A TOP prize of £10,000 is up for grabs this week as Frilford Heath hosts the Buildbase Open for the third successive year.

A bumper 168-strong field will tee up tomorrow for the start of the three-day event on the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

New Zealander Harry Bateman returns to defend his title, while there is also a strong Oxfordshire contingent.

Tom Fleming leads the Frilford players attempting to make the most of home advantage, along with Rob Harrhy, Ben Paterson, Max Smith and Elliot Bradley.

Headington’s Adam Wootton will also be looking to make Thursday’s cut, when the top 50 go through to the final round, which will be filmed by Sky Sports.

Entrance is free throughout the tournament and Alistair Booth, executive director at Frilford, encouraged spectators to make the most of the event.

He said: “We are delighted that Buildbase have sponsored this tournament again and that we are held in such high esteem by the EuroPro Tour.

“It is great that we have six local players competing in this tournament and I hope friends, family and the people of Oxford will come and support them.”

Daniel Godding, director of operations at the tour, said: “Frilford Heath is a long-standing and great supporter of the EuroPro Tour and I always look forward to our event there.”

  • A SUDDEN-DEATH play-off was needed in the Jack Acres Trophy as Jamie Burns eventually saw off Gary Hamilton at Frilford Heath.

The pair both finished with nett 140, and they could not be separated in the five-hole play-off.

But the breakthrough came at the first sudden death hole, as Hamilton’s tee shot at the 18th landed in a gorse bush.

Burns took advantage to claim victory, just a fortnight after his father Jimmy won the Seniors Club Championship.

  • JONATHAN Callaby has qualified for the Audi Quattro Cup UK regional final at Woburn next month.

The Banbury golfer won his event at Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire with 39 points.

Winners of the UK final this September will compete in the world final in Dubai.

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