Suffolk duo aim to be at the races in Turkey

Suffolk’s Richard Childerley and Ray Bolton are set for an unexpected trip to Turkey later this month when they tee up in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge .

The duo, from Links Newmarket Golf Club, were thrust together at the last minute ahead of the regional qualifier at Northamptonshire Golf Club earlier this summer after head professional John Sharkey qualified to play in the PGA Fourball Championship final on the same day.

But they won the event by a nose from Cold Ashby GC and will now travel to Turkey for the £25,000 final, which will take place over the PGA Sultan Course on November 25-26.

For club captain Bolton the event presents a unique opportunity, as he has rarely played golf beyond the bounds of Links Newmarket since first joining the club in 1970.

“It’s been such a rewarding year with so many highlights, but getting to Turkey is undoubtedly one of them,” he enthused.

“Only one other captain from the club has ever got to the final of an event like this, so it really is a great achievement.

“We’re just hoping we can do the club proud while we’re out there now. I’m not usually lost for words but I genuinely don’t think I’d know what to say if we were to go out there and win it.

“We know it’s a strong field and it’ll be tough, but there’s no point going out there unless you’re at least going to give it a go.”

“We know it’ll be tough facing those guys,” added Childerley, who was late to his own 27^th birthday celebrations on the evening of the qualifier such was the unexpected nature of their victory.

“To be honest, the playing side of the game had taken a bit of a back seat before the qualifier for me as I’m trying to focus on establishing my coaching career.

“This all came a bit out of the blue, we had an early tee time and our back nine was really good. I thought that in the conditions it was going to be tough to beat.

“It was nice to win and also very surreal. It was an unbelievable experience, even if it did mean I was rushing around trying to get to my birthday party afterwards!”