EuroPro Tour kicks-off at The Belfry

The PGA EuroPro Tour makes its debut at The Belfry in April as The Matchroom Championship gets the 2014 season underway on the UK’s leading golf tour.

Commencing 11 days after the conclusion of PGA EuroPro Tour Qualifying School, players will be eager to get the season off to a flyer by collecting the £10,000 winner’s prize at the end of the competition, which runs from Tuesday, April 15 through until Thursday, April 17.

Hosted on the Brabazon Course (pictured) – 18 holes legendary in the world of golf and the spiritual home of the Ryder Cup – the tournament will see Europe’s best young pros challenged by the same perilous bunkers and lakes that have tested greats of the game such as Ballesteros, Woods and Faldo.

Barry Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport and the EuroPro Tour said: “The Brabazon Course at The Belfry is not just one of the best in the UK, but is known throughout the world for its Ryder Cup pedigree.

“We have assembled a great line-up of courses for the PGA EuroPro Tour this summer, highlighted by opening the season with The Matchroom Championship at The Belfry.

“Previous members of the Tour have gone on to win majors and represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, and it is important to us that these young pros play on the very best championship courses in order to ensure that the PGA EuroPro Tour produces even more stars of the game.”

The Matchroom Championship will be a 54 hole strokeplay event, with a field of 156 players competing for their share of a £40,000 prize fund and a cut to the leading 50 players plus ties after the first two rounds.

The 2014 PGA EuroPro Tour will visit 16 courses during its main schedule, before the season-ending Tour Championships.

After starting at The Belfry the tour returns to Montrose Golf Links. The historic course made a successful debut on the PGA EuroPro Tour in 2013 and will again welcome the tour to Scotland’s east coast from April 29-May 1.

Longhirst Hall stages event number three from May 21-23, and for the first time the tour will play on the Dawson Course at the Northumberland venue.

The tour then heads to long-standing host Burhill (May 29-31), where the New Course is often praised as one of the best on tour.

Event five sees a return to KK Downing’s The Astbury in Shropshire from June 11-13. The course earned rave reviews from players after making its EuroPro debut last season.

From Shropshire the tour travels to Wiltshire for a maiden appearance at Cumberwell Park, described as one of southern England’s best new courses. The tournament will take place from June 18-20. The short trip to Frilford Heath’s Blue Course in Oxfordshire follows from June 25-27.

The tour stays in Scotland after its week at The Carrick to play at Royal Burgess – The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh from July 16-18.

An Irish double follows with a third consecutive visit to the stunning and popular Concra Wood in Castleblayney from July 23-25, and Mount Wolseley in County Carlow providing an exciting addition the following week.

Moor Allerton was rated as one of 2013’s best new events and the tour returns to the Leeds club from August 6-8, before heading to Northumberland to play Slaley Hall’s Priestman Course.

Last year’s Tour Championship hosts Prince’s stages event number 13 from August 19-21 on their Shores and Dunes course, before the tour heads to The Oxfordshire from August 27-29.

The regular season concludes back in Scotland, where Mar Hall will host the tour for a third successive year following which the top 60 on the Order of Merit will be invited to play the Tour Championship.