Carry on, Lombard

Europe's largest pro-am tournament, the Lombard Trophy, will continue for the next two years under the banner of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Last year, more than 1,100 clubs from the UK and Ireland took part in the Lombard Trophy with over 100,000 amateur golfers playing in their monthly medals to earn the right to partner their PGA professionals in a regional final.

Clive Sullivan, Lombard's managing director, said: "Our decision to extend the sponsorship reflects the success and growth of this event since it was launched in 1995. We have created a tournament that has massive appeal and is widely recognised by club golfers and their PGA professionals."

This year's event offers �63,000 in prizemoney and incorporates 14 regional finals. Each winning regional team will win an all-expenses-paid, five-day trip to the grand final in Portugal in October.