SOME of Europe’s best young golfers will embark on a new season this morning, when the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour’s curtain raiser gets underway in the North-East for the first time.

A significant year in the history of Close House, near Newcastle, will begin by seeing the opening tournament of the 15-event Tour tee off at the luxurious venue before even bigger names roll up later this year.

Close House will attract some of the sport’s biggest names at the end of September when Lee Westwood hosts the British Masters at the club where he is attached, and there is huge excitement as the preparations continue.

Today, the championship Colt course will be played by hopefuls out to later make a name on the European Tour themselves when they tee off in the Lookers Championship.

Seven North-East golfers take part along with competitors from across the British Isles and beyond.

Close House will have its own representatives in the 156-strong field too, with managing director (and former English Amateur Strokeplay champion) Jonathan Lupton joined by club-mates Andy Scrimshaw and Craig Smith.

Rockliffe Hall’s James Maw and Hartlepool’s Alex Wrigley, who made 11 cuts and finished second at the FORE Business Championship last summer on the Tour, will be in action, along with Malton & Norton’s Chris Halley and former British amateur champion Garrick Porteous (Bamburgh).

The Lookers marks the third occasion the tour has visited Close House.

Both previous EuroPro winners at Close House – Marcus Armitage and Richard James – went on to finish the season inside the all-important Order of Merit top five; claiming a category on the following year’s Challenge Tour, a good omen for whoever collects the £10,000 winner’s prize at Heddon-on-the-Wall this week.

Jonathan Greenwood, general manager and PGA professional at Close House said: “We have enjoyed two fantastic years of hosting the PGA EuroPro Tour and are excited to be welcoming some of the country’s finest young golfers to Close House again in 2017.

“It is unique to be hosting both the EuroPro and the European Tour in the same year and we look forward to the challenge of hosting two top-class events here at Close House.

“We know how much the EuroPro’s players have enjoyed the Colt Course and we are pleased to be building on our relationship with the EuroPro into 2017.”

Alex Belt led the way for northern golfers at the final stage of qualifying school by producing impressive performances earlier this month to guarantee full playing rights on the 2017 Tour.

Flamborough-based Belt was a EuroPro Tour winner at Collingtree Park in 2013 but having not played a full season last year had to go back to Q-School to regain his playing rights for the summer.

He made rounds of 70, 69 and 72 to finished tied 13th and earn a full card on the tour.

Another Close House talent, James Simpson, was in contention for a top ten finish at Q-School after carding a second-round 68, but a final-round 73 meant he finished in tied 40th.

After this week’s opening event is completed, the Tour will head over to Tipperary for the Great National Hotels Irish Masters on May 10.

Longhirst Hall, in Northumberland, will host the only other EuropPro Tour event in the North-East from 5-7 July before the Tour concludes with The Clipper Logistics Championships at Moor Allerton from September 13-15.

Top performers earn the right to step up to Challenge Tour.

The Lookers Championship at Close House begins today with the final round played on Friday. Entry is free of charge for spectators and highlights will be shown on Sky Sports in early May.