Pressure is on for home duo Ratley and Laugher

Duncan Ratley says the pressure will be on him in more ways than one when he plays in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge.

Captain Ratley will partner Woodbury Park Golf & Country Club PGA Professional Peter Laugher 9pictured) when the pair tee off for the West regional qualifying event, which will be played over their home course on Thursday 29 August.

They will be aiming to make it through to the £25,000 final supported by Canopius, to be played over the PGA Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club, Turkey, from November 21-22.

But Laugher has been to the final before and Ratley will be doing his best to get him back there.

Ratley, 47, a wealth manager from Exmouth, said: “I think there’s going to be a little bit of pressure on this one.

“We’re the home team and expected to do well on our own course. You’d like to think we will, but we still have to play well.

“But Peter would love to get back and play in the final of this competition again so I feel there’s a bit of pressure on me to try and make that happen.”

But Ratley, who plays off a handicap of seven, says the Exeter course is looking better than it has done for some time.

He added: “We’re best known for when Nigel Mansell bought the course in the 1990s, but this is the best condition I’ve seen it in for maybe four or five years.

“We’ve improved the greens, the drainage and the bunkers and it’s all coming to fruition now - we feel we’ve moved with the times in terms of giving players what they want from a course.

“This is a big event for us and we know it’ll attract some of the best players in the West.”

Other teams taking part at Woodbury Park include Matthew Carter and David Cottrell (Filton); Nick Rogers and Robert Croft (Falmouth); Richard Sadler and Mike Noble (Killiow); Martin Keitch and Jeff Saunders (Taunton Vale); and Martin Stimson and Gethin Davies (Ashburnham).