MacKenzie counting down to PGA Cup

Albert MacKenzie, GB & Ireland PGA Cup captain (second from right), with (from left) three members of his team: Greig Hutcheon, Robert Coles and Matthew Cort. 

PGA Cup captain Albert MacKenzie has been busy using the winter to plan for Great Britain and Ireland’s defence of the Llandudno Trophy.

MacKenzie, 55, is the head PGA Professional at Saunton Golf Club in Devon.

But last week he went back to his roots, heading home to Hopeman Golf Club near Lossiemouth in Scotland.

MacKenzie invited his two vice-captains Martyn Thompson (Parkstone) and Cameron Clark (Moor Hall) for a get-together as part of the preparations for the match with America at Foxhills Club and Resort in September.

The trio are old allies after all being involved in GB&I’s historic 13.5-12.5 victory two years ago at CordeValle, Califiornia. MacKenzie and Thompson were both vice-captains, while Clark played in the successful 10-man team.

MacKenzie said: “I wanted to have a meeting and there was no better place than to take them back to where it all began for me – our wonderfully friendly and welcoming club up in the north of Scotland. That`s exactly how we were greeted.

“Martyn, Cameron and I went over a lot of what happened at CordeValle. We added some fresh content in amongst the very successful template that we used last time.

“We got a lot of productive work done in Scotland and I’m in a very good place at the moment with everything. 

“The ball is very much rolling in earnest. There’s not really a day goes past now when I’m not thinking about something that’s going be happening in September.”

The 28th staging of the biennial PGA Cup will be played over three days from September 15-17 on Foxhills Club and Resort’s Longcross course in Surrey.