Stars Warm Up For Maylands Event - 16/07/2007

A STRONG 157-man field will contest the Towergate Insurance Championship at Maylands, the PGA EuroPro Tour event in Essex which begins on Wednesday.

Nine of the 11 winners on the 2006 PGA EuroPro Tour will be competing at the Romford course over three rounds for £40,000 in prize money.

They include last week's Bovey Castle Championship winner Chris Hanson and former PGA Tour star John Morgan as the PGA EuroPro Tour makes its third appearance at Maylands.

Hanson and Morgan will be joined by Collingree Park champion Andrew Willey on the opening two days.

Damian Mooney, who won the tournament staged in The Azores back in May and is the current Order of Merit leader, will partner leading duo Phil Rowe and Matthew Cort.

Former European Tour members Warren Bennett - the runner-up at Maylands 12 months ago - and Russell Claydon have been paired with home professional Darren Parker for the first two rounds.

Five players from the Essex-based Sports Academy will also take part in the event, including Witham-based Jake Wakelin, Chelmsford's Richard Smith. 

The tournament was preceded by a Pro-Am on Tuesday, with three players - Darren Prosser, Zane Scotland and Mark Ramsdale - warming up with four-under-par rounds of 66.