Upbeat forecast for 2015

The PGA in Leicestershire & Rutland is looking ahead with confidence to another exciting season following a highly successful 2014 which saw member professionals play for just under £20,000 prize money.

Ian Lyner (The Leicestershire), pictured above, is the new county PGA chairman, succeeding Danny Spillane (Rothley Park).

Bryn Morris (Kibworth) is the new county PGA captain, with Craig Shave (Whetstone) vice-captain.

Amateurs who took part in pro/ams, which formed a key part of the competitive programme, played for just over £6,000 of prizes during the year.

County PGA secretary Mark Hatton emphasised that professionals are all grateful to the amateurs who took part and to the sponsors who backed tournaments.

He added: "It is through this great support that we have been able to report such a highly successful year and this is much appreciated.

"Now we are looking forward to our opening tournament of the season – our annual overseas pro/am again this year. It is later this month at Vilamoura.

"This is again proving very popular with our pros and it will be great to see there will be some new faces on this trip, too.

"But our main 2015 campaign will get under way in late April with the pro/am at Park Hill in conjunction with our strokeplay championship. Matthew Cort is the defending titleholder for both our stroke and match-play events.

"We also look forward to staging our match-play championship again, but with a new sponsor and a new venue.

"There will be a new pro/am tournament at Kibworth this summer, as well as our traditional venues at Scraptoft in September and Glen Gorse in October, and Lutterworth will host a one-day pro/am in August, too, rather than the match-play which has been held there for sometime now.

"Bryn Morris and Lee Challinor, head professionals at Kibworth and Lutterworth respectively, have helped us to secure these two fixtures.

"We are also planning to stage our county assistants and trainees championship again this year.

"So overall I am sure we have a strong, exciting schedule."