Vickery has Powerade final in sight

Newport assistant PGA Professional Joseph Vickery is aiming to represent his home-town club in the final of one of Great Britain and Ireland’s oldest professional golf tournaments.

The 25-year-old, who turned professional two years ago after impressing as an amateur, will be among a competitive field of young golf pros taking part in the Powerade PGA Assistants’ Championship west regional qualifier at Exeter on May 19.

Should he finish among the front-runners he will progress to play in the £32,500 FootJoy-supported grand final at Coventry Golf Club on June 11-13.

And Vickery is determined to secure a top-three finish, a result that would be more than enough to guarantee him a place in the final of a tournament which has been a key part of The PGA’s calendar since 1930.

“A place in the top three would be really nice,” he said. “For me the main thing will be just trying to do things the same way as I usually do.

“The qualifier is a one-day event like many others that we play in, so I’ll be trying to approach it the same as any other tournament.

“Obviously getting a place in the final would be really good. It would be a great opportunity to play with the other pros and the prize money is really good too.”

Vickery is currently studying on the PGA’s degree programme which prepares young professionals for a career in golf by teaching a whole range of aspects of the game, from coaching and sports science, to rules and repairs through to business and marketing.

And he hopes completing the course will eventually help him to establish a career for himself as a teaching professional.

“The course has been good, and obviously it can lead you to some really great opportunities,” he explained.

“I see myself focusing on teaching full time in the future, although at the moment I am enjoying just being around the club and learning as much as I can.

“I love working at the club and especially coaching the juniors, they’re always great fun to be around.”

Ahead of the event Luke Young, national and key account manager for Coca-Cola Enterprises, whose products include Powerade, said: “We are delighted to once again support this prestigious tournament which will culminate with a final at Coventry Golf Club in June.

“It is an event which has a long history of showcasing outstanding golf from some of the country’s best young players, and I look forward to watching what will undoubtedly be another exciting Championship this year.”

Other players competing in the qualifier include: Joe Feguson (Celtic Manor), Luke Fraser (Bristol & Clifton), Steffan Jones (Machynys Peninsula), Daniel Lee (Rushmore), Cennydd Mills (Pyle & Kenfig) and Ross Whitelock (St Mellion).