Whiteley bids to bow out in style

Oliver Whiteley wants to go out on a high as he prepares for his last appearance at the Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship.

The Bramall Park Golf Club player has completed his PGA exams and is preparing for a coaching career in the game.

But he would like to improve on last year’s performance when he tees off for this year’s assistants’ final at Little Aston Golf Club near Birmingham from August 3-5.

The Stockport-based player finished 10th in last year’s final at Coventry Golf Club - and eighth the year before that.

And while the 38-year-old aims to better that, he sees the bigger picture now that he has his PGA qualifications.

“What appealed most to me about the PGA route was the amount of options it gives me,” he said.

“I’d tried the European Tour and Challenge Tour route and that can be difficult so I looked at getting my PGA qualifications and I now feel I’ll use that to go in the direction of coaching rather than playing - although I still will play.

“It also prepares you for the business side of being a golf professional so I’m really glad I’ve got it.

“Plus, it’s come at a good time in my life, I have a two and a half year old daughter and I have a good qualification behind me.

“We have a strong client base at our club in term of coaching so I’d like to build on that.”

Whiteley, originally from Sheffield, refuses to predict his own chances of doing well in the final, but he admits he hopes the Little Aston venue brings out the best in him.

“I’ve never played it but I hear good things about the course,” he said.

In a unique twist, sponsors Galvin Green plan to provide the two overnight leaders in the 54-hole event with a distinctive MAPPING Ventil8™ shirt to denote who set the pace on the first day (Imperial blue) and during the penultimate round (Electric red).

In addition, the champion will be rewarded with the profile of an official Galvin Green Tour player for the year, plus a complete golfing wardrobe selected during a visit to the brand’s UK showroom.

The tournament prize fund of £32,000 includes a first prize of £5,000 and entry into the end of season PGA Play Offs where they have a chance at qualifying for the 2017 BMW PGA Championship. The winner also gets a place in the Australian PGA Futures Championship.

Other assistants from the North due to play at Little Aston include former champion Gareth Davies (Abbeydale Golf Club), Adam Hodkinson  (Chorlton-Cum-Hardy Golf Club) Matthew Daley  Hainsworth Park Golf Club;  Jonathan Levey  (Matfen Hall Golf Club)  Jason Dransfield  (Heswall Golf Club); Martyn Jobling  (Morpeth Golf Club);  George Forder  Fulford Golf Club and Daniel Bradbury (Bolton Old Links Golf Club).