Sam Torrance rejoins John Letters of Scotland after 40 years!

NEWS RELEASE
Nearly 40 years after signing his first professional contract with John Letters of Scotland, Ryder Cup legend and Seniors Tour star Sam Torrance has rejoined the great Scottish equipment brand as he seeks to win his fourth Order of Merit and secure his first major.
A delighted Torrance commented: “It’s lovely; I’m back to my roots. The first contract I ever had was with John Letters and I signed that at the end of 1971.”

John Letters are celebrating after capturing the signature and services of one of Scotland’s most celebrated golfers. With over 43 professional wins, eight Ryder Cup appearances and victory as European Ryder Cup captain, Torrance epitomises Scottish Golf and the agreement sees two of Scotland’s most famous names join forces once again.

John Andrew, pictured right with Sam Torrance, Managing Director of John Letters of Scotland Ltd, said: "We are delighted to add Sam to our playing staff. With both our roots in Scotland, Sam provides the perfect fit with the Letters brand.”
Still hunting his first major title, Torrance has turned to John Letters, as he did some 40 years earlier, in a bid to secure the elusive crown.
“The John Letters Company was a huge help to me back then” reminisces Torrance, who was awarded an OBE in 2003 after leading Europe to victory over the Americans in the 2002 Ryder Cup.
“John Letters’ brother, Jimmy, actually got me the job at Sunningdale as an assistant Pro in 1971 and it was there that I met Norman Mackenzie who sponsored me on the Tour” he added.
Winning twice in his first full year with Letters, securing the Lord Derby’s under 25 Matchplay Championship beating another Letters staff player Bernard Gallagher in the semi-finals and also winning the Radicci Open in Italy, Sam is looking for the same impact this time round after putting pen to paper on a multi-year agreement last week.
“My whole career, my whole life, I wanted to win the Order of Merit and win a Major. I never managed either on the main tour. I finished second, third, fourth, fifth and never won a Major. But since I have been on the Senior Tour I have won the Order of Merit three times and I want to win a Major before I stop” enthused Torrance.
The agreement will see Torrance represent John Letters on the Seniors Tours Worldwide over the coming years, using the great Scottish Equipment brand’s equipment with pride.
With a 92-year history of craftsmanship within the game, few can rival the track record of clubmaking achievements of John Letters; reportedly winning the British Open more than any other club maker.
Torrance rejoins a host of other tour professionals such as Fred Daly, Dai Rees, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Cathy Panton, Bernard Gallacher and Paul Lawrie who all played with John Letters equipment on tour, over the course of their 92 year history.
John Andrew went on to say: “We have some exciting plans for John Letters and having a Ryder Cup legend like Sam Torrance back on-board as our ambassador is a huge step forward. Not only does it reconnect the brand with its past but we are also looking to create some history together.”
With new investors into John Letters of Scotland Limited and a renewed enthusiasm to extend the brands appeal, UK Golf Distribution, a specialist golf distribution company, has been tasked with growing the brand globally, which until now had only be available through leading golf retailer Direct Golf UK.
Scotland is a key market and with Torrance now on board, John Letters are looking to re-establish their popularity and distribution in the region by adding to the number of retail partners, which currently include Scottish Golf Centre’s in Edinburgh and Dundee plus Fairmont St Andrews.

Stephen Gray strikes again to win West Lothian pro-am

Hayston professional Stephen Gray scored his second Tartan Tour pro-am victory in under four weeks with a seven-under-par score of 64 at the West Lothian Golf Club pro-am, Linlithgow today (Tuesday).
Gray, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, headed a field of 30 pros with a great sub-par run after bogeying the second hole. He birdied the third, sixth, eighth and 10th before notching an eagle 3 at the 12th, following that with birdies five and six at the 14th and 17th in halves of 34 (two under) and 30 (five under).
He won the £950 first prize by a shot from Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) and David Patrick (Elie) who both earned £664.78.
Samuel Cairns (Colville Park) and James McdGhee (Turnhouse) were joint fourth on 66, for which they received £384.68 each.

Aberdeen's Scott Henderson (Kings Links), who finished joint 10th individually with a three-under 68, led the Spray Store team of Doug Slicker (handicap 15), Mark Flint (18) and Mike McGivern (14) to a clear-cut victory in the team event with a net score of 18-under-par 53.

They finished three shots ahead of the teams who had James McGhee, Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) and Stephen Gray as their professionals.
PRO TOTALS
Par 71
64 Stephen Gray (Hayston) (£950).
65 Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills), David Patrick (Elie) (£664.78 each).
66 Samuel Cairns (Colville Park), James McGhee (Turnhouse GC) £384.68 each).
67 Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Craig Lee (Aspire Golf Centre), Colin Gillies (Braid Hills), James McKinnon (Irvine) £230.37 each).
68 Paul Wardell (Whitekirk), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Scott Henderson (Kings Links) (£140.l05 each).
69 Craig Matheson(Falkirk Tryst), Mark King (Kingsfield Golf Centre), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) (£104.48 each).
70 Graham Fox (East Kilbride), Chris Kelly (Cawder) (£80.64 each).
71 Neil Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh) (£66.68).
72 Alan Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy) (£56.99).
73 Garry Harvey (Kinross), Kenny walker (Castle Park GC) (£43.01 each).
74 Michael Rae (Alyth) Andrew Marshall (Houston Golf Range), Chris Doak (unatt) (£43.01 each).
75 Gordon Law (Uphall) (£43.01).
76 Alan E Reid (West Lothian) (43.01).

Londoner Davis thinks it will be third time lucky on US Tour

FROM SKYSPORTS.COM WEBSITE
Englishman Brian Davis is convinced his US PGA Tour breakthrough victory is just around the corner, following his second runner-up finish in as many months.

After losing a play-off to Jim Furyk at the Heritage Classic in April, Davis was once more beaten to the tape by former Masters champion Zach Johnson's final-round course record in the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on Sunday.

The US-based Londoner says the two near-misses have helped him believe he has what it takes to win on the tough US PGA Tour, the sporting graveyard of so many ambitious British golfers, not the least of them being Colin Montgomerie.

Monty, who totally dominated European golf during the final decade of the 20th Century, has had his near- misses in the US, notably in the majors, but he has never won on American soil.

Nor has the 35-year-old Davis - but he believes he is now ready to change that trend. "If I keep knocking on the door, I am going to get one soon," Davis told the media after being beaten by three shots by a charging Johnson.
"I had a chance here but I just couldn't get over the hump. Zach (Johnson) played great golf. He won the tournament; I didn't lose it."
Davis now has five runners-up finishes in his last four seasons in America .. but his name is never mentioned in the context of the European Ryder Cup team! Maybe it's because he's a Londoner.

Is Rhys Davies the best putter in the world? Price thinks so

FROM THE SKYSPORTS.COM WEBSITE

Since the start of March, Edinburgh-born European Tour rookie Rhys Davies from Wales has had a win, two runners-up finishes - in the latest of them he lost by a shot to Luke Donald at the Madrid Masters on Sunday - and a third place.
Davies, whose father was a Welsh table tennis international living and working in Edinburgh when baby Rhys was born,  is closing in on a place in the Ryder Cup team and could move up to seventh on the standings with victory in his home open at Celtic Manor this week.
"He will win many times," English Ryder Cup star Donald said of Davies, after they battled head-to-head for the last 36 holes in Madrid.
"This was my time, but he is a very tough competitor. He put a lot of pressure on me. He is very impressive - he has a great putting stroke and was very solid off the tee."
If Davies, pictured above, makes the European team it will be a major boost for the host country when the Ryder Cup match returns to Europe at the Celtic Manor - this week's venue - in October
The last shot played by a Welsh golfer in the Ryder Cup was Phillip Price's dramatic winning putt against Phil Mickelson at The Belfry in 2002.
Price has no doubt that Davies has the qualities needed not only to make the team, but also to be a star of it.
"I think people are probably beginning to realise that Rhys is the best putter in the world," he said.
What also impresses Price is "his mind, his confidence, the way that he deals with pressure" and he adds: "I love what he's doing, so I probably wouldn't advise him to do anything differently."
In the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday, Davies partners defending champion Jeppe Huldahl and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, another looking to continue his form after closing with a 65 for fourth place at the weekend.
Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie partners Spanish Open champion Alvaro Quiros and England's Oliver Wilson. Quiros is currently in the last automatic qualifying position and Wilson, a debutant two years ago, four places below him.
+Davies lost the 2002 British boys' championship final at Carnoustie but won the title in 2003 when he beat Spain's Pablo Martin in the final. After that Rhys Davies was snapped up by East Tennessee State University and he honed his skills for the next three or four years on the highly competititve US college circuit, notching up several wins.

Simon spearheads Borders bid for home-turf victory

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Simon Fairburn, the current leader of the SGU Boys Order of Merit, will lead a strong Borders challenge on home soil as they look for their maiden success in the Dunfermline Building Society boys' area team championship at Peebles on Sunday (6 June).
The 18-year-old from Torwoodlee in Galashiels has been in superb form during the first half of the season, notching two victories in the SGU Junior Event series as well as clinching the Junior Champion of Champions Trophy in St Andrews. Having reached the fifth round of the Scottish Boys Championship, the Colin Brooks-coached youngster was also runner-up in the Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths Championship and is looking forward to competing for the Borders team this weekend:
“It’s been a great season so far and my confidence is really building. I didn’t get the chance to play much golf over the winter but came out of the blocks quickly to win the Junior Champion of Champions and I’ve managed to keep it going from there.”
“The Borders have never won this event before but we’ll go to Peebles with a great chance. With Craig Howie and Daniel Flannery in the team playing on their home course, we’ll have good local knowledge and hopefully we can make it count.” he added.
Brora’s Scotland Boys international Calum Stewart is the only representative for the North team from their title-winning side last year and he is joined by Lyle McAlpine (Invergordon), Ross Proctor and Jeff Wright (both Forres). North are looking to become the first back-to-back winners since Lothians in 2002-03.
Scottish boys' champion Grant Forrest leads a strong Lothians contingent alongside Liberton’s in-form youngster Anthony Blaney, while Ian Redford – runner-up to Forrest at West Kilbride - joins Scotland Boys U16s captain Ewan Scott in a Fife side looking for their sixth Championship victory.
Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), the reigning Scottish boys' stroke-play champion, will be looking to drive his Ayrshire team-mates to their second victory in four years, with emerging Southerness star Scott Gibson hoping to help the South record their first win in the Championship.
David Gibb, Affinity Accounts Manager for the event’s official partners Dunfermline Building Society, commented:
“As supporters of junior golf in Scotland over the past four years, it’s encouraging to see so many talented young players coming through the ranks across the whole country. We are very proud to support junior golf through our Fairway Savers Account and look forward to working with the Scottish Golf Union to grow the game further.”
The Dunfermline Building Society Fairway Saver Account offers golf club members in Scotland the opportunity to win a two night stay including golf at the Fairmont St Andrews when a new account is opened from 14 June with full details available in branch.
For a team list by Area for this weekend’s event at Peebles, go to the Scottish Golf Union website.

Ryder Cup captains head  for Carnoustie and

Senior Open Championship (July 22-25)

NEWS RELEASEThree months before Europe and the United States go head-to-head at The Celtic Manor Resort, nine Ryder Cup Captains will take their place among the world class field for The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard, at Carnoustie, from July 22-25.
Corey Pavin, who will become the first presiding Ryder Cup Captain to play in The Senior Open Championship, will be joined by the last five European Ryder Cup Captains: Sir Nick Faldo, Mark James, Bernhard Langer, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam.
Also confirmed to be part of the field are former United States Captains Tom Kite, Tom Lehman – who will be one of Pavin’s four Assistant Captains in Wales - and Tom Watson, who returns to the course where he won the first of his five Open Championships in 1975.
There will also be a number of former Ryder Cup players, including 1989 Open Champion Mark Calcacvecchia, who makes his Senior Open debut, fellow Major Champions Sandy Lyle and Mark O’Meara, and defending champion Loren Roberts who is targeting a record equalling third Senior Open title.
With a prize fund of $2million, The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard will once again play an important role in the European Senior Tour Order of Merit, just as it did last year when Torrance’s fifth place finish at Sunningdale helped him to finish the year as Number One.
The 2002 Ryder Cup-winning captain from Scotland, who is attached to nearby Fairmont St Andrews, Torrance knows Carnoustie well and will have the home support behind him.
He said: “Carnoustie is one of the toughest courses around and it will be a fantastic host venue for this year’s Senior Open Championship. There’s another great field with a number of former Ryder Cup Captains and players and some magnificent players making their debuts so the competition will be tough but I’m looking forward to it.
“Last year I finished fifth at Sunningdale which really helped me in my quest to win the Order of Merit and I will be hoping I can do even better this year. It’s always special playing in Scotland and hopefully we will get some more fantastic support like we did at Royal Troon two years ago.”
Gary Player, a three time Senior Open Champion, also returns to the course where he won The Open Championship in 1968, courtesy of what he maintains was the ‘greatest shot of his career’ – a superb three wood into the 14th which landed eight inches from the pin to help him hold off Jack Nicklaus for the South African’s second of three Claret Jugs.
Michael Robichaud, Vice President, Global Sponsorships, MasterCard Worldwide, said: “MasterCard has been proud to serve as presenting sponsor of The Senior Open Championship for the past three years and we are very much looking forward to this great Championship being played at one of the true tests of links golf in the world.
“Following on from another historic Open Championship at St Andrews the week before, it promises to be a great fortnight’s golf on this remarkable stretch of coast in the East of Scotland. Our cardholders have a strong affinity for golf and we share that passion. We are also a sponsor of The 2010 Ryder Cup, so we are delighted that a number of former Ryder Cup Captains will be part of a field that already contains many of golf’s most iconic names.”
The R&A’s Director of Championships, David Hill, on behalf of The Senior Open Championship, said: “Carnoustie will provide a fantastic venue for The 2010 Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard, as it has done for The Open Championship on seven occasions. I’m sure that many thousands of spectators will flock to see these masters of the game taking on this most challenging of courses once again.”
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.”
Carnoustie Country, the area’s golf marketing campaign is also backing the Championship which promises to attract millions of pounds in tourism revenue to the Carnoustie area. Carnoustie Country is a partnership of 32 courses within an hour’s drive from the Championship course and details can be found on www.carnoustiecountry.com.
Tickets are now on sale at a discounted rate to see the line up of Ryder Cup Captains play in The Senior Open Championship, while hospitality packages at Carnoustie Hotel are also available.
Spectators can buy tickets 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 cardholders.

Aberdeen Links Championships Tee Times
SECOND QUALIFYING ROUNDS

LINKS SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP
FRIDAY, JUNE 4
10min INTERVALS
08.00 J.B.H.Wilson, E.Yeats, S.Davidson; J.L.Duncan, J.McBeath, E.Simpson ; E.Leigh, D.Yeats, W.McLeod; A.Hearns. D.McNeil, J.Murphy; E.P.Morrison, R.O’Rawe, R.Jones; D.L.Ross, G.Forbes, G.Adams.
09.00 J.A.Christie, S.Robertson, W.Kidd; I.Morrice, J.Gray, N.West; A.J.Reid, E.Mitchell, S.Duthie; J.A.Morrison, D.J.Hampton, J.Hepburn; A.W.Mathieson, G.Allan,A.Low; C.L.Forbes, G.W.Mackie, R.M.Grant
10.00 A.Henderson, C.Carson, D.McKay; C.Cheyne, J.Henderson; P.Reid, A.Forbes; F.Watson, S.Moir, W.Clark; R.Ludlam, R.D.Lind, W.McKay.
11.00 G.A.Ingram, I.McLaughlin, J.Duff; R.A.Cheyne, S.Law, J.Forrest; G.Paterson, R.Green, G.F.Webster; D.S.Leighton, S.Mearns, N.Stewart.

LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY, JUNE 5
10 MINUTE INTERVALS
06.30 I.Welsh, P.McIntosh, R.Neilson; A.Haining, C.Laing, S.Davidson; R.Stewart, G.Fiddes; G.Stewart, D.Mullen, R.Evett; N.Meldrum, G.Grimmer, S.Duff; S.Jamieson, G.Meade, G.Bond.
07.30 W.J.Smith, K.Ross, G.Horne; M.Smith, W.Shand, M.Ogston; M.Dunn, J.Ritchie, A.J.Sherriffs; R.Allerton, G.Anderson, S.Muir; B.Edmond, M.Beattie, C.McBain; J.Annand, P.Boyce, I.Watt.
08.30 D.S.S.Smith, G.Allan, S.Slessor; M.Edmond, D.Nicholson, S.Kennedy; J.Kilman,P.Coutts, J.Inglis; A.Shand, S.Finnie, Matt Greig; T.Still, J.Lind, P.Cheyne; S.Murray, A.Doig, J.Forrest;J.McKechnie, A.Stewart, D.Leslie.
09.50 R.Rimmer, B.Reid; K.Ironside, R.Davidson, R.M.Grant; G.V.Somers, K.Dalglish, Z.Wood; S.Murphy,C.Hay, C.Johnstone
10.40 R.McCulloch , D.Gardiner.
11.00 A.Cruickshank, J.Gray, J.Duff;S.Middleton, D.Forbes, W.West;J.Murphy M.Taylor, B.McPherson; S.A.Smith, A.Divers,M.Burnett; G.Forbes, S.Stewart;D.Gallaway, W.Ross,G.Reid; G.Leslie,G.W.Henderson, C.Ross; L.Morrice, R.Pirie, R.Stewart; D.Johnstone, A.Sheldrick, P.Angelo
12.30 E.M.Leslie, S.Allison, C.Campbell; D.Grieve, Mark Greig, G.Geddes.

MURRAY CUP
SUNDAY, JUNE 6
10min INTERVALS
07.00 D.McPherson, L.Robson; D.Main, A.McDonald; D.Henderson, D.Stewart, K.Adams.
07.30 J.T.Mair, C.Somers, R.Wright; A.Greig, R.Grieve, J.Muir; S.Guyan, Cal.Murphy, T.Russo; D.McEwan, M.Rimmer; W.Guyan, K.Robertson, A.Pirie; M.Flanagan, A.G.Forbes, I.Petrie;
08.30 K.Smith, R.Anderson, A.Handsley; C.Robertson, A.Forbes, J.Reid; S.Webster, I.Douglas.
09.00 J.Craig, J.Hosie,G.Kidd; D.Barclay, B.Lumsden, J.Watt; S.Kemp, B.Lumsden jnr, D.Coull; I.Stewart G.McDonald, D.Gill;J.Gall, M.Thomson, R.Lumsden; J.Maybury, R.Lind, C.Taylor.
10.00 R.Dunn, C.Carson, T.Butler
10.40 G.Rea, J.Davidson, S.Doig;C.Lawrie, G.W.Mackie, R.Jones;M.Kane, S.Leslie, J.Skinner;F.Kennedy, D.McKerron, S.Beattie;G.Martin, S.Moir, J.Hay.
11.30 A.Moor, R.Moir, B.Marshall; R.Urquhart, M.Robertson, G.F.Webster.

Words of advice from Scott Knowles and Bryan Innes

No point turning pro if you can't be winning amateur
FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By Martin Dempster
Scotland's leading amateurs had little to crow about in the Scottish men's open stroke-play championship at the weekend. It has not been a stellar season so far for the members of the SGU's elite squad, and unless they start to become prolific winners, they have been advised not to even think about turning professional.
Scott Knowles, the Scotland captain, said as much at Glasgow Gailes on Sunday and so too, did Bryan Innes, the 40-year-old Murcar Links man who upstaged his young compatriots as he led the home challenge, finishing third in the biggest domestic event of the season so far.

On the team front, Scotland have excelled in recent years, as wins in the World and European Championships testify. Yet, since Richie Ramsay won the US Amateur Championship in 2006, it's been a different story in terms of individual performances and this season we've drawn a blank so far in the top amateur events.

Fraserburgh's Kris Nicol twice came close to tasting success as he finished runner-up in both the Lytham Trophy and the Irish Open Stroke Play, while Fifer Greg Paterson will still probably be kicking himself after letting the Welsh Open Stroke Play title slip through his fingers when he lost a five-shot lead going into the last round.
As Knowles acknowledged, it is harder to win such events these days due to the fields containing greater strength in depth, particularly in terms of the continental challengers. However, he accepts that such challenges are the yardstick and believes the job of Scottish captain would be made a lot easier if players weren't in such a rush to turn professional.
"Personally, I think spending a few more years as an amateur would be more beneficial than just jumping on the bandwagon of the pro ranks," he said. "It's a hard scene and they're on their own, though there's some funding now from the SGU to help them. At times they might be better spending time in the amateur ranks and winning tournaments.
"The depth of the fields in amateur events these days is that much better. But that's a challenge for the guys. If they're going to turn pro at some point and can't compete against these guys then the question has to be, 'why are you turning pro?' If they can't win an amateur tournament what makes them think they can win a pro tournament?"
Innes, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, agrees, pointing to the amateur career enjoyed by Ramsay, a fellow Aberdonian, as the benchmark for anyone thinking about trying to become a Tour professional. "You wonder why some players do turn professional," he said. "Richie was a serial winner (as an amateur] and has gone on to do well as professional – that should be a wake-up call to them (the current crop of leading amateurs]."
Later this year Scotland will defend both the European and World titles without some of the players who helped win them. The Eisenhower Trophy trio of Wallace Booth, Gavin Dear and Callum Macaulay are all now in the paid ranks, as is Paul O'Hara, who was in the winning European team in Wales last summer.
The six-man side to defend the European title will be shaped after this weekend's St Andrews Links Trophy, though, sensibly, it won't be finalised until after the Amateur Championship at Muirfield in a fortnight's time.
As things stand, Nicol, who has certainly raised his game, must be in with a good shout, while other strong contenders are likely to be Ross Kellett, James Byrne, Philip McLean, Michael Stewart and David Law, though the latter could face a race against time if he doesn't shake off a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the Scottish Stroke Play and could also rule him out of the Links Trophy.
While acknowledging that he's not had much to get excited about so far this season, Knowles is confident the Scots can peak at the right time in order to give a good account of themselves in Sweden. "It just takes guys coming into form at the right time, and that's what we were so good at last year," he noted.
"In qualifying we only made it by a couple of shots. Then when it came to the matchplay all the guys hit form at the right moment and that's what we want to gear it for.
"There's no point in them hitting their peak beforehand and when it comes to the Europeans they don't make the top eight. Getting into the top flight is the aim and when it becomes head-to-head we can beat anyone, as we proved last year."

Scots-born Rhys eyes Ryder Cup
SO there could be a Welshman in Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup team at Celtic Manor after all – yet who'd really have thought it would be Edinburgh-born Rhys Davies?
When the qualifying race started at Gleneagles last August, the 25-year-old Davies was still playing on the Challenge Tour at that time. Now he is the man in the frame.
He's won on the European Tour this season, finished second on two other occasions and is up to 11th and 19th on the World and European points list respectively.
Davies played in two Walker Cup teams, one of them as a team-mate of Rory McIlroy, and putts like a god so he could certainly be useful to have around in October, when it would be a pity, really, if Wales wasn't represented.
Just imagine how it would feel if there's no Scot involved when Gleneagles stages the event in four years' time!