Kedleston king eyes PGA treble

Derbyshire PGA Professional Ian Walley will head to Turkey later this month seeking his third national PGA title in the space of 12 months.

The Kedleston Park Golf Club head pro (right) teams up with Ian Neal (left) in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge at Antalya Golf Club from November 21-22.

The pair has already enjoyed success together having won the Lombard Trophy at Gleneagles in September while Walley is the defending PGA Pro-Captain Challenge champion following his triumph with former club Shirland last December.

The final, which is supported by leading Lloyds underwriter Canopius, will be staged over 36 holes over the PGA Sultan course with a £25,000 prize fund at stake.

Walley admits he has had a non-stop 18 months - but remains hungry for another victory.

“The last year has been a blur to be honest,” said Walley.

“I moved to Kedleston Park earlier this year and my priority was really the change of job rather than playing golf but we’ve ended up reaching two finals and winning one already.

“Considering all that was happening off the course, it shouldn’t really have been like that but it’s been a great 18 months or so.”

Neal, who plays off a handicap of seven, admits there is plenty of incentive for he and Walley to win again.

“It’s been a fantastic year, to reach two finals and win the National Pro-Am Championship already has been incredible,” said the Kedleston Park captain.

“I’m not sure if any club has won both that and the Pro-Captain Championship in the same year but we’ll be trying our best.

“Also, I don’t know if any professional has won the Pro-Captain final two years running, so there’s a couple of things to go for there.

“We want to go to Turkey and win, but that’s what everyone wants isn’t it.”

Neal says playing alongside Walley has been a valuable experience.

He added: “I’ve been playing a lot of golf this year as well as combining that with my captain’s duties. And I’ve learned a lot from Ian and improved, my handicap has come down.

“Ian’s an excellent professional and great to play alongside as he never lets a bad shot effect our game. He doesn’t get annoyed and he’s very patient.

“From looking at his face during an event you’d never know if we were doing well or doing badly.

“I’ve had a lot of leg pulling from the members, but this has really raised the profile of the club.”

New sponsor Golfplan is backing the tournament to raise its profile in clubs and make golfers aware of its comprehensive insurance product.

The product  includes replacing stolen clubs with brand new equipment, liability cover in case a wayward shot damages someone or something and can even cover your bar bill if you manage a hole in one!

Roger Harvey, managing director of the Bristol-based firm, commented: “We’re looking forward to our first grand final and wish all the finalists the best of luck.

“The final in Turkey caps a great first year of sponsoring the event in which we’ve seen some fantastic golf and also been able to highlight our comprehensive insurance product which is aimed at golfers seeking unrivalled cover.”