Greenburn Golf Club's Nicky Ferguson (left) and club pro Scott Catlin (image by courtesy of Sandy Young of Getty Images).

Greenburn and Prestonfield pro-am pairs

head for six days of Turkish Delight

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA
Two pairs of Scottish golfers have the chance to end the year on a high when they compete in the PGA’s final event of the season – the Virgin Atlantic PGA National Pro-Am Championship.
Greenburn professional Scott Catlin and amateur partner Nicky Ferguson plus Prestonfield professional Gavin Cook and amateur David Kidd are two of 16 teams from across Great Britain and Ireland that will compete for the prestigious title in Turkey at the start of December.
The tournament is being staged for the third successive year at the Sirene Golf & Beach Resort in Antalya, with the 36-hole final played over the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club.
For Greenburn pro Catlin it is the second year in succession that he has reached the final, where he finished sixth in 2008.
West Lothian-based Catlin and 13-handicapper Ferguson, who qualified at Lanark after a round of 61, jet off to the Mediterranean resort on December 6 for five days, which will include staying at the all-inclusive Sirene Hotel and a gala dinner at its five-star sister hotel, the Kempinski Dome Hotel.
Cook, professional at the nearest golf club to Edinburgh city centre, and Kidd, who plays off 14, also shot a 61 at Crieff to seal their place in the final, where the professionals will be battling for a share of the £30,000 prize as well as the title.
Kidd was struggling to take in the enormity of the achievement after qualifying.
“It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever achieved in golf. I’ve only been playing seriously four or five years,” said the 48-year-old senior analyst with RBS.
This is the 25th staging of the final, which is being sponsored for the first time by Virgin Atlantic, which is also celebrating its silver jubilee and is a keen supporter of golf.
“Virgin Atlantic is very happy to be working closely with the PGA to explore ways of building customer commitment through value, quality service and memorable experiences,” said Paul Wait, general manager sales, Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.
“This is our first year of association and our aim is to continue to have golfers and all those in the business think of Virgin Atlantic as their preferred airline for long haul golf destinations. It's one of the reasons why we let golfers carry their clubs for free!
"Our association with the business of golf has many synergies - we attract people from all walks of life, we combine business with pleasure, we provide a variety of wonderful destinations and we both have customers who get hooked and relentlessly come back for more.”