Long Serving Tom Makes Bid For Mallorca Final

Tom Kinloch will mark his 44th year at Childwall Golf Club by taking off in the SkyCaddie PGA Pro-Captain Challenge North qualifier.

The Liverpool club’s captain has outlasted Childwall’s PGA professional Nigel Parr who is retiring this season to make way for Carl Smith - who will partner Kinloch in the event at Dunham Forest Golf Club on August 24.

They will be hoping to reach the £22,000 final, staged in association with Golfplan, which takes place between November 6-7 in Spain at Arabella Golf Mallorca.

The 60-year-old Kinloch, who works as a doctor in Merseyside, has a long association with Childwall and hopes he and Smith can make an impression at the Cheshire venue.

“I’ve never played this course before but myself and Carl have been working off my game,” said Kinloch, who plays off a handicap of nine.

“But I’ve been playing at Childwall since I was a junior, so that’s 44 years years.

“Our head professional Nigel is retiring after 41 years, so I’ve seen him come and I’ll see him go! It’s been a long time. I came here when I was 16 and now I’m 60.

“Nigel is retiring in March and Carl’s taking over.

“Carl’s a well respected teacher.”

“Kinloch is full of praise for the Childwall course which faces competition in the Liverpool area.

“People who play in what we call ‘the strip’, courses like Birkdale and Hillside, they all like coming here because it’s a test,” he said.

“My view is that this is the best parkland course in this area. It’s a James Braid-designed course. Our clubhouse is designed in the same way as Birkdale, in an Art Deco style - it’s a good club.”

But Kinloch admits his captain’s duties at Childwall have meant a reorganisation of his day to day life.

“You can’t do the job of captain and be a full time GP, so I went part-time in November last year,” he said.

Other teams taking part in the event at Dunham Forest include: Garry Houston/Nigel Dick (Carden Park Golf Resort); Tony Stevens/Don Sutherland (Davenport Golf Club); Ian Taylor/Andy Stevens (Fleetwood Golf Club); Gary Norcott/Lesliw Jowsey (Stockport Golf Club); Jason O’Brien/Mal Hughes (Widnes Golf Club); and Adrian Hill/Dave Massey (Pryors Hayes Golf Club)

For more information on the event at Dunham Forest Golf Club, click here.