Blue Lake Public Links Golf Club in Mount Gambier is set to host the greats of Australian Golf next week when the PGA of Australia Legends Tour reaches town for the annual Gordon Refrigeration South Australian PGA Senior Championship on 7 – 8 April.

The championship kicks off with a welcome gala dinner on Thursday night at the club which will also provide the stage to recognise the event which was awarded South Australian Legends Tour event of the year in 2016. Tournament host Bill Burley said the event and supporting partners including the City of Mt Gambier Council are extremely proud of the recognition.

The tournament will be played over two days beginning on Friday morning and coming to what will surely be an exciting climax on Saturday afternoon.

Additional pressure will be on during the South Australian swing as it was recently announced that the leader of the Legends Tour Order of Merit on 9 April will receive a special invitation into the 2017 US Senior PGA Championship which will be played at Trump National in Washington DC in the last week of May and is an event that attracts the all time greats from around the world.

This year the PGA Legends Tour swing in South Australia will visit new venues including Victor Harbor Golf Club and Kadina Golf club which will be a unique test for the likes of Roger Davis and Mike Harwood who will have to adjust to the sand greens which they will face in the northern regions of the state at Kadina.

Local favourite Glen Joyner will be hoping to defend his SA PGA Senior Crown which he won at Blue Lake last year in a playoff over Victorian’s Tim Elliot and Mike Harwood. The trio finished with a total score of even par (140), a sign that the tight tree lined layout which nestles into the stunning Blue Lake Crater, is an ideal championship test for an event of this stature.

The SA Senior PGA at Blue Lake has been a fixture on the Australian Legends Tour for several years now and Burley says; “It’s always a highlight for the city of Mt Gambier and the club to host the tour and the players.

“Through the support of our sponsors and the City Council of Mount Gambier we are able to provide one of the most entertaining events all year and I am so proud of what we have build here.”

Local Mayor Andrew Lee said “Mount Gambier has a reputation as a strong sporting community across a wide range of sporting genres and we are proud to host this prestigious event.

“We look forward to welcoming the many competitors, enthusiasts and their families to Mount Gambier and encourage them to enjoy the unique natural attractions and visitor facilities this beautiful part of the world has to offer.”

The $25,000 championship will again attract the best from Australia and overseas with players from New Zealand, United States, South Africa and Netherlands taking part in the tournament.

For the full 2017 PGA Legends Tour schedule visit www.pga.org.au.