Cliffe Jones says PGA bans on Orr and Kerr

were harsh but only 'matter of time'

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
One of the longest-serving club professionals in Scotland has claimed it was only a matter of time before action was taken against players who are breaching PGA training programme rules by not fulfilling the hours they should be working in the shop.
Cliffe Jones, who has been the professional at Glencorse for 25 years and is a former captain of the PGA Scottish Region, was speaking in the wake of David Orr, the current Scottish champion, and Mark Kerr, one of the rising talents on the Tartan Tour, both being hit with playing bans until 1 July.
The action was taken against Orr, who is attached to East Renfrewshire, and Kerr, who played out of Marriott Dalmahoy in the second half of last season following a spell at Bathgate, after they were both found to have failed to complete the stipulated 30 hours per week required as part of the PGA programme.
Stewart Russell, the head professional at East Renfrewshire, and Alan Tait, Marriott Dalmahoy's director of golf, have each been fined £1,500 for breaching PGA training regulations and code of ethics, with the latter, a PGA member for nearly 20 years, being advised that he should resign from the Scottish Region committee.
The suspensions and fines have sent shockwaves through Scottish professional golf but, according to Jones, players have been getting away with such breaches for far too long and the punishments will, he says, hopefully sort out the situation once and for all.
"These sort of people have had warnings and it was only a matter of time before action like this was taken," said Jones. "It is a harsh lesson for David Orr but he's been successful and, therefore, was an easy target.
"David is a good player and a good guy to have on board, but he's been around long enough now to get through the Tour School and shouldn't need the Tartan Tour. There's nothing wrong with him wanting to become a Tour player but, if he does his PGA training, he can also be a club professional in later life, at somewhere like East Renfrewshire for example.
"I have a lot of sympathy for Alan Tait, a good golf professional who has done a lot of things for the PGA over the years. He has represented them well. However, this sort of thing has been going on for a long time and, at long last, someone has taken the bull by the horns.
"I think there are a few more chapters in this story to come. There are a number of guys out there in the same boat and they have to decide whether they are going to be a PGA pro or not. "Paul Lawrie is a great example to everyone. He did his PGA training, working the hours he needed to, and went on to win the Open. That shows you can do both."
Jones, who has been around the Scottish scene for 30 years and has played on the Tartan Tour himself, added: "Yes, these guys pay their money to be in the PGA but this could have been nipped in the bud a long time ago."
Once a player enters the training programme, they sign a contract that stipulates the number of hours they must work in the shop as part of their three-year course.
"We have to maintain adherence to rules and regulations and the integrity of the sport," said Sandy Jones, the PGA's chief executive. "On the playing side, if someone is out of bounds by an inch, no matter who you are – even Tom Watson – you are punished. The strength of the game is that players and members stick to the rules."
Orr, who drives a taxi in Glasgow to supplement his earnings from golf, will miss the Northern Open, one of the main events on the Scottish circuit, but his one crumb of comfort is that the Gleneagles Scottish Championship, held in June last year, has been moved to October this season.
"I am bitterly disappointed the way things have worked out," said the 35-year-old. "For the moment I will be concentrating on the coaching side of my career but this makes me more determined to compete on the Tartan Tour come July."
Contrary to reports, David Patrick, the former Walker Cup player from Edinburgh who is now attached to Elie, did not receive a suspended sentence. While the 2009 Scottish Young Professionals' champion faced a similar accusation and attended the disciplinary hearing along with Orr and Kerr, he was cleared.

Any comments? You can E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

E-mail from reader Danny Wightman:
I can see the PGA's point of view in banning David Orr and Mark Kerr from playing on the Tartan Tour but I really think that PGA has been very harsh on them.
I think the players should appeal against the bans.

E-mail from reader Bill Barclay:
I've read the statement regarding the players and feel this punishment is very harsh, particularly in light of the winter we are having. How can these players expect to make any earnings while courses are under snow?
My sympathies are with these players and their bosses. It think the comment made by Cliffe Jones that David Orr "shouldn't need the Tartan Tour" to be untasteful and disrespectful.
The Tartan Tour needs talent in their competitions to attract sponsors and spectators.