Milestone event on Priestman Course at Slaley Hall

The Priestman Course at De Vere Slaley Hall played the perfect host in its PGA EuroPro tournament debut last week. 21 year-old England International James Robinson finished the three-round event at 12-under par to claim a one stroke victory in the VEKA & Network VEKA UK Open, becoming the first amateur to win on Europe’s leading satellite tour.

The Priestman, which has recently undergone an extensive bunker refurbishment, was lauded by the players, as tournament golf returned to Slaley Hall for the second time in 2010, following the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship which was held over the Hunting Course in June.

Designed by Neil Coles in 1999, the 6,951 yard Priestman Course is furthering its reputation as a championship venue, as the successful EuroPro event highlights its ability to test some of the leading golfers in the country and showcases De Vere Slaley Hall’s two championship standard courses.

“We’re delighted to have enjoyed another great week of tournament golf at Slaley Hall and the Priestman proved a great test for the EuroPro players. We are thrilled to crown such a fantastic winner as James Robinson, who is undoubtedly one of the future stars of English Golf,” commented Keith Pickard, De Vere Slaley Hall Director of Golf & Leisure. “The course was in fantastic condition all week, producing some fantastic scoring and it has been great to have both of our courses host top class tournaments this year, and we look forward to continuing to host championships across all levels of the game in the coming years.”

As an amateur Robinson, a past winner of the prestigious Lytham Trophy, could not accept the £10,000 winner’s cheque which was instead split between Jamie Abbott and James Hepworth who finished tied for second on 11-under par.

The EuroPro Tour now moves to the final event of the season before the Tour Championship, which was held over the Hunting course at Slaley Hall in 2009, and sees the top players on the Order of Merit compete for the coveted top-5 positions, and gateway to the European Challenge Tour.

Since first hosting top class tournament golf in 1996, hosting a number of European Tour events, De Vere Slaley Hall has welcomed Major winners, Ryder Cup players and top European players.

The picturesque Northumberland resort is also home to the Northumberland County Golf Team, which uses the facilities as their practice headquarters. De Vere’s extensive support of golf at a variety of levels, from grass roots to elite professional competition, has continued throughout 2010 as the North-East’s premier golf resort continues supporting the game in the North of England.