SGU chief defends support of leading

amateurs through Tour School

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By Martin Dempster
As the race for places on next season's European Tour gets under way today at Dundonald Links, the Scottish Golf Union has defended its support of amateurs trying their luck in the qualifying process.
A debate has been sparked after it was noted that some of the country's top amateurs have been helped, in part, with the entry fee for the tour qualifying school. The cost per entry this year is £1,350 and among the 43 Scots who have signed up are five players – Gavin Dear, Wallace Booth, Keir McNicoll, Paul O'Hara and Steven McEwan – who are being supported by money which SGU receives from sportscotland, and which is specifically set aside for the development of elite golfers.

A posting on the Scottish Golf View website by club golfer Franco Hennigan questioned asked "if this is good and fair use of public money?", sparking a heated debate on the matter.

Last night the SGU's chief executive Hamish Grey, pictured above, said the money was being correctly deployed as it is provided by sportscotland as part of its funding to support and develop Scottish golf.Grey said:

"It is only a handful of players who are receiving support and those players have been our leading amateurs this year. This is public funding, it is not members' money. We get so much money from sportscotland for our elite golfers to support their schedule each year.

"Take Gavin Dear and Wallace Booth, for example. We sit down with them and see what their objectives are for each year and see what events they need to be supported in. If we agree it is the right time for them to try and earn their tour card, then the money they receive from sportscotland can go towards entering the qualifying school.

"However, they will have to put some of their own money against that as well. In the case of Gavin and Wallace, their county, Perthshire, have also put money in to help their development."

Backing Grey's view are Kevin McAlpine, the 2006 Scottish amateur champion, and Chris Kelly, the former Tartan Tour No1 from Cawder.

McAlpine, son of former Dundee United goalkeeper Hamish, said: "Tour School expenses are paid to a very select few of Scotland's top amateurs each year. Young golfers cannot afford this hefty fee and it is only right the SGU steps in to help."

Kelly, who came through the amateur ranks himself and has tried on numerous occasions to win his tour card, added: "My own entry fee came straight out my bank account and I have the gaping hole to prove it. I am in full support of the SGU paying some top amateurs tour school entry fees, given the success of last season with Callum Macaulay and Scott Jamieson getting European and Challenge Tour cards respectively."

Steven Carmichael, a former Scottish international, also supports the SGU's policy. He said: "Does it (funding players] grow the game? Of course it can. It's not the only way, and some of the grass-roots stuff needs attention, but kids can be inspired to take up the game by seeing success from a Scottish player.

"There is no real chance of them being inspired by a guy on a mini tour because they are not high profile enough, so for trying to help young players on to the European Tour the SGU should be applauded."

Addressing Hennigan's concerns about the financial well-being of Scotland's golf clubs, Grey added: "We are also supporting our clubs in these difficult times by trying to generate new members through clubgolf, the national junior initiative."

+The full article contains 608 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper today.