MATT Southgate and Daniel Brooks will tee off together for the first time in top level competition as the south Essex duo fly the flag for Essex in Europe.

Southgate, 24, from Southend, and Brooks, 26, from Basildon, are in the same opening group for the Telnet Trophy in Lasne, Belgium, which gets underway today.

Both have graduated for the European Tour through the qualifying school in recent seasons, and are two of the county’s brightest prospects.

But this week they will be bidding to improve their rankings on the Challenge Tour, with Brooks 102nd after taking part in four tournaments, and Southgate taking part at this level for the first time this season.

Brooks is a member of Mill Hill Golf Club who also practices at Langdon Hills, and Southgate is a member at Thorpe Hall Golf Club in Thorpe Bay.

And they will be in good company today with the third member of their group American Brooks Koepka, who is currently third in the rankings.

Long-standing Thorpe Hall member David Leslie said it was the first time he had known two south Essex golfers to play together at top level European competition and that it was something for the area to be proud of.

He said: “I know (Thorpe Hall member) Richard McEvoy has played with Robert Coles (from Hornchurch) before, but I don’t think we’ve ever had two from our area in a group like this before.

“Matt and Dan are both young men who are trying to make their mark, and they’ve got every chance of doing that after stepping up to the European Tour.

“It is good for golf in this area to see them playing alongside each other, and hopefully they’ll do well here.

“We have high hopes for Matt because he has the game to do very well in top level competition.”

Southgate and Brooks will be hoping to get more invitations to the European Tour’s events in the second half of the season.

Southgate is currently ranked 159th with prize money of 34,988 euros on the European Tour, and Brooks is 204th with 15,675 euros.

Leslie said that McEvoy was hoping to get a spot at the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth this week but looks to have missed out.