Wesselingh is inspiration for PGA pros

A small army of PGA pros will be aiming to emulate defending champion and peer Paul Wesselingh at this week’s ISPS HANDA PGA Seniors Championship.

The former Kedleston Park head professional will tee up at De Vere Mottram Hall as defending champion following his breakthrough win at Slaley Hall last year.

Northern pros in action include Richard Masters (Baildon Golf Club), Graeme Bell (Eaglescliffe Golf Club), Laurie Turner (American Golf Discount Centre), Jeff Mathews (Oak Royal Golf & Country Club), Richard Green (Bramhall Golf Club), Brian Sharrock (BFS Trading Limited), John Harrison (Matfen Hall Hotel, Golf & Spa), Stephen McNally (De Vere Slaley Hall) and Andrew Murray (Lymm Golf Club) who will be up against a host of star players including former Ryder Cup-winning captains Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam in the £260,000 tournament from June 6-9.

Bell and Sharrock will be making their debut in the event, which is the longest-running tournament on the European Senior Tour, after qualifying via the Senior PGA Professional Championship at Northants County this month.

Also booking their place in the field as one of the top 20 finishers at last month's Senior PGA Professional Championship are Masters, Green, Turner and Mathews. It will be a sixth appearance for Masters and Green, while Turner and Mathews will be playing for the second time.

Harrison will be making his fourth appearance as will McNally, the latter securing a return after finishing tied fifth last year. Cheshire-based Murray, who has proactively promoted the tournament following its move to Mottram Hall, will be playing his sixth PGA Seniors Championship.

Southern hopes lie with Gary Stubbington (Hockley Golf Club), Mark Squire (Ellesborough Golf Club), Steven Rastall (Silvermere Golf Club) and Wraith Grant (Woodcote Park Golf Club) who won the Senior PGA Professional Championship but qualified for Mottram Hall via his seventh place finish at qualifying school at the end of last year.

Iain Parker (Royal North Devon Golf Club) and George Ryall (The Players Club) will fly the flag for south west pros while Peter O’Hagan will look to do the Emerald Isle proud.

Scotland is represented by Fraser Mann (Musselburgh), Alastair Webster (Edzell) and Peter Smith (Deeside Golf Club), while Midland trio Robert Ellis (Newark Golf Club), Andy Bownes (North Warwickshire Golf Club) and Phil Hinton (Chesterton Valley Golf Club) are also in action.

East region hopes will be carried by Mark Stokes (Rayleigh Golf Range), Murray White (Penfold Park Golf Club), Lee Fickling (Bush Hill Park Golf Club) and Steve Cipa (South Essex Golf Centre).