ROB EDWARDS, one of the most successful products of the Hampshire PGA, has come out strongly against calls for a radical overhaul of the county's tournament programme.

Hampshire PGA captain Jason Neve blamed last week's mass failure of any county professional to get beyond the final qualifying stages for The Open on the fact that they don't play enough 54 or 72-hole tournament golf.

Apart from a handful of events like the Hampshire Open and the county strokeplay and matchplay championship events, PGA members play with amateur teams in one of the biggest county pro-am circuits in the UK.

But Neve, the professional at the Cams Hall Club in Fareham, says it is not the best preparation for tournament golf and is the main reason why so many are falling down when they try to compete at a higher level.

He would like to see many more two or three-day tournaments involving only the county's professional golfers and possibly including European Tour players like Matt Blackey, who supported Neve's call for a review of HPGA events.

But former HPGA captain Edwards, who graduated from the county ranks into a top European Challenge Tour player before returning as a club professional in Portsmouth, argued: "The pro-am circuit in Hampshire is our bread and butter. The sponsors and amateurs who support our events every year would be pretty upset to read that they are holding the players back.

"As it stands there are already opportunities to play in bigger events. If you want to become a tournament pro the obvious move is to try and qualify for the Southern PGA Tour which I did about 15 years ago.

"If you are good enough, it's the first step on the tournament ladder. If you fail, it tells you everything you need to know about your ability.

"It's harsh to blame the Hampshire PGA for our failures in the Open qualifiers. People basically didn't qualify because they weren't good enough.

"You have to make a choice whether you want to be a club pro or a tournament pro. You can't expect to have a club job and be out all the time playing in tournaments.

"To put on the kind of 72-hole event Jason is suggesting would cost at least £6,000-£7,000 and you'd have to find a sponsor which is not easy in today's climate.

"Hampshire PGA look after their professionals well. Their programme is as big as anywhere. If we can find another tournament or two, great. But to suggest radical changes is unpractical. Pie in the sky."