Irish pair team up for tilt at PGA Fourball title

Former PGA Cup player David Mortimer is making his return to the Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship at Headfort.

Mortimer, of Galway Golf Club, will team up with Kevin McGrath (Birr Golf Shop & Driving Range) for the BMW-supported regional qualifier to be held at the Co. Meath venue on July 24.

The pair (both pictured left) will be aiming to reach the £28,750 final which will be held at Forest Pines Hotel in Lincolnshire on October 2-4 and is being sponsored for the first time by Golfbreaks.com, Europe’s largest golf travel company.

McGrath admitted he and Mortimer, a former Glenmuir PGA Professional champion, were pleased to be back in the event after taking a break.

"We’ve both missed out on this event for the past two years because we've had business interests that have stopped us playing as much as we’d like," said the Co. Offally based PGA Professional.

“But this year we decided we would make the time to play in it again.

“We’ve done okay in this in the past and made the final at Forest Pines before so it’ll be good to be back."

The betterball format usually yields a feast of low scoring but also enables PGA Professionals to take time out of coaching and running busy clubs, to focus on what they love doing most - playing.

"We love it and, as much as we both enjoy playing, it's also a social thing as well during the year," added McGrath.

Other teams taking part at Headfort include Emmet Staunton (Castleknock Golf Club) with Rod Park (Park Consulting Services); Ian St John (Carrick-on-Suir) and David Foley (Dromoland Castle) Stephen Gordon (Bangor) and Patrick Small (Galway); and Ben Doyle (Blackwood) with Dan Sheehan (Scrabo).