BYRNE DROPS TO WORLD NO 20

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
James Byrne (Banchory) has dropped four places to No 20 in this week's revision of the R and A World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Byrne is not now the leading British or Irish player in the rankings. That honour goes to Irishman Paul Cutler who has gone up one place to No 19.
Scottish champion Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) goes up two places to No 67 and the only other Scot in the top 100, Ross Kellett (Colville Park) rises four spots to No 75.
WORLD TOP 10
1 Peter Uihlein (US) no change.
2 David Chung (US) no change.
3 Romain Wattell (France) no change.
4 Jin Jeong (South Korea) no change.
5 Andrea Pavin (Italy) no change.
6 Kevin Tway (US) no change.
7 Patrick Reed (US) +2
8 Eugene Wong (Canada) no change.
9 Russell Henley (US) +1
10 Scott Langley (US) +1.

Scots in the leading 500:
20 James Byrne -4.
67 Michael Stewart +2.
75 Ross Kellett +4.
149 Kris Nicol +31.
204 Stuart Ballingall +7.
279 James White +7.
329 Peter Latimer +27.
361 Scott Crichton +11.
373 Scott Larkin +11.
374 Paul Shields +10.
408 Steven Rennie -81.
416 Philip McLean +70.
417 Greg Paterson +7.
484 Brian Soutar +11.
485 James Ross +45.
Selected Scot not in top 500:
662 David Law -3.

TWO HEAD ALLIANCE FIELD OF 97 WITH PAR 70s AT OLDMELDRUM

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Local member Euan Duthie and Deeside’s Andrew Campbell jointly headed a field of 97 players at today’s North-east Golfers’ Alliance meeting at Oldmeldrum Golf Club.
In wet conditions they were the only two to match the par of 70.

Duthie birdied three of the first six holes to reach the turn in three-under-par 33 – the best of the day. That gave him a five-stroke advantage over Campbell but the latter strung together four 3s, three of them birdies, from the 14th to the 17th, to come home in 32 while Duthie’s inward half cost him 37 shots.

Stewart Pert (Huntly) was third on 71.

Steve Scott, three-handicap Auchmill player, had a hole-in-one with a six-iron at the 11th (172yd). He was partnered by Gary Geddes and Paul Cornfield.

Next Wednesday’s competition is at Aboyne.
Leading scratch
Par 70
70 A Campbell (Deeside), E Duthie (Oldmeldrum).
71 S Pert (Huntly).

72 G Paterson (Northern).

74 R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), B Main (Murcar Links), C Buchanan (Newmachar), G Mitchell sen (Braemar), C Stewart (Kippie Lodge), J Duncan (Newburgh), P Pugh (Oldmeldrum).

75 C Cassie ( Nigg Bay ), C Law (Kings Links), S Lawrie (Portlethen), R Leadley (American Golf), S Binnie (Caledonian).

76 C Dempster (Inchmarlo), C Carnegie (Kemnay), A Smith (Turriff), D Wilson (Duff House Royal), S Sharp ( Newburgh ).
Leading handicap
Class 1 – C Buchanan (Newmachar) (8) 66; A Campbell (Deeside) (2), S Pert (Huntly) (2), C Cassie (Nigg Bay) (6), G Mitchell sen (Braemar) (5), P Pugh (Oldmeldrum) (5) 69.
Class 2 – S Davidson (Northern) (13) 67; D Townsley (Peterculter) (4) 168; P Guthrie (Peterculter) (10) 69; P Cornfield (Auchmill) (15), R Brown (Inverurie) (14) 71.

TODAY'S BEST SCORECARDS
OLDMELDRUM PAR 70: OUT - 4-5-3-4-4-5-3-4-4: 36. IN - 4-3-4-4-4-4-4-3-4: 34

ANDREW CAMPBELL 70
OUT - 4-6-3-4-3-5-4-4-5: 38. IN - 4-4-4-4-3-3-3--3-4: 32.

EUAN DUTHIE 70
OUT - 4-4-3-4-3-4-3-4-4: 33. IN - 5-3-5-4-4--5-3-3-5: 37.

STEWART PERT 71
OUT - 4-4-3-4-3-6-4-3-5: 36. IN - 5-3-3-5-3-5-4-3-4: 35

Banchory buddies share

Northern Open lead

FROM THE SCOTSMAN.COM SPORTS WEBSITE
By Martin Dempster
THEY often play for the small pot in a club roll-up but something much more significant is on the line today when two Banchory buddies, Greig Hutcheon and Scott Larkin, go head-to-head at Meldrum House in the final two rounds of the Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open.
Hutcheon, one of eight players sharing the lead after the opening round, shot a second successive 66 to break free from the pack on eight-under 132, one ahead of Larkin, who with a 65 stepped up his bid to become the first amateur to claim this title since Sandy Pirie at Cruden Bay 40 years ago.

After a best-of-the-week 64, Craig Lee, the defending champion, and two-time winner Jason McCreadie (68) are both lurking ominously in joint-third, two shots off the pace, but an intriguing tussle is on the cards between Hutcheon and Larkin, who is a member at Royal Aberdeen.

"Scott is a good player. I know that from the £5 roll-ups we have at Banchory on a Monday," noted Hutcheon, who is keen to add his name to a roll of honour that bears such names as Eric Brown, John Panton, Harry Bannerman and Brian Barnes. "It is a famous old tournament and it would be nice to win it," he added.

On a day when the morning rain stopped in the nick of time as a couple of the greens started to give Scottish PGA officials cause for concern, Hutcheon, top picture, a two-time Tartan Tour No 1, admitted he'd got lucky with one of his five birdies after his fit of laughter caused by Chris Doak, playing in the group in front, chasing after his electric trolley as it careered into a pond.

Describing his second shot at the 16th, the 37-year-old Hutcheon said: "I was still laughing so much that I hit it heavy and was lucky it did not go into the water. A poor stance might have had something to do with it but we'll say it was the sight of Doak's trolley veering out of control into the water that put me off!"

Larkin, 23, lower picture, who spent four years at a South Carolina University, won the Leven Gold Medal in August, having lost in a play-off for the Cameron Corbett Vase, another Scottish Order of Merit event, a few weeks earlier.

Coached by Neil Marr, the head professional at Meldrum House, Larkin bagged five birdies yesterday in a round he described as "quite boring" and is relishing his joust with Hutcheon. "I feel my game has moved up a notch this year and it would be nice to get one over Greig," he said.

Lee, who was in Russia last week for a Challenge Tour event and is off to Cyprus next week to play in the EuroPro Tour Championship, made a significant leap up the leaderboard thanks to a session at the Aspire Golf Centre in Aberdeen following his opening 70.

"I hit shots here until I was kicked off the range at 5pm and then drove over to Aspire Golf Centre (at Ardoe, near Aberdeen) to use the camera and screen there to get a few things sorted out," he said.
"It worked because I played as well today as I have this year, certainly in terms of striking the ball."

That was reflected by a round highlighted by two eagles - he holed from just over 100 yards for a 2 at the 13th - and Lee reckons he'll have a good chance of hanging on to his title if he can cover the final 36 holes in eight-under. "Winning one of the four-rounders in Scotland is always an achievement in itself and it would certainly be nice to win this event back-to-back," he observed.

Having also won the Scottish Championship two years ago in addition to those two previous Northern Open triumphs - in 2006 and 2008, both at Skibo Castle - McCreadie, now being coached by Ian Rae, is certainly a dangerman, as is Hayston's Stephen Gray, a six-time winner on the Scottish circuit this season and the leading money-winner with earnings of just over £24,000.

The 36-year-old, three off the lead on 135, has negotiated his opening two rounds without dropping a single shot, revealing he'd managed to get his game sorted out in the nick of time after scraping through the first stage of the European Tour Qualifying School at Dundonald Links last week.
"I played shocking there but worked for two-and-a-half hours with (Lanark professional] Alan White on Saturday and he's got me sorted," said Gray.
In addition to Larkin, six other amateurs made the cut, including David Law, who finished with two birdies for a 68 to lie alongside Gray, Paul McKechnie (68) and Alan Reid, the West Lothian club professional making his move with a 65.
Ross Kellett (136), James White (138), Kris Nicol (140), Nick Robson (141) and Greg Paterson (142) are the other amateurs still involved.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70)
132 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) 66 66.
133 Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) (am) 68 65.
134 Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 66 68, Craig Lee (Aspire Golf Centre) 70 64.
135 Stephen Gray (Hayston) 69 66, Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) 67 68, Alan E Reid (West Lothian) 70 65, David Law (Hazlehead) (am) 67 68.
136 Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range) 67 69, Graham Fox (East Kilbride) 69 67, James McKinnon (Irvine) 69 67, Chris Doak (unatt) 66 70, Fraser Mann (unatt) 68 68, Ross Kellett (Colville Park) (am) 66 70.
137 Colin Gillies (Braid Hills) 68 69.
138 Chris Kelly (Cawder) 66 72, James White (Lundin) 68 70, David Orr (Eastwood) 68 70, David Patrick (Elie) 67 71.
139 Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy) 71 68, Peter Smith (unatt) 70 69, Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 73 66.
140 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank 68 72, Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) (am) 70 70, Scott Henry (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 71 69.
141 Alastair Webster (Edzell) 71 70, Gordon Law (Uphall) 72 69, Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation) 69 72, Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon) 71 70.
142 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) (am) 66 76, Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) 70 72, Ian Taylor (Drumpellier) 69 73, Andrew Fullen (Largs) 71 71, David Blackadder (Kingsbarns) 71 71, James McGhee (Turnhouse) 71 71, Kenneth Hutton (Downfield) 66 76, Christopher Robinson (Dumfries and Galloway 70 72, Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar) 73 69, Nick Robson (Meldrum House) (am) 71 71, Iain Colquhoun (Dundonald Links) 73 69, Mark Finlayson (Edzell) 72 70, Craig Gordon (Edinburgh Golf Centre) 69 73.
143 Wallace Booth (Comrie) 72 71, Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) 69 74, Euan Cameron (Hamilton) 72 71, Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle) 73 70, Mark Loftus (Adam Hunter Golf) 71 72, Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 71 72, Ross Dixon (Renaissance Club) 74 69.

MISSED THE CUT

144 Mark King (Kingsfield Golf Centre) 70 74, Graeme Brown (Montrose) 66 78, Samuel Cairns (Colville Park) 73 71, Alan Stuart (Aspire) 72 72, Patrick Lovie (P1 Corporate) 73 71, Michael Rae (Alyth) 72 72, Paul Wytrazek (Burntisland) 74 74, Paul Brookes (Pitreavie) 71 73, Steven Duncan (Balbirnie Park) 70 74, Scott Grieve (Turnhouse) 73 71, Ewan Davie (Dunblane New) 72 72.
145 Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 73 72, Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) (am) 70 75, Gareth Wright (West Linton) 72 73, David Fleming (Prestwick) 74 71, Garry Harvey (Kinross) 73 72, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) (am) 71 74, Lee Vannet (Carnoustie Golf Links) 70 75, Jonny Sharp (The Carrick at Cameron House) 73 72, Andrew Crerar (Panmure) 72 73, Stuart Kerr (Strathaven) 75 70.
146 Stewart Savage (Dalmuir 74 72, Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park) 72 74, Stuart Pardoe (unatt) 71 75.
147 Philip McLean (Peterhead) (am) 75 72, Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) 75 72.
148 Greg Paxton (Ralston) 71 77, Andrew Cooper (Newmachar 73 75, John Robertson (Glasgow) 74 74.

149 Craig Ronald (Carluke) 74 75, Gary Forbes (Murcar Links) 74 75, Martin Shaw (Kilmarnock Barassie) 74 75.
150 Mark Bruce (Gullane) 73 77, Colin Brodie (Meldrum House) (am) 73 77.
151 Christopher Russell (RAW Golf Course Design 76 75, Michael Sweenie (Turnberry 76 75, Ian Bratton (Newburghon Ythan) 76 75, Iain Donaldson (Meldrum House) 77 74, Scott Herald (Mearns Castle) 73 78.
152 Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm) 74 78, David Ross (Royal Aberdeen) 74 78, Sandy Aird junior (McDonald Ellon) 77 75. 
153 Ronnie McDonald (Inchmarlo) 77 76, Neil Murray (Cruden Bay) 78 75, Owen Leslie (Craigentinny) 74 79.
154 Neil Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh) 77 77, Stewart Winter (Callander) 75 79. 
155 Colin Clark (Mackenzie's Golf Shop) 79 76 18, Gavin Abson (Carrick on Loch Lomond) 79 76. 
156 Colin Nelson (Mackenzie's Golf Shop) 77 79, Alan Mackay (Pumpherston) 76 80.
157 Shaun Clark (Elie) 75 82.
159 Greig McSporran (Kinross) 80 79.
162 Rob Satterley (Inverurie) 82 80, Alastair Thomson (Douglas Park) 75 87.
Retired: Jamie Stevenson (Braehead) 77 ret.

TWO-TEE START FOR THURSDAY'S FINAL TWO ROUNDS
+Only the third-round tee times are listed. Add on roughly 5hr for the estimated final round-tee times
7:50 Tee 1 Scott Henry, Alastair Webster. Tee 10 Ross Dixon, Marker.  
7:58 Tee 1 Kris Nicol, Alan Lorkchart. Tee 10 Craig Matheson, Mark Loftus.
8:06 Tee 1 Scott Henderson, Peter Smith. Tee 10 Campbell Elliott, Euan Cameron.
8:14 Tee 1 Mark Kerr, David Patrick. Tee 10 Wallace Booth, Lee Harper.
8:22 Tee 1 David Orr, James White. Tee 10 Craig Gordon, Mark Finlayson.
8:30 Tee 1 Chris Kelly, Colin Gillies. Tee 10 Iain Colquhoun, Nick Robson.
8:38 Tee 1 Ross Kellet, Fraser Mann. Tee 10 Malcolm Isaacs, Christopher Robinson.
8:46 Tee 1 Chris Doak, James McKinnon. Tee 10 Kenneth Hutton, James McGhee.
8:54 Tee 1 Graham Fox, Robert Arnott. Tee 10 David Blackadder, Andrew Fullen.
9:02 Tee 1 Alan E Reid, David Law. Tee 10: Ian Taylor, Lindsay Mann.
9:10 Tee 1 Paul McKechnie, Stephen Gray. Tee 10 Greg Paterson, Ross Cameron.
9:18 Tee 1 Craig Lee, Jason McCreadie. Tee 10 Gordon Law, Graeme Lornie.
9:26 Tee 1 Scott Larkin, Greig Hutcheon.

SANDY PIRIE LAST AMATEUR TO WIN NORTHERN OPEN IN 1970

The last amateur to win the Northern Open was Hazlehead's Sandy Pirie (pictured) at Cruden Bay in 1970, three years after he played in the Walker Cup match. The tournament was reduced to three rounds because of fog.

The only other amateurs to have won the Northern Open in its 79-year history are Jack McLean (Hayston) at Murcar in 1933 and R S (Dick) Walker, an Aberdeen University student and member at both Cruden Bay and Deeside. Walker won in successive years - Royal Dornoch in 1935 and Deeside in 1936.

By the time Jack McLean, who was Scottish amateur champion in 1932 (Dunbar), 1933 (Balgownie) and 1934 (Western Gailes), won the Northern Open again in 1937 (Lossiemouth) and 1939 (Nairn), he had become the professional at Buchanan Castle.

Sir Ian Botham and Darren Clarke Celebrity Invitational
Archerfield Links, East Lothian

LEADING PRIZEWINNERS

Team Winners - Vistajet (179pt Rob Hersov, Geoff Symonds, Lyall Jardine and Rory McIlroy/Michael Vaughan.
Team Runners-up - Team Halsall (176 Steve Halsall, Jon Noble, Lyall Jardine and Sean Fitzpatrick/Graeme Storm).

Celebrity Individual Winner - 69 D J Spooney (21pt back nine).

Pro Winner - 78 Graeme Storm.

'Augusta is a second home to me' says Aberdeen entrepreneur

So what's it all about, Bryan Hendry?

FROM THE "METRO SPIRIT" WEBSITE - "AUGUSTA'S INDEPENDENT VOICE

A bid to operate a city (Augusta) golf course by a world-famous Scottish golf course developer was tossed out by Augusta’s procurement department on a technicality

BY SCOTT HUDSON

AUGUSTA, Georgia - A company called The Patch of Augusta LLC responded to a request for proposal to privately operate the city’s municipal golf course and Augusta’s procurement department tossed the bid out on a technicality.

“I feel I should speak out on this issue, and the city attorney has told me it’s OK for me to do so, but I really want to avoid people thinking the wrong things,” explains Augusta Commissioner Don Grantham.
The Patch, a front for a group of international investors, attempted to quietly enter the room and discuss a possible lease agreement to operate the Augusta Municipal Golf Course, but were tripped up at the threshold by the city’s procurement department.
Included in the city’s bid package was the demand for an Augusta business license.
However, the owners of The Patch of Augusta LLC were not able to purchase a business license to operate a golf course in which they had no agreement to run. In other words, to get the bid they needed a license, but to get the license they needed to have won the bid.
Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver, City Administrator Fred Russell, Recreation Director Tom Beck and nine of the 10 Augusta commissioners were all unaware of who created the company that submitted the bid.
Grantham knew, but since he has ties to Forest Hills Golf Club and is attempting to avoid a conflict of interest, he kept that information to himself.
The bid was thrown into the trash before it was unsealed.
The man behind the proposal is Brian Hendry (pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency), of Aberdeen, Scotland. Hendry hails from the United Kingdom, but has long been an Augusta taxpayer, owning several properties here.
Hendry is also an expert when it comes to operating golf courses.
“His companies maintain golf courses all over the world,” Grantham said.
Aberdeen and Augusta have many things in common. Aberdeen is recognized as the birthplace of golf with the sixth oldest golf club in existence. Augusta is known for hosting the most prestigious golf tournament in the world.
Hendry is mum on his plans for Augusta, but it is possible to look at what he is doing in Aberdeen to find a template.
The Hazlehead Municipal Golf Course in Aberdeen was designed by Alister MacKenzie, the same man who designed the Augusta National. Today, the course is derelict and losing more money than the Augusta Municipal Golf Course.
This same group of investors is entering a deal to lease Hazlehead for 99 years and immediately invest around $40 million to totally renovate the course. They are planning to install some of the same technologies, such as underground temperature control, used at Augusta National.

“We should close the deal and be in control of the Aberdeen course within six months,”

Hendry said. The investors have promised that 80 percent of the course memberships will go to the local people of Aberdeen and the prices for a local person to play will remain at the discounted rates they are today.

“Municipal golf courses are important and I believe they serve a purpose in allowing everyone who wants to have it the ability to play golf,” Hendry said.

According to press accounts from Scotland, the group plans to spend the American equivalent of $115 million in developments around the Hazelhead course, to be renamed the Mackenzie Golf Club. They will install a five-star resort hotel and professional golf academy. If you live in Aberdeen, it will cost very little to play Mackenzie Golf Club, but the international golfer wanting the full Aberdeen experience will pay a pretty penny. In addition, Hendry personally purchased the historic Aberdeen Tivoli Theatre and is spending around $8 million restoring it to its 1872 glory.
Hendry’s Augusta attorney, Ben McElreath, has filed an appeal to Augusta Procurement’s decision to toss out the bid before commissioners could have a look at the plans being presented. Word is that, now that Augusta’s commissioners know Hendry’s name and global endeavors, they are scrambling to fix the mistake.
Currently, no one in Augusta knows what Hendry has planned for the Patch. Speaking by telephone from his home in Aberdeen, Hendry will only say he is committed to Augusta and that this city is his second home.
“Whether or not I am involved with Augusta’s municipal golf course, I will still be a part of Augusta,” he says. “I love Augusta.”


===========================================
Editor Colin Farquharson's footnote: The above American newspaper/free sheet article is riddled with inaccuracies, such as Hazlehead golf course is "derelict," but interesting to know that Brian Henry, the man who was responsible for finding a major sponsor (Aberdeen Asset Management) for this week's Northern Open championship at Meldrum House, is still pursuing golfing projects at home and away. I, for one, thought that his Grand Plan for Hazlehead municipal golf course had been spiked some time ago.

POULTER TO THE CELTIC MANOR BORN

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGAThe man who helped set Ian Poulter on the road to success believes he was born to play the Ryder Cup.

Former coach Lee Scarbrow insists that Poulter’s incredible self-belief makes him perfect for the European team’s bid to reclaim the trophy at the Celtic Manor Resort next week.

Poulter will make his third appearance in the event when it docks in Wales and Scarbrow, the head PGA professional at Bedfordshire’s John O’Gaunt Golf Club, will be there to see him in Ryder Cup action for the first time.

“Ian is the perfect man for Ryder Cup, if anyone was born to play the Ryder Cup it was him, he just hates being beaten and is so determined,” said Peterborough resident Scarbrow, who employed Poulter as a young PGA assistant at Leighton Buzzard Golf Club in the mid-90s.

Poulter went on to qualify as a PGA professional before embarking on a successful playing career which has garnered eight European Tour titles, while earlier this year he won the World Match Play in Arizona.

Scarbrow witnessed the young Poulter at close hand and was a key influence on his career both as a coach and as a boss by encouraging him to play whenever the opportunity presented itself.

“I said to him if you don’t have a go, you’ll never know so I always made it possible for him to go out and play,” recalls Scarbrow.

“We had a great time, I wanted to kill him a few times if he was late for work or had been out the night before but he was a good little worker.

“Ian had iron will, determination, a massive amount of self-belief and an unbelievable desire to reach the top.

“He never said ‘if’, it was always when I play on tour, when I play the Ryder Cup, when I win Majors.

“When he said he would do something he always backed it up. I remember his first East Region Order of Merit event and he said he was going to win it. I thought okay right, and just told him to concentrate on making sure he did well.

“Of course he won it – and that included a night in hospital between rounds because of asthma. He came out and shot 65 or 66 to win it.

“On another occasion he said he was going to win the Hippo Tour but I told him he’d only probably be able to play a handful of events because of work commitments. He promptly won five out of six events including the Tour Championship.”

Scarbrow worked with Poulter in his early years on tour but was reluctant to travel so has just remained good friends with Poulter, who he is looking forward to meeting up with on the practice range at Celtic Manor.

It’s a long way from their early days together but Scarbrow is confident the flamboyant golfer has plenty more to achieve in the game.

“Ian has massively overachieved for what he can do. He could be a much better player but he is still in the world’s top 10. I still think he can do more, technically he can get better.
“I don’t think we have heard the end of what he can do. Whatever he wants, he can do.
“Just look at that putt at Birkdale for the Open. Harrington finished like a storm but Ian had it in his mind he needed a four to have a chance of winning. He didn’t hit a great chip shot but that 20ft putt was never going to miss, he almost willed it in the hole. That’s his strength of mind.”

Image of  Craig Everett, courtesy of Patrick Bolger at Getty Images.

SCOTS HOPE OLD PALS' ACT CAN DRIVE THEM

TO NATIONAL SUCCESS AT FOREST PINES


NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA
Two old friends will look to raise their games when they head the Tartan Tour challenge in the Skins PGA Four-ball Championship at Forest Pines next month.
PGA pros Craig Everett, of Glasgow’s Caldwell club, and Stewart Savage, of Dalmuir, have been best friends for 20 years and will team up for a tilt at the 54-hole final which takes place at the Lincolnshire course from October 6-8.
The pair, who were the leading Scottish qualifiers at Musselburgh back in August, have already tasted success together having won last year’s PGA Scottish Region's Fellowship Fourball Matchplay Championship at Gleneagles.
But the duo admit they will need to be at their best to claim the £5,000 first prize with several of the 2009 Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team in action including Paul Wesselingh and former European Tour player Jeremy Robinson.
“You can see by the standard of the finalists that it’s going to be very competitive. You’ve only got to look at some of the well-known names who will be taking part,” said Everett who returned to Caldwell in 2007 after being an assistant there 15 years previously.

“We targeted this event because we’d won the Scottish PGA Match Play last year and thought we stood a good chance of qualifying.

“This is a format of golf that we both enjoy and one where the pressure can be taken off you.
“It’s not like individual tournament golf, there’s someone else to rely on.

“I don’t get the chance to play so many tournaments now because of club duties which has meant my priorities have changed but Stewart plays a bit more than me so hopefully he’ll be in good form and we can give it our best shot.”

Also qualifying from Scotland were Craig Imlah (Peebles) and Ross Harrower (Boat of Garten).

The popular 54-hole event is being sponsored for the first time by Skins – a market leader in compression and therapeutic sportswear – and carries a £5,000 first prize for the winning pair.
"Sponsoring the PGA Fourball Championship demonstrates our long-term commitment to golf," said David Ling, Skins general manager for the UK and Europe.
"We are very excited about the tournament and look forward to meeting the PGA professionals who contest it."






Competitor draw for the Championship final at Forest Pines can be found under ‘Schedule, Scores and Results’ at http://www.pga.info/PGAFourballChampionship.aspx

EGU's new-look coaching teams for winter training

programmes includes Paul Casey's father

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
There will be a new look to the coaching teams leading The English Golf Union (EGU) national squads as the winter training programmes commence at the end of September. One new Lead Coach and three new volunteer Squad Managers will join the existing team of professional and voluntary staff guiding the promising squad players through their competitive and training schedules.
David Ridley continues with the England Squad following six successful years as the Lead Coach to the nation’s top amateur golfers. David has presided over two European Championship victories in his present role and will be looking for further success after a total of 24 years of involvement within the national and regional squad programme. Terry Casey of Surrey, father of world number nine and former English Amateur Champion Paul Casey, takes on the voluntary role of England Squad Manager after a successful period as the Regional Manager of the EGU’s South Region. David and Terry will be supported by the existing professional team of Gary Smith, Graham Walker, Brian Hemmings and Andy Larmour.
The England A Squad will be led by Andrew Reynolds of Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. Andrew has acted as an assistant to the squad in recent years and will take on the role of Lead Coach for the season ahead. David Oldcorn of Kent continues in his role as Squad Manager with Alan Thompson, Paul Ashwell, Lynn Booth, Ian Maynard and Clare Pheasey forming the professional support team.
Graham Walker will continue as the Lead Coach to the England Under 18’s Squad but he will be joined by two new volunteers in Kevin Cademy-Taylor from Northumberland and Derek Hughes from Somerset.
Kevin joins the team as Squad Manager with Derek acting as Assistant Squad Manager to sufficiently cover the large pool of players at boy’s level. Both volunteers have been promoted from their existing roles as EGU Regional Managers and they will be supported by professional staff Gordon Brand Junior, Lynn Booth, Brian Hemmings and Tony Sephton.The England Under 16’s Squad will have a new Squad Manager in Nick Over from Lincolnshire. John Jacobs continues in his role as the Lead Coach with support from Gordon Brand Junior, Lynn Booth and Tony Sephton.

EGU Director of Coaching, Peter Mattsson commented, “England amateur players have made great progress over the last four seasons under the outgoing Squad Managers and we are enormously indebted for the time they have invested as volunteers in overseeing the training programmes of the country’s up-and-coming young players. We are very lucky to be able to name such experienced replacements and I am confident we can look forward to further success in 2011 given the dedication and work ethic the players show in training.”

Invitations to training sessions are being finalised with an announcement on players making the National Squads to follow. The professional and voluntary staff named above do not form an exhaustive list of support personnel as other specialists and guest speakers are frequently introduced to the programme when required.