Tuesday, September 15, 2009

EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL

Kevin McAlpine sets hot pace

with 67 at Dundonald Links

By MICHAEL GIBBONS
European Tour Press Officer
The European Tour Qualifying School is underway with 262 players getting their bids to join the 2010 European Tour underway at the First Qualifying Stage, Section A.
Playing over four venues, namely Chart Hills Golf Club in England, Dundonald Links in Scotland, the Lübker Golf Resort in Denmark and Ribagolfe in Portugal, the top players from each venue will make their way to Second Stage in November before the Final Stage, where the top 30 players (plus ties) will win a coveted place on the 2010 European Tour International Schedule.
Francisco Cea of Spain got his bid to join The Tour off to a fine start at Ribagolfe, where there are 51 players doing battle for 12 places at Stage Two. Cea posted a five under par 67 to lead John Poucher of the USA and the amateur Jurrian Van der Vaart of the Netherlands by a single stroke.
Oliver Suhr took full advantage of playing on home soil as he established a two-stroke advantage over the 39-man field at the Lübker Golf Resort in his native Denmark. Suhr posted a first round of three under 69 to lie two clear of Victor Almstrom of Sweden and former European Tour Member Thomas Norret of Denmark. The 39 players at Lübker are playing for nine available Stage Two places.
At Dundonald Links, where 84 players are competing for 20 places at Second Stage, the former Scottish amateur match-play and stroke-play champion Kevin McAlpine from Alyth posted a five under par 67 to lead by two from South African Louis De Jager, Welshman Tim Dykes and England’s Jamie Elson.
There are 21 places at Stage Two available at Chart Hills where the field is 88-strong. With a rain delay of over an hour and a half at the English venue after severe rain earlier in the day, officials were left with no choice but to suspend play due to bad light just after 7pm. Round one will be completed on Wednesday morning before round two gets underway. England’s James Busby is the clubhouse leader after a five under par 67.

COMPLETED FIRST-ROUND SCORES

DUNDONALD LINKS
67 K McAlpine (Sco) (am).
69 L De Jager (RSA), T Dykes (Wal), J Elson (Eng).
70 B Trainor (Irl).
71 G Plumet (Fra), R Lee (Eng), M Quiros (Esp), D Belch (Eng).
72 S Henderson (Sco), S Gray (Sco), R Cameron (Sco), M Kerr (Sco).
73 S Doherty (Eng), C Kelly (Sco), G Cowan (Eng), S Mackie (Sco), P McKechnie (Sco), C Wilson (Eng) (am), W Bowe (Eng) (am).
74 I Keenan (Eng), O Whiteley (Eng), J McCreadie (Sco), J Ablett (Eng), A Lockhart (Sco), G Marks (Eng), B Hume (Sco), J Findlay (Sco) (am), O Arvidsson (Swe) (am).
75 S Hemming (Eng), L McNaughton (Aus), J Harper (Eng), P O'Hara (Sco), E Little (Sco), I Ridgway (Eng), M Hillson (Sco) (am), S McEwan (Sco) (am), J Fox (Irl) (am).
76 J Axgren (Swe), S Havelock (Eng), S Hume (Sco), S McAllister (Sco), A Hodkinson (Eng); L Clarke (Eng), S Garcia-Grout (Esp), S Henry (Sco), J Senior (Eng), G King (Eng), K Nicol (Sco) (am), G Yates (Sco) (am).
77 P Badawy (US), S Capper (Eng), D Astin (Eng), S Jackson (Eng), P Pujalte (Esp), D Holloway (Nzl), J Housby (Eng), J Ashton (Eng).
78 L Matthews (Wal), M Lavelle (Irl), C Lee (Sco), D Chapman (Eng), L Harper (Sco), J Fallon (Eng), B McElhinney (Irl), C Nilsson (Swe); C Harkins (Sco) (am), N O'Briain (Irl) (am), R Carter (Eng) (am).
79 P Cormack (Sco), C Campbell (Sco), P McLean (Sco) (am).
80 M Griffiths (Wal).
81 J Need (Eng), H Robertson (Nzl), J Cheetham (Eng), A Hanekom (RSA).
82 M Evans (Eng).
83 C McCalman (Sco), B Howlett (Eng), N Horrocks (Eng).
86 G Hall (Irl), R Mestre (Esp) (am).
87 S Fitzgerald (Eng).

LUBKER GOLF RESORT, DENMARK
69 O Suhr (Den)
71 V Almstrom (Swe)
72 T Norret (Den)
73 B Ahlenback (Swe); N Lemke (Swe); M Bliss (Can); L Johansen (Den); D Lokke (am) (Den);
74 L Johansson (Swe); M Warenius (Swe)
75 K Edberg (Swe); T Nielsen (Den); K Storgaard (Den)
76 C Lange (Den); M Olsen (Den); M McQuillan (Can); M Hansen (Den)
77 K Nielsen (Den); F Ohlsson (Swe)
78 A Axelsson (Swe); J Glennemo (Swe); P Malmgren (Swe); J Dantorp (Swe)
79 B Akstrup (Den); A Jacobsson (Swe); A Kali (Den); J Lykke-Kjeldsen (Den), F Gustavsson (Swe); A Murray (Irl); J Vinther (Den)
80 A Johansson (Swe); M Eberhard (Ger) (am).
82 A Werner (Den); D Jonsson (Swe), M Dam (Den); M Thistleton (am) (Eng)
83 O Haraldson (Swe)
84 J Lerchedahl (Den)
86 C Petersson (Swe)

RIBAGOLFE, PORTUGAL
67 F Cea (Esp),
68 J Poucher (US), J Van Der Vaart (Ned) (am).
69 J Little (Eng)
70 M Ureta (Chi); M Cobo Arrayas (Esp); J Bjerhag (Swe);
71 C Nel (RSA); C Cousins (Wal); D Hutton (Eng); J Evans (Eng); P Del Grosso (Arg); M Bothma (RSA)
72 I Giner (Esp); G Pera (Esp); J Pettersson (Swe)
73 J Carlson (Swe); M Hedegaard (Den); L Dodd (Eng)
74 H Santos (Por); P Hansen (Den); P Pinto (Arg); D Torne (Esp); L Claverie (Esp); N Drane (Eng)
75 S Grant (Irl); K Grud (Den); D Carrera (Esp)
76 J Kelly (Nor); G Braga (Por); R Eriksson (Swe); J Billing (Swe); A Gutierrez (Esp); B Campbell (am) (Nir); R Da Silva (am) (Por)
77 S Salem (Per); R Bastard (Eng)
78 A Salto (Esp); S Vautier (Eng); A Rogers (Eng); I Griffiths (Wal)
79 N Stivala (Aus); D Goldenberg (Isr); J Nordstrom (Swe); N Fox (Irl)
80 M Deboub (Alg); A Finnbjornsson (Isl) (am).
81 A Pavlov (Rus); F Cabrera (Arg)
83 A Savage (Irl)
87 J Garzon Allende (Esp)

CHART HILLS GOLF CLUB, KENT

*Three players to complete first round at 07:45 on Wednesday morning
67 J Busby (Eng)
69 M Ford (Eng), W Hefferman (Can);M Baldwin (Eng);N Redfern (Eng);S Maurits (am) (Ned);
70 O Turnill (Eng);R Buxton (Eng);A Tarchetti (Eng);A Thorpe (Eng);G Povey (am) (Eng);
71 P Appleyard (Eng);R Gurney (Eng);R Harrison (Eng);R Jones (Eng), J Hendry (Sco), M Laskey (Wal), Vandenberg (Eng), R Watkins (Eng), B Banks (Eng), F McGuirk (Eng), J Webber (Eng) (am).
72 J McLean (Aus);C Wainwright (Eng);T Prowse (Aus);R Whitelock (Eng);G Davies (Eng);M Bush (Eng);K Staunton (Eng);S Lee (am) (Eng);J Abbott (am) (Eng);
73 J Barnes (Eng);C Simpson (Eng);B O'Donoghue (Aus);M Feuerstein (USA);B St John (Eng);S McCance (Eng);P Maddy (Eng);D Sugrue (Irl);I Winstanley (am) (Eng);
74 T Wood (Aus);Y Ali (Eng);J Clarke (Eng);J Hearn (Eng);J Ruebotham (Eng);C Lockwood (Eng);B Jones (Eng);J Watts (am) (Eng);
75 G Woodman (Eng);K Harper (Eng);R Leonard (Eng);W Wray (Eng);J Kavanagh (Eng);M Lowe (Eng);
76 J Horn (Eng);N Chaudhuri (Eng);R Wistow (Eng);J Smith (Eng);R Neil-Jones (Eng);K McDonald (Eng);I Brown (Eng);D Thomas (Eng), J Gallagher (Sco), D James (Eng);
77 M Barber (Eng);K Shepherd (Eng);B Collins (Eng);K Tilbury (Eng);C Gill (Eng);R Edginton (Eng), G Parker (Eng) (am).
78 R Surber (USA);S Weale (Eng);M Bell (Eng);S Kemp (Bah);B Cummings (Eng);
79 C Kares (Aus);
80 A Mayer (Aut), A Lauss (Aut);J Winer (am) (Eng);K Rawal (US) (am).
81 J Lamb (Eng)
83 M Colman (Eng)
84 A Graham (Eng)
91 J Shock (Ger)

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Eight Englishmen in Paul McGinley's GB&I line-up

Teams announced for Vivendi Trophy

with Seve Ballesteros

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN TOUR
Captains Thomas Björn and Paul McGinley have announced strong teams for the Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros, with 12 players from the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking competing at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche Golf Club in Paris from September 24-27.
World No 5 Henrik Stenson, the highest ranked player in the field, will head Björn’s Continental Europe Team against McGinley’s Great Britain and Ireland Team, which includes two of the brightest young prospects on the European Tour in Rory McIlroy and Chris Wood.
Joining Swede Stenson will be compatriots Robert Karlsson and Peter Hanson, Danish trio Anders Hansen, Søren Hansen and Søren Kjeldsen and Spaniards Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, Miguel Angel Jiménez and Alvaro Quiros, while there is a debut for Italian Francesco Molinari.
Björn said: “I have a good bunch of guys and I can sense that they want to go to Paris next week and do a good job. It’s important everyone on the team stands together and gets right behind each other with heart and soul.
"When you get 10 guys together they will not all necessarily be playing great golf, but it’s a question of getting everybody believing and dreaming the same dream and I am confident we can do that.”
Facing Continental Europe will be Irish pair Graeme McDowell and McIlroy alongside eight Englishmen; Nick Dougherty, Simon Dyson, Ross Fisher, Robert Rock, Anthony Wall, Steve Webster, Oliver Wilson and Wood.
McGinley said: “I am going to be captaining some of the most exciting talent in world golf at the moment and that is a challenge in itself. I am looking forward immensely to working with quality players and see where we go. I am very much going into it with an open mind because I have things to learn and I’ve never done it before.”
In total, six of Europe’s 2008 Ryder Cup Team will be part of the contest: Søren Hansen, Jiménez, Karlsson, McDowell, Stenson and Wilson.
The Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros pits Europe’s leading golfers in a team competition format similar to the one seen at The Ryder Cup. Ten players represent both Continental Europe and Great Britain and Ireland over four days.
There will be five four-balls on both Thursday and Friday, four greensomes on Saturday morning, four foursomes on Saturday afternoon and ten singles matches on Sunday.
In total, 28 points are available with 14 ½ points required to win.
In 2007 Continental Europe led 9 ½ - 8 ½ going into the last day, but Great Britain and Ireland won the singles 8-2 for a decisive 16 ½ - 11 ½ victory.
Continental Europe won the inaugural event in 2000 but Great Britain and Ireland have won each of the four subsequent matches in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007.

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Scottish Young Professionals' Championship

MCGHEE LEADS BY FOUR AFTER 66

IN FIRST ROUND AT LETHAM GRANGE

Turnhouse’s James McGhee slipped the field with a brilliant effort of seven-under-par 66 in the first round of the 72-hole Scottish young professionals’ golf championship at Letham Grange Hotel & Golf Resort, near Arbroath today (Tuesday).
McGhee picked up eight birdies over the par-73 course – at the first, sixth, seventh, ninth, 12th, 14th, 17th and 18th in halves of 33 (four under par) and 33 (three under).
His only bogey came at the 13th.
McGhee posted the clubhouse target early in the day and no one even threatened it. Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) and David Patrick (Elie) got the closest with 70 apiece. Strangely enough, both had double bogey 7s at the 480yd sixth hole. Fenwick had begun with three birdies. He came home in 34, compared with Patrick’s 33.
Defending champion Greg McBain (Royal Dornoch) might be pushed to make the leading 40 and ties who will advance after the second round to the final 36 holes.
McBain had a 75 with bogeys at the second, seventh, eighth, 16th and 18th. He did birdie the third, 10th and 14th in halves of 39 and 36.

SCOREBOARD

FIRST ROUND


Par 73


66 James McGhee (Turnhouse).


70 Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), David Patrick (Elie).


71 Nathan Keast (Duff House Royal), Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar).


72 Steven Duncan (Balbirnie Park), Terry Mathieson (Kings Acre), Stephen Lamb (Broomieknowe), Matthew Burt (Helensburgh).


74 Iain Colquhoun (Dundonald Links), Alasdair McDonald (Elie).


75 Graham Fox (East Kilbride), Scott Herald (Mearns Castle), Greg McBain


(Royal Dornoch), David Broadfoot (Dumfries & Co), Alastair Thomson (Douglas Park), Michael Rae (Alyth), Graeme Fisher (Mearns Castle), Alan Martin (Dunbar).


76 Christopher Currie (Caldwell), Andrew McHardy (Noah's Ark GC), Ross Neill (Drumpellier), Alastair Love (Charleton), Christopher Robinson (Dumfries & Galloway), David Laing (Craigielaw), Oliver Morton (Gullane), Stuart Williamson (Kirkhill).


77 David Blackadder (Kingsbarns), Graeme Brown (Montrose), Bobby Wallace (Bearsden), Nicky Sinclair (Prestwick), Christopher McMaster (Panmure), Michael Sweenie (Turnberry).


78 David Snodgrass (Hilton Park), Ross MacLeod (Greaves Sport), Ross Murdoch (Dumfries & Galloway), Peter Mitchell (Hermitage), Gareth Hardy (Belleisle), Daniel Wood (Eyemouth).


79 Matthew Laughland (Cawder), Michael Baxter (Westerwood), Calum Lawson (Blairgowrie).


80 Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm), Adam Rolfe (Royal Troon).


81 Michael Mackenzie (Forfar), Paul Hubner (Eastwood), Steven Mann (Newmachar), Sam McLaren (unatt), Paul Gallacher (Dalmuir), Graham Mackay (Prestonfield).


82 Scott Bergin (Royal Musselburgh), Andrew McIntyre (Ranfurly Castle), Alistair Brown (Whitecraigs), Stewart Winter (Callander), Alan Stuart (Aspire GC).


83 Joel Hopwood (Carnegie Club), Paul Wilson (World of Golf), Mark Bruce (Gullane).


84 Kein Campbell (Balmore), Keil Beveridge (Aboyne), Ross Dixon (Renaissance Club).


85 Craig Knowles (Panmure), Stuart McEwing (Montrose), Christopher Boyle (Lanark).


86 Russell McIntyre (Prestonfield), Kris McGowan (Burntisland), Grant Robertson (Lanark), Richard Hyland (Craibstone).


87 Nicola Melville (Old Course Hotel), William Fairfull-Smith (Cowglen).


88 Alan Gibson(Troon Municipal).


89 Sven Nielsen (Turnberry), Stuart Hutchison (Scottish Golf Centre), Iain Stoddart (Uphall).


90 Peter McLachlan (West Kilbride), Ross Dennison (Inverness).


91 Luke Barbour (Cruden Bay).


Retired Ewan Hogarth (Peebles).


Disqualified Clarke Lutton (Qatar Golf), Duncan Anderson (Ladybank), Ian Rowlands (West Linton), Adam Aitken (Dumfries & Co), Jonathan Holmes (Buchanan Castle).




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The winning Royal Aberdeen team with the Aberdeen Pennant League trophy. Picture by courtesy of Roger Laird.


ROYAL ABERDEEN WIN PENNANT

FINAL - AT 4TH EXTRA HOLE

Royal Aberdeen beat Murcar Links in an exciting climax to the Aberdeen & District Pennant Golf League.
The final, staged at Murcar Links as part of their Centenary Year celebrations, ended in a 3-3 draw after the six foursomes were played.
The first tie-break - a countback of games won - was also tied at 14-all.
The rules of the competition then stipulated that a sudden-death play-off behdl held between the first pair of both teams - Mark Halliday and Bill Barclay for Royal Aberdeen and Bryan Innes and Ronnie Brechin for Murcar Links.
A large crowd watched the first two holes halved with regulation pars. The third extra hole was the 18th on the course. Innes hit is approach shot first to 3ft, and this was followed in by Mark whose second finished 18 feet beyond the hole. Mark holed his difficult downhill left to right putt for a birdie 3, and was then followed in by Bryan.
The final was decided at the fourth extra hole with a 4ft birdie putt by Bill Barclay.

I

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Ayrshire Junior League finals at West Kilbride

FROM THE AYRSHIRE GOLF WEBSITE
The first three of the four finals of the 2009 Ayrshire Junior Golf League competitions were held at West Kilbride Golf Club in glorious weather on a course presented in the best of condition.
In the CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS TROPHY final, Scott Brown (Turnberry), the former Ayrshire Boys Matchplay & Strokeplay Champion and reigning Ayrshire Matchplay Champion, took on Adam Foley (Ayr Belleisle), a former finalist in the Ayrshire Boys Matchplay Championship.
The final was highly competitive throughout and by the turn Scott Brown had forged a two hole lead. Despite his best efforts, Adam Foley found it difficult to make inroads in the inward nine against probably the best performing young player in the county over the last year, and Scott Brown finished with a flourish to win the trophy by 6 & 4.
The WALLACE THORNTON TROPHY final was between Troon Welbeck and Irvine Ravenspark. Welbeck were looking to win the trophy for the third time, although their previous triumphs had been as far back as 1983 and 1992, whilst Ravenspark were bidding for their first win in the event.
Welbeck started as favourites with Ayrshire boys' match-play champion David Wilson and former finalist Marc Smith in the team, alongside Sam Findlater and Charlie MacNeal, whilst the Ravenspark team, weakened by two of the regular team members being unavailable, comprised Ally Berry, Greg Cathie, Brad Cathie and Chris Hobson.
Welbeck did not have everything their own way however and at the turn in the matches Welbeck lead in three and were behind in one. Ravenspark fought to reduce the defecit but the stronger Welbeck team eventually ran out winners by 4 - 0.
In the UNDER 16 KNOCKOUT TROPHY competition, Kilmarnock (Barassie) and Ardeer looked well matched and so it proved as the match got under way.
By the turn, Kilmarnock Barassie, represented by Daniel McBride, Colin Currie, Blair Gavin and Euan Henderson, had forged a 3 - 1 lead in the ties against the Ardeer team of Robbie Fitzpatrick, Daniel Forbes, Sandy Walker and Nick Carr.
Ardeer fought back however and by the time the last tie had reached the 16th hole Kilmasrnock Barassie had won two ties and Ardeer had won one, whilst the remaining tie was all square.
With Ardeer sure to win on countback in the event of a 2 - 2 draw the final match was crucial. At the 17th hole both players were short on the green in two leaving both players to chip on.
Sandy Walker from Ardeer finished slightly closer in three than Blair Gavin of Barassie, but to the credit of the Barassie boy, he holed a good putt for a four to pile the pressure on his opponent and Sandy Walker's putt for a half, despite looking good, cruely lipped out and stayed above ground to leave Blair gavin one hole up with one to play and effectively giving Barassie at least the half match they required to win the trophy.
Blair Gavin held on to his slim advantage at the last for a final 3 - 1 score in the final in favour of Kilmarnock (Barassie).
Ian McKay (West Kilbride), the Ayrshire Junior Golf League chairman, presented the trophies to the winners at the conclusion of the finals and all the contestants enjoyed a buffet and drinks kindly provided by the host club, to round off a fine day. Scott Brown drew matters to a close by proposing a vote of thanks to the host club and organisers.
The final of the Ayrshire Junior Golf League Championship takes place at West Kilbride on Sunday (September 20) when the holders Largs take on West Kilbride in a repeat of the 2008 final of the event.

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Annanhill pair win Ayrshire four-ball title

FROM THE AYRSHIRE GOLF WEBSITE
The Annanhill pairing of Douglas Anderson & Gary Jordan are the 2009 Ayrshire four-ball champions after a final-hole victory over Scott McCahill and David Wallace (Maybole) in the final at Prestwick St Cuthbert Golf Club.
Te defeat was a double blow for the Maybole pair, coming two years after they were defeated on the final green of the 2007 competition.
McCahill (2) was the backmarker in the tie with Jordan (4), Wallace (11) and Anderson (15) all receiving shots in the final.
The Annanhill pairing got off to a great start, taking two of the first four holes before Maybole reduced the defecit to one at the fifth and levelled the match after six holes.
A missed putt for a half by Anderson at the eighth gave Maybole the lead for the first time and this was extended to two holes at the turn for Maybole with a winning par at the ninth.
Strokes proved telling at the next two holes, Jordan and then Anderson using these to great effect in order to square the match again after 12 holes.
A superb second shot, after his tee shot came up short at the 14th, set up a winning par three for Annanhill and their lead was restored once more, and held over the 15th and 16th holes.
At the 17th, McCahiill hit an excellent tee shot to 12 feet, setting up a winning mpaer three to level the match once more.
With Anderson and Wallace both receiving shots at the last, the tee shot was vital, and whilst he split the fairway from the tee, Wallace found trouble in the trees on the right and could only play out sideways to get back into play.
With all four players at or near the green in three, Anderson played a lovely pitch which pulled up some distance past the hole. Two putts secured a safe nett birdie four and, with McCahill and Jordan unable to beat his effort, Anderson could only wait and see if Wallace could hole from 20 feet for a nett birdie to square the match and take it into extra holes.
In the event, Wallace's putt just slipped past the hole and Annanhill were the 2009 Championship winners by a narrow one hole margin.
At the conclusuion of the final, Ayrshire Golf Association President Alasdair Malcolm (Prestwick St. Nicholas) presented vouchers to all four finalists and medals to the winning pair.
The winning team will be presented with the Ayrshire Fourball Trophy at the annual dinner of the Ayrshire association in February 2010.

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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.

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