DIRECTOR of golf Neil Pike has declared Ferndown’s interest in hosting the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship final.

The Dorset club hosts the tournament’s West Region qualifier on Tuesday and stages the regional Open Championship qualifying event for the fifth year running in June.

“It is the first time we’ve hosted the Glenmuir qualifier which is a very prestigious event and one day we would like to host the final,” said PGA professional Pike.

Most of the West Region’s top players will be at Ferndown next week to take part in the Glenmuir qualifying event, including PGA Cup players Jon Bevan (Wessex Golf Centre) and Richard Dinsdale (Parc Golf Academy), Martin Stimson (Ashburnham), Graham Laing (North Wilts) and Daniel White (Players Golf Club).

They will be competing for a place in the £78,000 championship final which will be held at the De Vere Carden Park in Cheshire from August 7-10.

An added incentive for the eventual winner lies in the shape of free use of a Peugeot 208 Active 5dr 1.4 VTi car for a year.

“We’re looking forward to hosting some of the best West Region players who reflect how strong the region is,” added Pike.

“Because we are more to the east of the region, we tend not to attract the players from Wales or Cornwall so this will be a great chance to see them in what should be a very competitive field.

“If you can score around 70 then I think you stand a decent chance of qualifying.”

Pike has further plans to develop Ferndown’s potential at all levels, including generating new members.

“This is a popular club and we’ve been hosting a summer school here which has been quite a success,” he explained.

“We’re nearly full for this year. We have 40 places on offer but it usually gets us 10 extra members a year so that’s worked really well for us.

“As part of my director of golf role, my job is to also to try and improve the corporate side of the business as well as the playing side.”