PGA Cup trio aiming to make a splash in the Lakes

THREE members of the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup side to face the United States at Loch Lomond resort Cameron House next month will showcase their talents in the Lakes Classic Pro-am at Windermere this weekend (Sept 5-6).

They are Barry Taylor, an assistant at St Helens club Houghwood and recent winner of the James Brearley Lancashire Open; former European Tour player Andrew Barnett, teaching professional at North Wales Golf Range; and Will Barnes, from Garstang who was PGA Player of the Month for July following his wire-to-wire victory in the Ryder Cup of Wales 2010 Welsh Open victory at Marriott St Pierre.

They head a 43-strong field competing for a £10,000 prize-fund over 36 holes but they player who could upstage them all is Welshman Simon Edwards who won last year at the club he later joined as professional.

But Edwards, also a former PGA Cup player with a string of titles to his name, will face competition from several past winners including Mossock Hall’s David Shacklady and Paul Carman, from Huddersfield, while Silloth’s Jonathan Graham will be hoping to rekindle the form that helped him to The Rock title last year.