There's no place like home for Kedleston duo

Kedleston Park captain Ian Neal will be hoping to complete a memorable double success when he takes part in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge.

Neal (pictured left) has already qualified for The Lombard Trophy final this year with PGA Professional and reigning PGA Pro-Captain champion Ian Walley (right).

And the pair will be hoping to triumph at their home course once more when the qualifying event is held on Friday 9 August.

Victory will give the duo a place in the £25,000 challenge final over the PGA Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club in Turkey from November 21-22.

Kedleston was the venue for their Lombard Trophy victory, but Neal is making no predictions this time.

He admitted: “We played very well last time out and got through to the Pro-Am Final but we’re taking nothing for granted in terms of doing it again.

“There’s a large field coming to Kedleston Park for this event and there’ll be some very good players out there.”

But Neal, a chartered accountant who plays off a handicap of eight, admits that his professional partner Walley goes into the event with a great track record.

Neal said: “Ian won the final last year when he was at his previous club Shirland, so there’s good experience there.

“But it was just a fluke that we ended up playing in the Lombard Trophy as well because I happened to qualify from our club competition.

“And that event also just happened to be at Kedleston Park which suited us on the day.

“There are no guarantees that’ll happen again, but we have played well together so far.”

Other teams taking part at Kedleston Park include Phil Hoye and Paul Burdett (Marriott Forest of Arden); Robert Smith and Colin Brown (Nottinghamshire Golf & Country Club); Lee Challinor and Nigel Pearce (Lutterworth); Shaun Ball and Nick Weaver (South Staffs); and Michael McLean and Terry Woodhouse (Chesterfield).