Stars Set For Season Finale - 06/06/2007

THE 2006 PGA EuroPro Tour season comes to a climax this weekend when The Azores Tour Championship takes place at Batalha GC.

The tournament will feature the top 50 players in the PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit following the 15 regular events staged since April.

Also competing will be the six players who landed a hole-in-one during the PGA EuroPro Tour season, who will play-off for a Peugeot car in the Peugeot Hole-In-One Challenge.

"The standard of play on this year's tour has been superb," said PGA EuroPro Tour Managing Director Eddie Hearn.

"We have had 14 different winners on the tour, showing the strength in depth of talent competing to win places at the top level of the sport.

"The top five players after the Tour Championship get their Challenge Tour cards for next year, and so many more will be taking part in European Tour Qualifying School Second Stage soon, so it is an important time.

"After the thrilling win by Mark Smith in last year's Tour Championship (pictured) , there is a high standard for the players to follow but they have shown throughout the season that they have the ability to go all the way to the top!"

Former PGA Tour star John Morgan has re-launched his career on the PGA EuroPro Tour this year, winning two tournaments after a year sidelined by illness and injury.

"I've got a long way to go and this is hopefully the tip of the iceberg for me," said Morgan.

"I didn't expect anything like this on my year coming back - I didn't know what to expect because it's been a hard time, and an emotional time.

"But to come back and do as well as I have done has surprised me - in a good way!"

Another player looking to end the year on a high is East Devon's Kevin Harper, who has had one win and four top-ten finishes in his debut year as a professional.

"I didn't really know what to expect this year," he said. "I had a really good Amateur career but didn't get the wins, and that first win at Hollins Hall proved something to me.

"Every week I've found myself having a good chance and in four or five tournaments I've been in contention. It has been a learning curve.

"I'm trying to get a top-five place at the end of the year to get a Challenge Tour card.

"If I get a top-ten finish at the Tour Championship that should be guaranteed."

The Azores Tour Championship will be played over three rounds, and there will be no cut in the event. There is a €100,000 prize fund.

The six players to contest the Peugeot Hole-In-One Challenge are:
David Astin (Hole-in-one at Mollington Grange)
Kenny Stephenson (Bovey Castle)
Lee Wood (Hollins Hall)
Jonathan Evans (Whittlebury Park)
Lewis Genney (Whittlebury Park)
John Morgan (Ufford Park)
The player who is nearest to the pin after three shots each will win a brand new Peugeot car.