In-form Levermore seeks championship double

Essex PGA Professional Jason Levermore could end the year with a double serving of Turkish delight if he can hit top form at Antalya Golf Club.

The Channels head pro, left, is travelling to the Mediterranean coast to play in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge final over the PGA Sultan Course on November 26-27 alongside club captain Neil Hutchinson, right.

He is the only man in the 10-team field for the £25,000 Canopius-supported championship to have played the course, having visited last year for the PGA Play-Offs.

And he will be returning to the three-day season-ending event one day later over the same layout for a chance to claim places in the BMW PGA Championship and the GB&I PGA Cup team to face America at CordeValle, California in September.

Levermore, 35, has been in fine form this year, topping The PGA in England (East) Order of Merit and securing a second place finish in the prestigious Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship.

He also appeared in the European Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

And he is confident that he can end the year in style with a memorable double.

“It’s been a good year for me so I go into the end of the season full of confidence,” he explained.

“I’ve played a lot this year which has kept me busy, and I’ve been busy at home too with an 18-month-old boy.

“But among all that I’ve managed to play a lot of rounds with Neil. He hits it a country mile and I’m sure we stand a good chance in the Pro-Captain.

“I’ve been out there twice now so I know the course well – maybe that could give us some kind of advantage.

“The whole club is behind us. They’re incredibly supportive and with it being a family-run club everyone is very close. We want to do well for them.

Hutchinson, an independent garage owner from Cheltenham, has been a member of Channels since 1998, and he admitted he is relishing the chance to represent the club at Antalya.

“Me and Jason get on really well,” he enthused. “We can’t wait to get out there.

“He obviously has a lot of experience of the course and he’s tried to tell me as much as he can. He’s said how important it is to keep it in play!

“He’s an excellent golfer and has lifted the whole place since he joined in April last year.

“He’s certainly capable of winning it, I just hope I can be a good backup!”