Tom Watson tells Tiger, clean up your act on and off the course

FROM THE PGA.COM WEBSITE
Tom Watson has joined the litany of US Tour players chiming in on Tiger’s matrimonial disharmony and eventual return to the game, and he told Kansas City's NBC Action News that the world’s No. 1 golfer doesn’t just need to work on his behaviour at home.
After describing Woods’s current personal fiasco as “bad for our game,” and “something that he needs to get control of,” the eight-time major winner took a shot at some of Tiger’s ungentlemanly conduct on the course.
“His swearing and his club throwing, that should end,” said Watson. "That’s not part of what we want to project as far as the professional golf tour is concerned.”
This is not the first time the Kansas City native has taken Tiger to task on his manners. In September, Watson admitted that he dropped Woods a note about his behaviour at some point last summer, although Watson described the letter as “personal," and wouldn’t share the details at that time.

New official St Andrews Links website launched

A new official website for St Andrews Links, the Home of Golf has been launched at the world’s largest golf show.
The website, www.standrews.org.uk, provides a full range of information on how to book golf at the seven St Andrews Links courses, including the Old Course, and features a brand new golf shop where users can purchase official Old Course and St Andrews Links merchandise.
An official launch for the website was held at the USPGA Merchandise Show in Orlando , Florida where the site was unveiled by St Andrews Links Trust chief executive Alan McGregor. The website has been live for several days and has received positive feedback from customers.
Visitors to the site can book tee times online, purchase merchandise and arrange golf lessons or custom fit sessions on the website as well as access a wealth of information about the services and facilities at the Links. The new website has a far simpler and flatter navigational structure that leaves users only two or three clicks away from the information they are looking for.
Some fascinating footage from the Open Championships at the Old Course can be viewed on the site along with the TV commercial for St Andrews Links and its global partner Allianz. The Old Course webcam can be viewed on the site and interactive course guides and image galleries are available for each of the courses.
Alan McGregor , chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said, “The website is such an important part of our business. It acts as a gateway to the Home of Golf for so many users around the world who are either coming here or who aspire to come here. It has been a major project for us to develop the new site in time for the Open this year and we are pleased to have a new and improved service to offer our golfing customers.
“The new site will be a platform which will enable us to introduce many new innovations in the months and years ahead. It is an indispensable tool for all those who have an interest in playing golf in St Andrews or simply finding out more about the place.”
The previous Links Trust website was developed in 2003 and has grown to some 700 pages. Capitalising on the surge of interest in St Andrews around the 2005 Open it attracted around 80 million hits a year and hundreds of thousands of unique users.
In early 2009, the Trust began working with Broughty Ferry-based Avian Communications to develop a new more dynamic and interactive website which would give it a platform to introduce more fresh content and more innovations.
A key element of the new website is the new Golf Shop section which enables visitors to purchase a full range of official Open 2010, Old Course, St Andrews Links and Castle Course apparel and merchandise.
To access the new official website visit: www.standrews.org.uk.

Alan Lockhart wins Midland Alliance meeting at Lundin Links

By LEE SUTHERLAND
leesuds@blueyonder.co.uk
The Midland Golfers' Alliance season restarted after the winter break at Lundin Links Golf Club. The Fife course was in fine condition and Ladybank assistant professional Alan Lockhart led the way in the scratch with a superb, four-under-par score of 67.
John Leddy, a nine-handicapper at Bathgate, won the handicap with a net 65 and the team of Paul Brookes (Pitreave), Dennis Redford (Murrayshall), Chris Westland (Alloa) and Davie Huchieson (Murrayshall) won the team competition with a score of 57.
Leading Scratch Scores
67 A Lockhart (Ladybank) ap.
68 G Brown (Montrose) ap.
71 M Brown (Monifieth).
72 M Pirie (Pitlochry) p, C Donnelly (Balbirnie Park) p, G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle), C Mathieson (Falkirk Tryst) ap.
73 R Walker (Lundin) p), R Redpath (Scotscraig), K Harper (Carnoustie), A Mason (Thornton).
74 S Cargill (Arbroath), J Leddy (Bathgate).
75 S Graham (Arbroath).
Leading Handicap Scores
65 J Leddy (Bathgate) (9).
66 A Mason (Thornton) (7).
69 R Redpath (Scotscraig) (4).
71 S Graham (Arbroath) 4), J Rennie (Dunfermline) (13). D Redford (Murrayshall) (8), N Ballingall (Lundin) (6).
73 M Niven (Alloa) (5), S Cargill (Arbroath) (1), G Milne (Aberdour) (5), D Hutchison (Murrayshall) (6), S Mitchell (St Andrews) (12), D Herd (Scotscraig) (11), M Bropwn (Monifieth) (+2), K Harper (Carnoustie (scr), G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) (+1), M Watkin (Panmure) (12).
Leading Team Scores
57 P Brookes (Pitreavie) p, D Redford (Murrayshall) (8), C Westland (Alloa) (11), D Hutchison (Murrayshall) (6).
58 R Stewart (Tulliallan) (1), G Milne (Aberdour) (5), R Barton (Alloa) (8), J Rennie (Dunfermline) (13) (better inward half).
58 A J Webster (Edzell) p, J Leddy (Bathgate) (9), R Lamont (Bathgate) (8), J Irwin (Muckhart) (8).
Qualifiers for the JTC Interiors Express Championship in April at Montrose Links
D Herd (Alloa) p, N Ballingall (Lundin) (6), J Leddy (Bathgate) (9).

Next Meeting (sponsored by William Hill DRG)
Thursday, February 4
Arbroath
Tee reserved:8.30 - 12.30

Hi5 Tour in Spain

Lloyd Saltman's finishes three off pace after weak finish

FROM THE Hi5 TOUR WEBSITE
Clear blue skies welcomed the players to the final round of the opening event of the 2010 Hi5 Pro Tour season.
Robert Svensson of Sweden produced a fine round of 70 in the 2010 Villaitana Open to force a play off with overnight leader Pete James of England. The two ended the 36 hole rain-shortened event both at one-under-par 143 and went into a sudden death play off after both of them birdied the final hole.
Both players recorded pars on the first play off hole with James narrowly missing his birdie putt, leaving Svensson a chance for victory with a short birdie putt after his great second shot into the par 4.
However Svensson’s putt also slipped by the right side so both players went into the second play off hole. After another precise iron shot into the green to 6 or 7ft, Svensson did not let this chance slip by again and made the birdie putt to secure his first win on the Hi5 Pro Tour.
Tied third were Kris Jones from England and defending champion Carlos Garcia of Spain, both finishing at level par 144
Scotland's Saltman brothers made the top 10 but Lloyd would not have been happy with joint seventh place on 146 with Zack. Lloyd had rounds of 75 and 71, covering his last seven holes in two over par with bogeys at the 12th and 17th.
Considering Lloyd also had a double bogey 7 on his first-round inward half, it has to be said that he might have won this Spanish event or certainly finished a lot closer than three shots adrift of the play-off participants.
Zack had rounds of 74 and 73. The eldest Saltman sibling, Elliott finished on 147 with scores of 75 and 72.
LEADING TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
143 Robert Svensson (Sweden) 73 70, Pete James (England) 70 73 (Svensson won sudden-death play-off at second hole).
144 Kris Jones (England) 75 69, Carlos Garcia (Spain) 73 71.
145 Lasse Sonne Nielsen (Switzerland) (amateur) 78 67, Matthew Cryer (Enghland) 75 70.
146 Lloyd Saltman (Scotland) 75 71, Zack Saltman (Scotland) 74 72.
147 Elliot Saltman (Scotland) 75 72, Sam Haywood (England) 73 74, Brad Clapp (Canada) 73 74.

Low amateur for the event and low round of the day shooting a fine 67 five under par was Lasse Sonne Nielsen of Denmark.
In the seniors division Trevor Wisson of England captured his first win on the Hi5 Pro Tour.

MEN'S AMATEUR QUADRANGULAR INTERNATIONAL
Costa Ballena Golf Club, Spain.

DAY ONE
England 3, Germany 6.
Finland 3, Spain 6.

DAY TWO
ENGLAND 5 1/2, FINLAND 3 1/2
Foursomes (1 1/2-1 1/2)
Matt Southgate & Joshua White halved with Toni Hakula & Nicklas Kaivola.
Jonathan Bell & Tom Shadbolt lost to Kalle Samooja & Mikael Salminen 2 holes.
Ben Loughrey & Adam Keogh bt Atte Raauhala & Tuomas Salminen 3 and 1.
Singles (4-2)
Southgate bt Kaivola 1 hole.
Shadbolt lost to Hakula 1 hole.
Bell bt Salminen 2 holes.
White bt Samooja 2 holes.
Keogh lost to Raauhala 3 and 1.
Loughrey bt Salminen 1 hole.

GERMANY 6, SPAIN 3
Foursomes: 2 1/2-0 1/2.
Singles: 3 1/2-2 1/2.

HOW THEY STAND
Germany 2 wins, Spain 1 win, England 1 win, Finland 0 wins.

Richie Ramsay (70) leading Scot in Commercialbank Qatar Masters

Wilson and Dredge share first-round

lead with five-under 67s at Doha

NEWS FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
The European Tour’s perennial "bridesmaid" Oliver Wilson battled testing conditions to card a five under par 67 to share a one-shot first-round lead with Welshman Bradley Dredge at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters presented by Dolphin Energy.
Wilson, pictured in action today, yet to post a maiden title despite making a Ryder Cup debut in 2008, dropped just one shot on his first circuit of Doha Golf Club despite blustery wind and deep rough leaving the majority of the field over par and just 24 players in the under-par category.
And after Race to Dubai winner Lee Westwood missed an eagle putt at the last which would have claimed the outright lead, Dredge completed a run of four birdies over his final five holes with a 20ft putt to join Wilson at the top of the leaderboard.
“I’m obviously really pleased, but it was a strange one because it didn’t feel that hard. I got in and realised it had been playing tough, but I was disappointed I didn’t pick up more shots coming in. I had some good chances, but all in all, I’m happy,” said Wilson, who missed the cut in Abu Dhabi last week.
“My putting was better. I holed a few putts and overall, everything was good. I drove it well and hit my irons really good.”
Wilson’s almost-there record is well documented - he has finished second nine times with two play-off defeats.
But after turning to technology to leave “no stone unturned” to discover the root of the problem, Wilson is confident he has turned the corner.
The 29 year old did have a chance to ensure the overnight lead at the last but missed a five foot birdie putt following a similar miss two holes earlier, having made his move up the leaderboard with a run of three birdies in four holes after the turn.
“I haven’t won so something needed to change and I did a lot of evaluating over Christmas with various thoughts and stats where I need to improve and implemented a plan,” added Wilson. “And I’m starting to find a lot of answers and part of it has been balance which I’ve worked hard on and suddenly it feels a lot easier to swing the club.
“I’m getting closer to the player I want to be and be able to, not so much master, but improve in other areas and be able to contend.”
Westwood eventually tapped home at the last for a fifth birdie of the day as the World Number Four resumed normal service after last week’s slip up in Abu Dhabi with a new set of irons helping him to a share of second alongside early pacesetter Robert Karlsson, Alexander Noren and Marcel Siem.
The 36 year old Worksop ace also dropped just one shot after a three putt bogey as he found the soft fairways and hard greens to his liking.
“I played very solid,” he said. “I made one decent putt from 25 feet, missed just two greens and two fairways, so I am picking up where I left off from last year.”
Australia’s Brett Rumford carded a 69 to claim seventh, with Sergio Garcia, Camilo Villegas, Ross Fisher and South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, who has already posted two wins this season, in a group at two under par.
Karlsson - who saw his 2009 campaign ruined by eye problems - held the clubhouse lead for most of the day after his round, which included an eagle on the 15th when he holed his eight iron approach.
But with the blustery conditions easing slightly for the afternoon starters, Siem reached the turn in a flawless 36 despite playing the traditionally tougher front nine, while Wilson made his move with three gains in four holes after the turn.
Westwood, playing with a new set of irons this week after missing the cut in Abu Dhabi, made steady progress to two under par before flourishing at the finish with birdies on the 16th and 18th.
Former tournament winner Paul Lawrie complained about the course after a disappointing, three-over-par score of 75.
"The course set-up this week is very disappointing with far too much rough, especially around the greens," said Lawrie. "It makes a lottery to get it up and down. No feel or touch is required – having a good short game is no advantage this week."

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72. 7388yd
67 Bradley Dredge (Wales), Oliver Wilson (England).
68 Robert Karlsson (Sweden), Alexander Noren (Sweden), Marcel Siem (Germany), Lee Westwood (England).
69 Brett Rumford (Australia).
70 Niclas Fasth (Sweden), Ross Fisher (England), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Peter Hanson (Sweden), Richie Ramsay (Scotland), Charl Schwartzel (South Africa), Camilo Villegas (Colombia).
71 Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Robert Jan Derksen (Ned), Hennie Otto (Rsa), Anders Hansen (Den), Gareth Maybin, Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Marc Warren, Shane Lowry, Paul Casey
72 Nick Dougherty, Andrew Coltart, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Peter Lawrie, Paul Broadhurst, Sam Hutsby, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Oskar Henningsson (Swe), Ignacio Garrido (Spa)
73 Max Williams, Martin Erlandsson (Swe), James Kingston (Rsa), Graeme McDowell, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Peter Hedblom (Swe), Simon Dyson, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Gary Lockerbie, Danny Lee (Nzl), Anthony Kang (USA), Gary Boyd, Shaun Micheel (USA), Thomas Bjorn (Den), Edoardo Molinari (Ita)
74 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Martin Kaymer (Ger), John Bickerton, Anthony Wall, Alastair Forsyth, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa), Michael Hoey, Richard Bland, Christian Nilsson (Swe), Shiv Kapur (Ind), David Horsey, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Kenny Perry (USA), Richard Finch, Richard Green (Aus), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra)
75 Damien McGrane, Soren Hansen (Den), Rafael Echenique (Arg), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Stephen Dodd, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Marcus Fraser (Aus), Henrik Stenson (Swe), Christian Cevaer (Fra), Chris Wood, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind), Stephen Gallacher, Paul Lawrie, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Ian Poulter, Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Ariel Canete (Arg), Thomas Levet (Fra)
76 Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Gary Orr, Colin Montgomerie, Michael Jonzon (Swe), Danny Willett, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa), Mark Brown (Nzl), Simon Khan
77 Joakim Haeggman (Swe), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Michael Campbell (Nzl), David Howell, Paul Waring, David Lynn, Kenneth Ferrie, Daniel Vancsik (Arg), David Drysdale, Mark Foster, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind), Ross McGowan
78 Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Jeppe Huldahl (Den), Steve Webster, Todd Hamilton (USA), Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Graeme Storm, Rolf Muntz (Ned)
79 Markus Brier (Aut), Tano Goya (Arg), Sam Little, Johan Edfors (Swe), Barry Lane, Seve Benson
80 Jamie Donaldson, Pablo Martin (Spa), Gregory Havret (Fra)
81 Robert Rock, Erik Compton (USA), Rhys Davies
82 David Dixon

Smail, Gates and Dodt share NZ Open lead on 65

By Jeff Adams, NEW ZEALAND PGA TOUR Staff
QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand -- New Zealand's David Smail and late-charging American Robert Gates and Aussie Andrew Dodt hold the first-round lead in the Michael Hill New Zealand Open after firing seven-under-par 65s at The Hills Golf Club, today.
Trailing the leaders by a shot are another American, D J Brigman, and Aussie Andrew Bonhomme.
Off early in the day, local favorite Smail held the lead for much of the day thanks to pin point accuracy off the tee and into the greens in near perfect conditions on New Zealand's South Island.
Smail shared the lead today in fairways hit (86%) and was second in greens-in-regulation (89%), but it was his 27 putts that he was most pleased with. The 39-year-old Smail opened with two birdies and made two more before making the turn.
"After those two birdies (on 10 and 11) I certainly got my confidence back," Smail said. "I'm still not 100 percent happy with the way I hit it today, but I putted superbly. Even the putts I missed were right on the line I wanted to hit them. It's almost a year since I have putted that well."
Smail is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia and plays regularly on the Japan Golf Tour where he has an additional three victories. He competed in three of last year's majors, the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. Smail won the New Zealand Open in 2001 in Auckland.
Gates, a 6ft 6in native of Gainesville, Florida, who was playing in one of the last groups of the day, finished fast with birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th holes. He started his round with an eagle on the par-5 1st hole. Thursday's round was his first as a member of the Nationwide Tour. At 24, Gates is a 2008 graduate of Texas A&M University. He earned his Nationwide Tour privileges through last fall's US Tour Qualifying Tournament.
"Being my first event I tried to stay calm beforehand and the eagle was a nice way to get going," Gates said. "I was picking the targets and getting the yardage right."
While not related to U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, he is well acquainted with the former Texas A&M president whom he views as a mentor. The younger Gates was a college roommate and teammate of Martin Piller, last year's New Zealand Open runner-up who is also in the field. He indicated he has attempted to pattern his swing after another tall golfer, Ernie Els.
Like Gates, Dodt was playing late and in his first competitive round at The Hills and found it much to his liking. Dodt equaled Gates' birdie run on the final three holes but took him one step better when he hit his iron shot into the par-3 15th to six inches. He capped his day by hitting the flagstick on No. 18, then converting his fourth straight birdie from 10 feet. Thursday's round was Dodt's first competitive one since last month's Australian PGA Championship.
The Aussie played the bulk of his golf in 2009 on the Asian Tour. A finalist in the 2005 New Zealand amateur championship, he felt his mental strength was the key to his day. "I started practicing three weeks ago but have not been hitting the ball all that well, but I sunk some great putts and was mentally strong."
This 156-player event is co-sanctioned by the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, with the field split evenly between the two tours. Alex Prugh won last year's Open. Prugh finished fifth on Monday in the US PGA Tour's Bob Hope Classic in his second start since earning his US Tour card.
First-Round Notes:
Par 72
65 Robert Gates (USA), Andrew Dodt, David Smail
66 D.J. Brigman (USA), Andrew Bonhomme
67 Darron Stiles (USA), Ryan Haller, Michael Wright, Matthew Griffin, Dave Schultz (USA), Daniel Summerhays (USA), Nick Flanagan, Andrew Buckle
68 Jon Mills (Can), Chris Kirk (USA), Kelly Grunewald (USA), Won Joon Lee, Matt Jager, Adam Crawford, Bronson La'Cassie (USA), Stephen Leaney
69 Phil Tataurangi, Tag Ridings (USA), Jeff Gallagher (USA), Josh Geary, Barrett Jarosch (USA), Justin Hicks (USA), Kevin Kisner (USA), Keegan Bradley (USA), Jarrod Lyle , Michael Curtain, Adam Bland, Jeff Brehaut (USA), Stephen Dartnall, Brian Smock (USA), Trevor Murphy (USA), Jin Park (USA), Clint Rice, Joe Affrunti (USA), Mitchell Brown, Scott Laycock, Tim Wood, Paul Sheehan
70 Kevin Chappell (USA), Terry Pilkadaris, Scott Gardiner, Paul Gow, Peter O'Malley, Jay Delsing (USA), Jamie Lovemark (USA), Jason Gore (USA), Scott Dunlap (USA), Alistair Presnell, Matthew Millar, Kyle Stanley (USA), Brad Kennedy, Steven Bowditch, David McKenzie, Grant Waite, Steve Alker, Bobby MacWhinnie (USA)
71 Martin Piller (USA), Bradley Iles, Mark Hensby, Ted Brown (Can), David Hearn (Can), Heath Reed, Bryan DeCorso (Can), Stephen Allan, Mahal Pearce, Jess Daley (USA), Aaron Watkins (USA), Andrew Martin, Leigh McKechnie, Peter Lonard, Patrick Sheehan (USA), Andrew Tschudin, Doug Batty, Nathan Smith (USA), Manny Villegas (Col), Kim Felton
72 Ed Stedman, Michael Sims (Ber), Scott Stallings (USA), Ken Duke (USA), Richard Lee, Craig Scott, Ryan Armour (USA), Casey Wittenberg (USA), Craig Parry, Gavin Coles, Gary Simpson, Michael Brennan, J.J. Killeen (USA), Bob Heintz (USA), Anthony Summers, Peter Spearman-Burn, Mark Purser, Brendan Steele (USA), Rob Oppenheim (USA), Gary Christian (Eng), Stuart Bouvier, Gary-John Hill, Scott Arnold, Jim Carter (USA), Gareth Paddison, Adam Blyth, Scott Brown (USA), Ashley Hall
73 Jason Norris, Luke List (USA), Michael Hendry, Fabian Gomez (Arg), Ewan Porter, Andrew Svoboda (USA), Tommy Gainey (USA), Marcus Cain, Andrew Stewart (USA)
74 Bob May (USA), Bubba Dickerson (USA), Mark Anderson (USA), Julien Trudeau (Can), Scott Gutschewski (USA), Skip Kendall (USA), David Diaz, Dan Buchner (USA), Steven Conran, Peter Wilson, Jim Herman (USA), Brady Schnell (USA), Henry Epstein, Ryan Hietala (USA), Andre Stolz, John Douma (USA)
75 Tony Carolan, Ty Harris (USA), Kurt Barnes, Peter Senior, James Hahn (USA), Michael Long, Chris Gaunt, Jamie Arnold, Brian Vranesh (USA), Matthew Borchert (USA)
76 Miguel Angel Carballo (Arg), Aaron Townsend, Paul Marantz, Brendon Todd (USA), Stephen Poole (USA), Anthony Brown, Paul Spargo
77 Terry Price
78 Steven Jones, Craig Kanada (USA), Douglas LaBelle (USA)
80 Tom Prowse

Macgregor looking forward to tournament role with SGU

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Lothians golfing legend George Macgregor is looking forward to helping organise the tournaments he once starred in after taking up a new role with the Scottish Golf Union.
Having come to the end of a four-year stint on the R&A's Championship Committee, the Glencorse man has been appointed as the SGU's Director of Championships, succeeding Robert Burns after his seven years in the post.
Macgregor, who played in the Walker Cup five times before captaining Great Britain & Ireland in 1997, feels as passionate about amateur golf today as he was at the outset of his playing career and is delighted with his new role.
"I'm very pleased to be asked to continue my involvement in amateur golf," he said. "I have always been very passionate about the amateur game and for me to be involved with my country 41 years after I made my Scotland debut speaks volumes for that aspect of our sport.
"After being involved at club, county and international level as a player and then having my spell with the R&A, I suppose it would feel as though I'd had an arm or leg cut off if I wasn't involved in amateur golf in some shape or form."
Macgregor, who represented Scotland for 18 years, believes the SGU has an excellent championship team in place and, while the modern-day calendar is a lot fuller, he's not expecting to see the tournaments being run too differently from his own playing days.
"I feel very comfortable with the prospect of working with Euan Mordaunt (the SGU's Events Manager] and his team," he added. "Euan was working for the SGU when I was the Scotland team captain in 1999-2000 and I know what an excellent job he does.
"The SGU events are organised very professionally and, while it is difficult to say until I have attended one of the tournaments, I can't see any changes that I'm likely to propose being major ones.
"It's not as if I'll be going in there after being with the R&A for four years and trying to re-invent the wheel, put it that way. One big difference, of course, is the communications side and the fact you can get live scoring from the top amateur events these days is fantastic.
"The fixture list also seems to be ever-expanding with the addition of events like the Junior Tour and it is certainly a lot different to when I started out. My playing experience began before the Scottish Stroke-play Championship was introduced (in 1968]."
In his role with the R&A, Macgregor enjoyed being involved with The Open but was equally happy if he was attending junior events in Britain or even further afield.
"It was a great experience," said the former company secretary at Dalmore Mills. "The Open was the creme de la creme but I also got tremendous satisfaction from attending events such as the Mizuno Open in Japan."
While still playing off a highly-respectable handicap of one, Macgregor's own golf these days is restricted to club duties and the occasional society event.
"As you get older and stiffer, it definitely becomes more difficult but I still play for Glencorse in the Winter League, if and when required, and also get a bit of society golf now and again."
One of the events Macgregor will be overseeing in his new role is the Allied Surveyors Scottish Championship. That returns this year to Gullane, where Charlie Green lifted the title in 1983, the year after he'd beaten Macgregor in the final at Carnoustie.

Enterprising Dollar G C converting clubhouse

upper floor into holiday flat to boost income

By DAVID BORROWMAN
Dollar was one of the first golf clubs in Scotland to admit that membership loss was threatening the club’s very existence.
But since the club council “went public” the club membership and the village community have rallied round and a massive fund-raising effort has given the club new hope of long-term survival.
A members' levy, a local appeal and a whole host of fund-raising events including a three-round Birdie and Eagle challenge featuring Wallace Booth and Gavin Dear has raised a total of £20,000.
These funds have been generously complemented by funding from Forward Scotland, a charity dedicated to supporting community facilities.
However whilst the fund-raising has ensured the short-term future of the club a longer term remodelling of the club’s finances is being addressed by the club council.
The first step in creating a new financial model is the club’s enterprising decision to create a spectacular holiday flat in the upper floor of the clubhouse. People who know the Dollar club will be aware of the magnificent position of the clubhouse at the foot of Dollar Glen, and the club are confident that ‘The Glen’ apartment at Dollar will be an attractive tourist venue for many.
Club captain Dugdale Bradley comments “Being in a small village it is difficult to attract very many new members so we need to find another source of income. Letting out this flat will create a new income stream. Renovations are already underway and I believe we are going to produce a really special holiday destination here.
"The views are just stunning and residents of the flat will be able to play our scenic golf course just as much as they like for only £10 a day. We are even happy to let visitors play in our club medals if they have an official golf handicap certificate.
"This is a friendly village club and we welcome visitors on the course at all times including the weekends. We plan that the flat will be ready to let by Easter 2010 - it is designed for four or six people and you can just about fall out of bed on to the first tee! On top of that Dollar is a terrific tourist destination with super golf courses all around us and many other tourist attractions close by. We feel sure visitors can have a wonderful holiday here.”
The renovation will be to four-star standard and photographs will appear on the club website on completion of the work, which is scheduled for early in March. Letting availability will be from March 26, 2010.
Booking procedures will appear shortly on the club website http://www.dollargolfclub.com/ .
In the meantime anyone wanting to let should contact Dollar Golf Club at flatbooking@dollargolfclub.com or telephone 01259 742400

Edinburgh & East of Scotland Golfers' Alliance

BERKSHIRE TROPHY MEETING
The Glen Golf Club, North Berwick

Overall winner: David Graham (Lochend) (5) 69.

LEADING SCRATCH
72 Colin Fraser (Peebles), David Patrick (Elie) £90 each.
74 Andrew Erskine (Ratho Park), Craig Imlah (Peebles), Gordon Law (Uphall) £40 each, David Graham (Lochend), Andrew Rothney (Deer Park).
75 Scott Catlin (Greenburn), Mark Chaplin (Deer Park).
76 Steven Doyle (Gifford), Stevie Lamb (Broomieknowe), Alan Reid (West Lothian).
77 Neil Colquhoun (Merchants), Richard Fyvie (Pumpherston).
78 Richard Johnston (Glenbervie), Scott Knowles (Kingsknowe), Andrew Oldcorn (King's Acre), Mike Thomson(Torwoodlee).
79 Neil Bain (Haddington).
80 Stuart Callan (Bathgate), Ian Jeavons (Dunbar), Wilson Morton (Dunbar), Peter Ritchie (Bathgate).
LEADING HANDICAP
69 David Graham (Lochend) (5) £100 voucher.
71 Peter Ritchie (Bathgate) (9) £80 voucher.
72 Steven Doyle (Gifford) (4) £60 voucher.
73 Andrew Rothney (Deer Park) (1), Philip Leggate (Musselburgh) (9) £30 voucher each.

TRAINEE PROFESSIONAL
76 Stevie Lamb (Broomieknowe) £20.

SENIOR AMATEUR (net)
76 Jim Scott (Swanston New) £20 voucher.

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE:
Turnhouse pro Scott Grieve still tops the East Alliance order of merit, but his lead has been cut by amateur ace Mike Thomson.
In finishing ahead of Grieve in the last two events, Torwoodlee's Thomson has moved within six points of the leader.Merchants pro Neil Colquhoun is also still very much in the title race, trailing Thomson, the former Scottish Mid-Amateur champion, by six points.
Lochend's David Graham leads the handicap order of merit after winning the latest event, the Berwickshire Trophy at The Glen.The five-handicapper shot a net 69 for a two-shot triumph over Bathgate's Peter Ritchie, with Steven Doyle (Gifford) and Colin Fraser (Peebles), off scratch, a further shot adrift on 72.
Fraser shared top spot in the scratch event with David Patrick (Elie).

SCROLL DOWN for bad news about SCOTT BORROWMAN

Fraser Fotheringham in action earlier today. Image courtesy of the New South Wales Golf Association.

FOTHERINGHAM THROUGH TO MATCH-PLAY

STAGES OF N S W CHAMPIONSHIP

Nairn's Fraser Fotheringham is beginning to reap the rewards of spending a winter working on his golf in the warmth of the Australian summer.

The British boys championship runner-up of 2007 outshone England's Walker Cup player Matt Haines in being one of the 32 qualifiers for the match-play stages of the New South Wales Amateur championship at Royal Sydney Golf Club from Monday to Wednesday next week.

The Scot achieved this by finishing joint 21st in the New South Wales Medal golf tournament at Newcastle and Muree golf clubs today (Thursday).

Fotheringham had rounds of 74, 70, 71 and 73 for a total of level par 288.

Australian Michael Williams won the NSW Medal with rounds of 67, 69, 67 and 70 for 273.

Scottish open amateur stroke-play title holder Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall) finished joint sixth on 281 with scores of 72, 69, 68 and 72.

Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham) missed out on a place in the match-play by finishing joint 44th with scores of 78, 68, 75 and 73.

SCOTT BORROWMAN'S AUSSIE TRIP TURNS SOUR

Former Scottish youths champion Scott Borrowman (Dollar) withdrew from the second round after an opening score of 83 in the NSW Medal ... but there was a very good reason for this.

Scott's father David has told Scottishgolfview.com:

"Scott's trip to Australia has become a bit of a trial. He injured himself in a gym over there and has some sort of shoulder or arm injury, which because he was so far away in Australia he was trying to 'play through.'

"I think he has finally seen sense and withdrawn from this week's tournament and will probably not play again till he gets back home. Not the best of starts to the year but - C’est la vie!"

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Players from Australia unless stated

Par 288

273 Michael Williams 67 69 67 70.

275 Yeon Jin Jong 68 70 69 68

276 Tim Hart 71 66 68 71.

280 Jake Higginbottom 68 6972 71, Rhys McGovern 71 72 70 67.

281 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) 72 69 68 72, Kyle Grant 73 66 68 74, Neil Raymond 71 73 68 69.

Selected scores:

288 Fraser Fotheringham (Sco) 74 70 71 73 (jt 21st).

294 Matt Haines (Eng) 78 68 75 73 (jt 44th).