Moneygate Scottish area team championship attracts

strong field to Kinross this coming weekend

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
In form Fraserburgh golfer Kris Nicol will lead a strong North-east team looking to capture their first title in 18 years as the new-look Moneygate Scottish area team championship takes place this weekend (May 15-16) at Kinross.
The Scotland men’s elite squad member continued his excellent start to the season with a runner-up finish in the Irish amateur stroke-play championship at Royal Dublin behind Alan Dunbar on Sunday, a week after securing second place at the prestigious Lytham Trophy. Nicol is joined in the North-east line-up by Philip McLean, who captured the Edward Trophy at Glasgow Gailes last month, as well as reigning Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Champion David Law.
Murcar Links’ former Scotland international Bryan Innes, whom Law defeated in the semi-finals at Royal Troon on route to his historic win last year, also takes his place in the side, alongside Scott Larkin and Anthony Bews.
Defending champions Renfrewshire have named an unchanged side from the six-man team who clinched last year’s title at Crail and will be strongly fancied to make it two-in-a-row. Their side includes former Amateur champion Craig Watson, alongside Kilmalcom’s Matthew Clark, who stormed to victory in the Craigmillar Park Open earlier this season, while reigning Scottish mid-amateur champion Andrew Farmer also retains his place in the line-up.
Newly-crowned Scottish boys' champion Grant Forrest will make his senior debut for a Lothians side looking to add to their record-breaking haul of 13 area team titles, while another in-form youngster, Simon Fairbairn, fresh from his runners-up spot in the Golf Data Lab Scottish youths championship, is part of a Borders side looking to win the event for the first time.
Ross Kellett, the second highest ranked Scottish amateur in the world, will be looking to lead Lanarkshire to their first victory since 1998, while Kellett’s Scotland team-mates Steven McEwan and Glenn Campbell are aiming to win third area team titles for Ayrshire and Perth & Kinross respectively.
Kinross’s Montgomery and Bruce courses will stage the event this weekend, with two rounds of stroke-play qualifying on Saturday and the leading four areas competing in the semi-finals the following morning for a place in the Sunday afternoon final.
Lee Hartley, Chief Executive of sponsors Moneygate who provide independent financial advice for golfers across Scotland, is looking forward to his company’s first involvement with the Championship:
“The 16 different Area Associations have assembled a strong field for this weekend’s event and I’m sure there will be some fantastic golf on show. As first time sponsors, we’re looking forward to some exciting competition and meeting the cream of amateur golf in Scotland.”
“Moneygate is still a relatively young company but we have strong ambitions to grow the brand in Scotland and provide benefits for member golfers across the country. This event will further raise our profile and strengthen our support of golf in Scotland.” he added.
+To read the stroke-play qualifying draw on the Scottish Golf Union website, click on the following link:
http://www.scottishgolf.org/index.cfm?objectid=4FACB7B2-9466-32AD-F8371182B9AC8B32&pageid=AD1AE6B8-DECD-6C2E-B8B6201964A49707

TEAM LINES FOR KINROSS
ANGUS
Ross Bell
Graham Bell
Ross Coull
Garry Duncan
William Bremner
Kris Harper
Bobby Willan
ARGYLL & BUTE
Allan McKie
Chris Carson
Gordon Lundie
George MacMillan
Les Pirie
John Shanks
AYRSHIRE
Steven McEwan
Stephen Murray
Euan Brown
Scott Brown
Jack McDonald
John Shanks
BORDERS
David Gillie
Bryan Graham
Alan Ballantyne
Jamie Morris
Warren Renwick
Simon Fairburn
CLACKMANNANSHIRE
Scott Borrowman
Jamie Aitken
Darren Hulston
Steven Horne
Scott Moffat
John Maxwell
DUNBARTONSHIRE
Kevin Smyth
Gordon Yates
Craig Checkley
Paul Betty
Andrew Campbell
Fraser McKenna
FIFE
Gary Sharp
Greg Paterson
James White
Danny Sommerville
Colin Martin
Brian Soutar
GLASGOW
Ben Sloan
Mark Bookless
John Laurie
Steven Robertson
Conor O’Neil
Gordon Sangster
LANARKSHIRE
Ross Kellett
Steven Rennie
Paul Shields
Scott Douglas
Ed Wood
Andy Fairbairn
LOTHIANS
Steven Armstrong
Mark Hillson
Allyn Dick
David Miller
Grant Forrest
Mark Timmins
NORTH
Fraser Fotheringham
Kyle Godsman
Graham Burnett
Mike MacDonald
Lyle McAlpine
Gary Thomson
NORTH-EAST
Philip McLean
Scott Larkin
Kris Nicol
Anthony Bews
Bryan Innes
David Law
PERTH & KINROSS
Nicky Barr
Scott Michie
Paul McPhee
Mark Rose
Stuart Graham
Glenn Campbell
RENFREWSHIRE
Matthew Clark
Gordon Stevenson
Craig Watson
Bryan Adam
Andrew Farmer
Ronnie Clark
SOUTH
Ian Brotherston
Iain Thomson
Michael Grunwell
Kyle McLung
Clark Riddick
Graham Sharp
STIRLINGSHIRE
Colin Mundie
Chris Lawton
Andrew Wallace
Graeme Robertson
Bobby Rushford
Neil Cunningham