Devine targeting PGA Fourball success at Headfort

Patrick Devine. Image: Tom Dulat/Getty Images

Royal Dublin's Patrick Devine hopes to emulate the greatest week of his professional life as he bids to reach the final of the Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship.

He teams up with Killiney Golf Club’s Leo Hynes for the qualifying event to be held at Headfort Golf Club in Co Meath on Wednesday July 22 and the pair go into the competition with impressive track records.

Devine is a former champion having won the final with Stuart Taylor in 2009 when it was held at Forest Pines Golf Club in Lincolnshire.

And if Hynes qualifies, he will be looking to improve on his joint 16th place finish in last year’s final at St Mellion in Cornwall.

They will be aiming to reach the £35,000 Skycaddie & BMW supported grand final at Carden Park in Cheshire between August 12-14 and Devine has fond memories of his title win six years ago.

“It was probably the greatest day as a PGA player when we won at Forest Pines,” he said. “Everything went to plan, myself and Stuart played well, we made a lot of birdies and had fun doing it at the same time. If you can’t enjoy weeks like that in golf, when can you? It was a fantastic tournament for us and I remember it well.”

Devine hopes that he and Hynes will find the winning formula.

“We’ve known each other since we were amateurs, we go way back,” said Devine. “But we’ve never played together in this competition before.

“I hope it’s a good combination and I know Leo played in the final last year. He did well and would want to improve on that. If we can get to the final, we’d be trying to win it.”

Devine also admits this year’s final venue - the Jack Nickalus designed course at Carden Park - is another incentive.

“I’ve already had a look at the course graphics online,” he said. “When you can see the standard of the venue where the final’s going to be held, that’s something that makes you want to play there.”

Also playing at Headfort will be: Scott Kirkpatrick and Mark Gallagher (Ardee Golf Club); Conor Deegan and Kevin Kelliher (Dun Laoghaire Golf Club); David Rock and Robin Machin (County Meath Golf Club); Brian Kerley (Green Life Golf Centre) and Robert Giles (Greenore Golf Club) and David Hughes and Noel Murray (Massereene Golf Club).

View the full list of entries and event information for the regional qualifier at Co Meath.