Ampfield’s Jon Barnes has qualified for the Great Britain & Ireland team that will take on the United States in this year’s PGA Cup.

Barnes earned his place in the squad after finishing fourth in the Glenmuir PGA Championship, at Slaley Hall, in Northumberland.

The 42-year-old said: “I am delighted, it is a real honour to make the team. I am excited and looking forward to it.”

The PGA Cup is a biennial event, which mirrors the Ryder Cup format. This year’s event will be held at Slaley Hall, with GB&I hoping to regain the Llandudno Trophy from the Americans, after their victory in California two years ago.

Barnes is relishing the prospect.

“When you are an amateur you play a lot of team golf, and I loved that, but, as a professional, golf is very individual, so I will really enjoy being part of a team event again,” he said.

“The Americans are very strong, obviously. But I think we have got a strong squad too, with quite a few guys who have played on Tour before.”

All ten of Russell Weir’s GB&I squad are rookies in the event, but the captain is bullish about their chances.

“We have a very strong team and I’m looking forward to seeing them all. It’ll be a great week and a tough week,” he said.

Barnes shot rounds of 75, 73, 70 and 74 to finish on four-over-par for the tournament, exceeding his own expectations.

“I just wanted to try and make the cut really, because I’m a club professional and I don’t play as much as I used to,” he said.

“But it was nice for my game to stand up in that sort of level of championship.”

Barnes insisted there were no nerves as he closed in on a top five finish in the national PGA’s biggest event of the season and a place in the PGA Cup team.

“I was enjoying it,” he said. “That’s what I love, playing championships like that and putting yourself in those sorts of positions.”

As an added result of his performance, Barnes has also qualified to represent England in the PGAs of Europe International Team Championship, in Portugal, this December.