Macaulay and Booth ranked in top 20 for
2008 by European Golf Association

Two Scots - Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan) and Wallace Booth (Comrie) - were ranked in the top 20 male amateurs by the European Golf Association for 2008.
The EGA made the European Tour Qualifying School their cut-off point for the year, at which point Macaulay was still an amateur.
Other Scots who were just outside the top 20 were Steven McEwan (Cardross) in 21st position and Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) in 26th spot.

The final top 20 for 2008 were:
1 SHANE LOWRY (Ireland) 1056.25.
2 STEPHAN GROSS (Germany) 1052.46.
3 JORGE CAMPILLO (Spain) 1052.31.
4 ANDERS KRISTIANSEN (Norway) 1030.95.
5 SAM HUTSBY (England) 988.37.
6 CALLUM MACAULAY (Scotland) 972.00.
7 ANDREA PAVAN (Italy) 948.00.
8 BJORN AKESSON (Sweden) 946.34.
9 TOM SHERREARD (England) 945.83.
10 CHRIS PAISLEY (England) 936.21.
11 REINIER SAXTON (Netherlands) 916.33.
12 FEDERICO COLOMBO (Italy) 902.22.
13 ARIE FRIESTAD (Norway) 878.79.
14 JONATHAN CALDWELL (Ireland) 877.08.
15 DALE WHITNELL (England) 875.41.
16 TOMMY FLEETWOOD (England) 874.36.
17 BENJAMIN HEBERT (France) 867.92.
18 WALLACE BOOTH (Scotland) 866.07.
19 RUDY THUILLIER (France) 853.12.
20 RICHARD KIND (Netherelands) 851.22

+Switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk to see which Scots were in the EGA's top-20 female amateur rankings for 2008.

Callum Macaulay signs up for

Wasserman Media Group

PRESS RELEASED ISSUED BY STUART HIGGINS COMMUNICATIONS ON BEHALF THE WASSERMAN MEDIA GROUP (WMG)
The newly-formed European golf division of the Wasserman Media Group (WMG) has signed one of the UK’s most promising young golfers, Callum Macaulay, it was announced today.
Prior to turning professional this week, Macaulay, 24, whose home club is Tulliallan, Clackmannanshire, was ranked Number 6 in the world amateur golf rankings.

In 2008, Callum won the Scottish Amateur Championship, the Eisenhower Trophy to become World Amateur Champion with Scotland and represented Scotland Men’s Elite Squad, GB& Ireland Men’s Squad and the European team in the Bonnallack Trophy.
Callum, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, was the only amateur in the field to secure a full European Tour card for 2009, at the recent European Tour Qualifying School in Girona. He will make his professional debut on the European Tour at next week’s Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.
Head of the WMG golf division, Brendan Taylor commented: “We are delighted to welcome Callum to WMG. To win the Scottish Amateur, World Amateur Team Championship and secure a European Tour card in the same year is a phenomenal achievement. I’m extremely excited at the prospect of managing Callum’s career and believe he has the talent to become a real star on the European Tour.”
Callum said: “I have been really impressed with WMG and Brendan’s team. I’m delighted to be working with a global organisation such as WMG and I am confident they will help me successfully reach the next phase of my career.”

PGA signs Russian deal

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA
Russia is gearing up for a golfing first after exciting plans were unveiled for a PGA-branded golf course and academy near Moscow.
The multi-million pound project situated just outside the capital follows an agreement between the Belfry-based PGA and OPIN, a Russian real estate investment company, and will help boost the sport’s profile in the country.
The Bolshoye Zavidovo resort will feature a 7,300-yard course called PGA National Russia and a PGA National Golf Academy with a nine-hole course and extensive practice facilities including an integrated short game range, practice bays and swing studios.
Set near a picturesque reservoir created by the River Volga, the course will be designed by European Golf Design and will complement plans for a five-star hotel and marina hotel.
Constantin Zabrodin, deputy general director of OPIN, who is leading the project, is hoping that on completion in 2011, the resort will go on to become a training centre for all young Russian PGA professionals as well as the centre of the country’s national golf industry.And as golf’s popularity begins to increase in Russia particular efforts will be invested in promoting and growing the game with special attention to families and junior players.
The announcement attracted widespread media coverage in Moscow.
PGA property and commercial director Robert Maxfield was in the Russian capital to officially launch the project.“This is an exciting and world class golf facility and the PGA is delighted to be working with OPIN and playing a part in the promotion and growth of golf in Russia,” said Maxfield.
For the PGA, the deal is another landmark step in its flourishing international reputation which has seen the recent announcement of a number of branded opportunities across the world including in Egypt, Tunisia and India.

Dundee professionals finish in top
20 in Turkey's Beko Classic

Dundee's Kenny Hutton and Steve Martin finished joint 16th and 18th respectively in the PGAs of Europe's Beko Classic at Cornelia Golf Club, Antalya in southern Turkey.
Hutton, the Downfield club professional, had rounds of 78 72 and 76 for an 10-over-par total of 226.
Martin had roudns of 77, 76 and 74 for 227.
England's Jamie Little won the tournament by the runaway margin of eight strokes over 54 holes. He scored 67, 69 and 68 for a 12-under-par total of 204. Little outstripped the field with six birdies in an outward half of 30 in his final round.
Welshman Liam Bond, who had a double bogey 7 at the second in his final round of 75, was runner-up on 212.
Former Ryder Cup skipper Ian Woosnam came joint 10th on 223.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
204 Jamie Little (Eng) 67 69 68.
212 Liam Bond (Wal) 69 68 75.
214 Marco Ruiz (Par) 71 71 72, Robert Coles (Eng) 69 74 71, Erol Simsek (Ger) 71 72 71.
216 Ben Mason (Eng) 72 71 73.
217 Matthew King (Eng) 72 75 70.
Selected scores:
223 Ian Woosnam (Wal) 77 74 72 (jt 10th).
226 Kenny Hutton (Sco) 78 72 76 (jt 16th)).
227 Steve Martin (Sco) 77 76 74 (jt 18th).

Padraig Harrington wins European Tour
Shot of the Year Award for 2008

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN TOUR
Padraig Harrington’s stunning five-wood approach to the 17th hole on the final day of The 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale has been voted The European Tour Shot of the Year for 2008.
Harrington’s stupendous shot from 249 yards landed just three feet from the pin at the penultimate hole of the Championship and he converted the eagle putt to secure a four-shot victory in a brilliant defence of the Claret Jug.
The 37-year-old Dubliner, who was two strokes clear of the field at the time, closed the door on his playing partner, Greg Norman of Australia and England’s Ian Poulter, who was already in the clubhouse on 287. Harrington finished with a round of 69 for a 72-hole total of 283.
Harrington, who went on to win the US PGA Championship at Oakland Hills in August, later reflected on his thinking behind that precisely struck five-wood which effectively sealed his second Major victory.
He said: “On the 17th, I hit my five wood off the tee and hit it really solid. It was good to hit the fairway. I had 220 yards to the front of the green and 249 yards to the pin. The five wood is my favourite club and I knew I could make birdie if I hit that club.
“I was anxious that Greg could make eagle going down there, and if I laid up and I made par, all of a sudden it was very close. I wasn't so much worried about the guy that was two holes ahead of me and finished (Ian Poulter). I was worried if I laid up and made par, I was giving Greg a great chance to get within one shot of me, and one shot is not comfortable in any shape or form going down the 18th.
“So I wanted to take it on although there was obviously trouble on the right and left. A low shot, I felt, was always going to be an advantage. So I used the down slope in my favour and the ball came out nice and low. Once I hit it, it was perfect. It's one of the few times I think I've ever heard my caddie say good shot to me before the ball is finished. Normally he waits until the ball has actually stopped before he says anything.
“Obviously he was comfortable with what we had taken, but it was a worrying shot. It was a real bonus to finish three feet away. I would have been quite happy with it on the green and take my chances with two putts. Once it was three feet away I made sure I holed it. You can’t have enough of a lead going down the 18th in a Major.”
Runner-up was Graeme McDowell’s seven iron at the third hole of a play-off with Jeev Milkha Singh which helped him claim the inaugural Ballantine’s Championship in Korea while Harrington also collected third place with his tee shot to eight feet for a birdie two at the penultimate hole of the US PGA Championship.
The European Tour Shot of the Month Award is presented to the Tour Member for the shot judged to be the most outstanding played during each calendar month on The European Tour International Schedule. The winning shots from each month are entered into The European Tour Shot of the Year Award.

The full list of monthly winners in 2008 were: South Africa’s Richard Sterne (January), New Zealand’s Mark Brown (February), the Northern Irish duo of Graeme McDowell (March) and Darren Clarke (April), England’s Richard Finch (May), Martin Kaymer of Germany (June), Padraig Harrington of Ireland (July and August), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño of Spain (September) and his compatriot Sergio Garcia (October).

K J Choi wins Skins Game with
a haul of $415,000

K.J. Choi headed the money-winners at the 26th Skins Game at Indian Wells, California. He finished up with a haul of $415,000 after holing a 12ft birdie putt, which was worth $270,000, at the final hole.
Stephen Ames missed a nine-footer that would have halved the hole and forced the foursome including Phil Mickelson and Rocco Mediate into a play-off.
Instead, Choi’s putt gave him $340,000 for Sunday’s nine holes and made him the fifth international player to win the title.
“I’m very proud to have won the Skins Game, the first time ever for a Korean player,” said Choi, who said he watched the Skins Game and the Masters while growing up in South Korea.
Stephen Ames, looking for a third consecutive title in the event, won $250,000 on the first hole of the day with a birdie to finish second. Mickelson was third with $195,000, while Mediate earned his $140,000 with a birdie on the 16th hole.
It is just the seventh time that all four players in the event have won money.

Late bogeys cost Philip McLean
top-15 finish in Argentina

Bogeys at the last three holes cost Peterhead's Philip McLean joint 14th place in a field of more than 100 for the Juan Carlos Tailhade men's amateur international golf tournament at Los Lagartos Golf Club in Argentina.
McLean had rounds of 76, 73 and 73 for a total of nine-over-par 222 over the par-71 course near Buenos Aires. The tournament was cut from 72 holes to three rounds when Friday's play was rained off.
McLean's final outward half of two-under-par 34, with birdies at the second, fourth and sixth, and a bogey at the eighth, had actually lifted him into the top 10 but he subsided with bogeys at the 10th, 16th, 17th and 18th in an inward, four-over-par 39 which dropped him a final positon of joint 26th.
Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) scored 74, 79 and 73 for a share of 36th place on 226. Paterson had halves of 35 (one under par) and 38 (three over) in his final round.
Scott Borrowman (Dollar), joint fifth after a first-round 71, faded to scores of 79 and 78 for joint 43rd place on 228. He required 41 shots for his final nine holes.
The fourth member of the SGU playing squad to make the two-tournament trip to South America, Scottish boys stroke-play champion Mark Bookless (Sandyhills), withdrew before the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup event started.
Scotland's pairing for the international team event was Paterson and Borrowman. After a bright start, they finished 10th of the 13 teams with a total of 454 - 26 shots behind winners Holland for whom Floris De Vries was the individual winner by one shot with scores of 72, 72 and 69 for level par 213.
The Scots move on to the Argentina match-play championship at Nordelta Golf Club this week when there will be qualifying rounds to produce a field of 64 for the match-play stages.
Leading individual totals
Par 213 (3 x 71)
213 Floris De Vries (Hol) 72 72 69.
214 Jose Arizabaleta (Col) 71 73 70, Armando Zarlenga (Arg) 72 67 75.
215 Reiner Saxton (Holl) 73 74 68, Moises Cobo Arrayas (Spa) 72 74 69, Jason Scrivener (Aus) 72 74 69, Brendan Smith (Aus) 74 69 72.
216 Matthew Haines (Eng) 70 71 75.
Selected scores:
222 Philip McLean (Sco) 76 73 73 (jt 26th).
225 Luke Goddard (Eng) 74 73 78 (jt 32nd).
226 Greg Paterson (Sco) 74 79 73 (jt 36th).
228 Scott Borrowman (Sco) 71 79 78 (jt 43rd).
Final team totals
Par 426 (6 x 71)
428 Holland. 430 Australia. 433 Spain. 440 Argentina. 441 England. 442 Germany. 446 Colombia. 447 Italy. 450 United States. 454 Scotland. 457 Peru, Uruguay. 463 Finland.