Late call up for Nene Park duo

A Cambridgeshire golf club has had an 11th hour call up to compete in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge in Turkey this week.

Nene Park, represented by PGA pro Simon Fitton (pictured) and captain Steve Watson, will take on nine other clubs from across the UK in the £25,000 final which is being contested over Antalya Golf Club’s PGA Sultan course from November 21-22.

The club duo replace the West Essex pairing of Chris Baron and Billy Walker who were forced to pull out on Friday.

Nene Park, which was only formed this year when Thorpe Wood and Orton Meadows golf clubs merged, earned entry courtesy of their third place finish in the regional final at John O’Gaunt Golf Club with the runners up unable to play.

Fitton, a fourth generation PGA Professional, admitted he thought it was a joke when he got the call late on Friday but after a hasty reorganisation of his diary is looking forward to jetting off to the Mediterranean resort.

“I was driving back from a pro-am when I got the call and at first I thought it was some kind of a wind up. I then had to call Steve, my captain, who only just started a new job four weeks ago so we had to wait to see he was okay to take the week off before we could accept.

“I’m a bit shell-shocked and there has been plenty of last minute running around to sort things out but it’s a great opportunity especially as this is the first year for Nene Park.

“My playing has actually taking a backseat over the last three or four years because since taking over from my father I have been working hard to build up the business so I’m looking forward to playing some golf in Turkey.”

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.”