Missing out on a trip to America for the 2015 PGA Cup was difficult to take for North East pro Chris McDonnell.
Hexham-born McDonnell, now based at Golf At Goodwood in West Sussex, believed he’d all but guaranteed his place in the Great Britain and Ireland team after winning the PGA Professional Championship the year before.
But he ended up missing out on a place in Jon Bevan’s team by just half a point, and it was a big blow for the former Challenge Tour player.
As Bevan’s side made history in California by becoming the first GB&I team to win the PGA Cup on American soil, McDonnell could only watch events unfold from back home.
Now two years later the dream of representing his country will become a reality at Foxhills Resort.
McDonnell finished runner-up at this year’s Titleist and FootJoy PGA Professional Championship in Ireland, but this time it was enough to earn him the points he needed to qualify for the team.
“The two biggest things you can do as a PGA professional are winning the PGA Professional Championship and playing in the PGA Cup and now I will have done both. It’s something you can look back on in your career as one of the biggest highlights. Playing-wise it doesn’t get much bigger than the PGA Cup.”
McDonnell has played on the Challenge Tour and was also a winner on the Alps Tour. He joins a PGA Cup side which includes no fewer than eight players with European Tour experience.
“It’s a good mix of players and I think we’ve got a really strong team,” he added.
