Tuesday, November 24, 2009

So where are Tiger & Phil when their country needs them?

US field an embarrassingly weak team for World Cup

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
By Rick Lipsey
Just weeks ago, when golf became an Olympic sport for 2016, we heard a parade of top American golfers (including Tiger) saying how much they want to represent their country.
Those patriotic words ring pretty hollow, though, in light of what can be described only as an embarrassingly weak American. team at this week's World Cup at the Mission Hills Resort in China - Nick Watney (31st in the world) and John Merrick (139).
Nice guys, but is this the best America could do for golf's annual Olympic-like extravaganza? Merrick has never even won a Tour event, while Watney has a grand total of two victories.
Heck, Denmark, a nation with fewer people than New York City, has a team that on paper is more than twice as good as the Yanks: the Danes (Soren Hansen and Soren Kjeldsen) are a combined 77th in the World Ranking compared to the U.S.'s 170th.
The dismal U.S. World Cup showing is especially galling, because just two weeks ago some of the best Americans — Tiger and Phil among them — trekked to China to play in the HSBC Champions. That tournament, however, offered juicy appearance fees and a $7 million purse.

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E-mail from "Cameron Barrie"

In reply to Martin Dempster's most recent article (published in The Scotsman and reproduced on www.scottishgolfview.com):

With regard to top-class amateurs turning pro, please can someone explain to me (a single- figure handicap golfer) how certain "top-class amateurs" with handicaps of +3, 4, 5, or event +6 can only average score 72 (level 4s old money) when they compete in professional tournaments?
Either simply they are not good enough - or the amateur handicap system is incorrect. Or what part of this picture am I not seeing?
Also a comment was left that a certain hopeful had to "work" as well as try to play golf! Good for him, maybe that’s what's required!
Better lessons to be learned from this tough school.
Come on, face it. You turn pro and you either make it or fail it!
Not always a reason, fair or otherwise. It’s called survival, a lesson ultimately we all learn.
Some are even lucky enough to be funded on this journey of Mediocrity.
So never mind looking to other options to justify why failure happens. Lack of funding or coaching is not why failure happens. Face facts. Simply not good enough is the real reason.
So stop making excuses. Stick in. Hopefully you may make it. If not, tough!
You could be like most of us: working in a job that we need to do!

Comments can be E-mailed to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

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Tartan Tour Scoreboard
Winter Series at Bogside
Par 71
66 Tom Eckford (Ranfurly Castle) & Gordon Stewart (Cawder) £175.
66 Billy Marchbank (Crieff) & Alan White (Lanark) £175.

68 Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) & Paul Wardell (Whitekirk) £125.

69 Ken Stevely (3Dgolf.com & Iain Pender (Aberfoyle) £90.
69 Alan E Reid (West Lothian) & Ross Ewen (West Lothian) £90.
69 Gordon Niven (St Andrews) & Alan Purdie (Kingbarns Golf Links) £90.

70 James McKinnon (Irvine) & Duncan Williamson (Kirkhill) £67.50.
70 Stewart Savage (Dalmuir) & Paul Gallacher (Dalmuir) £67.50.

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Midland Alliance

Alan Lockhart wins with 68 at Balbirnie Park

By LEE SUTHERLAND, Ballumbie Castle GC professional
This week the Midland Golfers' Alliance held their meeting at Balbirnie Park in Fife. The weather had an effect on the turn-out but a few braved the rain to return some fine scores. Leading the way in the scratch was Ladybank assistant pro Alan Lockhart with a superb, three-under-par 68.
Best handicap score returned was a 72 off 12 by David Black (Dunfermline).
LEADING SCRATCH
68 A Lockhart (Ladybank) ap.
69 S Pardoe (Scottish GC) p, B Mason (Callaway Golf) p.
72 S O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park) ap, C Donnelly (Balbirnie Park) p.
77 G McLean (Monifieth) ap.
80 D Mitchell (Panmure).
81 E Rae (Arbroath).
82 D Spaven (Pitlochry).
LEADING HANDICAP
72 D Black (Dunfermline) (12).
73 D Spaven (Pitlochry) (9).
75 D Mitchell (Panmure) (5).
78 E Rae (Arbroath) (3).

Qualifiers for the JTC Interiors Express Championship in April at Montrose Links
D Mitchell (Panmure)
E Rae (Arbroath).

Next week's meeting: Tuesday, December 1
Murrayshall GC, near Perth
Sponsored by D. Redford (Powakaddy)
Tee reserved from: 8.30 - 12.15

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European Senior Tour returns to Brunei

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN TOUR
The Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum returns to the European Senior Tour schedule for the second consecutive year in 2010 following the success of the historic inaugural event.
Brunei’s Empire Hotel and Country Club will again host the event from March 5-7, which will be the second tournament on the 2010 Senior Tour schedule following the curtain raiser in Mauritius in December.
American Mike Cunning will defend the title he won in 2009 when the Senior Tour made history by travelling the furthest east it had been in its 17 year existence.
Cunning held off an impressive field which included Ryder Cup-winning captains Sam Torrance and Bernard Gallacher, as well as double Major Championship winner Sandy Lyle.
Lyle and Torrance finished tied sixth and the latter’s prize money was to prove vital at the end of the season as he ended the campaign just €3,380 ahead of Ian Woosnam to win the Order of Merit.
The 2010 event will again be promoted by WSM Sponsorship, which stage four tournaments on the 2009 Senior Tour schedule, including the inaugural Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum.
Martin Gilbert, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, said: “After the tremendous feedback we received following last year's event, we very much wanted to stage the event for a second year. Asia continues to be central to our business development and the 2010 event will underscore our long-standing commitment to the region, and to golf.”
Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “We are delighted to be returning to the magnificent Empire Hotel and Country Club for the second edition of the Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum.
“Last year’s inaugural event proved to be a huge success, with superb hospitality and great performance from Mike Cunning to win his maiden title.”
The Jack Nicklaus-designed course at The Empire Hotel and Country Club is built upon a stunning cliff top location and has hosted the Asian Tour’s Brunei Open since 2006.

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Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance postponed

Tomorrow's Edinburgh & East Scotland Alliance fixture at Dalmahoy has been postponed due to heavy rain flooding the course.
It has been re-scheduled for next Wednesday, December 2
.

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US PGA Tour signs eight-year deal with Sky Sports

The United States PGA Tour has reached a new eight-year deal with Sky Sports to broadcast its tournaments live and in high definition in the United Kingdom – making it one of the longest international broadcast agreements ever awarded by the American Tour.
Sky Sports will televise the Tour’s regular-season events and the Play-offs for the FedExCup. It also has exclusive rights in the U.K. to televise The Presidents Cup in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.
“It is fascinating to be able to follow players from the U S Tour alongside our European coverage, particularly in a Ryder Cup year,” said Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports. “And it’s a great time to be back covering the U.S. Tour, too, with Rory McIlroy committing himself to events from the U.S. calendar.”
In a statement, Tim Leisure, US PGA Tour senior vice president of international television, said: “The PGA Tour is extremely pleased once again to be associated with Sky Sports, the leading sports network in the United Kingdom.”

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'Team Scotland' could bring end to talent loss

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
So, I'm not the only one who feels passionate about what happens in Scottish golf. Following my comments here last week about us producing golfers with genuine talent only for them to fall way short of their true potential, a whole host of people have wanted to have their say on the matter.
One pointed out that I had not offered any solutions and asked: Have you any?As I said in last week's column, the people we need to talk to to try and come up with solutions are those who, for whatever reason, failed to climb as high up the ladder as they really should have.For what it's worth, though, I do have some thoughts, but before airing them I think it is only right that I set a few things straight.
Before anyone gets the wrong end of the stick, the fact talent is going to waste is not a criticism of the Scottish Golf Union. Over the years, that organisation has done an excellent job in unearthing young talent and long may that continue.
In my opinion, the SGU's role is to help develop the talent then take that player to the stage where he feels he is ready to join the professional ranks.
Unfortunately, what we are seeing more and more is players making that leap when they are clearly not ready nor good enough to even be contemplating such a step.Listen, it's a big, bad world out there at the top level in professional golf and only those with either a special talent or a special work ethic have got a chance, just a chance, of sharing that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
The fact just about every top amateur these days decides to turn professional is simply ludicrous. Whatever happened to the true amateur, the guy who worked during the week and played his golf at the weekend?
As much as we all want to see Scottish players doing well in the professional game, it would be nice to see someone bucking the current trend and deciding against that move into the paid ranks, getting themselves a job and being content to keep pulling on a dark blue jersey for a number of years.
What about those who are good enough? If it's not the job of the SGU to be taking the lead or even been involved in the crossover, who should be taking on that role?
Personally, I'd like to see a 'Team Scotland' formed and I believe this is something similar to a well-thought out project that Iain Stoddart, David Drysdale's manager, has been working away on behind the scenes over the last few years.
How I'd like to see that work is that a group of talented players – and we are not just talking here about the top amateurs in the country as there are some young assistants out there with equal talent – are identified and they receive the proper support, not just financial I hasten to add, that can give them the best possible chance to make the transition from top-level amateur to the European Tour.
I'd also like to see a manager of that team being appointed and, for me, a person like Dean Robertson or Adam Hunter would fit the bill perfectly. Here are guys who played golf at the top level in Scotland, won on the European Tour and, these days, are very knowledgeable about the golf swing and just about every other aspect of the game.
In short, they're someone who's been there and done it. Either could pass on valuable advice to wannabe Tour players and help them fulfil the potential that has seen them picked out to be part of 'Team Scotland' in the first place.
I'm not saying they should be their coach. Not at all. The people who have helped these players to emerge as potential stars are the ones who should continue working with them at such an important phase in their career.
Where does the money for such a project come from? The government would have to provide some input and, given that we are talking here about professional golfers, I'd like to think the PGA would also want to be involved. Some money from the private sector would be helpful, too.
As a feeder for 'Team Scotland', perhaps an academy could be set up for young PGA professionals where they came under the tutelage of someone else who's played at the highest level, an excellent suggestion made to me by the pro at my golf club.
That's the thing. There are people out there with some great ideas and, for the good of Scottish golf, something needs to be done to try and change things so that, a few years down the line, the amount of talent going to waste is decreasing all the time.
Another thing I'd like to see are more of our players, particularly the rookie professionals, playing on a home-based circuit as they cut their teeth in the paid game. It didn't do Paul Lawrie or David Drysdale any harm and, in the case of the former in particular, he learned to become a winner by playing in Scotland.
Let's make sure that whatever decisions are made going forward are the right ones.

WESTWOOD WON LEVEN GOLD MEDAL
Sixteem years ago a young Englishman turned up in Fife and rubber-stamped his potential by winning the Leven Gold Medal, the world's oldest amateur stroke-play event.
That same year Lee John Westwood also finished second in the European Amateur Championship at Dalmahoy, losing in a play-off to the Dane, Morten Backhausen.
Having witnessed both of those performances, it's been a delight to watch Westwood go on and establish himself as one of the world's top players and, personally, I was delighted he pipped Rory McIlroy in the marathon that was the 'Race to Dubai'.
Not that I have anything against young Rory, of course. His emergence over the past couple of seasons has given European golf a timely shot in the arm and it's surely a matter of how many times he'll be the No1 in the future, not if.
For the moment, though, that crown belongs to Westwood and rightly so. His performance in winning the inaugural Dubai World Championship was truly exceptional and now a major is firmly in his sights.
Tom Watson may have been the man most people wanted to win at Turnberry in July but, really, it was Westwood whose name should have been inscribed on that Claret Jug – and he knows it. He's bounced back courageously, though, and has been helped in a big way, no doubt, by Andrew Chandler, his excellent manager, and just as much by Laurae, his delightful Scottish wife.

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