PROFESSIONALS Michael Watson and Jon Bevan are among a field of more than 20 Dorset players contesting the Dudsbury Masters on Thursday and Friday.

The second of five regional PGA Order of Merit (OOM) tournaments will be staged at the Longham course and is preceded by a gala pro-am on Wednesday.

Watson, of Wessex Golf Centre, and Bevan, of Sherborne, are among several OOM tournament winners including Lee Thompson, Mark Wiggett, Ferndown Forest’s Graham Howell and Parkstone’s Martyn Thompson.

Lee Thompson claimed the title two years ago and was beaten in a play-off by Cardiff’s Matt Dearden in 2011. He also won the BMW Classic twice at the Bournemouth course, following Wiggett’s success in 2001.

Former European Seniors Tour winners Kevin Spurgeon of Ferndown and George Ryall of Burnham & Berrow, as well as 2004 PGA champion Scott Drummond, bring further glister to the field.

Another ex-European Tour player Liam Bond, the winner of last year’s OOM, makes his first OOM appearance this season before opening his Liam Bond Golf Academy in the Forest of Dean on July 2.

Ivybridge’s Paul Hendriksen won his first OOM event at Dudsbury in 2013. Since then his career has taken off.

He won the national PGA Championship, was a member of the Bevan-led PGA Cup winning team against the United States in California and made his debut in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last month.

West secretary Robert Moss expects a close contest. He said: “Although the established players start as favourites, there are some outstanding young professionals just waiting for their chance to take over.

“The Dudsbury course is in outstanding condition so we can expect low scoring from a quality field of both young and experienced players.”

The OOM season continues with The Players Championship at Cumberwell Park on July 25-26, the West Region Championship at Burnham & Berrow on August 8-9 and the OOM Finale at The Point at Polzeath on October 4-5.