Almost 60 professionals will tee up in the $25,000 tournament on Wednesday.

Lyle, who returned to the US PGA tour this year, after overcoming his second bout of leukaemia will be joined by past winners Euan Walters and Andrew Martin in the field.

Yesterday the former Shepparton junior shot a three-under par 69 in the opening round of the Australian PGA on the Gold Coast.

David McKenzie won’t return to defend his title but club professional John van der Veen believes his six-under par 64 will be the mark for the winners.

“The course isn’t long by today’s standards but it requires a high degree of management,” he said.

“This is the fifth year of the pro-am and as the professionals have got to play the course each year the scores have gone lower and lower.

“I don’t see anyone repeating Walters’ 63 but if the weather is kind you’d expect the winner to shoot somewhere around 64.”

Howlong’s Travis Merritt is also in the field after last year having missed a chance at the last hole to finish level with McKenzie.

As well as the $5000 first prize for the pros, professionals and amateurs will have a shot at a $40,000 Lexus as the prize for a hole-in-one on the 178-metre par 3 10th.

Van der Veen said numbers were up.

“It is more pros than we had last year and given that it clashed with the Australian qualifying school and a big pro-am in Queensland, it’s a great turnout,” he said.

Players will hit off in two shotgun starts — 7.45am and again at 12.30pm.

Details (02) 6057 2801.