Killeen gunning for Gleneagles glory

Killeen Golf Club will begin the quest for a double dose of golfing glory when head PGA Professional Brian Cosgrove and amateur John Meleady team up in The Lombard Trophy at Gleneagles next month.

The pair are competing against 15 other clubs in the PGA National Pro-Am Championship which carries a £43,600 prize fund and will be contested over 36-holes on the PGA Centenary Course – venue for next year’s Ryder Cup.

The grand final from September 3-4 is the first of two national finals for Cosgrove who also won the Irish qualifier for the PGA Pro-Captain Challenge at Roganstown Golf Club to secure a place in that event's November final in Turkey.

Meleady (pictured right), a member of the Irish defence forces, said: “It’s great for the club that Brian’s got to two finals but I always tell him he shouldn’t forget his partners!

“Seriously, it’s great for the club and means he’ll be going to Gleneagles on a high so let’s hope that carries on for us.

“I phoned him after the Roganstown event and found out he was in the Pro-Captain final as well so it’s happy days for the club right now and putting us on the map.”

Meleady, 49, from Raheny in Dublin, is confident the pair can put themselves into contention if they get off to a fast start.

He added: “It’ll be very competitive but when you consider how many teams we beat to qualify and how many will be in the final then we have got to have a chance.

“Key will be making a good start and with Brian in such good form hopefully we can get into contention.”

Cosgrove (left) is one of two professionals competing in both finals alongside Ian Walley from Kedleston Park in the Midlands.

He said: “It’s great to be in both, I was happy with one but delighted to make it into a second as well.

“But I’m really looking forward to playing at Gleneagles; I’ve a lot of respect for history of the place as well as the fact that it’s the Ryder Cup venue.”

This is the first of a three year sponsorship by Lombard, the UK's leading asset finance provider.

Ian Isaac, Lombard's interim managing director, paid tribute to all 32 finalists.

“Over the past couple of months we have welcomed golfers from more than 700 clubs throughout the UK who have participated in this prestigious event and we would like to congratulate the 16 qualifying teams who have reached the grand final at Gleneagles.”