County PGA Pro rivals set for Belfry battle

Local pride is at stake for 15 PGA pros who will be aiming to fly the flag for their home counties in the PGA England & Wales Inter-County Championship at The Belfry from October 18-19.

Three-man teams from Devon, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire will be competing over 36 holes in the £10,000 tournament at the four-time Ryder Cup venue’s PGA National Course.

Yorkshire have the chance to add a second title in three years with Snainton Golf Centre’s Alex Belt part of the team that tasted victory back in 2014. His playing partners this time round are Aran Wainwright (Mid Yorkshire) and Philip Darlison (Roundhay).

Belt is in good form this year having already landed one PGA national title with Mathew Webb (Bridlingtonshire) in the Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship in August.

The format is strokeplay with the best two from three scores counting in each round.

A strong field includes two former Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Champions – Devon’s Paul Hendriksen and Lincolnshire’s Daniel Greenwood.

Hendriksen (Ivybridge) is joined by Christian Vine (Woodbury Park) and Richard Woods (Dainton Park) while Adam Keogh (Spalding) and Scott Emery (Woodhall Spa) partner Greenwood (Forest Pines).

Hertfordshire are represented by Daniel Field (East Herts), Glen Portelli (Verulam) and James Ruebotham (Welwyn Garden), and Kent by Scott Stevens (Ridge), Thomas Muchmore (Ashford) and Peter Appleyard (Sittingbourne).

Image of Alex Belt attached for free use courtesy of Jan Kruger at Getty Images.