Army man is new St Andrews Links chief

executive appointed




NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ST ANDREWS LINKS TRUST
St Andrews Links Trust has appointed Euan Loudon as its new chief executive.
Mr Loudon (54), who is currently chief executive of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, will take up his new position early next year. The Trust manages and maintains the seven public golf courses in St Andrews including the Old Course and The Castle Course.
A former assistant professional golfer, Mr Loudon joined the army in 1974 and quickly rose through the officer ranks. He commanded the 1st Battalion, The Royal Highland Fusiliers and in his final appointment, in the rank of Major General, he was General Officer Commanding the Army’s 2nd Division and Governor of Edinburgh Castle.
In 1991, Mr Loudon was awarded the OBE for operational service in the Gulf as the Chief of Staff of The Desert Rats. In 2004 he was appointed CBE for operational service in Northern Ireland .
He took up the position with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2007. During his tenure the company achieved record profits in 2009 and was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade section. He has operated at senior board level on the home and international fronts for ten years.
Mr Loudon was appointed by St Andrews Links Trustees following the advertising of the position earlier this year and an exhaustive recruitment process.
Peter Forster, chairman of Trustees, said, “We are delighted to have recruited someone of Euan’s background, ability and experience. The Trustees, Links Management Committee and management of the Trust look forward to working with Euan to ensure that the Home of Golf continues to prosper.”
Mr Loudon said, “I feel privileged to have been appointed to such a high profile position. St Andrews Links is recognised as one of the world’s finest golfing destinations and I look forward to developing that reputation even further in the years ahead.”

Three Scots in top 100 of World Amateur Rankings

Scotland have three players - the top 100 of the RandA World Amateur Golf Rankings.
James Byrne is unchanged at No 15 in this week's revised rankings.
Scottish match-play champion Michael Stewart has gone up one place to No 73.
Ross Kellett comes down one spot to No 88.

Rest of Scots in the top 500 of the WAGR:
189 Kris Nicol -10.
199 Stuart Ballingall no change.
310 James White -3.
331 Steven Rennie +50.
349 Peter Latimer -4.
373 Scott Crichton no change.
382 Scott Larkin +3.
383 Paul Shields +8.
419 Greg Paterson +112.
486 Philip McLean +18.

Harrington to play in Vivendi Cup 2010


NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
Padraig Harrington has confirmed that he will play in the Vivendi Cup 2010, as he looks to hone his game ahead of taking his place in the European Team for The 2010 Ryder Cup.

The three-time Major Champion will join fellow Ryder Cup teammates Peter Hanson and Edoardo Molinari, as well as Vice Captains Thomas Björn and Paul McGinley, in the field for the €1,250,000 tournament at Golf de Joyenval, in Paris, France, from September 23-26.
It will be the Irishman’s first appearance on European soil since he finished second in the 3 Irish Open at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, where he carded a superb final round 64.
Harrington will head to Paris hoping to capture his 15th European Tour title and first since his victory in the 2008 US PGA Championship – the third of his Major Championship wins after back-to-back Open Championships in 2007 and 2008.
He said: "I am really looking forward to playing in the Vivendi Cup. Having heard many great things about the Golf de Joyenval, I am delighted to be playing there for the first time.
“I enjoy the Pro Am format very much and I will be playing with my brother which should make for a very enjoyable week."
Harrington was selected as one of Colin Montgomerie’s three Captain’s picks for The 2010 Ryder Cup, which will take place at The Celtic Manor Resort the week after the Vivendi Cup 2010. It will be his sixth Ryder Cup appearance after making his debut in the contest in 1999.

Gleneagles set for Junior Ryder Cup



NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOURThe finest young golfers from Europe and the United States are relishing contesting the Junior Ryder Cup later this month at one of the world’s great golfing destinations.
The Gleneagles® Hotel, on the wish list of courses to play of many a golf fan around the globe, recently hosted the hugely successful Johnnie Walker Championship, won by Edoardo Molinari and after which Colin Montgomerie made the eagerly anticipated announcement of his European Ryder Cup Team.
It was the latest in a long line of top class tournaments held at Gleneagles, and the most recent example of EventScotland’s investment in golf. As well as The Open Championship at St Andrews, where Louis Oosthuizen clinched his first Major with a magnificent victory, EventScotland has in recent years given financial support to the Scottish Hydro Challenge on the European Challenge Tour, the Senior Open Championship presented by Mastercard, the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Scottish Seniors Open and the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open.
Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer for EventScotland, said: “We have all enjoyed a busy and exciting golf calendar this year with some of the world’s best events taking place on our shores. Golf is a huge driving force in Scotland’s economy and the next few years are extremely exciting as we continue to support a host of events in the run up to Scotland hosting The Ryder Cup in 2014.”
Next up is the Junior Ryder Cup, which is very similar to The Ryder Cup in that it is a contest between Europe and the United States, except it is for boys and girls under 16 and under 18 and takes place over two days rather than three. It gives young golfers a taste of the sport’s greatest team competition and provides a chance to showcase the fine young talent in Europe and the United States.
Patrick Elsmie, Managing Director, The Gleneagles Hotel, said: "The Gleneagles Hotel is proud and pleased to host the Junior Ryder Cup on September 27 and 28 on The PGA Centenary Course.
“Gleneagles has a long and proud tradition of hosting world class golf tournaments with golfers from around the globe. The Junior Ryder Cup makes a fitting addition to this roll of honour, when it will be our pleasure to welcome the cream of junior golf from Europe and the United States.”
In four years’ time The Gleneagles Hotel will host The 2014 Ryder Cup, the first time in more than 40 years the prestigious tournament has been played on Scottish soil.
EventScotland is the lead agency for the delivery of the biennial contest and planning has long been underway to ensure it meets the expectations as one of the world’s most high profile sporting events.
Bush continued: “We are delighted to welcome such talented players to the ‘Home of Golf’ for the Junior Ryder Cup and we hope this event, in such a wonderful location, can inspire them in their careers and that they become our future golfing stars. An important part of EventScotland’s work in golf is to support both senior and junior events. This helps to grow the game locally and create a legacy around the iconic events such as The Open and The Ryder Cup that are world renowned.”
Gleneagles is just one hour's drive from both Glasgow and Edinburgh and was built by the Old Caledonian Railway Company in 1924. Set in an 850-acre estate in Perthshire, it immediately won fame as one of the world's finest hotels. The hotel offers a host of outdoor activities including riding, fishing, off road driving, falconry, shooting and archery. It is also home to the world’s first Gundog School and an exquisite spa.
Renowned for its three championship golf courses - The PGA Centenary Course, created by the legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, venue for the Ryder Cup 2014 - as well as the King's and Queen's Courses
Day one of the Junior Ryder Cup (September 27) will be foursomes followed by mixed fourballs. Day two (September 28) will be singles matches. The two teams will afterwards travel to The Celtic Manor Resort to watch The 2010 Ryder Cup and to play in a ‘Friendship Match’ on Thursday September 30.
To find out more about the venue, please visit www.gleneagles.com, and to find out more on the Junior Ryder Cup go to www.europeantour.com/rydercup/juniorrydercup.

PGA EUROPRO TOUR REPORT

COPPELL IN CHARGE AT FIVE LAKES




NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY PGA EUROPRO TOUR
MARK Coppell is leading the way after the first day of the latest PGA EuroPro Tour event.
Coppell, a member of Woodcote Park in Surrey, holds a one-shot load in the Brooks Bros 2010 Classic at the Five Lakes Golf Club in Essex .
Aiming to make the cut for only the second time on the Tour this season, Coppell went round in a seven-under score of 65.
That round included an eagle at the par four fifth and birdies at the first, third, tenth, 12th, 13th and 14th.
He would have been in the lead by another shot had he not scored a bogey at the 11th.
Ireland’s Paul O’Hanlon (Curragh) is in second place one shot behind Coppell on six-under.
O’Hanlon enjoyed a flawless round with birdies at the third, fifth, ninth, tenth, 13th and 16th.
He has played in nine Tour events with his best finishes being two tied fourth places – at Wensum Valley , Norfolk in April and Castle Dargan in Ireland .
Six men – Oliver Turnill, Gareth Davies (Abbeydale GC), Graeme Clark (Doncaster GC), Andrew Johnston ( North Middlesex ), Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel) and James Freeman (Worksop GC) are all tied in third position on five-under.
A further ten golfers are all in tied ninth on four-under going into day two, which starts at 7.30am on Thursday, September 9.
At the end of the second round the top 50 players plus ties will advance into the third round where the overall champion will collect the £10,000 top prize.


For full information and results, go to the official website www.europrotour.com and click on ‘Score Updates’ on the right-hand side.

Local knowledge pays off at Forfar for MacKenzie

By LEE SUTHERLAND
This week the Midland Golfers’ Alliance meeting was held at a wet, dreich Forfar Golf Club. Mike MacKenzie, an assistant pro at the host club, used his local knowledge to full advantage by taking the scratch prize by a shot with a three-under-par score of 66.
There was a tie for the handicap prize with Sandy Mitchell (Dukes), playing off 12, and scratch man Steve Cargill (Arbroath) both returning net 68s.


LEADING SCRATCH SCORES
66 M MacKenzie (Forfar) ap.

67 M Brown (Monifieth).
68 S Cargill (Arbroath).
69 A Lockhart (Ladybank) ap.70 G Brown (Montrose) ap.

71 D McKay (Wellsgreen) p.

72, G. Tough (EdzellJ, J Stevenson (Braehead) p, K Rattray (Ladybank).
73, P. Jamieson (AP, Dunblane), L Sutherland (Ballumbie Castle) p.
LEADING HANDICAP SCORES
68 A Mitchell (Dukes) (12), S Cargill (Arbroath) (scr).
69 K Rattray (Ladybank) (3), M Brown (Monifieth) (+2).

70, I. Butchart (Strathmore) (6), G Wilkie (Muckhart) (12), A Herd (Scotscraig) (11).
71 D Sim (Panmure) (4), A Mason (Thornton) (8), N Dalrymple (Drumoig) (11).
72, N McLeod (Monifieth) (6), M Gilmour (Braehead) (6), P Rhind (Grange) (8), G Cant (Monifieth) (10), R McDonald (Monifieth) (5).


Qualifiers for the JTC Interiors Express Championship at Arbroath in April
M MacKenzie (Forfar)
M Brown (Monifieth)

S Cargill (Arbroath)

G Brown (Montrose)


Qualifier for the McQueen Shield
A Mitchell (Dukes)
S Cargill (Arbroath)


Next week’s meetings


Tuesday, 14th September
Alloa
8.30 - 12.30
Thursday, 16th September
Pitlochry
8.30 - 12.30


Scotscraig Diamond Jubilee Dinner Match
Monday 20th September
Check in for 12 noon shotgun at 1pm