Paul Lawrie-Adam Hunter coaching
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relationship renewed


FROM THE PRESS AND JOURNAL
By STEPHEN KASIEWICZ
Aberdeen's Open champion Paul Lawrie had ended his working relationship with coach Bob Torrance.
Lawrie, 41, who won the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 1999, teamed up with Torrance for last year's Open at Turnberry but will now be coached solely by Adam Hunter.
Lawrie, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, cited the journey from his Aberdeen home to Largs in Ayrshire as a factor in the split with Torrance.
He had been working with Hunter on his short game while also under the tutelage of Torrance.
Lawrie and Hunter go back a long way and the Aberdonian has elected to stay with the coach even although Hunter is currently in hospital in Glasgow after being diagnosed with leukaemia.
Hunter began coaching Lawrie in 1998 and guided him to his Open championship victory a week later. But in June 2007 Hunter was replaced by Meldrum House's Neil Marr.
Lawrie started working with Hunter gain in July 2008 and parted company with Marr in June last year before being coached by Torrance.
Lawrie said: "With every coach I have been with, and Bob was no different, there were a couple of thinks I liked and a couple of things I did not like. I just felt working with Bob and only doing a couple of things that he wanted me to do and travelling six hours to and see him in Largs was not in my best interests.
"We did not have a problem and it was not a sacking. I have decided that Adam Hunter will be doing some work with me again. It was another part of the reason for ending my time with Bob.
"I had a lot of success with Adam and, after having two or three different coaches, I now realise I want to get better and work it out with him, not anyone else.
"I have huge respect for Bob as a coach. He has been doing it for a long time and has enjoyed a massive amount of success with his players.
"Padraig Harrington is one of Europe's best players and Bob has coached him for 10 years. I was not questioning what he was doing."
Lawrie will next compete on the European Tour in the Andalucia Open at Malaga, from March 25 to 28.
He added: "Adam, who is in hospital just now, will now be my sole long-game and short-game coach. He will oversee things and give me advice but, ultimately , it is down to me.
"I have been hitting the ball well. I just need to get the ball in the hole a big more.
"You take good putting for granted when you are a top player. When you are a poor putter you realise how hard the game is. I have not become a poor putter. They are just not going in at the moment. I just need to keep working away at it."
+The above article appears in today's The Press and Journal.