Foxhills to host Senior PGA Pros

An exciting era beckons for the popular Senior PGA Professional Championship at its new venue at the Foxhills resort in Surrey.

The three-year agreement will mean an increase in the size of the field with up to 240 players competing over its two courses.

In a special tribute to the two-time PGA captain, Bernard Hunt MBE, The PGA is also renaming the trophy – the Bernard Hunt Trophy.

Hunt, who was also Ryder Cup captain on two occasions, was synonymous with the venue and has one of its two courses named after him – the other course is Longcross.

PGA chief executive Sandy Jones said: “We have appreciated the support of Northants County which over the last seven years has staged the tournament and we are in many ways sad to leave.

“At the same the same we are honoured and excited at the prospect of staging the Senior PGA Professional Championship at such an excellent venue as Foxhills.

“Over the past decade, the tournament has increased in popularity and with Foxhills hosting the tournament over both its courses we are able to meet rising demand from our members to play in it.

“Foxhills is a magnificent venue and given Bernard Hunt’s long association with the club, and The PGA, we also felt it was appropriate to rename the trophy in his name.

“Bernard was a fantastic player with a great Ryder Cup pedigree and was also a proud PGA Professional and it is fitting that his name should adorn the trophy.”

The 54-hole tournament will take place from May 14-16 with an increased prize fund of £38,000 and a first prize of £5,250.

An added incentive for the top 20 finishers will be entry to the 2014 PGA Seniors Championship and the chance to compete against stars from the European Senior Tour.

Foxhills general manager Jason Adams, commented: “It is fantastic that the Senior PGA Professional Championship is coming to Foxhills, especially given the long association between Bernard Hunt and The PGA. It is also a great opportunity to showcase the resort and our two courses and put golf at Foxhills on the map.

“Foxhills was originally a European Tour venue and staging this prestigious championship will help raise its profile as one of the leading golf resorts in the UK.”

The tournament was won last year by Surrey-based Wraith Grant while reigning Senior Tour Order of Merit winner Paul Wesselingh, kicked off his senior career with victory at Northants in 2012. Other past winners of the event include the legendary Tommy Horton who won the first four championships ever staged from 1995.

Foxhills enjoys a long tradition of hosting elite level golf having staged a number of prestigious tournaments such as the European Tour’s Tournament Players Championship and the Tour’s Qualifying School where Open champion Sandy Lyle tasted victory.

The club also helped to start the career of Ryder Cup player Paul Casey and tour regular Anthony Wall through its much-lauded Foxhills Foundation junior golf programme that seeks to develop promising golfers aged between 12 and 16.