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17 October, 2008

Les Bordes Set For Climax

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The Ivobank PGA Europro Tour reaches its climax next week with the top 60 players teeing up at the Les Bordes Tour Championships in France.

The Loire Valley course, voted as the joint-best golf course in Europe in the 2008/09 Peugeot Golf Guide, will provide the sternest test any of the players will have faced on a golf course - where the winner will scoop £20,000.

After battling it out over 13 events, the biggest prize fund of the year is the carrot dangling in front of the top 60 in the Order of Merit at Les Bordes - a track so tough that any player who breaks 80 earns a place on the hall of fame in the clubhouse.

In addition the top five finishers will earn their card to compete on the Challenge Tour next season and with the gap between fifth and 60th less than the top prize of £20,000, there will be all to play for.

At the business end, there is the race to win the Order of Merit. Noel Fox (MMI) leads the way with £26,647.48 but is only £600 ahead of Dale Marmion (Eaton - £26,036.65) with Alan Murray (Greystones GC - £24,665.39) in third spot.

Matthew Ford's late spurt has seen him jump to fourth place (Marriott Tudor Park - £22,937.76), ahead of Lloyd Kennedy (Chelmsford GC) who holds the all-important fifth automatic Challenge Tour card spot with £20,652.45 - and is over £6,000 ahead of Simon Thornton (Royal County Down).

The event, which tees off on Monday, will be something of a landmark for Les Bordes as it will be the first time the club has allowed TV cameras to film the course as part of the highlights package on Sky Sports.

"It is a great coup to be the first professional Tour to be invited to host an event at Les Bordes," said Barry Hearn, chairman of the Ivobank PGA Europro Tour.

"I have no doubt the players will enjoy playing at such a prestigious venue. It shows how highly the PGA Europro Tour is regarded that our flagship event is welcome at one of the world's best golf courses."