Stewart McCulloch, with the Phillips Trophy, standing beside Laurie Phillips, grandson of Ally Phillips, right seated, whose father donated the magnificent trophy to the North-east District in 1947.

So why do so many fit, young golfers

use power trolleys these days?

ASKS STEWART McCULLOCH
Sunday winner of the Phillips Trophy at Cruden Bay
As a regular and interested visitor to http://www.scottishgolfview.com/ I thought I'd drop you a line about the Phillips Trophy on Sunday.
Obviously I am delighted to win this prestigous competition and I played very solidly all day in a strange wind to the one I grew up battling against at Cruden Bay.
I am not old at 28 but I am alarmed at the amount of young fit men using power trolleys etc these days. When I was younger and competing more regularly on the local and national amateur circuit, it was unusual to see someone NOT carrying their bag.
Chris Gilbert (who also carried his bag for 36 holes on Sunday) and I were discussing this in the clubhouse afterwards. We counted only four players in the whole field carrying their clubs. Perhaps we just haven't moved with the times, yet we both picked up prizes.
I also received a familiar comment in the clubhouse at lunchtime from one of my playing partners. He said I obviously did not believe in modern technology such as the tee-peg!
I laughed as I recalled a time being publicly criticised by Colin Farquharson and others in local golfing circles for not using a tee-peg. It was "a sign of laziness, carelessness, lack of respect, backache even ..."
Well, I think I used a tee-peg on about five occasions during Sunday's 36 holes. I hit driver, three-wood and two-iron off the deck all the time, always have done. It's just the way I play - I don't feel the need for a tee as I am comfortable without one.
And here's a possible explanation...! Laurie Phillips and I grew up together at Cruden Bay golf course, playing golf together, practising together under the watchful eye of his grandfather Ally Phillips. Ally was inspirational for so many young Cruden Bay golfers of the time (Cassells, Bannerman, Docherty, Love, Bratton, Buchan etc).
A true gent with a love and appreciation for the game of golf played in its true-est form. His knowledge and ability to coach a young golfer was incredible. He made it simple, was strong on ball-striking and we used to love long summer nights at Cruden Bay with Ali, just concentrating on striking a good golf shot from the fairway, from the rough, even from a divot!
So perhaps this is why I don't feel the need to use a tee-peg! I know for a fact that Laurie would also not be too handicapped if forced to play without a tee.
So winning the Phillips Trophy is an extra thrill for me. I saw Ally for the first time for years in the clubhouse for the prizegiving and got a photograph with him and the next generation Phillips.
He no doubt had an influence on Laurie and myself both winning the very trophy his father Jocky Phillips donated all those years ago. It was a great moment for me. I'm sure I would have been Ally's second favourite person to win!
I didn't get the chance to thank him in my speech as I was trying to do the usual thanks before sitting down quickly. I will do so in letter this week though.
Stewart McCulloch

Editor's Note: Great stuff, Stewart! I wish all tournament winners would E-mail me with their golfing thoughts on this and that as you have done. In days gone by, I would have attended competitions like the Phillips Trophy and spoken to the leading competitors but now, with advancing years, it is easier to stay in front of a PC and let all the news come to me. Well, not all the news, as Stewart's E-mail reminds of the clubhouse "chat" I am missing now that I am "retired."
By the way, I don't remember criticising Stewart for not using a tee-peg!
Colin Farquharson

Douglas Park GC holding an Open Weekend

Douglas Park Golf Club (Bearsden, Glasgow) is holding an Open Weekend on Saturday and Sunday (May 9-10).
Prospective new members receive a courtesy round of golf, a PGA Professional free swing check and complimentary refreshments.
To read all about it click on the following link DOUGLAS PARK OPEN DAY

Muirfield to host the Open again in 2013

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R&A

The R&A has named Muirfield as the venue for the 2013 Open Championship.
Muirfield last hosted the Open Championship in 2002, when South Africa’s Ernie Els won his third Major after the first and only four-man, four-hole play-off in Open Championship history. This will be the 16th time that The Open has been staged at the club (The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers) which held its first Championship in 1892.
Winners of previous Muirfield Opens include golf’s biggest names. Nick Faldo (1987, 1992), Tom Watson (1980), Lee Trevino (1972), Jack Nicklaus (1966) and Gary Player (1959) have all lifted the Claret Jug there over the last 50 years.

Other winners include Harry Vardon (1896), James Braid (1901, 1906), Walter Hagen (1929) and Henry Cotton (1948).
The course has also been used extensively for R&A Championships, staging 10 Amateurs – the last in 1998 when a young Sergio Garcia took the title – and two Walker Cups in 1959 and 1979.
Commenting on the announcement, David Hill, The R&A’s Director of Championships, said:
“We are delighted that The Open is returning to Muirfield, an outstanding championship course that consistently produces a very worthy champion.
“For any club to host The Open it requires a great deal of work and The R&A would, therefore, like to thank The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers for its continued cooperation, which has enabled the Championship to come back to this fine venue for a sixteenth time.”

Previous Open Championship winners at Muirfield
1892 - Harold Hilton (A) (ENG).
1896 - Harry Vardon (ENG).
1901 - James Braid (SCO).
1906 - James Braid (SCO).
1912 - Ted Ray (ENG).
1929 - Walter Hagen (USA).
1935 - Alf Perry (ENG).

1959 - Gary Player (SAf).

1966 - Jack Nicklaus (US).

1972 - Lee Trevino (US).

1980 - Tom Watson (US).

1987 - Nick Faldo (ENG).

1992 - Nick Faldo (ENG).

2002 - Ernie Els (SAf).

'Muirfield the fairest test of all the Open venues'

FROM THE SPORT.SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
By Mike Aitken
Althought Muirfield is one of only two of the nine venues on the Open championship rota yet to face significant revisions – Royal Troon is the other odd links out – the East Lothian course is more likely to be tweaked for the 2013 Open rather than undergo alterations of a more substantial nature.
When the Open was first held at Muirfield in 1892 – just a matter of months after it was built the previous year – the links was not greeted with either instant or universal acclaim. Indeed, so severe was some of the early criticism that Muirfield was 600 yards longer by the time Harry Vardon won the next championship held in Gullane four years later.

More changes followed in the 20th century after Muirfield was stretched to 6,425 yards for the Open of 1912. By this stage, the links was well on the way to acquiring the classic status of one of the game's great seaside courses.

In 2002 it measured 7,034 yards and played to a par of 71.

Blessed with relatively flat fairways, for a links, and clear views of greens and hazards, Muirfield is always praised as the fairest of all the courses on the Open rota. Many regard the links as the best golf course in the world: and since you don't draw a moustache on the Mona Lisa, any changes for the return of the championship in four years time will require deliberation.

As R&A chief executive Peter Dawson explained, a balance always needs to be struck between preserving the integrity of a historic lay-out and ensuring the test is robust enough to challenge the world's best players.

"We've been in the practise of updating and upgrading the Open venues as we move along," he said.

"Today's professionals are bigger, stronger, fitter, have more technology at their command, and it's very important that we keep our great links courses relevant to the modern day professional. We've been doing that at every Open venue. There are only two more to be looked at, at Muirfield and at Troon."

According to R&A director of championships, David Hill, informal talks have already taken place between the organisers of the Open and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers about possible revisions.

"Peter has already been down for meetings a few times, with a mind to possibly tweaking a few things," said Hill. "But we're talking about a tweak, rather than anything more dramatic. Muirfield stands up to the test pretty well. It's such a good golf course.

"It's expected that new tees and bunkering would be the extent of any changes to the links, bearing in mind that hitting distances have not greatly increased since 2002. Moreover, Ernie Els' winning 72-hole total of 278, six under par, at the 131st Open, indicates there's no pressing need for the more radical changes recently undertaken at Hoylake and Turnberry.

A cartoon once hung in the clubhouse which proclaimed 'Muirfield welcomes careful drivers'. The joke, which dates back to the 1966 Open, was accurate as well as wry. Just think of Sergio Garcia at the 1998 Amateur or Els, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Gary Player and Henry Cotton in the Opens held over Muirfield since 1948.

All were shrewd off the tee. A test of shot-making rather than sledgehammer force, Muirfield also rewarded Nick Faldo with a brace of Claret Jugs in 1987 and 1992.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, whose history dates back to 1744, have long enjoyed a close link with the famous championships organised by the R&A, as well as many compelling match play events.

The Open has been played on the links 15 times, the Walker Cup twice, the Curtis Cup in 1984 and the Ryder Cup in 1973.

Speculation the Honourable Company, the world's oldest club, was in no rush to host another Open was wide of the mark according to Hill. "I think they take great pride in hosting an Open every ten years," he said. "We've had a couple of meetings with them over the past year and everyone was happy (about the return of the Open]."

Get your picture taken

with Eisenhower Trophy

at Fairways, Inverness

tomorrow

By NEIL D HAMPTON
Golf & Marketing Director
Loch Ness Golf Course & Fairways Driving Range
Castle Heather, Inverness
We are going to to be fortunate to have the Eisenhower Trophy on display at Fairways on Tuesday(May 5) for two or three hours in the late afternoon/early evening.
The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men, organised by the International Golf Federation. It is named after the late Dwight D Eisenhower, who was President of the United States when the tournament was first played. He was a very keen amateur golfer.
Recent Eisenhower Trophy tournaments have featured teams from more than sixty countries.
Scotland won the trophy for the first time last October near Adelaide in Australia 2008 and were represented by Calum McAullay (Tulliallan), Wallace Booth (Comrie) and Gavin Dear (Murrayshall). Calum has already made his mark on the European Tour professional circuit while Wallace and Gavin are still concentrating on their amateur golf and are Walker Cup team candidates.
If you would like to see this impressive trophy and have your picture taken with it, just come along to Fairways. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see - and hold - one of golf's most prestigious trophies.
We will have the trophy from 11am on Tuesday until 8pm that night.
Neil D Hampton
Tel: 01463 713335
Fax: 01463 712695
Mobile: 07801 510688
Web: www.golflochness.com

Drive to attract more members, playing and social

You can play Stonehaven for a fiver on Open
Day, May 16

A round of golf for a fiver!
That’s the special deal on offer at Stonehaven Golf Club on Saturday, May 16, when the club is holding an Open Day.
All golfers will be welcome to play at Stonehaven that day and try out the club’s facilities – and anyone who decides to become a member of the club on the Open Day can do so for a special discount price of £350.
Club manager Morag Duncan said: “The Open Day is part of our drive to attract more members and it will give golfers in the North-east who may not be members of other clubs the chance to play our course and see how attractive it is.
“We also want people to see our clubhouse, which has been refurbished recently and enjoys the most magnificent views of Stonehaven Bay.
“We’ll also be encouraging our members to bring a guest along for a game on May 16 so we are planning for a very busy day at the club.”
Tee times can be booked on 01569 762124.
More than 10,000 leaflets advertising the club have been distributed recently in the Stonehaven area.
Mrs Duncan said: “It’s not only golfers we want to attract to our club. We welcome social members who can join for less than £1 a week and enjoy the facilities in our clubhouse."

++Picture at the top is Stonehaven Golf Club's own "Amen Corner," which has a more legitimate claim to the name than that on the Augusta National Course. The Cal Carson Golf Agency image is of Stonehaven's 18th green from the wall round the Kirk o' Cowie graveyard.

Winning Forres team (left to right in dark green sweaters) Robert McKerron, Bryan Fotheringham and Jim Simpson with David Bunker (Nairn Dunbar GC captain) making the presentation, helped by North District president Jim Fraser).

Forres pip Inverness by one shot for

North District team championship

Forres 1 - represented by former international Bryan Fotheringham, Robert McKerron and Jim Simpson, won the North District club team championship by a single stroke over two rounds at Nairn Dunbar Golf club.

Fotheringham, McKerron and Simpson combined for a total of 297 (150-147) under the best two from three scores to count per round.

Runners-up on 298 were the Inverness 1 team of Bruce Thomson, John Forbes and R A L Cameron.

Host club Nairn Dunbar 1 (Kenny Donnelly, William Barron and club captain David Bunker) finished third on 308.

FINAL TOTALS

297 FORRES 1 (B Fotheringham 75 71, R McKerron 75 76, J Simpson 80 79).

298 INVERNESS 1 (B Thomson 82 73, J Forbes 71 78, R A L Cameron 77 77).

308 NAIRN DUNBAR 1 (K Donnelly 79 79, W Barron 74 79, D Bunker 77 78).

310 INVERNESS 2 (R J Mackay 81 77, I Johnstone 78 80, J Treasurer 84 74).

313 LOCH NESS (D Joel 73 79, S McCallum 80 NR, J Fraser 98 81).

315 NAIRN DUNBAR 2 (B Ford 78 86, R Johnstone 87 83, M Howitt 78 76), TAIN (Munro Ferries 77 79, A Everett 81 82,m Ross McLeod 77 82), ELGIN (D Ramsay 85 76, P Ramsay 82 85, J Milne 80 77), GARMOUTH & KINGSTON (N McWilliam 78 83, B Cruickshank NR 76, S Bailey 81 80).

317 ORKNEY (S Rendall 81 77, I Johnston 78 80 J Treasurer 84 74).

319 NAIRN 2 (D Cargill 87 87, S Burgess 79 86, C Nelson 79 75), THURSO (D Thorburn 78 81, J Sangster 80 80, A Swanson 83 83).

321 FORRES 2 (S MacLennan 83 81, R Proctor 88 85, J Wright 77 76).

326 NAIRN 1 (B Watson 82 81, N Howitt 79 84, R Asher 93 NR).

335 FORTROSE & ROSEMARKIE (S Gammie NR 96, M Manson 89 77, J Fraser 87 82 96).

NO RETURN - Muir of Ord (A Begg 88 NR, S Forbes NR NR, L Meddle 86 88).

HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN NEWS

No surprises at the county foursomes at Alva

The first round of the 2009 Clackmannan county fousomes championship over the Alva golf course produced no surprise results. Tulliallan, the holders, came through against Tillicoultry and the home club took full advantage against Braehead. The scoring is the traditional method where all matches play to the 18th and the sum of holes up and down decide the match.
The match between Tulliallan and Tillicoultry was closely fought with Tulliallan pulling away on the inward nine. In the top match, Bob Stewart and Gordon Lyons had a tough game against Neil Mitchell and Scott Baird. The match was all square after nine and included a hole in one by Neil (his second in as many weeks) at the seventh ... “a wedge hit out the middle."
Undaunted, the Tulliallan couple moved ahead on the inward holes and finished two up.
In the second match, the Tillicoultry youngsters could make no headway against the Tulliallan couple, finishing six down and in the last match it was Tulliallan who pulled away from a square match the ninth.
In the other match it was the Alva players who demonstrated their skills over the tricky lay-out. The only crumb of comfort for Braehead came when their second couple took the last couple of holes for a narrow win.
RESULTS
TULLIALLAN bt TILLICOULTRY by 11 holes.
(Tulliallan names first)
Bob Stewart & Gordon Lyons bt Neil Mitchell & Scott Baird 2 up.
Iain Munro & Phil Dempsey bt Kevin Ross & Scott Hunter 6 up
Steven Horne & Stewart Raeburn bt John Gullen & Jim Malcolm 3 up

ALVA bt BRAEHEAD by eight holes
(Alva names first)
Allan Aitken & Steven McIvor beat David Finlayson & James Muir 3 up
Gregor Kennedy & Lawrence Allan lost to Sandy Douglas & David Beaton 1 down
Kevin McFarlane & Michael Robertson beat Ross Benvie & David Finlay 6 up

SEMI-FINALS
Alloa v Tulliallan.
Alva v Dollar.

BOB DEFENDS HIS SENIOR TITLE
Scottish Senior Champion Bob Stewart (Tulliallan) will be in action in the next two weeks trying to defend his national title against strong opposition over the 6,330 yd par-70 Barry links at the Panmure club, Angus from May 19 to 21.
The field contains 144 senior golfers with handicaps 4.7 or better and Bob tees off at 9.20am with the legendary Ian Hutcheon--- a game that is sure to attract a fair amount of local following.
Prior to that, Bob competes in the Gailes Open Seniors. Fellow club golfer Ian Peddie is also taking part.

WANTED!…..COUNTY UNDER-14 GOLFERS.
Clackmannan county are on the look-out for under-14 ( that is on January 1, 2009) golfers to play at Largs on Friday, July 10 in the National Under-14s championship. For the last two years, the Clackmannan County Golf Union, to their credit, have organised a minibus to transport the boys to the venue.
President Sam Kinnaird is hoping for more interest this year. “We provide transport free of charge to any boy wishing to play. It has always been a great day out with the boys supporting each other. “
Any boys wanting to play should contact their junior organiser - entries (entry fee £18) close on June 4. The handicap limit is 20.2, but it is probably safer to be a bit less, maybe about 14. Who knows ... this could be the start of some golfing success.

SPANISH SUCCESS ELUDES CALLUM
After a brilliant first round of seven under par 65, Callum Macaulay could not maintain that form, and fell down the field with a trio of 76s which nevertheless earned him a respectable amount of Euros. Horrendous weather on the second day resulted in high scoring for many, including Colin Montgomerie who missed the cut.
Callum is in action this week at the Italian Open. However, at the time of writing he is still on the reserve list for the Irish Open the week after.

PHILLIPS TROPHY REPORT, SCORES

Local knowledge
helps McCulloch
win at Cruden Bay

McDonald Ellon’s Stewart McCulloch, 28, followed in the footsteps of North-east golfing legends such as Harry Bannerman and the late Jack Booth by winning the North-east District’s Phillips Trophy stroke-play tournament at Cruden Bay Golf Club on Sunday.
McCulloch, pictured right with the magnificent trophy, grew up and learned to play golf on the Cruden Bay links, so no surprise that even in the very windy conditions, he was able to put together rounds of 75 and 73 for a total of 148,
The CSS for both rounds was 74 non-counting. The par is 71.
Andrew Bews (Murcar Links) and Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) were joint runners-up on 151, Bews with rounds of 77 and 74, Halliday 76 and 75.
Bews’ better second round earned him second prize.
Laurie Phillips (Cruden Bay), whose great-grandfather Jocky presented the trophy to the NE District for stroke-play competition in 1947, finished fourth with a pair of 76s for 152. Originally the tournament was over four rounds but in latter years it has been over two rounds.
Leading final totals
(par 142, 2x71. CSS 74 non-counting both rounds).
148 Stewart McCulloch (McDonald Ellon) 75 73.
151 Anthony Bews (Murcar Links 77 74, Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) 76 75.
152 Laurie Phillips (Cruden Bay) 76 76.
154 Sam Strachan (Inverallochy) 82 72, Mathew Greig (Bon Accord) 76 78.
155 Chris Gilbert (Cruden Bay) 77 78.
156 Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) 82 74.

Birthday boy Rory McIlroy heads strong

Norther Irish challenge at Wentworth

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN TOUR
Rory McIlroy left his teenage years behind him today, safe in the knowledge that the next phase of his life promises to elevate him to the highest echelons of professional golf.
McIlroy, who celebrated his 20th birthday far from home in the United States, will spearhead a formidable quartet of European Tour champions bidding to become the first player from Northern Ireland to capture the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in Surrey from May 21-24.
The ‘birthday boy’ is joined in the 150-strong field to compete over the famous West Course by compatriots and fellow Tour winners Darren Clarke, Michael Hoey and Graeme McDowell.
The fact that McIlroy enters the Championship in the top 20 on the Official World Golf Ranking – he is currently Number 18 – indicates the rapid progress which he has made since making his first appearance in the BMW PGA Championship last year.
McIlroy went into the Championship ranked 175th in the world and missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 77. However, since then he has become the youngest qualifier for the Masters Tournament at the age of 19 and claimed his first European Tour title in the 2009 Dubai Desert Classic in February to alert the golfing world to his talent.
Clarke will be appearing in his 18th consecutive BMW PGA Championship, aiming to go one better than his pair of second place finishes behind Ian Woosnam in 1997 and Colin Montgomerie in 2000.
The five-time Ryder Cup player, a winner of 12 European Tour titles, returns to the familiar surroundings of Wentworth Club alongside a player who made his Ryder Cup debut last September in McDowell, who earned his place at Valhalla Golf Club on the strength of two impressive victories last season.
Hoey is the most recent champion among the quartet, having beaten Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño in a play-off for the Estoril Open de Portugal last month. To complete the strong Northern Irish line-up, Belfast’s Gareth Maybin is also in the field chasing the first prize of €750,000.

About the BMW PGA Championship
The BMW PGA Championship 2009 will boast one of the strongest fields on The European Tour International Schedule, with many of the world’s best players in action pursuing a prize fund of €4,500,000 with €750,000 to the Champion. All four days will be broadcast live on both BBC Television (May 23 and 24) and Sky Sports (May 21 and 22) with extensive highlights on both channels.
Tickets are now on sale for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club from May 21-24, 2009 via www.europeantourtickets.com.
Adult Season tickets, which guarantee entry to Wentworth Club for the full week of the BMW PGA Championship, are available in advance for £49, an £11 saving on the gate price of £60 – with Concession Season passes available for just £24.50.
An Adult Weekend ticket is £39 in advance, or £50 on the gate, and £17.50 for Concessions. Advance Adult One Day Tickets are just £24.50, a saving of £5.50 on the gate, with Concession Day Tickets just £9.80 before May 10.
Hospitality packages in the magnificent Club Caprice are also available now.
To take advantage of these outstanding offers, please visit www.europeantourtickets.com or call +44 800 023 2557.