Longball Inc steps up the style in support of Southern Assistants

Canadian golf and leisure clothing company Longball Inc has become the main supporter of The PGA in England (South) Assistants’ Order of Merit events.

Describing itself as ‘a Canadian-brewed company providing performance golf clothing, from the touring pro making a living on the weekends to the beauty teeing it up with his buddies for the good times’, Longball Inc was created by three Canadians who were passionate about golf and the lifestyle that went with it.

They saw a strong need for a young, fun brand developed by the player for the player, one that could break the mould and be an essential part of everyone’s lifestyle.

PGA Regional Secretary Sam Smith said: “Longball Inc is an ideal fit with the aspirations of our younger PGA Professionals and Assistants, and I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with this mould-breaking designer clothing company.”

East Berks-based PGA Professional Guy Woodman is their UK ambassador and sales representative and he will, besides competing in regionally PGA tournaments, promote the Longball Inc brand to retailers and pro shops alike throughout the UK.

One of the first events to which the stylish Longball Inc clothing range made its introduction was The Golf College Challenge, and East Sussex National PGA Assistant Professional, Christopher Croucher, gave the students and colleagues a masterclass, shooting a three-under-par total of 133 to win by six shots at Lindfield Golf Club.

Croucher’s first round of 68 included four birdies that offsett the two bogeys and on the sixth, a double bogey, but he focused on the task in hand in the afternoon to shoot four more birdies and just the one bogey, again at the sixth.

Taking home the winner’s cheque for £550, Croucher was delighted to be given some of the designer Longball Inc clothing as well. Second place was shared by five players, including last year’s The Golf College Challenge winner and student, Piers Berrington, along with Nicky Stewart (Langley Park), Kevin O’Connell (Purley Downs), Richard Neil-Jones (Hilden Park) and Ben O’Dell (Best4Balls).

As the leading amateur for the second week in a row, Berrington’s handsome reward was a Scotty Cameron putter and some Longball Inc clothing to add some eye-catching style to his next competitive outing.

Tim Spence, one of The Golf College’s PGA Professional coaches, commented: “The Lindfield course was in the best condition it’s ever been in, and the greens were running at 10 which, combined with a wind that made the three holes after the turn really tough and rough that’s pretty high, created a serious challenge.

“It certainly caught out a number of the bigger names in the first round and took them out of contention, and that may have put some additional pressure on the leaders at the halfway point, as they all seemed to stumble in the afternoon. All the same, Chris knew what he had to do and played some really excellent golf, course managing his way around in the afternoon to a 65 which, given the tricky conditions, was terrific.”