NOTHING IN SCOTTISH PGA RULES AGAINST IT, BUT

Pros like Gavin Dear, Wallace Booth, Kevin McAlpine, Keir

McNicoll and Steven Hume debarred by Midland Alliance

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Perthshire-based Alps Tour professional Steven Hume has been in touch with Scottishgolfview.com to say how disappointed he is that he is debarred from playing in Midland Golfers' Alliance competitions because he is not a PGA member.
Apparently it is written in its Constitution, formulated some 60 years ago, that only PGA members are allowed to play with amateurs.
This outdated practice - there were no tour pros 60 years ago when all pros were attached to golf clubs - is not common across the Alliance movement in Scotland.
According to Keith Liddle, past secretary of the Edinburgh and East of Scotland Alliance:
"The Constitution and Rules of the EESGA (East Alliance) include
members who are Professionals, Assistant Professionals and Amateurs.
There is no mention of PGA membership."
Ron Menzies, secretary of the North-east Alliance, says it has no Constitution and he has never asked any competing professional whether or not he is or was a PGA member.Michael McDougall, the secretary of the PGA Scottish Region, told me by E-mail:
"There is no regulation by The PGA barring PGA Professionals playing in events alongside non-PGA Professionals (eg the Xltec Tour set up earlier in the year sees PGA members playing alongside non-PGA Professionals, European Tour events, Europro, etc).
"I do not set Alliance regulations nor am I overly familiar with these regs. Therefore, it is possible that in order to play Alliance events you must be a PGA Professional or associated with a recognised PGA."
Steven Hume commented:
"I think the alliance is a great way for everyone, professional and amateur, to keep their games sharp through the winter. It's such a pity that non-PGA members like me cannot play in it."
Perthshire-based Gavin Dear (Murrayshall Hotel), a 2009 Walker Cup player and a winner on the Alps Tour since he turned pro, has this to say about the situation:

Advent of new funding should be used to

open up Scottish professional golf

By GAVIN DEAR
The frustrating thing in Scottish pro golf is everything seems to be a closed shop. I play on the Continent in the Alps Tour and the foreign boys go home to play national events all the time.
It allows them to compete on national order of merits and, if they play well, gain entry to European and Challenge Tour events. It is an important part of their development.
It was good to see Wallace Booth and other non-PGA members given invites for the recent Northern Open. It can only improve the field and the competitiveness.
Another thing is the top 80 on the EuroPro Tour order of merit are given a category to get TP3 category for PGA regional golf.
Yet, on a similar satellite tour, myself and Steven Hume are not eligible (we are both in the top 40 on the Alps Tour).
I think with the new funding coming into place, it's time that everything opened up and we give young players as much competitive experience as possible.
I would be very interested to compete at Alliance competitions, Scottish PGA events or anything else in Scotland during  my weeks at home from the Alps Tour.
I think our local Alliance (the Midland) would find that myself, Steven Hume, Keir McNicoll, Kevin McAlpine and Wallace Booth would all like to play some events during the winter.
There's a Midland Alliance event held at Murrayshall - and Steve and I can't play in it!
I have a schedule but there are spaces in it, and playing against guys like Chris Doak, Craig Lee and Greg Hutcheon can only improve my game.
I personally think that we need to follow he example of what happens in France, Spain, Italy and Sweden where they have free-for-all tours with good purses (30,000 - 50,000 Euros), create an order of merit and allow guys invites to higher profile events.
The best players move up and gain opportunities and there is a better standard of golf. If we could have three-day events where all the top Scottish players who don't have European or Challenge Tour cards play, then how can it be a bad thing for sponsors, the players and everyone's future.
I know this story has been sitting there for a while and nobody really does anything to improve the situation. It would be good to see change.
GAVIN DEAR

+If you have any constructive views on the topic raised by Gavin Dear and Steven Hume, E-mail them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com