Richard Bland returns to Cornish Festival

European Tour player Richard Bland will return to the PGA Cornish Festival after producing his best form of the season to finish fifth in the Hassan II event in Morocco.

The 41-year-old Southampton-based player led a team from Stoneham Golf Club on his previous appearance two years ago over the highly-regarded links courses at Trevose, St Enodoc and Newquay.

He shared fifth place with former European Tour winner David Dixon (Enmore Park) and twice PGA Cup player Richard Dinsdale (Parc Golf Academy) who are again in the field.

The 111 teams are split into three groups so 444 players will start their golfing year with an early-season break in the country’s most popular holiday area at the largest Pro-Am golf festival in Britain.

As usual the festival was quickly sold out despite being brought forward a week to April 1-3 in advance of the Easter holiday period.

Ryder Cup players Paul Broadhurst and Peter Baker (South Staffs) have been recent winners, along with Wellingborough’s Simon Lilly and Dixon. Steven Richardson (Lee-on-the-Solent), another Ryder Cup man, European Seniors Tour players Andrew Sherborne (Trevose) and George Ryall (Players Club) are also playing.

Liam Bond (Marriott St Pierre), who won last year’s Order of Merit, will be a strong contender while PGA Cup vice-captain Jon Bevan, now at Rhos-on-Sea after a successful decade in the West at Wessex Golf Centre in Weymouth, is a fierce competitor.

PGA in England & Wales (South West) secretary Glenn Ross said: “We are looking forward to another successful festival to open what is going to be a very impressive season of fixtures. The support from all around the country is testimony to the enduring success of the festival.”