Cowes set sail for Hayling to make debut

Cowes Golf Club will be competing in the SkyCaddie PGA Pro-Captain Challenge for the first time this year.

Captain Alan Knowles will partner PGA Professional Chris Tyson for the event which sees the Isle of Wight club compete in the South A qualifying competition which is being held at Hayling Golf Club on July 31.

They will be hoping to reach the £22,000 final, in association with Golfplan, which takes place between November 6-7 in Spain at Arabella Golf Mallorca.

And for Cowes, who have only had a head professional for the past three years, it represents a little piece of club history.

“I’m our first captain to play this event and Chris is the first professional we’ve had a the club,” explained 56-year-old Knowles, known by his nickname ‘Cyril’.

“When Chris came along, he was working at our local pub. We got him in and he’s brought the club on massively, he’s a real attribute.

“Playing in a PGA competition like this is very new ground for our club. Chris gives quite a few lessons but, on Sunday, he gives his time up for nothing to coach the juniors as well.

“He’s been brilliant. We invited him up and he was more than happy to do it.

“When he mentioned this event, I jumped at the chance of course.”

Painter and director Knowles believes that Cowes’ participation in the competition will help raise the profile of the club.

“The Isle of Wight only has so many courses, but if you come to Cowes then you do get the chance of getting lessons from a pro and that sways it in our favour I think,” he added.

“It’s not a great big island, we have two 18-hole courses and the rest are nine hole I think. It’s a bit cramped and there’s a lot of building work going on.”

Knowles has gone from an 11-handicapper to 15 and admired the role of Captain is partly to blame.

“I was told your golf suffers when you become Captain and mine certainly has, I have extra duties this year, but I love it,” he said.

“I’ve been here for around 17 or 18 years and I was ready to do it this time.”

For more details on the event at Hayling Golf Club click here.