Schedule change puts GIles in final

Robert Giles admitted a place in the Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship final was not part of his initial plans this year.

But the Greenore Golf Club professional will take his place at Carden Park after topping the leaderboard at the Irish qualifying event at Headfort Golf Club in Co Meath with Dundalk-based Brian Kerley (Green Life Golf Centre).

The pair carded a six-under-par round of 66 to pip former PGA Fourball champion Patrick Devine (Royal Dublin Golf Club) and Leo Hynes (Killiney Golf Club) who recorded a top 16 finish in last year’s final.

They will join three other qualifiers at the £35,000 Skycaddie & BMW supported grand final at the Cheshire venue between August 12-14.

But Yorkshireman Giles, who has been at Greenore for 11 years, was not targeting the event.

“It wasn’t on my schedule, let’s put it that way,” smiled Giles.

“I hadn’t intended to play and it’s been a while since I took part in the qualifying round and even longer since I played in the final.

“But I know Brian well and he asked me if he wanted to play in the Fourball Championship this year.

“Previously, there’d probably been other commitments and I wouldn’t have done it, but it didn’t get in the way of anything this time.

"I wouldn’t say it’s an unexpected final appearance as once I’d agreed to play I was going all out to qualify.”

And Giles, who lives in Co Down in Northern Ireland, admitted he was on form at Headfort.

“I think Brian would agree that I got the lion’s share of the birdies,” he said.

“It was a good day for me and now we’re both looking forward to going to Carden Park.

“I perhaps haven’t been playing as much as I normally would this year so it’s be a good event to have lined up.”

Kerley and Giles were never in any trouble after making three birdies in a row early on in their round.

Rhys Walton and Edward Martin (Beaverstown Golf Club) and David Hughes and Noel Murray (Massereene Golf Club) comfortably qualified by two clear shots.