Golf: Dinsdale with Georgia on his mind in qualifier

Apr 25 2008 by Anthony Woolford, Western Mail

FORMER PGA Cup player, Richard Dinsdale is desperate to renew rivalry with the top American club professionals.

The pro, right, from the Parc Golf Academy in Newport, was on the winning side of the Ryder Cup-style contest in 2005 at the K Club near Dublin, and was bitterly disappointed not to have made the Britain and Ireland team last year, when they were narrowly beaten by the hosts in Georgia.

Qualification for the 2009 team is through the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship, whose regional qualifying round for former European Tour professional Dinsdale will be over the unforgiving Burnham and Berrow links in Somerset on Monday.

“I tried so hard in last year’s championship at Royal Porthcawl, but finished in the low 20s, which wasn’t good enough to get an exemption straight into this July’s 72-hole final (at Moortown, Leeds),” said Dinsdale.

“But before Burnham and Berrow I’m playing in the three-day Cornish Festival at Newquay, Trevose and St Enedoc, so that’ll give me some much-needed preparation.”

And although Dinsdale is not all that familiar with the Somerset course, his father, who’ll be caddying for him, used to play winter foursomes there, and hopes to guide his 35-year-old son to one of the qualifying places for Moortown.