Back operation will put Rich Beem out at least six weeks

Rich Beem, the 2002 US PGA champion, will undergo surgery on Thursday to repair damage to the C-6 and -7 vertebrae, according to Gaylord Sports Management, the company that represents him.
Beem, 39, started feeling pain in his back last Thursday and had some treatment but the pain flared again. An MRI Sunday revealed the damage and his neurosurgeon recommended surgery which will be performed in Austin, Texas.
Beem began feeling numbness in his upper back late last year, and has experienced diminished strength in his right arm. He withdrew from the Honda Classic in early March due to shoulder pain that may have been related to the disc problem.
“I can’t say that for sure,” said Beem. “What I can say is I’m looking at some time off now.”
The doctor has told Beem that after surgery he’s to rest for three weeks before chipping and putting and he’ll need another three weeks after that before he begins hitting full shots. The date of his return to the tour is uncertain.
Beem, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, has played in nine events this season, making four cuts and earning $128,877. His best finish was a tie for 14th at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February.

Young Tom Morris was born this day in 1851

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Not many people will know this - and I only stumbled across it when trawling the UNITED STATES Golf Association website - Tom Morris, junior, son of Old Tom Morris, was born this day, April 20, in 1851.
Here's what the USGA website says:

Tom Morris, Junior: Four-Time British Open Champion. Golf’s first true superstar, Young Tom Morris won the British Open four consecutive times between 1868 and 1872. A powerful ball-striker whose physical talents were vastly beyond his competition, Morris won his first Open Championship at age 17 at Prestwick.
The following year, not only did Morris win again, but his father, who by this time was in his late 40s, finished second, seven strokes behind.
Morris won his third title in a row in 1870, using a feathery ball to fire an Open scoring record that would hold for 38 years. After the 1871 event was cancelled, Morris won again in 1872 before his health took a turn for the worse.
In 1875, a few months after his wife and infant died in childbirth, Morris himself died. He was only 24 years old.

Want a pro caddy? New company
-
Caddy Hire can get you one

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY CRAIG GALLOWAY & SCOTT WALKER
Are you struggling to find a caddy? Or are you a caddy struggling to find work?
Caddy Hire would like to introduce you to the most exciting thing to come to Scottish Golf in the last year (apart from the Open at St Andrews)!
As keen golfers, and having worked in the industry for several years, we became aware of the increasing frustration golfers and golf establishments felt with trying to locate a reliable and professional caddy. We were also aware of the excellent caddies struggling to find regular work.
As with all good businesses, from this problem we created a solution and Caddy Hire was born!
Reliable, punctual and professional caddies can be arranged for members and visitors before their game and can be guaranteed a comforting consistency of service as we vet all our caddies.
Caddy Hire can improve the service clubs offer to their members and visitors without any cost – many clubs are still asked for caddies but do not have a reliable source to provide them, so have withdrawn this service – surely this is something which many golfers believe enhances their game?
We are currently being supported by Marriot Dalmahoy, Luffness, Craigielaw and Longniddry, to name but a few.
If you are interested in using this service or looking to utilise your caddy experience please feel free to contact us via our website at www.caddyhire.com
Scott Walker and Craig Galloway
Caddy Hire Ltd “Carrying your game to the next level”

Five new venues announced for the 2010

European Tour Qualifying School

By PAUL SYMES
European Tour Press Officer
The European Tour Qualifying School will this year incorporate five new venues in Austria, England, France and Spain, including The London Golf Club, a member of the Tour’s Properties Portfolio where The European Open was played in 2008 and 2009.
The International Course, an inland links-style lay-out in Kent, is joined on the schedule by another English course, Wychwood Park in Crewe, as well as fellow newcomers Barbaroux Golf Club in Brignoles, France, Ebreichsdorf Golf Club in Vienna, Austria, and El Valle Golf Resort Polaris World in the Murcia region of Spain.
The quest to secure one of at least 30 European Tour cards gets underway from August 31-September 3, when The London Golf Club and the returning Ribagolfe in Portugal host the First Stage-Section A.
Both courses at Ribagolfe form part of the European Golf Design portfolio, as does another of the Tour Properties, the Neil Coles and Angel Gallardo-designed PGA Golf Catalunya Resort in Girona, Spain, where for the third year running the hundreds of hopefuls will be whittled down to the final 30 and ties at the Final Stage from November 26-29.
Spain has been a regular destination for the Qualifying School since its inception in 1976, but for the first time Austria will also feature on the Schedule when Ebreichsdorf Golf Club, located 10km south of the country’s capital, makes its debut.
The parkland course, which opened in 1988, will host the First Stage-Section B from September 7-10, one week before the Austrian Golf Open unfolds at the nearby Fontana Golf Club.
The other course being used for the First Stage-Section B is Barbaroux Golf Club, located amongst the vineyards of the Provence region. Designed by world-renowned architects Pete and Paul Dye, Barbaroux Golf Club currently hosts the ALLIANZ Finale de Barbaroux, the final event of the French domestic Tour.
Dundonald Links Golf Course in Ayrshire and Golf & Country Club Fleesensee in Germany – also one of the Tour Properties Portfolio designed by European Golf Design – return for the First Stage-Section C from September 14-17, one week before Circolo Golf Bogogno near Milan, Italy, and Wychwood Park play host to the First Stage-Section D.
Set on the rolling countryside of the Cheshire plains, the 7,191 yards, par 72 course at Wychwood Park should prove a welcome addition to the Qualifying School Schedule.
As with last year, the Second Stage will again be held over four courses in southern Spain: Costa Ballena Ocean Club and Arcos Gardens in Jerez, and Hacienda Del Alamo and the Jack Nicklaus-designed El Valle Golf Resort Polaris World in Murcia. Situated in the shadow of the Murcian mountains, the par 71 course at El Valle Golf Resort Polaris World should provide a visually arresting spectacle.
Mike Stewart, European Tour Qualifying School Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome a number of fantastic new venues to this year’s Qualifying Schedule, and also to return to some old favourites. I have no doubt the players will welcome the challenges posed by the new courses, which offer great variety. With the First Stage being spread over four weeks for the first time this year, the players will also have more flexibility in their choice of venues and dates.
“We’re particularly looking forward to visiting Austria for the first time, and I would like to personally thank former Challenge Tour player Nikki Zitny, now Head of Sport for the Austrian Golf Association, for his efforts in bringing the event to fruition. I would also like to thank the French Golf Federation for their great help in securing Barbaroux as a venue for the First Stage.
“We had 915 entrants last year, of which 31 eventually earned their European Tour cards. So while the competition is intense, the rewards are also huge. We wish all those entering this year the best of luck.”

Sunday Times article about caddies' life on tour?

Misleading, destructive ... don't believe a word of it!

FROM THE IRISHTIMES.COM WEBSITE
By COLIN BYRNE
Colin Byrne is not only one of the European Tour's leading caddies, he also contributes an excellent, well-fashioned and informative weekly column for the Irish Times. No question about it, he should have been a journalist! This is his latest:
The opening line of the Sunday Times Magazine cover story about “how Tiger’s behaviour became par for the course” should have rung alarm bells immediately to the suspicious European Tour golf caddie.
It described the “sumptuous” hospitality suite of the “swanky” Parador de Golf Hotel, host to the Open de Andalucia, situated on the flight path out of Malaga’s airport.
The tournament was, with all due respect to Miguel Angel Jimenez – the event’s local ambassador who it was rumoured contributed a wad of his own money in order to prop the event up – a throw back to the early ’90s on the European Tour when we used to play on average courses for very little money. Apart from the wonderful food that Miguel provided, there was nothing sumptuous or swanky about it.
The features author set the tone of the exposé about life on the European Tour on a misleading path which was continued throughout the glossy pages with anonymous quotes. I had to flick back to the front cover to reaffirm that it was in fact the Sunday Times supplement and not some tabloid magazine.
Given my position as an international porter, I have a detailed knowledge of life on tour, so I feel qualified to take such offence to a piece that is not only misleading, it is actually destructive to the majority of us who lead this nomadic lifestyle with the same mores of civilised behaviour and dignity that most people try to instil in their daily, more settled lives.
For a broadsheet newspaper to publish such a piece is, in my opinion, irresponsible and unfair to the majority of us who maintain normal relationships with wives or partners, which are extra demanding due to the amount of time we spend away from home.
If you didn’t read the offensive article of April 11, then I will summarise the thread of the rant: virtually all the caddies and most of the players on tour are on a sex romp around the world. There is a particularly absurd anonymous quote that “80 per cent of the caddies are brothel hands, they know one in every city”.
If you make such an outrageous statement through a quote, you need to put a name to it. You should really verify the veracity of such a damning quotation. Not so, the mission seemed to be to write the sensational headline and fill in the details regardless of the truth.
As caddies we have spent a long time trying to establish our unusual alternative profession and bring some dignity to carrying an oversized, overweight golf bag around the world for a living.
It is only in recent years that the rough edges have been shaved off what was once considered a job for desperados only.
Someone who had no knowledge of golf, or the travelling circus which is life on tour, reading the Sunday Times feature wouldn’t be too far wrong in assuming that caddies are a sordid bunch of low-lifes.
I understand that it is difficult to make an assessment of a microcosm of society with a cursory glance at their existence over the course of a few days. Therefore it is even more shameful that such an unfounded affront is printed as a fair representation of what happens on tour.
As a matter of coincidence five European Tour caddies have offered their services for free this week to travel to Mombassa in order to coach some local kids how to caddie and hopefully give them a chance of bettering themselves. I will be looking anxiously at the Sunday Times’ slant on this magnanimous trip.
This is much the same as any group travelling abroad on work trips I would assume. Many of these golfers and their caddies are young, single men with an opportunity for adventure in a new city. What they do is entirely their business away from the golf course.
Would the feature writer write so disparagingly about journalist colleagues, a group of doctors or bankers on an overseas conference?
It is safe to say that there will be a percentage who prefer to visit museums in their down-time much like many on the golf tour.
If I do happen upon another Sunday Times Magazine sensational piece again in the future about a lifestyle of which I know nothing, I will understand that it is meant as light entertainment at the expense of the subjects in question and responsible journalism.
+The above article appears in the Irish Times today.

Academy greens are making Scots boys very good putters

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Jack McDonald, the pre-tournament favourite, may have fallen just short in his bid to win the Scottish boys' championship but, for most of the week at wonderful West Kilbride, the Barassie youngster displayed a putting touch the majority of us would die to have.
As he stood over every putt, it was clearly evident the 17-year-old didn't have a single negative thought in his head and he actually reminded me of the fresh-faced Stephen Gallacher 20 years ago. Back then, in his amateur career, Gallacher putted like a god, too, and, as a consequence, chalked up titles with what seemed like relative ease.
Yet, these days, it's on the greens where he seems to struggle the most and the 2004 Dunhill Links champion isn't alone among Scotland's leading professionals, as the European Tour performance statistics have shown us all too frequently in recent seasons.
Take right now, for example. When it comes to hitting greens in regulation, Steven O'Hara and Richie Ramsay are lying fourth and fifth respectively, with Gallacher's long game standing up pretty well, too, at the moment to see him in 37th position.
It's a different story, though, when it comes to putts per greens in regulation. O'Hara is 101st, Ramsay 112th and Gallacher is down in 136th. Stephen's even lower in the putts per round table, the leader of which, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, has been averaging 26.6 putts per round this season.
Some believe our poor putting is down to the fact players have to practise for long periods on sub-standard surfaces caused by the weather and, in the case of Gallacher, that appears to be the case as you don't lose the sort of stroke he once had overnight.
Only time will tell if the same thing happens to McDonald but, through the excellent Scottish Golf Academy programme, it is encouraging to see measures are being taken to try and make sure our stars of tomorrow fare much better in the putting stakes.
Thanks to funding provided by the R&A, each of the eight Academy centres around the country are now equipped with artificial Huxley putting greens and Spencer Henderson, the SGU's National Junior Coach, believes they were instrumental in why McDonald was just one of a bunch of players who displayed a silky touch on the West Kilbride greens.
"It's great fun going to the range and hitting your driver. But everyone knows that it all comes down to the short game," said Henderson. "In our Academy programme we place a lot of emphasis on putting at the right time of the year and the fact we've been able to install the Huxley greens around the country means we can do some technical development over the winter.
"The work we do is more to help develop the stroke over the winter months and I think everything can be developed – I don't think anyone is naturally a good putter or not. If you constantly tell yourself you are poor at something, you are never going to be good at it. It is almost trying to change that mindset a bit and saying, 'we are great putters'.
"We have a good bunch of putters coming through which is quite promising. Jack McDonald is a great role model for the other kids and the reason he's such a good putter is that he practises a lot. He has a great putting green at Barassie, which I certainly think helps – conditions have a lot to do with it as we can potentially lose four or five months due to the weather."
In place now for five years, Henderson is right to feel pleased about the progress being made with the Academy programme, the running of which equates to approximately £200,000 per annum across the SGU and SLGA. At the moment, it involves 111 players ranging from 12 to 19-year-olds, and, for the first time this year, includes 16 girls.
Last year, Hazlehead's David Law, who joined the programme at the start, became the first player to win the Scottish boys' and Scottish men's amateur match-play titles in the same season, while one of the eye-catching aspects of the recent boys' championship was the performances of a batch of 14-year-olds.
Take Ewan Scott, for example. Three years after joining the Academy at the age of 11, the St Andrews youngster made it to the last 16, having already rubber-stamped his potential when winning the English open under-14s boys' championship last summer.
Blairgowrie's Bradley Neil, who has just turned 14, is another to look out for, having shown both skill and determination to take McDonald down extra holes in the third round.
"Seven of the last eight – Jamie Lynch was the odd one out – at West Kilbride are in the Academy and five are in the National Programme," noted Henderson. "That is fantastic from our point of view. Looking at some of the young boys at West Kilbride I'd definitely say they are the best bunch for a while."
From what I saw, I'd have to agree and there certainly appears no reason to worry about exciting young Scottish talent continuing to roll off the conveyor belt. The big question, though, will be how many can we convert into European Tour players?

Raymond Russell targets European Tour return before he's 40

One of the best rounds of golf I have had the pleasure of witnessing was produced by Raymond Russell when he closed with a 66 to finish fourth behind Mark O'Meara in the 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, writes Martin Dempster of The Scotsman.
I had reason to recall it recently after bumping into Tom O'Malley, the former Hibs chairman who was also out on the course on that Sunday afternoon in Southport when Russell produced the best performance of his career.
At the time, the Prestonpans man was an established player on the European Tour, having made the breakthrough in the paid ranks when winning the Cannes Open in 1996. He looked set for life only to see his career turned upside down by a niggling shoulder injury that eventually required surgery.
He found himself back at the bottom of the ladder but, as anyone who knows Russell will testify, he's certainly not a quitter. The 37-year-old returned to winning ways at the weekend – he claimed the Alps Tour's Emporda Open in Spain – and now his target is to get back on the European Tour before he's 40.
That's a tall order but don't discount his chances and we should all be wishing Russell well after his recent struggle.

S G U SIGNS UP MONEYGATE AS

NEW AREA TEAM SPONSOR

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
The Scottish Golf Union has announced award-winning financial services company Moneygate as the new headline sponsor of the Scottish Area Team Championship, in a three-year agreement worth more than £50,000.
Moneygate, who are one of the UK’s fastest growing financial services companies, will also become official Independent Financial Advisers to the SGU and sponsors of the SGU Golf Central open competition entry forms.
The sponsorship provides a boost for the Scottish Area Team Championship, which reverts to a new format this year when the event takes place over one weekend, May 15 to 16. The Championship will be staged at Kinross over the Montgomery and Bruce courses, with the leading six players from each of the SGU’s 16 Area Associations taking part.
“We are delighted to bring Moneygate on board as our new partners and sponsors of the Scottish Area Team Championship. They are an ambitious company with a desire to grow their brand in Scotland and see the SGU as a great platform to deliver that.” said Hamish Grey, Chief Executive of the Scottish Golf Union.
“The sponsorship market has obviously been very challenging during the difficult economic climate so it’s great to add a new brand to our portfolio. It’s fantastic news for the Championship and Moneygate’s investment will help lift the event to another level.”
Moneygate, which launched in 2006, has offices in Newcastle, London and Edinburgh and provides Independent Financial Advice to consumers and corporate bodies throughout the UK. The company specialises in investments, mortgages, pensions and insurance products and have recently launched ActivePlan, a bespoke financial management service and the only one of its kind available in the country.
Dennis Reed, Sales Director for Moneygate, is looking forward to his company’s partnership with the SGU.
He said: “The SGU has a fantastic track record at governance on and off the course in recent years and we are very much looking forward to raising the company’s profile in Scotland through our partnership. We firmly believe golf members in Scotland will benefit from using our products and services and hope that we can become an established supporter for amateur golf for many years to come.”
“We are still a relatively young company but this investment represents a significant step forward for us. It was important that we found a partner with similar ambitions to grow and interact with their audience and the Scottish Golf Union provides a great match for us.” he added.
Notes:
· Renfrewshire will be the defending champions of the Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship after they defeated Dumbartonshire 4-1 in last year’s final at Crail. Lothians hold the record for the most Championship wins with 13.
·The 2010 Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship will be held on 15-16 May over the Montgomery and Bruce courses at Kinross, with two rounds of stroke play qualifying on the Saturday followed by the semi-finals and final on the Sunday.
·For more information please visit www.moneygate.co.uk

Scotland supporting Senior

-

Open Championship

NEWS RELEASE
Scottish golf patrons are backing the return of The Senior Open Championship presented MasterCard to the country as the build up to The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles continues to gather pace.
Tickets are now on sale to watch the leading Senior golfers at Carnoustie from July 22-25 for the 24th Senior Open Championship, where American Loren Roberts will defend the title he won last year at Sunningdale.
That was the first Championship to be played outside Scotland since 2004 but this year’s Senior Open will conclude a superb golfing fortnight on Scotland’s east coast, following The 139th Open Championship which will be played over The Old Course at St Andrews.
On July 19 three courses in ‘Carnoustie Country’ – Downfield Golf Club, Monifieth Links, and Panmure Golf Club – will also host the Qualifying for The 2010 Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard.
With the Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open also being held at Fairmont St Andrews from August 20-22, it promises to be a summer to remember for Scottish golf.
Record crowds packed the galleries the last time the Senior Open was held in Scotland, at Royal Troon in 2008, and discounted advance tickets are now available for this year’s Championship at Carnoustie, where Tom Watson won the first of his five Open Championships in 1975.
The Senior Open Championship’s return to Scotland is once again supported by EventScotland, the national events agency which has a prominent role in delivering Scotland’s preparations for The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, said: “EventScotland is pleased to be supporting the Senior Open Championship again for the fifth time in the last six years, and delighted to have seen this world-class golf tournament grow from strength to strength during this time. To have events of this quality return to Scotland on such a regular basis really does underline Scotland’s position as The Home of Golf.”
Angus Council is also backing the Championship which promises to attract millions of pounds in tourism revenue to the Carnoustie area.
David Sawers, Chief Executive of Angus Council, said: “As one of the world’s premier golfing events, The Senior Open Championship is a “must watch” tournament for golf lovers worldwide. Bringing this event to Carnoustie this year will once again place the Carnoustie Championship Links on a global stage and golfers everywhere will want to visit the Championship Links and walk in the footsteps of the champions.
“In this way, The Senior Open will keep alive the glowing reputation we have already established here in Carnoustie Country for superb golf on great courses throughout the area like Carnoustie and the qualifying venues at Monifieth, Panmure and Downfield.”
Charles Perring, Deputy Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “The Senior Open Championship traditionally receives fantastic support in Scotland and we are extremely grateful to both EventScotland and Angus Council, as well as our Presenting Sponsor MasterCard, for all of their support and hard work to ensure this year’s Championship is another huge success.
“As we saw in 2008 at Royal Troon, and last year at Sunningdale, The Senior Open has great economic benefits for the host region and we are all looking forward to visiting Carnoustie and the Angus region in July.”
Scottish professionals in the field will include two-time Major Champion Sandy Lyle, former Ryder Cup Captain and 2009 Senior Tour Order of Merit winner, Sam Torrance, and Senior Open debutant Andrew Oldcorn, winner of the 2001 PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.
Spectators can buy tickets now for The Senior Open Championship by visiting www.senioropengolf.com or by calling +44 (0) 800 023 2557 or on the gate. One day tickets are £25 and season tickets are £70.
Substantial savings can now be made both on day passes and season tickets for The 2010 Senior Open Championship, which are priced respectively at £16.50 and £60, with a further 10% discount available to MasterCard holders.

Byrne's trek from US to India in vain

as Bonallack Trophy is cancelled

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE

By Nick Rodger and Martin Dempster
James Byrne completed a gruelling trek from his Arizona college to India for this week's Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy – only to discover the event had been cancelled.
The Banchory youngster, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who was set to join fellow Scot Ross Kellett in Europe's team for the biennial clash with Asia-Pacific, was one of only four players from the 12-man European side who managed to arrive in Bangalore due to the flight chaos caused by the Icelandic volcano eruption.

Kellett, who had been due to leave last Friday, and the remainder of the visiting team have all been grounded across Europe and officials took the decision to cancel the event. It will not be rescheduled.

A European Golf Association spokesperson said: "The national golf authorities and the families of the players grounded in Europe have spent hours trying to re-book flights. The enthusiasm shown has been a credit to everyone and we would like to thank those involved for their persistence in attempting to bring the match together."