THE final event of the PGA South Region’s tour started this morning at Les Mielles Golf Club in St Peter, writes Andy Bradshaw.

The 54-hole Jersey Players’ Championship runs concurrently with a pro-am section with the amateurs playing today and tomorrow along with the pros whose scores count towards their championship.

Long time Order of Merit leader James Ablett has a 27 point lead and he is almost guaranteed a place in the top three therefore gaining him a place in the national PGA Play-offs.

But that is merely a consolation prize as far as the Hampshire golfer is concerned.

Ablett, from Lee-on-Solent, said: ‘I know if I win the tournament I win the Order of Merit.

I have to go with that attitude rather than worrying about what my nearest challengers are doing.

‘There are so many possibilities you would give yourself a headache just thinking about it.’ The PGA Play-offs are in their second year and Ablett, who played a year ago in the first event at Woodhall Spa, believes they have helped improve the standard around the region.

Qualification for the event opens up the possibility of winning European and Challenge Tour invites next year.

Ablett added: ‘At the start of the year my target was to finish in the top three like I did last year to make the PGA Play-offs.

‘That is a big carrot for players at the end of the season and the reason which I think the standard in the region has risen this year and scoring has been so low.

‘Everyone has thought they have got to get up there and it has been good for the region.’ Jersey teaching professionals Adam Jones and Lynne Cummins are competing at Les Mielles this week.

The South Region Tour event concludes with the professionals playing their final 18 holes on Thursday.

The PGA are staging this week’s event in conjunction with Le Tournoi.

The two bodies are providing a platform to raise funds for charity, supported by Russell Foot of Cloudfree, Florida Homes, Jersey Tourism, Education, Sport and Culture and many Island businesses and individuals.