Fred Couples makes senior debut

in Hawaii skins event

FROM THE ESPN.COM WEBSITE
By Bob Harig
Fred Couples, who turned 50 in October, will make his US Champions (Seniors) Tour debut at the Wendy's Champions Skins Game in Hawaii in mid-January.
Couples, pictured, will partner Nick Price in the alternate-shot format event that will be played at Royal Kaanapali Golf Course.
Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Gary Player are also competing in the Jan. 16-17 tournament, which is in its 23rd year. This will be the fifth with a foursomes (alternate-shot) team format.
The teams will play nine holes each day, with the event televised by ESPN on February 27-28.
Ben Crenshaw and Fuzzy Zoeller will return to defend their 2009 title. Nicklaus and Watson will be teammates for the fifth straight year. Player's teammate will be Loren Roberts.
The $770,000 purse has $30,000 distributed for each of the first six holes, $40,000 for each of the next six, $50,000 for holes 13 through 17 and $100,000 for the 18th hole. Prize money is carried over if no team wins a hole outright.
Couples, who captained the US Presidents Cup team to victory last month, won 15 times in his US PGA Tour career, including the 1992 Masters.

ROSS RISES 24 PLACES BUT

BYRNE IS STILL TOP SCOT

Ross Kellett's very good performance in qualifying for the match-play as the No 4 seed and then going all the way to the final before losing in the Argentina men's open amateur golf championship has seen him rise 24 places in the R&A's latest World Amateur Golf Rankings.
The Colville Park player is now No 41 but Banchory's James Byrne, who lost earlier in the Argentina event, is still the leading Scot in the rankings in 39th place. The Arizona State University student has gone down three places.
Incidentally, Romain Wattell, the French amateur champion who was 12 under par in beating Kellett by 7 and 5 in Sunday's 36-hole final, has shot up 66 places to No 38 in the revised ratings. Another Frenchman, Victor Dubuisson, is still No 1 although he failed to survive Stage 2 of the European Tour Qualifying School at the weekend. Amateur scores in professional events do not count.
Scots in the top 500 of the WAGR are:
39 James Byrne (-3).
41 Ross Kellett (+24).
172 Mark Hillson (no change).
174 Glenn Campbell (no change).
210 Michael Stewart (+6).
236 James White (-1).
263 David Law (-13).
342 Philip McLean (no change).
389 Steven McEwan (-1).

THE GREAT DEBATE CONTINUES

E-mail from Steven Carmichael
(former Scotland amateur international)

Cameron Barrie is over-simplifying

the argument ...

Hi Colin,
Great debate as always on the site.
Could you perhaps explain to Mr Barrie the CSS system and how that alters handicaps. Someone shooting -3 to par every round would probably not play off +3 as an amateur but more like +5.
When only low handicappers play in tournaments the CSS invariably rises, giving a slightly skewed handicap when viewed to scores under par.
The SGU used to run a score average table over the year (don't know if they still do) and that was always interesting reading. The courses are also, by and large, tougher and longer for professional events and this makes it easy to criticise scores.
I think Mr Barrie over-simplifies the argument. With the economic benefit to the country of golf in having successful golfers, we should encourage and support our talented players as much as we can on the proviso that they give something back when they are successful.
This could be money or time, whatever is deemed appropriate. However, I agree with part of his point. In my eyes there has to be an element of "pain" financially on the side of the player. The rewards are so great that the chasing of such a dream should not be without risk. The age-old risk/reward thing.
I also think some of the guys now get things a bit easy, myself included when I was playing, and the expectation level rises to an unrealistic level. Sorry to use him as an example again as I am sure there are many more out there, but Chris Kelly is a good example.
He is fast becoming a "battle-hardened" player who is clearly better than some of the guys getting financial help but unless I'm mistaken or out of date he gets no help at all other than what he earns playing or can secure from sponsors.
Is it right that a guy like that gets left to fend for himself while younger guys get support when they don't have as much chance of success at this point in time as he does?
I'm all for supporting youth but support them because they are good enough, not simply because they are young.
Also, didn't a guy called Steve Govenlock start something like the Team Scotland idea years ago? I can't quite recall the details but it does ring a bell.
Steven Carmichael
Image above by Cal Carson Golf Agency about five years ago before Steven retired prematurely from tournament golf.

E-mail from Steven Robertson:

It's too easy to state our amateurs are simply not good enough

Colin,
I would like to reply to the E-mail received from Cameron Barrie as part of the ongoing discussion on Martin Dempster's article, published in "The Scotsman" and reproduced on Scottishgolfview.com
My answer to Cameron Barrie's question: Why do amateurs with "plus" handicaps shoot level 4s when they compete in professional tournaments?
Consider that professional courses can be anywhere from 7,100-7,300yds whereas amateur courses (in Scotland at least) tend to be 6,700yds at the most. An extra 400yd, a reasonable par-4 on a tougher lay-out - several shots right away. An average 10-handicapper would shoot in the mid-90s from the Carnoustie or Royal Troon back tees.
It's too easy to state that amateurs are simply not good enough. I am 31, a +1 handicapper and in full time employment, and have been lucky to have played tournament golf with "top class amateurs" past and present, Young, Forsyth, Watson, Kelly, O'Hara, McNicol, Booth, Dear, Jamieson, Macauley, McEwan, McLean, etc and I can tell you from experience that top- class is exactly what these guys are!
Playing to that level requires maximum dedication and supreme talent. Working full time while maintaining that standard is impossible.
Scottish Golf has come under a lot of undue criticism lately. Andy Murray (whilst a pro) benefited from funding by the LTA and he is No 4 tennis player in the world. Chris Hoy is No 1 track cyclist in the world and has benefited from lottery funding over the years.
How many other world-class individual sportsmen does Scotland have?
Football and rugby have youth teams or apprenticeships where players are provided with training facilities and financial backing even if they don't play for the first team. In golf, perform or you don't get paid!
Scottish golfers, with the help of the SGU, have been punching above their weight for years! The only way of producing top-class professionals nowadays is to continue backing elite players with an infrastructure and finance whether they are top amateurs or fledgling pros.
Let's hope we find a system to facilitate this instead of bashing those who are trying their best.
Steven Robertson

E-mail from Brian Young:

If Tiger Woods had a handicap, he would probably be rated at +10!

Cameron,
You clearly are missing something, a basic understanding of the standard scratch system (SSS).
The SSS of a course gives the suggested score that a scratch player should be able to shoot on a reasonable day when the course is set up to a reasonable degree of difficulty. For example the St Andrews Old course has a SSS of 73 off the medal tees but this rises to 76 from the championship tees, which means a +4 player shooting four rounds of 72 would in effect be playing to his handicap.
For his handicap to remain the same over a four-round tournament he could, of course, shoot 69 (cut 0.3), 76, 75, 74 (up 0.3 over the last 3 rounds). So a +4 player could shoot six over par over the four rounds and his handicap does not change.
In professional events, courses are generally set up to a very tough standard with super tight pins, slick greens and deeper rough which would increase the competition scratrch score (CSS) if it was an amateur event.
For example on the last day of the Open the championship committee find some outrageously difficult pin placements and the pros can still make a mockery of them.
If you were to take a tour pro with an average score of level par his handicap would probably come out about +7 to +8 if calculated over a season. Tiger would probably come out with a handicap of +10.
If this sounds bizzare, a very good amateur receiving five strokes off Tiger would probably make for a very interesting game.
As most golfers know, it is possible to play 20 rounds a year and maintain your handicap with three or four good ones, 10 around the buffer and some very bad scores. It is no different for a +4 player.
As a scratch player myself I can see the massive difference between scratch and +3 or +4. The gap from there to tour pro is even bigger.
Brian Young

+++If you feel you have something new to contribute to the debate, you can E-mail your views to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Defending champions Sweden

think field is stronger this year

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson return to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup knowing they will have to raise their games against a 2009 field bursting with quality.
The Swedish duo, who produced one of the greatest foursome displays in the tournaments illustrious history last year with a stunning nine under par 63 that saw them charge to victory, are back at the Mission Hills Golf Club hoping to become the first country to retain the World Cup since Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara defended the title for the USA nine years ago.
But with several of the world’s best players arriving at the magnificent Olazábal Course at Mission Hills, Team Sweden know they are in for a great battle to emerge victorious on Sunday night.
“I think the tournament this year has a stronger field than ever before so it will be tough to defend,” said Karlsson, who returned to top form last week after his four-month summer injury lay-off at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan where he took second place to Edoardo Molinari after a sudden-death play-off.
“It shows that the tournament is getting better, and it shows that they have done a good job at the Mission Hills Club and at OMEGA to get better players to come here. It’s all positive and we are looking forward to the Challenge.”
Stenson agreed with Karlsson, but couldn’t help a cheeky reply to the Chinese Media when asked who he felt were Sweden’s biggest rivals for the title. “I can’t see past Sweden,” said Stenson before turning more serious.
“It’s a stronger field for sure. It feels like you could find the winners among ten, 12, 14 teams, something like that, most likely, and I guess there’s a few more teams involved than before, and some other countries are also stronger than they have been before.
“So it’s going to take some great play to win. Scoring has been quite low in the past and maybe the golf course plays a bit different this year since we play it a bit softer and a little bit longer, and also the greens can be a little bit tricky with all the grain. So yeah, we just have to wait and see what the scoring is like. It’s going to be low no matter what.”
One of Sweden's expected challengers is Spain, led by world No 8 Sergio Garcio and his partner, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
The Spanish duo will rely on their friendship and their experiences of playing alongside each other as amateurs as they bid to win the World Cup for Spain for the first time in 25 years.
“We don’t have any records playing professionally in the World Cup, but we’ve played a lot of amateur golf together and, well, it’s good to play with a friend,” said Fernandez-Castaño. “So I think it’s going to be fun – I’m really looking forward to it. I’m really glad that Sergio picked me to be here, and I think that we combine very well together. As soon as he called me to be his partner I didn’t hesitate for a second.”
Garcia, an Omega Ambassador, knows there is pressure on the Spaniards to perform, but feels the greatest pressure will come from the players themselves.
“It’s not about the amount of good teams that you have. There’s always going to be good players playing no matter what. So I think that the ultimate pressure is about trying to win the tournament itself and that’s where you try your hardest,” said Garcia.
“Like I said before, there’s a lot of good teams out there. But we also have a good team. We should be very proud of that and if we manage to use our talent, the talent we have, and the capabilities that we have, I think that we should be contenders to the title.”

ROYAL CINQUE PORTS & PRINCE’S TO HOST

2013 AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R&A

Royal Cinque Ports and Prince’s golf clubs have been chosen to stage the 2013 Amateur Championship. The Kent links courses will share the initial stroke-play qualifying stage before Royal Cinque Ports hosts the match-play rounds.
Royal Cinque Ports has hosted the Amateur Championship on two occasions: first in 1923 when England’s Roger Wethered defeated Scotland’s Robert Harris, and then again in 1982 when Martin Thompson beat Andrew Stubbs in an all-English final.

Deal has also staged two Open Championships. J H Taylor lifted the Claret Jug there in 1909, and Scot, George Duncan, did the same in 1920.
Like its neighbour, Prince’s Golf Club can also claim Open Championship pedigree. It was there that Gene Sarazen won the fifth of his seven Major Championships in 1932. The sand-iron, which he introduced to the game of golf during the Championship, is still on display in the clubhouse. Prince’s hosted the Amateur Championship with Royal St Georges in 2006, when Frenchman Julien Guerrier beat England’s Adam Gee to win the title.
Both clubs will be used as Local Final Qualifying venues in advance of the 2011 Open Championship at nearby Royal St George’s.
The 118th Amateur Championship will take place on 17 – 22 June 2013.

Oldcorn bidding for European Tour card - although

he might not use it after his 50th birthday!

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Andrew Oldcorn has defended his decision to try and win a European Tour card for next season – even though he admits he might not use it once he becomes eligible for the Seniors' circuit.
The former PGA champion is in the field for the final stage of the Tour School which starts this weekend, having decided to make the trip to Girona near Barcelona, Spain despite the fact his wife thinks he's "bonkers" for doing so.
Oldcorn, who finished 318th on this season's European Tour money-list, has his sights firmly set on European Seniors Tour, for which he'll become eligible when he turns 50 on March 31 next year.
But the Kings Acre-based pro insists he has nothing to lose by taking up his exempt spot at PGA Golf de Catalunya, where the prized cards on next season's main Tour will be up for grabs over a marathon six rounds.
"I know that some people might be critical if I earned a card but didn't use it but I have no qualms about taking up my spot, having earned my right to be there over the past 25 years," said Oldcorn.
"My wife thinks I am bonkers but, having taken some time to think about it, I feel I've got nothing to lose either way. I'd be sitting at home twiddling my thumbs looking out at the rain so I'm looking at this as an opportunity to go play in a tournament with money at stake.
"I'm not going to be under the same amount of pressure that the rest of the guys will be and, while I know it is a bit of a long shot due to the fact I've not played a lot of tournament golf recently, you just never know."
Oldcorn, who paid his first visit to the Tour School just after he turned professional in 1983, didn't have to go back until 2006 and, even then, that was down to an illness.
"There were two Tour Schools back-to-back when I started out with 30 cards up for grabs at each of them," he added. "There was no case of being all-exempt then either and you had pre-qualifying for events on the Monday.
"Alan Murdoch (the head pro at Kings Acre and his coach] is coming out to caddie for me and I know the courses from last year. I actually found one of them a bit too long for me but it had been wet in the build-up to last year's event. I've been watching the weather and the fact it's not rained there for the last few weeks should be to my benefit."
Joining Oldcorn in Girona are Bathgate's Stephen Gallacher, who is making his return after a lengthy injury lay-off in the event, and Edinburgh-based former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart.
TWELVE SCOTS IN EURO TOUR Q SCHOOL FIELD AT GIRONA
Andrew Coltart
Scott Drummond
Stephen Gallacher
Greig Hutcheon
Callum Macaulay
Andrew McArthur
Alan McLean
Jamie McLeary
George Murray
Steven O'Hara,
Andrew Oldcorn
Eric Ramsay
There will be a total field of 156 facing up the six-round test, at the end of which the leading 30 and ties will earn Category 11b membership of the European Tour.

Chris Wood named Sir Henry Cotton

European Tour Rookie of the Year

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
England’s Chris Wood has capped a tremendous debut season on The European Tour by being named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for 2009.
Bristol-born Wood, 22 tomorrow, who at 6ft 5in (196cms) stands alongside Swede Robert Karlsson as the tallest golfer on Tour, also enjoyed the highest finish of a talented group of contenders for the award in the inaugural Race to Dubai.
By taking 44th place with earnings of €679,559, Wood secured the title ahead of Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin, who was 53rd in The Race to Dubai, England’s Danny Willett (58th) Sweden’s Oskar Henningsson, who was 68th and also claimed his maiden Tour title in the Czech Republic and another Englishman, David Horsey, who ended his first season in 76th place.
However it was Wood’s remarkable performance in The 138th Open Championship which effectively sealed the Award, which is judged by The R&A, the Association of Golf Writers and The European Tour.
A year after finishing tied fifth at Royal Birkdale as an amateur, Wood went even better at Turnberry in July, missing out on a play-off by only one shot as he finished alongside eventual Race to Dubai champion, Lee Westwood, in third place.
That mature performance was one of five top ten finishes for Wood during his rookie season, while his liking for events with the word ‘Open’ saw him tie for fifth in The European Open and tie for sixth in the South African Open. He was also top scorer in the Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros, claiming 4 ½ points out of a possible five.
Wood, who has climbed to 71st in the Official World Golf Ranking, is the 21st English golfer to win the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award since its inception in 1960, when his fellow countryman Tommy Goodwin became the inaugural winner.
He succeeds Pablo Larrazabal of Spain, who follows in a long and illustrious list of players who have graduated to great things after winning rookie honours, namely Tony Jacklin, Bernard Gallacher, Sam Torrance, Sir Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle, José Maria Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia.
Wood admitted: “It is brilliant to win this award. Looking at the list of names who have won this title makes me appreciate that I am in good company, alongside people like Sir Nick Faldo, who is probably the greatest English golfer to play the game. It’s great to see my name on the same list as Sir Nick and some of the more recent winners like Paul Casey, Nick Dougherty and Ian Poulter.
“I’ve had my eyes on winning the rookie crown all season, because it’s something you only ever get one chance to win. Fortunately I’ve been lucky enough to do it thanks to some good results like The Open and some pretty consistent finishes.”
Wood added: “I feel I’ve been able to step into the professional ranks quite easily. The experiences of Birkdale and Turnberry have helped and also getting my card at the Tour School at PGA Golf de Catalunya. Now I am closing in on the top 50 in the world and that must be a big goal in 2010. It opens a lot of doors to the Majors and the other top events where the best players are playing.
“Look at Martin Kaymer. He was Rookie of the Year two years ago and has just finished third in The Race to Dubai and must be a contender for the next Ryder Cup. That’s where I want to see myself in a few years time.”

North-east Alliance blown off at Portlethen Today's North-east Golfers' Alliance competition at Portlethen was abandoned due to high winds which made play impossible. A start was made but it soon became clear that the balls would not remain stationary on the greens. The next scheduled meeting is at Buckpool Golf Club next Wednesday. We are hoping to display the starting times on this website if secretary Ron Menzies can arrange it.

Kellett eyes Eisenhower Trophy defence

in Buenos Aires next autumn

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Ross Kellett, who finished runner-up in the Argentina open amateur championship last weekend, has set his sights on returning to the Buenos Aires Golf Club towards the end of next year as part of the Scotland side that will be defending the Eisenhower Trophy.
Wallace Booth, Gavin Dear and Callum Macaulay, the trio who secured that piece of silverware when Scotland were crowned as world amateur champions in Australia last year, are all now in the professional ranks.
As a member of the side that added the European title at Conwy earlier this year, Kellett, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who has followed the O'Hara brothers, Steven and Paul, off the conveyor belt at Colville Park in Motherwell, was already on the list of contenders for the vacant spots and has now jumped to the head of the queue on the back of an excellent performance in South America.
"It will obviously help that I have done so well on a course that the Eisenhower Trophy will be played on," said the 21-year-old, who beat the highly-rated young German player, Philip Westermann, in the semi-final and had no reason to feel disheartened after losing by 7 and 5 in the 36-hole final given that his opponent, French champion Romain Wattel, was 12-under-par for the holes played.
"However, there's a lot of golf to be played between now and then, so I will knuckle down and get on with my game and, hopefully, that will be good enough to make the team. Kellett also finished runner-up in the European Individual Championship earlier in the year, having also secured the same spot in the New South Wales Amateur Championship.
*The full article above appears in The Scotsman newspaper.