YOUNG SCOTS GOLFERS

IN ROME TO DEFEND

QUADRANGULAR TITLE

Scotland's squad of six flew to Rome yesterday (Monday) to defend the Under-18 boys' golf international quadrangular title against Italy, France and Sweden. The Scots won the title in France last year for the first time since 1995.
Banchory's James Byrne and Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) are the only two survivors from the winning Scotland line-up. The remainder are now over the age limit.
The rest of the team are: Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), Sam McLaren (King James VI, Perth), Tom Spencer (Inchmarlo), pictured right, and Kyle Smith (Kilmarnock Barassie).
The three-day match tees off on Thursday at Golf Club Parco di Roma.
Scotland’s foursomes pairings in Rome will be Spencer and McLaren, Smith and Stewart, and Byrne and Gray.
Barrie Douglas is the team captain and manager. Scottish Golf Union junior national coach Spencer Henderson also travelled with the squad.
France will probably be Scotland's toughest opponents. A couple of weeks ago, France beat Spain convincingly (22-8) in a 12-a-side Under-18 match. All six French boys in Rome played in that match.
In the 2006 quadrangular, Scotland beat Italy 6-3, France 5 1/2-3 1/2 and Sweden 6-3.

The Italian team this week is:

Andrea Chiapuzzo, Valentino Dall'arche, Gabriele Heinrich, Matteo Manassero, Niccolo Quintarelli, Cristiano Terragni. Captain: Alberto Campanile.

The French team is:

Allan Arnaudet, Edouard Dubois, Ambroise Fourquet, Francois Le Goff, Damien Perrier and Jean-Pierre Verselin. Captain: Francois Illouz.