Suffolk aim to defend Inter-County title

Suffolk will begin the defence of their SkyCaddie PGA England and Wales Inter-County Championship title with a regional qualifier at Bush Hill Park.

Lawrence Dodd (pictured, Bury Golf Range) Chris Smith (Fynn Valley) and Andrew Robinson (Southwold) will team up to defend the county’s title, which was won in the inaugural championship last October.

On that occasion a team comprised of Dodd, Kevin Earp and Peter Latimer claimed the tournament by three clear strokes from Lancashire, carding a six-over-par total of 294 around The Belfry’s PGA National course.

Now the new-look trio to return the county to the prestigious venue for this year’s grand final on October 14-15.

The Belfry is best known for its ties to the Ryder Cup, with the biennial matchplay event having been hosted at the West Midlands venue on four occasions, in 1985, 1989, 1993 and 2002.

But if they are to make it through to once again play at the famous golf resort, Dodd, Smith and Robinson will have to overcome teams from Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex, and Beds and Cambs in the Bush Hill Park qualifier on August 26.

Jacqui Surman, senior vice president of international sales and marketing at SkyCaddie, said: “For over a decade SkyCaddie has worked with PGA Professionals at the heart of the game, pioneering the use of distance measuring devices.

“SkyCaddie and the PGA Professional are viewed by golfers in a similar way. We are both trusted, above all others, to give the right advice; we both go into painstaking detail to help the golfer to achieve their best-ever score; and we are both highly visible out there on the golf course.

“SkyCaddie has its industry-leading course mapping process, where every hole is surveyed on foot, and the PGA Professional has his or her welcome presence wherever golfers play the game – coaching, inspiring and encouraging.

“We are delighted to support the PGA England & Wales Inter-County Championship for another season – it is an exciting event with plenty of pride at stake, and we wish all competitors good golfing.”

The other teams competing in the east region qualifier are Beds & Cambs: Stuart Brown (Orton Meadows), George Howard (Brampton Park) and Andrew George (Ely City); Essex: Mark Talbott (Thorpe Hall), Mark Stokes (Rayleigh) and Chase Davis (Stapleford Abbotts); Middlesex: Greg Smith (Pinner Hill), Tim Owers (Wyke Green) and James Wood (Highgate); Norfolk: Ian Ellis (Great Yarmouth and Caister), Mark Spooner (Glen Lodge) and Alex Beckett (Barnham Broom).