Peter Hanson questions

absent stars' Ryder Cup

hunger


FROM THE IRISHTIMES.COM WEBSITE
Peter Hanson, the Swede who has given Colin Montgomerie what Europe's captain calls a "more or less impossible" task, questioned how much some stars want to be part of the Ryder Cup.
Hanson spoke out shortly after arriving at Gleneagles for the final counting event, the Johnnie Walker Championship.
"If you really want to make the team - and, of course, if you are that close - then you should be here and playing," he said.
The 32-year-old moved up from 15th to eighth by capturing the Czech Open title in a play-off on Sunday and as a result pushed Paul Casey out of the top nine who automatically earn selection this weekend.
Casey and Pádraig Harrington, with top-five finishes, and Luke Donald, with a win, could all have guaranteed themselves another cap by switching from the first of the FedEx Cup play-offs to the Johnnie Walker Championship.
But not one of the trio has, and with Justin Rose and Italian World Cup winner Edoardo Molinari needing one of the three wild cards as well, Montgomerie knows he will have to face the Americans without two players who are in the world's top 22.
"This isn't difficult - it's more or less impossible," Montgomerie said on Sky Sports News. "It's a bit like Fabio Capello having to leave out Theo Walcott, I suppose. He could only take 23, I can only take 12.
"I wish I could take 20 - I do, I really do - because 20 deserve their spots this year. They've played great.
"Unfortunately, I can't please everybody on Sunday night. They understand my dilemma and their own and it is up to them to try to prove to me - this last final chance to make it pay."
Molinari is in Scotland, but Rose is with Harrington et al at The Barclays tournament in New Jersey. Montgomerie will make his decision before the winner there is known.
With so many big names now relying on a call-up, Hanson believes he has no chance of a wild card if he falls out of the top nine.
Miguel Angel Jimenez's late decision to enter Gleneagles was bad news for Hanson because he is ninth in the standings and could go past him by finishing in the top 14.
But even if that happens Hanson would still make his debut unless Ross McGowan comes second or Simon Dyson wins. Interestingly, Hanson plays with Dyson in the first two rounds - and with Alvaro Quiros, who could deny Jimenez with a win.
McGowan, meanwhile, plays with Jimenez and Edoardo Molinari, whose brother Francesco is almost home and dry at seventh on the points table.
While Montgomerie says he understands the reasons why Casey, Harrington and Donald have stayed in the States, it must still come as a massive disappointment that they have not answered the call he made last year and again in June.
Before the last Johnnie Walker Championship, Montgomerie stated: "It will be an amazing event here next year. You'll find number five through number 25 (in the race for places) automatically playing here.
"I won't even have to ask them."
Before the Wales Open at Celtic Manor two months ago, another event where the entry list was not as stellar as he had hoped, Montgomerie said of this week: "I want to see them showing support for European golf and the European Tour and I will be very, very surprised if they are not there.
"That would make a whole lot of sense to a whole lot of people. I am convinced that I will have around eight candidates for three spots.
"You can count on those eight playing at Gleneagles. They will be there."
It would have been 10 for three as it turned out. Instead it is six for three.


Monty should pick Casey, Donald,

Molinari, says Ewen Murray

FROM THE SKYSPORTS.COM WEBSITEThe excellent Peter Hanson pulled off one of the truly great victories on the European Tour at the Czech Open to dislodge Paul Casey in the automatic top nine of Colin Montgomerie's side to face America at Celtic Manor.
By EWEN MURRAY
I'm not sure what you think about Casey, Justin Rose, Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald possibly filling their boots with greenbacks in the Fed-Ex Cup while they are not qualified to play in Wales - and not appearing at Gleneagles this week.
To me, having your cake and eating it comes to mind. Montgomerie predicted, quite rightly, that eight players could be in contention for the three wildcards and if that was the case, then it's a given that they should be on the first tee at Gleneagles this Thursday.
My spirit will change before October, but I can't help thinking the Americans used to play for cash and the Europeans played for each other and glory. I have a disappointing feeling the tables are turned.
It's generally accepted that making the Ryder Cup side is worth roughly around £1million to those who represent Europe as off-course deals kick in. But Padraig "I will be devastated not to make the Ryder Cup" Harrington - only three events in Europe this year. What's all that about?
I suspect Padraig is not short of a few bob, so if he is so keen to play in Wales, why has his schedule favoured America? What has he got to prove over there, having already won three majors, playing in the ATandT Pro-Am and other ordinary events?

The new qualification system allowed for only four players from the world ranking points, while five places were available on the European points list. Graeme McDowell's win in the US Open and Martin Kaymer's success in Wisconsin along with the consistency of Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood took care of the four places.

Harrington's average year has left him in limbo, having missed the French Open and Loch Lomond which offered £1million in first prizes - and they were only two of several events he chose to forego. €70,000 won in any of these events would have been enough to still have his name in the top nine.

Trevor Hawkins wrote in and said: "If they don't want to play in Europe when they can, then they shouldn't expect to play for Europe." Good point.
Alan F said Harrington would be playing on past reputation. That's fair.
Alex Bell said: "Does Harrington deserve a wildcard? And would Casey be remembered for playing in the Tour Championship or the Ryder Cup? Those who have not made the effort have only themselves to blame." Good point.
Graham Donogue made an accurate comment that Casey and Harrington have no wins this year. Alvaro Quiros has the Spanish title, Donald the Madrid Masters, Hanson has two in Majorca and the Czech Open and Edoardo Molinari at Loch Lomond.
James H and Sam Baldwin said if the players in question don't appear in the Czech Open or Gleneagles they don't deserve it as they spend their energy chasing dollars stateside.
Conor Kelly says the criticism of Harrington is unfair and along with Owain Baglow, said I was singing his praises after the 3 Irish Open. Yes I was gentlemen. In anyone else's hands the halfway cut would have been impossible to make, yet he finished second. His scrambling was sensational, but would he make the ideal partner in the foursomes which are two of the five sections of play?
More than anything, if the four players who are playing in the four tournament Fed-Ex Series make the last week at the Tour Championship, incidentally the week before The Match in Wales, will they be fresh to play three days of intensive match play golf after another trans-Atlantic journey?
Our own players do not escape criticism. Quiros, who I would like to see make the side, chose not to go to Czechoslavakia. Why? You would have to ask him when the first prize was just under £300,000 and the Czech sponsors laid on a charter plane to fly those playing this week to Scotland. Like many, Gleneagles is huge for him and the splendour of Glendevon is his last-chance saloon.
Of course we can talk forever, but it is now down to Captain Colin and I don't envy his task. I will see him in Scotland this week and I will say nothing of his dilemma and he will reveal nothing - and quite rightly so. It will be a tough week for him and those still in with a chance. It's been a great fortnight for Martin Kaymer and Hanson.

Assuming nothing changes as far as the qualifying tables are concerned at Gleneagles, what do you think will happen?
It comes down to positives and negatives. Is multi-major winner Harrington - who has one point in his last nine Ryder Cup matches - a better bet than Edoardo Molinari, whose rise in world golf over the past year has been nothing short of phenomenal?

Should any of the stay-aways be considered? Colin stated at the start of the campaign he would like all possibles to play in the Wales Open and at the Johnnie Walker this week. That did not happen in June and it's clear it will not happen in Scotland.
Donald played at Celtic Manor and after a 75 in the opening round, the Englishman showed his class by finishing third to McDowell. The previous week he was runner-up at the showcase event of the Tour at Wentworth and the following week he won in Madrid; that's first, second and third in three weeks. Donald has made a decent effort to make the side despite being domiciled in Chicago.

Jules C said he would pick Casey because of his match play credentials and he has a strong case there. No-one mentioned Rose whose two wins in America this year has given him his best ever year.

Do these wins give him a wildcard ahead of those like Simon Dyson, who finished fifth last week after an impressive US PGA Championship, Molinari and others who have clearly made a huge effort to make a side that means much to them?
Rose has also said the Ryder Cup was "not one of his priorities".
Many questions and in the next few days we will know the answers. As things stand, I would pick Casey, despite his no-show at too many events, for the simple fact is his match play record is impressive; Donald because of his effort to play in Europe and he and Casey are higher ranked than Harrington and Rose. And I would also choose Molinari.
Whether Colin sticks to his original guns remains to be seen but I think he will go for - if the table doesn't change - Harrington, Casey and Donald. If the brilliant Peter Hanson had not forced Casey into 10th place he may have thought of Rose who is a perfect partner for last-time hero, Ian Poulter.
What I do know is that Colin will pick what he believes to be his strongest and best-matched team.

Mike Weir could be out for rest of season

FROM THE PGA.COM WEBSITE
TORONTO (AP) — Mike Weir has a partially torn ligament in his right elbow and is likely out for the rest of the season.
Weir told The Canadian Press on Tuesday that he had an MRI exam over the weekend. He plans to rest the elbow and seek treatment to avoid surgery.

The Canadian left-hander had elbow pain before the British Open in July but thought it was tendinitis. A conversation with PGA pro Scott McCarron at last week's Wyndham Championship prompted Weir to seek medical attention.

McCarron told Weir that he had a similar injury but continued to play while getting treatment. That resulted in a complete tear, which required surgery and a year off the tour.

Weir is coming off a season of eight missed cuts. His best finish was sixth at the Bob Hope Classic.

United States Amateur Championship

Jeff Wilson's double eagle finish for historic 62

FROM THE PGA.COM WEBSITE
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Washington (AP) — Jeff Wilson shot the second lowest quaiifying score in 110-year history of the United States Amateur championship to take a seven-stroke lead after the first day of play Monday.
The 47-year-old Wilson, from Fairfield, California, closed his round with a pair of eagles for a course-record 62 at the par-72, 7,420-yard Home Course - one of two courses used for the championship.
He had seven birdies, two eagles and one bogey, recording a 29 on the back nine. The 29 also ties the lowest nine-hole score, accomplished four times previously.
The only lower 18-hole score was a 12-under 60 by Bill Horschel at the 2006 Amateur at Chaska Town, Minn.
This year's US Amateur features 312 players from 15 countries. The first two days are stroke play at The Home Course and Chambers Bay. Five days of match play will follow at Chambers, with a 36-hole championship match Sunday.
Chambers is the tougher course, a par-71 7,742yd layout - the longest in US Amateur history.
"There were a lot of putts that went in today," Wilson said. "I made all the putts I should have made and probably a few that I shouldn't have."
Wilson, one of the older players in the field, is a three-time medalist at the Mid-Amateur and 2008 U.S. Amateur medalist. He also is a four-time qualifier for the U.S. Open, finishing as the low amateur in 2000.
"I had a 33 to the turn. Then, all of a sudden on the back nine, I started hitting it exactly where I was looking," he said.
He used a three-wood from 262 yards out to knock it eight feet behind the hole, making the putt for his first eagle. Then he holed out from 132 yards, using a wedge for an eagle 2.
For Wilson, who runs a car dealership in Vallejo, California, it was the lowest round of his career.
Nick Taylor, winner of this year's Ben Hogan Award as the nation's top collegiate golfer, is one of nine players at 3 under. Taylor, who is from Abbotsford, British Columbia and played four years at the University of Washington, shot a 3-under 69 on The Home Course.
"Anything can happen," said Taylor, who plays Chambers on Tuesday. "It's playing so tough. You have to hit a lot of good drives. There are big fairways but you've got to hit the fairways to give yourself a chance."
Joining Taylor at 3 under are Richard Werenski of South Hadley, Ma., Max Homa from Valencia, Calif., Daniel Berger Jupiter, Fla., John Duke Hudson of Sonora, Texas, Harris English of Athens, Georgia, Michael Morrison of Roswell, New Mexico, and John Hahn of Las Vegas. They all played The Home Course.
Also at 3 under is Patrick Reed from Augusta, Georgia, shooting the day's best round at Chambers with a 68.
Just three of the top 24 scores were recorded at Chambers.

Werenski, 18, who begins his first year at Georgia Tech University this fall, earned a spot in the Amateur last year but did not advance past medal play.

"Well, this is obviously the easier course," Werenski said. "So I wanted to go out and shoot a pretty good number. And go out tomorrow and not think about the score ... You never know what can happen at Chambers Bay."

Defending champion Byeong-Hun An is among a group of six at 2 under. The 18-year-old South Korean, who now lives in Bradenton, Florida, was the youngest champion in the event's history last year at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

An was 3 under at the turn but "in the back I was scrambling ... in the right rough, left, right and 6-footers. Not a lot of putts for par."

SIR NICK FALDO TO PLAY IN SENIOR MASTERS IN JAPAN


Sir Nick Faldo has announced he will play in the Handa Cup Senior Masters at the Ohmurasaki Golf Club, Saitama, Japan from November 25 to 28.
The six-time Major winner will be one of the headline names appearing when the European Senior Tour visits Japan for the first time, at the Japanese PGA (JPGA) co-sanctioned event.

Faldo will be competing amongst a field of 30 leading Senior Tour players and 66 JPGA players for a prize fund of approximately €1million (120 million Yen).

Amongst these players will be ISPS (International Sports Promotion Society) Ambassador Ian Woosnam, the 2006 Ryder Cup-winning captain, who won the Handa Cup Senior Masters last year and will defend the title in November.

They will be joined by ISPS Ambassadors Sandy Lyle, a two-time Major winner, and Sam Torrance, the 2002 winning Ryder Cup Captain and reigning Senior Tour Order of Merit winner.

“I am delighted to announce I will be playing at the Handa Cup Senior Masters,” said Faldo. “I am really looking forward to playing alongside the top European Senior Tour and Japanese players. I’m grateful to the organisers for bringing this event together and to the tournament sponsors ISPS, and their chairman Dr Handa, for the support they are giving to golf in the region, particularly through their sponsorship of the Faldo Series Asia.”

STEPHEN GRAY DIGS IN AT TOP OF TARTAN


TOUR MONEY TABLE WITH THIRD WIN


Hayston professional Stephen Gray, the leading money-winner on the Tartan Tour this year, dug in at the top of the table by winning today's Ben shotgun pro-am over the Fidra course at Archerfield Links, East Lothian.
Gray, who has played in more events (46) than any other pro on the Scottish circuit this season, brought his tournament earnings up to £17,737 with a first prize of £875, earned with a five-under-par round of 67.
It was Gray's third one-day win of the season.
Runner-up was PGA Cup playere Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) with a 68, which earned him £699, and third was Colin Gillies (Braid Hills), the all-time leading money-winner on the Tartan Tour, with a 69 which gave him a pay-out of £525.
James McKinnon (Irvine), who finished joint fourth individulaly with a 70, led the winning team of amateurs in the pro-am with a 13-under-par net score of 59.
PRO TOTALS
Par 72
67 Stephen Gray (Hayston) (£875).
68 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) (£699).
69 Colin Gillies (Braid Hills) (£525).
70 Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills), Lee Harper (Archerfield Links), James McKinnon (Irvine) (£323 each).
71 Mark King (Kingsfield), Chris Kelly (Cawder) (£210 each).
72 Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie), Fraser Mann (unatt) (£157 each).
73 Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) (£126 each).
74 Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Gavin Cook (Prestonfield) (£109 each).
75 Alan Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy), Ian Graham (Crow Wood) (£91 each).
76 Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle) (£78 each).
77 Stuart Bayne (Archerfield Links) (£69 each).
78 Graham Fox (East Kilbride), David Patrick (Elie) (£56 each).
80 James McGhee (Turnhouse).
NR David Armitage (Renaissance).

2010 NFU MUTUAL FIFE ORDER OF MERIT for

THE MACKAY BOWL


Positions after 21 events.

1 James White (Lundin) 600pt
2 Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 540pt
3 Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) 500pt
4 Brian Soutar (Leven GS) 460pt
5 Colin Martin (Balbirnie Park) 385pt
T6 Jordan McColl (Scotscraig) 320pt
T6 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 320pt

T8 Ian Bell (Scotscraig) 295pt
T8 Sandy Squires (Scotscraig) 295pt

The next counting events are the South-east District Championship at Mortonhall on August 28 and 29, and the Burntisland GHC 36-hole Open on August 29.

Order of Merit title decided at Mortonhall this weekend

This weekend's South-east District Championship at Mortonhall Golf Club, Edinburgh is the last counting event for 2010 Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit points.
Scottish champion Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) heads the table, but the four players behind Stewart – Philip McLean (Peterhead), Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh), Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) and James White (Lundin) - can still win the Order of Merit title if they win at Mortonhall on Sunday.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LATEST SGU MEN'S ORDER OF MERIT TABLE


Smail and McIntosh earn Mortonhall spots

FROM THE LOTHIANS GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITETwo rising Lothians stars have earned places in the field for this weekend's South East District Open at Mortonhall.
Craigielaw's Greg Smail has replaced Nairn's Graham Burnett in the line-up, with Jamie McIntosh of Broomieknowe coming in for South African Joshua Seale (South Africa).
As always, the event has attracted a strong line up, with a number of Scottish internationals, including Philip McLean, Jordan Findlay, Peter Latimer, Brian Soutar and, last but not least, Lothians champion Allyn Dick among those chasing the Scottish Order of Merit event title.
Draw for Saturday's first two rounds in the South-east District Open:


7.15 and 12.15 STEPHEN SIMANTS (Dunbar), GREG NICOLSON (Mortonhall), DUNCAN MARTIN (Longniddry)
7.24 and 12.24 DAVID MILLER (Duddingston), DAVID LAW (Hazlehead), JOHN YUILLE (Royal Burgess)
7.33 and 12.33 MATTHEW CLARK (Kilmacolm), STEPHEN SMITH (West Linton), COLIN SWANSTON (Uphall)
7.42 and 12.42 STEVEN ARMSTRONG (Turnhouse), JAMES WHITE (Lundin), MARK HILLSON (Craigielaw)
7.51 and 12.51 GREG SMAIL (Craigielaw), ALEXANDER CULVERWELL (Dunbar), MICHAEL DAILLY (Erskine)
8.00 and 13.00 KEITH REILLY (Silverknowes), ROSS CROWE (Westerhope), PHILIP McLEAN (Peterhead)
8.09 and 13.09 ALLYN DICK (Kingsknowe), PETER LATIMER (St Andrews New), GORDON YATES (Hilton Park)
8.18 and 3.18 SCOTT YOUNG (Turnhouse), MICHAEL MAIN (Thornton), PAUL BETTY (Lenzie)
8.29 and 13.29 JORDAN FINDLAY (Fraserburgh), STUART ROBERTS (Gullane), STEVEN RENNIE (Drumpellier)
8.38 and 13.38 SCOTT LARKIN (Royal Aberdeen), CHRIS HARKINS (Ayr Belleisle), ROSS BELL (Downfield)
8.47 and 13.47 MARK BOOKLESS (Sandyhills), ALAN WELSH (Torrance House), TOM CALDWELL (Silverknowes)
8.56 and 13.56 MARTIN STEIN (Craigielaw), SCOTT STEWART-CATION (Balbirnie), MARK COLLIN (Eyemouth)
9.05 and 14.05 JAMIE McINTOSH (Broomieknowe), GREG PATERSON (St Andrews New), STEPHEN NEILSON (Dunbar)
9.14 and 14.14 BRIAN SOUTAR (Leven), FRASER FOTHERINGHAM (Nairn), GRAEME ROBERTSON (Glenbervie)
9.23 and 14.23 GEORGE FINLAY (Ballumbie Castle), ADAM DUNTON (McDonald Ellon), CHRIS WOOD (Longniddry)
9.32 and 14.32 BOBBY RUSHFORD (Grangemouth), JOE LOCKIE (Tantallon), SEAN THOMPSON (St Andrews)
9.41 and 14.41 DAVID OLDHAM (Crail), SEAN McGARVEY (Glencorse), SCOTT MOFFAT (Alloa)
9.52 and 14.52 ALASTAIR HAIN (Ladybank), GRAHAM DAVIDSON (Winterfield), MARC SMITH (Troon Welbeck)
10.01 and 15.01 EAMON BRADLEY (Mount Ellen), BEN RENFREW (The Wynyard), DANIEL KAY (Dunbar)
10.10 and 15.10 CAMERON MARR (Musselburgh), MIKE FOLEY (Kingsknowe), KEVIN DUNCAN (McDonald Ellon)
10.19 and 15.19 SAM BINNING (Ranfurly Castle), FRASER CAMPBELL (Milngavie), JEFF WRIGHT (Forres)
10.28 and 15.28 GRAHAM ROBERTSON (Silverknowes), SCOTT BORROWMAN (Dollar), ED WOOD (Crow Wood)
10.37 and 15.37 COLIN THOMSON (East Renfrewshire), JAMES HENDRICK (Pollock), IAN BELL (Scotscraig)
10.46 and 15.46 MYLES CUNNINGHAM (Craigielaw), ANDREW WALLACE (Glenbervie), JOHN WYBAR (Aldeburgh)
10.55 and 15.55 GORDON STEVENSON (Whitecraigs), SIMON LOCKHART (Bathgate), JOHN DUFF (Newmachar)
11.04 and 16.04 FRASER McKENNA (Balmore), STEVEN SMITH (Dalmahoy), MALCOLM CAMPBELL (Swanston)
11.13 and 16.13 LOUIS GAUGHAN (Bathgate), COLIN BAIRD (Bothwell Castle), RICHARD GILL (Craigmillar Park)

New-look Scotland senior team bids

for Euro title

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Recently-crowned Scottish Seniors Open Amateur Champion Scott Macdonald from Dunfermline will lead a new-look Scotland side which crosses the border next week in pursuit of the European senior amateur team championship at Fairhaven, Lancashire next week (August 31 to September 4 ).
Former Walker Cup man Macdonald, pictured above by Andy Forman, who won the national seniors title at Pollok in July 41 years after winning the Scottish Stroke Play Championship at Carnoustie, currently tops the Seniors Order of Merit after three top ten finishes on the circuit this season.
He is joined by Tony Stafford (Dun Ochil), this season’s national seniors’ match play champion and Broomieknowe’s David Gardner, winner of two events on the seniors’ circuit in 2010.
Edzell’s Jim Watt, the South of Scotland Seniors Open Champion, gets a well earned call-up to national duty while Kilmalcolm’s Colin Christy and Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess), bronze medallists behind Macdonald at Pollok, make up the six-strong team.
This year will be the fifth staging of the European Senior Amateur Team Championship, with Scotland winning the inaugural event in Finland back in 2006, before twice finishing runner-up in 2007 and 2008. England will be defending the trophy they won last year in Switzerland, where they defeated Sweden in the final.
Two rounds of stroke play qualifying on Tuesday and Wednesday will be followed by three days of knock-out match play with the final taking place on Saturday 4 September.
The Scottish Golf Union will then host the Men’s Senior Home Internationals at Crail later in September (14 – 16), with the same six being included in the line-up with the addition of Cowglen’s John McDonald, winner of last weekend’s North of Scotland Senior Open Championship.
Former Scottish Seniors Champion Gordon MacDonald is non-playing team captain for both events.
European Men’s Senior Amateur Team Championship Team:
Scott MacDonald (Dunfermline)
Tony Stafford (Dun Ochil)
David Gardner (Broomieknowe)
Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess)
Colin Christy (Kilmacolm)
Jim Watt (Edzell)

Men’s Senior Home International Team:
Scott MacDonald (Dunfermline)
Tony Stafford (Dun Ochil)
David Gardner (Broomieknowe)
Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess)
Colin Christy (Kilmacolm)
Jim Watt (Edzell)
John MacDonald (Cowglen)





For more information please contact:

Murcar Links win Aberdeen Pennant League Final

Murcar Links beat Portlethen by a comfortable margin in the final of The Cults Hotel-sponsored Aberdeen Pennant League over the Kings Links.
Details:

MURCAR LINKS 4 ½, PORTLETHEN 1 ½
B Innes, A Styles bt R Penny, C Brechin 4 and 3.
A Bews, I Galbraith lost to R Donaldson, K Horne 3 and 2.
N McKinnon, S Burt bt S Lawrie, G Innes 3 and 2.
A Fiddes, N Sadler bt K Tait, B McDonald 3 and 2
D Raitt, K Nelson beat D.Smith, L Shand 2 and 1
G Stewart, R Brechin halved with G Esson, S.Cook

Michael Stewart, Martin Gilbert (Aberdeen Asset Management CEO) and Ross Kellett (image by Andy Forman.

Byrne, Kellett and Stewart defend world

team title

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
The Scottish Golf Union has named the trio of James Byrne (Banchory), Ross Kellett (Colville Park) and Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) as the men tasked with defending the World Amateur Team Championship for Scotland in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October.
Scotland famously made history by winning the Eisenhower Trophy in Australia two years ago when the team of Wallace Booth, Gavin Dear and Callum Macaulay, captained by George Crawford, stormed to a nine-shot victory in Adelaide to become the first GB&I nation to lift the World Championship, which was followed by a win in the European Team Championship nine months later.
The three players selected are the leading Scots in the World Amateur Rankings, with Byrne currently at number 13, Kellett ranked 59th and Stewart just outside the top 100 at number 104.
Byrne, who has just begun this final year at Arizona State University, reached the final of the Amateur Championship in June and was a beaten semi-finalist at last month’s Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship. He narrowly missed out on a place at this summer’s Open Championship when he lost in a play-off at Kingsbarns and was Scotland’s leading performer at the European Amateur Championship, finishing in eleventh place.
Kellett will have fond memories of Buenos Aires where he reached the final of the Argentinean Amateur Championship last December, losing out to Frenchman Romain Wattel. The 22-year-old from Colville Park in Motherwell earned his maiden SGU Order of Merit success this year by winning the Tennant Cup in July and was a member of Scotland’s victorious European Amateur Team Championship last summer.
Stewart is Scotland’s man in form, having captured the Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship crown at Gullane before collecting five and a half points out of a possible six at last week’s Home Internationals to finish the country’s top points scorer. A former Scottish Boys Champion, the 20-year-old from Troon has recently returned from East Tennessee State University and represented GBandI at the Jacques Leglise Trophy match against the Continent of Europe two years ago.
Ian Rae, the SGU National Coach who worked with the victorious team two years ago, will once again accompany the players alongside captain Scott Knowles and looked forward to the defence of Scotland’s title:
“Winning the Eisenhower Trophy in Australia was a wonderful achievement for Scotland and really helped raise the profile of amateur golf in this country. Wallace, Gavin and Callum all became household names and I’m sure golfers across Scotland will be excited about the defence of our title in Argentina.”
“We have three very talented players in James, Ross and Michael who will go into the Championship with great confidence having all enjoyed good seasons to date. We have a strong team and know the players have the belief that they can bring the famous trophy back to Scotland once again, although I’m sure we’ll have some very tough opposition.” added Rae.
The Scotland team, sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management and TaylorMade-adidas Golf, will travel to Sao Paulo on 17 October to begin their preparations, eleven days before the event gets underway (28 – 31 October) at Buenos Aires GC and Olivio GC.
Speaking at the announcement, Martin Gilbert, Chief Executive of team sponsors Aberdeen Asset Management, said:
“We are very proud to support the Scotland amateur golf team and their victory two years ago in Australia was a wonderful moment for sport in this country.”
“This is our fourth year of sponsorship with the SGU and we are delighted to play a part in the development of the country’s future stars. In James, Ross and Michael, we have three exceptional young players and we wish them every success in defending the title in Argentina.”