SCOTLAND'S NEW-LOOK SQUAD FOR ABU DHABI TRAINING

Following the success of the 2010 winter camp, a new-look Scottish Golf Union squad of ten players will depart on November 18 for a month of warm-weather training and practice, based at the Yas Links Golf Club in Abu Dhabi and the Centro Yas Island Hotel, who together with long-standing supporter of the SGU, Aberdeen Asset Management, will sponsor the four-week training programme in the Middle East sunshine.
The group of ten will include four members of the current Scotland boys’ squad, who will attend the training camp for a shorter period of 10 days. Only South African amateur championship runner-up Paul Shields, pictured, is making the trip from the players who attended in 2010 which means the next generation of international-class Scottish players will benefit from the use of world-class golf facilities.
Philip McLean (Peterhead), James White (Lundin) and Ross Kellett (Colville Park) are still amateurs but were unavailable in any case due to their commitments to Stage 2 of the European Tour Q School and the Alps Tour Qualifying School.
Scott Crichton (Aberdour) and Brian Soutar (Leven) are included, along with former boys' Order of Merit winner Conor O’Neil (Pollok), Fraser McKenna (Balmore) and this year's Scottish amateur championship beaten finalist Daniel Kay (Dunbar).
Blairgowrie’s Bradley Neil, winner of the recent Junior Champion of Champions event, joins the squad, alongside reigning boys' Order of Merit champion Greig Marchbank (Dumfries and County), with promising St Andrews youngster Ewan Scott and Lothians star Anthony Blaney also selected.
In addition to the preparation work the players will be undertaking on and off the course, a first-ever Test Match between Scotland and the Emirates Golf Federation is set to take place towards the end of their stay.
Key members of the SGU coaching team – head coach Ian Rae, Under-18s coach Neil Marr and Performance Manager Steve Paulding – will support the players, with input from expert staff at the sportscotland Institute of Sport.

The full Scotland squad for the trip to the United Arab Emirates is:
Scott Crichton (Aberdour)
Daniel Kay (Dunbar)
Fraser McKenna (Balmore)
Conor O’Neil (Pollok)
Paul Shields (Kirkhill)
Brian Soutar (Leven)
Anthony Blaney (Liberton)
Greig Marchbank (Dumfries and Co)
Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie)
Ewan Scott (St Andrews)