GREENBURN PAIR CATLIN, FERGUSON
WIN TURKEY TRIP
A bricklayer's labourer laid the foundations for Greenburn Golf Club, Fauldhouse professional Scott Catlin (pictured right) to secure an instant return to the grand final of Europe's largest pro-am at Antalya on the Turkish Riviera coastline on the Mediterranean.
Amateur Nicky Ferguson, who has a 13 handicap, cemented the duo's participation in the Virgin Atlantic PGA National Pro-Am Championship showpiece, with a flawless round that included four net birdies in their nine-under-par 61 at Lanark Golf Club today (Thursday).
Catlin, who received a cheque for £500, weighed in too, crucially with an eagle at the par four 17th - when he drove the green - to secure them a two-shot winning margin over former finalist Gordon Law and partner Mark Proudfoot of Uphall. Law's consolation award was £350.
The victory, just a week before Catlin's 35th birthday, gives him an opportunity to improve on last year's sixth place finish he achieved with Michael Carrigan - a friend of Ferguson's - over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club.
"The aim was get back their this year," said Catlin, who is the first of last year's 16 grand finalists to book a return.
"I'd not played with Nicky before today and he was pretty solid. We tried to play together last week but we got the tee times mixed up, so it was a case of just seeing how we went today.
"Nicky played really well, he knew what we were playing for as he's a good pal of Mike, who I played with last year. He'd told so much about it, so he knew what was at stake.
"Nicky got three birdies on the front nine and I got going on the back nine getting three birdies plus the eagle at 17, with Nicky getting another birdie.
"I knew when we reached the turn at three under we'd need to up our game and get to at least eight-under, which we more than managed."
Qualification is an amazing feat for Ferguson, who only joined the West Lothian club this year after five years of playing park golf.
"I'm really looking forward to the experience," said the 28-year-old from Cleland.
"I only joined the club this year so to qualify after just a few months of being at the club is fantastic.
"I was really please with the way I played today after getting off the first tee. I played pretty solidly, getting birdies and nett pars. I had a few putts to save par and not having any bogey was a real bonus."
This year's final, which carries a professional prize fund of £30,000, is being staged in Antalya, Turkey from December 6-10 and features 16 teams from across Great Britain and Ireland, who will enjoy an all expenses stay at the Sirene Beach & Hotel Resort.
It is the 25th staging of the tournament and the first year it has been sponsored by Virgin Atlantic, the UK's long haul specialists.
Prize-winning pros at Lanark today:
Par 70
69 Scott Catlin (Greenburn) £500.
63 Gordon Law (Uphall) £350.
64 Ian Taylor (Drumpellier), Andrew Fullen (Largs), Paul Wytrazek (Burntisland), James Stevenson (Braehead) £125 each.
A bricklayer's labourer laid the foundations for Greenburn Golf Club, Fauldhouse professional Scott Catlin (pictured right) to secure an instant return to the grand final of Europe's largest pro-am at Antalya on the Turkish Riviera coastline on the Mediterranean.
Amateur Nicky Ferguson, who has a 13 handicap, cemented the duo's participation in the Virgin Atlantic PGA National Pro-Am Championship showpiece, with a flawless round that included four net birdies in their nine-under-par 61 at Lanark Golf Club today (Thursday).
Catlin, who received a cheque for £500, weighed in too, crucially with an eagle at the par four 17th - when he drove the green - to secure them a two-shot winning margin over former finalist Gordon Law and partner Mark Proudfoot of Uphall. Law's consolation award was £350.
The victory, just a week before Catlin's 35th birthday, gives him an opportunity to improve on last year's sixth place finish he achieved with Michael Carrigan - a friend of Ferguson's - over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club.
"The aim was get back their this year," said Catlin, who is the first of last year's 16 grand finalists to book a return.
"I'd not played with Nicky before today and he was pretty solid. We tried to play together last week but we got the tee times mixed up, so it was a case of just seeing how we went today.
"Nicky played really well, he knew what we were playing for as he's a good pal of Mike, who I played with last year. He'd told so much about it, so he knew what was at stake.
"Nicky got three birdies on the front nine and I got going on the back nine getting three birdies plus the eagle at 17, with Nicky getting another birdie.
"I knew when we reached the turn at three under we'd need to up our game and get to at least eight-under, which we more than managed."
Qualification is an amazing feat for Ferguson, who only joined the West Lothian club this year after five years of playing park golf.
"I'm really looking forward to the experience," said the 28-year-old from Cleland.
"I only joined the club this year so to qualify after just a few months of being at the club is fantastic.
"I was really please with the way I played today after getting off the first tee. I played pretty solidly, getting birdies and nett pars. I had a few putts to save par and not having any bogey was a real bonus."
This year's final, which carries a professional prize fund of £30,000, is being staged in Antalya, Turkey from December 6-10 and features 16 teams from across Great Britain and Ireland, who will enjoy an all expenses stay at the Sirene Beach & Hotel Resort.
It is the 25th staging of the tournament and the first year it has been sponsored by Virgin Atlantic, the UK's long haul specialists.
Prize-winning pros at Lanark today:
Par 70
69 Scott Catlin (Greenburn) £500.
63 Gordon Law (Uphall) £350.
64 Ian Taylor (Drumpellier), Andrew Fullen (Largs), Paul Wytrazek (Burntisland), James Stevenson (Braehead) £125 each.
Labels: Tartan Tour
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, July 02, 2009
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