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing to be honest,” she said.

“I’ll get up there and have a practice round beforehand - I do know it’s a very long course.”

Keighley admits she does not mind if she has to go through another nerve-wracking final if it means her winning again.

She was waiting in the clubhouse while Bigbury Golf Club’s Tracy Loveys - a three-time Glenmuir Women’s champion - putted at the 18th hole to force a tie at the top of the leaderboard.

But she bogeyed it and the title went to Keighley.

“It was quite tense waiting to see what would happen, I was expecting a play-off,” said Keighley.

“But I don’t mind if it’s like that again this year, a win’s a win, it doesn’t matter whether you do it by 20 shots or one, that’s the way I see it.

“There’s certainly not going to be much in it looking at the standard of the players taking part.”