2012 Open Championship qualifiers Ashley Hall, Aaron Townsend and Nick Cullen
Before heading to The Open Championship Aaron Townsend, Nick Cullen and Ashley Hall will all hone their skills at the Adroit Insurance Group Victorian PGA Championship from 16th - 19th February.
The in form trio who earned their way into golf’s oldest major earlier this month at International Final Qualifying (IFQ) will now head to Forest Resort Creswick to begin their preparations.
“Qualifying for The Open Championship is an incredible opportunity and so my focus until then will be preparing my game for that challenge,” said New South Welshman Aaron Townsend.
“I think that the Vic PGA will be a good first step in this preparation process,” he added.
Ashley Hall comes into the Adroit Insurance Group Victorian PGA Championship on the back of IFQ success as well as a tied sixth at the JBWere Masters late in 2011 and an earlier tied second at the John Hughes Geely Nexus Risk Services WA Open Championship.
The 28-year-old Victorian aims to build on his 2011 performances at the Adroit Insurance Group Victorian PGA Championship with the hopes of claiming the title.
“I had a solid year in 2011 and overall I was happy with my season, then to start 2012 by qualifying for my first Major was just fantastic,” said Hall.
“If I can add a win at the Vic PGA to that, it really would be the icing on the cake,” he added.
Also looking to perform well in the Adroit Insurance Group Victorian PGA Championship is South Australia’s Nick Cullen who experienced a rapid rise on the PGA Tour of Australasia in 2011.
“Last year I went from playing the pro-am circuit to gaining starts on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Thanks to some good performances at the end of the year I earned some world ranking points and went on to qualify for The Open Championship,” said Cullen.
“I've been working hard and my game is in good shape at the moment so for 2012 my aims will be to perform well at the Open and to win my first professional tournament."
“It would be fantastic if my first victory were at the Vic PGA so I will be bringing my best golf to the Creswick course to hopefully make it happen.”
Ballarat sports fans are sure to experience some quality golf over the four days of the Adroit Insurance Group Victorian PGA Championship with Townsend, Hall and Cullen joining previous Open Championship competitor and Australian golfing great Peter O’Malley.
“The addition of the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Open Championship qualifying trio is a big boost for the tournament and I encourage all golf fans to come to the tournament and witness them in action before they head to the UK to take on the best golfers in the world,” said Nick Thornton, Executive Officer of the Southern Division of the PGA of Australia.
The Adroit Insurance Group Victorian PGA Championship will be played over 72 holes at the Forest Resort Creswick.
Round one will tee off on Thursday 16th February with the tournament set to conclude on Sunday 19th February 2012.
The event is the second tournament on the 2012 PGA Tour of Australasia schedule.
The Adroit Insurance Group Victorian PGA Championship is proudly supported by Bartercard
Entry into the tournament is free.