QUALITY FIELD OF PROS, AMATEURS FOR ABERDEEN N/OPEN

Press Release From PGA Scotland
The Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open takes place at Meldrum House Country Hotel and Golf Course, Oldmeldrum next week (August 31 – September 2), with no fewer than 15 amateurs joining the 90 qualifying Professionals in a high quality field in the £25,000 tournament.
Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) will be defending his title, although his amateur club-mate Scott Larkin who finished runner-up in last year’s rain-shortened event will be unable to take up the offer of a place in the field due to injury. Hutcheon is paired with James Byrne, who last week was selected for GB and I in the forthcoming Walker Cup match against the USA.
Rowallan Castle’s Graham Fox, an eight-time winner on the Tartan Tour this season, is the third player in the group which tees off at 9am on Wednesday.
Scottish amateur champion for a second time in three years, David Law, who missed out on Walker Cup selection, has the honour of getting play underway at 7.40am on Wednesday 31 August, playing in a three-ball which also includes former Northern Open champion Peter Smith. Ross Kellet, second reserve behind Law for the Royal Aberdeen event, is paired with current Scottish PGA Champion, and two-time Northern Open winner Chris Doak, and the experienced Aberdonian Scott Henderson at 9.25am.
Stephen Gray (Hayston) and Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills Golf Range), currently second and third behind Hutcheon in the 2011 Scottish Money List, provide another attractive pairing, teeing off at 8.50am with Leven-based amateur James White, winner of the North of Scotland open amateur championship at Nairn Dunbar on Sunday.
This year the field for the Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open includes two women, Michele Thomson, a former Scottish women's amateur champion and Curtis Cup player, and Nicola Melville, who hope to upstage their male counterparts.
Revealing the draw, Michael MacDougall, Secretary of the PGA in Scotland, said: “Aberdeen Asset Management’s support has enabled us to assemble a very strong field. Meldrum House proved to be a very popular venue for the players last year and we are looking forward to returning there in 2011. We are anticipating a tremendous Championship and it is very difficult to predict a winner.”
Martin Gilbert, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, said “We are very proud to be supporting this historic Scottish golf event for a second year. Since the beginning of 2010 we have been aiming to establish the Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open firmly into the Scottish golf calendar and we hope that we are some way to achieving this goal. We look forward to seeing our SGU boys out on the course and wish everyone playing in the tournament the best of luck.”

TEE TIMES FOR WEDNESDAY'S FIRST ROUND AT MELDRUM HOUSE

 Tee  Time      Name

  1   7:40 AM   David Law (Hazlehead) (amateur)
                Peter Smith, Deeside Golf Club
                Malcolm Isaacs, Nairn Dunbar Golf Club

  1   7:50 AM   Joel Hopwood, Carnegie Club
                Scott Crichton (Aberdour) (amateur)
                Sandy Aird, McDonald Golf Club

  1   8:00 AM   Andrew Cooper, Newmachar Golf Club
                Fraser McKenna (Balmore) (amateur)
                Terry Mathieson, Murcar Links Golf Club

  1   8:10 AM   Jonas Hedberg, Royal Aberdeen Golf Club
                Colin Brodie (Meldrum House Golf Club) (amateur)

  1   8:20 AM   Lewis Burnett, Adam Hunter Golf
                Clarke Lutton, Qatar Golf International
                Grant Smith, Gleneagles Hotel Golf Courses

  1   8:30 AM   Mark Kerr
                Christopher Currie, Caldwell Golf Club
                Terence Burgoyne, Gotastroms Golf Klubb

  1   8:40 AM   Ross Cameron, McDonald Golf Club
                Alan Lockhart, Ladybank Golf Club
                James McKinnon, Irvine Golf Club

  1   8:50 AM   James  White (Lundin) (amateur)
                Paul McKechnie, Braid Hills Golf Range
                Stephen Gray, Hayston Golf Club

  1   9:00 AM   Greig Hutcheon, Banchory Golf Club
                Graham Fox, Rowallan Castle Golf Club
                James  Byrne (Banchory) (amateur)

  1   9:15 AM   Robert Arnott, Bishopbriggs Golf Range
                Steven Duncan (Carnoustie)
                Greg McBain, Gamola Golf

  1   9:25 AM   Chris Doak
                Scott Henderson, Kings Links Golf Centre
                Ross  Kellett (Colville Park) (amateur)

  1   9:35 AM   Chris Kelly, Cawder Golf Club
                David Patrick, Elie Sports Centre
                Paul  Shields (Kirkhill) (amateur)

  1   9:45 AM  Graeme Brown, Montrose Golf Links Ltd.
                Ross Dixon, Renaissance Club
                Fraser Malcolm, North Berwick Golf Club

  1   9:55 AM   Mark King, Kingsfield Golf Range
                Jamie Carver
                Sean Thompson, Renaissance Club

  1   10:05 AM  Lee Harper, Archerfield Links
                Lindsay Mann, Carnoustie Golf Links
                Craig Gordon, Edinburgh Golf Centre

  1   10:15 AM  Stuart Morrison, Tain Golf Club
                Stuart Reekie, Blairgowrie Golf Club
                Paul Brookes, Pitreavie Golf Club

  1   10:25 AM  Joseph McBrearty, Haggs Castle Golf Club
                Neil Colquhoun, Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Cl
                Alistair Brown, Whitecraigs Golf Club

  1   10:35 AM  Jordan Ramanauskas, Gullane Golf Club
                Greg Paxton, Ralston Golf Club
                Chris McCalman, Turnhouse Golf Club

  1   10:45 AM  Nathan Keast, Renaissance Club
                Norman Huguet, Musselburgh Golf Club
                James Erskine, Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club

  1   10:55 AM  Alan Reid, West Lothian Golf Club
                Jonathan Lomas
                Scott Herald, Adam Hunter Golf

  1   11:05 AM  James McGhee, Duddingston Golf Club
                Brian Mason, Callaway Golf
                Ian Taylor, Drumpellier Golf Club

  1   11:15 AM  Andrew Crerar, Panmure Golf Club
                Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) (amateur)
                Gareth Wright, West Linton Golf Club

  1   11:30 AM  Paul Wardell, Whitekirk Golf Course
                Alastair Mackenzie, Renaissance Club
                Ian Graham, Crow Wood Golf Club

  1   11:40 AM  Craig Matheson, Falkirk Tryst Golf Club
                Scott Grieve, Turnhouse Golf Club
                Daniel Kay (Dunbar) (amateur)

  1   11:50 AM  Anthony Mackrell, Playsport Golf
                Sean O'Donnell, Balbirnie Park Golf Club
                Duncan Williamson, Kirkhill Golf Club

  1   12:00 PM  Steven Taylor, Bothwell Castle Golf Club
                David Thomson, Carnegie Club
                Colin Gillies, Kingsfield Golf Range

  1   12:10 PM  Philip  McLean (Peterhead) (amateur)
                Neil Fenwick, Dunbar Golf Club
                Kenneth Hutton, Downfield Golf Club

  1   12:20 PM  Stephen McAllister, Renaissance Club
                William Colquhoun, Dundonald Links
                Nick Robson (Meldrum House) (amateur)

  1   12:30 PM  Alan Tait, Marriott Dalmahoy Golf & Count
                Graham Forbes, Gourock Golf Club
                Michele Thomson, McDonald Ellon Golf Club

  1   12:40 PM  Jason McCreadie, Buchanan Castle Golf Club
                Greg  Paterson (St Andrews New) (amateur)
                Campbell Elliott, Haggs Castle Golf Club

  1   12:50 PM  Mark Loftus, Adam Hunter Golf
                Craig Ronald, Carluke Golf Club
                David Broadfoot, Dumfries and County Golf Club

  1   1:00 PM   David Orr, East Renfrewshire Golf Club
                Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh (amateur)
                Stewart Savage, Dalmuir Golf Club

  1   1:10 PM   Callum Trahan (Meldrum House) (amateur)
                Stuart Williamson, West Kilbride Golf Club
                Christopher Robinson, Dumfries and Galloway Golf Club

  1   1:20 PM   Ewan Davie, Dunblane New Golf Club
                Nicola Melville, Nicola Melville Golf
                James Smallwood, Fereneze Golf Club

  1   1:30 PM   Paul Wytrazek, Burntisland Golf Club
                Jonathan Porteous, Craigielaw Golf Club
                John Ruth, Clydeway Golf