Kev revved for Foxhills debut

Dorset’s Kevin Spurgeon makes his debut in the 54-hole Silversea Senior PGA Professional Championship at Foxhills Resort in Surrey next week but has no shortage of experience.

The Ferndown Golf Club attached pro is a past winner on the European Senior Tour where he made more than 150 appearances and won the inaugural Mauritius Open in 2009.

He also had two holes in one – winning the equivalent bottles of wine based on the yardage which totalled 380 – and the 61 year one old will be hoping to toast similar success at Foxhills.

The resort hosts the £40,000 tournament from May 11-13 and it will be contested over the Bernard Hunt and Longcross course where Carnoustie’s Fraser Mann is the defending champion.

“I’ve haven’t done a lot over the winter but I’m looking forward to playing in the Senior PGA, it’s one I’ve always wanted to play in and I’m looking forward to seeing a few familiar faces,” said Spurgeon who has regained Class A status and will do some coaching to complement the great work being done at Ferndown.

“Ferndown has backed me all the way and is doing great things. “The club has a new course manager Murray Long and he and his team have transformed the place.”

Spurgeon was a traditional club pro for many years but playing was always a passion and he won his Senior Tour card at 50 and spent the best part of a decade trading blows with the likes of Sam Torrance, below, and Ian Woosnam.

“It was a great experience for me, and my wife, who would caddy for me,” said Spurgeon who has been club pro at Dudsbury, Isle of Purbeck and Lansdown among others.

“Playing on the senior tour was something I always wanted to do and have a go at. I got my card and made something like €90,000 in the first year.

“I’ve played 150 odd events in 11 years. For me it was all good fun. There was a great camaraderie – it’s not quite the same now, it’s a little more stressful now. In those early days we had all sorts of fun, you came off the course and had a few beers rather than heading straight to the practice ground to beat balls. Mind you, I’ve never been a great practiser!”

More than anything though Spurgeon relished the opportunity to cross swords with leading golfers of the day including the likes of Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, David Frost and Tom Lehman.

“It was brilliant just to play with some of these guys, compete alongside them in big events - sometimes beat them, sometimes not but just a great experience.”

 Spurgeon’s father, Keith, was the manager of Ajax in the early 60s and the late, great Johan Cruyff was a family friend.

Spurgeon junior wasn’t a bad footballer either.

“I played for all the junior teams my father managed. He always said to me I should have stuck with the big ball rather than the small ball but saying that I don’t think I would still be playing football at 60!”

Other players from the south west in action at Foxhills include Tim McSherry (Yelverton), Gary Milne (Exeter G&CC) and George Ryall (Burnham & Berrow).