GOLFING ASHES MATCH BETWEEN AUSTRALIA, ENGLAND

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Six members of the England squad will aim to emulate our Test cricketers by successfully defending the Ashes during an assault on a series of Australian tournaments over the next six weeks.
The two-day Ashes clash will round off the annual mid-winter visit Down Under by England players which this year will take in six events starting with the Masters of the Amateurs at Royal Melbourne from January 11 to 14.
The group who will swap the snow of Britain for the sunshine of the Southern Hemisphere is: Laurie Canter (Saltford, Somerset), Stiggy Hodgson (Sunningdale, Surrey), Tom Lewis (Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire), Jack Senior (Heysham, Lancashire), Andrew Sullivan (Nuneaton, Warwickshire), and Darren Wright (Rowlands Castle, Hampshire).

After the Masters of the Amateurs, the squad will contest the Lake Macquarie International at Belmont from January 20 to 23, the New South Wales Medal at Liverpool and Cumberland Golf Clubs from January 25 to 28, the New South Wales Amateur at the New South Wales Golf Club from January 31 to February 2, before the Ashes at Elanora Country Club near Sydney February 8 and 9.
Those who fail to qualify for the New South Wales Amateur will play in the Lakes Cup at The Lakes GC on 30th January.
In addition Senior, Sullivan and Wright will compete in the New South Wales Cup on February 12, again hosted at the New South Wales Golf Club before returning home.
Three other English players, David Coupland (Boston, Lincolnshire), Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn, Wiltshire), and Neil Raymond (Corhampton, Hampshire) will be following a similar schedule in Australia although not part of the official England group.
However, they could be called up for the Ashes, which England won convincingly at Royal Birkdale in 2009, as Lewis is returning home prior to the match, hoping for other tournament opportunities in order to prepare for the English season in which his main aim is Walker Cup selection.

JAMES BYRNE PLANS PRO FUTURE AFTER WALKER CUP MATCH

James Byrne driving from the third tee at Murcar Links in the Scottish open amateur stroke-play championship (image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

FROM TODAY'S SCOTTISH DAILY EXPRESS
http://www.express.co.uk/golf
By JOCK MacVICAR

Banchory's James Byrne swings into the New Year as Britain and Ireland's leading amateur and second in Europe.

The only European ahead of him in rankings dominated by American college players is Sweden's Henrik Norlander, based at Augusta State University.

Byrne, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on Sunday, is 17th, two spots ahead of Irishman Paul Cutler and 15 ahead of the next GB and Ireland player, English teenager Tom Lewis.

He starts his final term at Arizona State University on January 16 and expects to graduate with a marketing degree in May before returning to play in all the main amateur events in the build-up to the Walker Cup match at Royal Aberdeen on September 10-11.

"The plan for this year is to play in everything back home in the summer, then hopefully make the GB and Ireland Walker Cup team," said Byrne.
"After that I'll be going to the European Q School and hopefully will get my card as a Tour professional."
Byrne showed he has the game for the professonal ranks last year when he came within a whisker of qualifying for The Open at St Andrews.
"By having such a good season last year, I then knew I had the game for the professional tour. I haven't won a college event in the States but it isn't easy. Arizona State always play against the top colleges and the standard is very high.
"I usually find myself playing against the likes of Peter Uihlein who is the world No 1."
Byrne was born in Norfolk and his mother is from Singapore. But the family moved to Banchory when he was only three weeks old.
Because he has spent three years at college in America, he has not been a regular member of the SGU Elite Squad back home but his game is home-built.
Byrne said: "I've had the same coach, Andrew Locke at Inchmarlo, since I started playing golf at the age of eight. Because he knows my game so well, I can go to hm at any time and he'll immeidately spot any problem I have with the swing.
"When I'm at Arizona State, I send videos of my swing back to him and he can then study them and get back to me.
"In his early teens, Byrne was an accomplished swimmer, winning many events in the pool and setting a number of records.
However, by the time he wa 14, he couldn't handle golf and swimming as well as his school work, and the swimming had to go.
It was a tough decision to make but the intensive training he had with Gary Paterson, now Scotland's Commonwealth Games coach, has stood him in good stead.
There are few fitter and more athletic golfers around.
While the Walker Cup is Byrne's main target for 2011, he hopes as a warm up for the match and the European Q School to get an invitation to the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in August.

"I'll also be trying to qualify for the Open at Royal St George's and maybe the US Open at the Congressional in Maryland, as well," he added.

"The only problem is that it's at the same time as the British Amateur at Hillside. I haven't decided yet."

(Byrne, of course, reached the final of last year's British Amateur at Muirfield).

Whatever his decision, Byrne will be one to keen an eye on.

TO READ JOCK MacVICAR'S ARTICLE IN FULL, GO OUT AND BUY TODAY'S (Tuesday) SCOTTISH DAILY EXPRESS.

CLAIRE PENMAN 'LOVING EVERY MINUTE' OF MONTROSE LINKS JOB

  Montrose Links' second hole with the danger of erosion on the beach side clearly visible. Where's the fairway? There it is - a classic links' humps and hollows fairway. Image supplied by Montrose Golf Links.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Angus county team player Claire Penman became secretary of the Montrose Golf Links in November - and she's loving every minute of it!

"Our policy throughout the winter has been to have no mats in use and full greens are in play as much as possiblem," says Claire (pictured) who helped Angus reach the Scottish county finals last year.

Claire also partnered Frances Millar, both Carnoustie Caledonia members, to victory in last season's Scottish Women's Foursomes tournament at Douglas Park GC. 
Montrose Links, of course, is one of the oldest courses in the world and as such attracts visiting golfers from all over the world.
Montrose Golf Links Limited telephone numbers are:

Telephone: 01674 672932

Fax: 01674 671800

If you wish to E-mail Claire Penman, the address is:
secretary@montroselinks.co.uk
and the website is:
http://www.montroselinks.co.uk/

DAILY WINTER TARIFFS AT MONTROSE LINKS
FROM 01 NOVEMBER 2010 TO 25 MARCH 2011

NO MATS IN USE - PLAY FROM FULL FAIRWAYS ALL WINTER.
MEDAL COURSE
EEC = East Coast Concession which gives discounted green fees on proof of their membership of one of the following golf clubs:  Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar, Kirriemuir, Portlethen, Stonehaven and Letham Grange Golf Club.


MONDAY-FRIDAY/ ECC / SATURDAY-SUNDAY / ECC
ADULT ROUND: £25 / £20 / £25 / £20.
JUNIOR ROUND: £10 / £8 / £10 / £8.
MEMBER'S GUEST: £10 / N/A /£10  N/A
UB 40: £10 / N/A / £10 / N/A.

** SPECIAL DEAL - BOOK A VISITOR FOUR-BALL FOR £90 **
** SPECIAL DEAL - BOOK AN ECC FOUR-BALL FOR £70 **


BROOMFIELD COURSE
MONDAY-FRIDAY / ECC / SATURDAY-SUNDAY / ECC.
ADULT ROUND: £10 / £8 / £15 / £12.
JUNIOR ROUND: £5 / £5 / £7 / £7.
MEMBER'S GUEST: £5 / N/A / £7 / N/A
UB 40: £5 / N/A /£7 / N/A


IF FROST HOLES IN OPERATION THE FOLLOWING RATES APPLY: -
MEDAL COURSE
MONDAY-FRIDAY / ECC / SATURDAY-SUNDAY / ECC.
ADULT ROUND: £14 / £11 / £14 / £11.
JUNIOR ROUND: £7 / £5 / £7 / £5.
MEMBER'S GUEST: £7 / N/A /£7 / N/A.
UB 40: £7 / N/A /£7 / N/A

BROOMFIELD COURSE
MONDAY-FRIDAY / ECC / SATURDAY-SUNDAY / ECC.
ADULT ROUND: £10 / £8 / £10 / £8.
JUNIOR ROUND: £4 / £4 / £4 / £4.
MEMBER'S GUEST: £4 / N/A /£4 / N/A.
UB 40: £4 / N/A / £4 / N/A.


PLEASE NOTE THAT THROUGHOUT THE WINTER PERIOD,
(01 NOVEMBER 2010 TO 25 MARCH 2011 INCLUSIVE)
"2 FOR 1" VOUCHERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.


2011 SUMMER DAILY TARIFFS AT MONTROSE LINKS 
AS FROM 26th MARCH 2011


COMPOSITE WEEKLY TICKETS (MEDAL AND BROOMFIELD)
ADULT (7 days) £120.
JUNIOR (7 days) £60.


MEDAL COURSE
MON-FRI / SAT / SUN
ADULT ROUND: £50 / £55 / £50.
ADULT DAY: £65 / £75 / £65.
ADULT COMPOSITE DAY: £55 / £62 / £55.
JUNIOR ROUND: £20 / £25 / £20.
JUNIOR DAY: £32 / £35 / £32.
JUNIOR COMPOSITE DAY: £25 / £28 / £25.


BROOMFIELD COURSE

WEEKLY TICKETS (BROOMFIELD ONLY)
ADULT (7 days) £70.
JUNIOR (7 days) £35.


MON-FRI /SAT / SUN
ADULT ROUND: £20 / £22 / £20.
ADULT DAY: £30 / £35 / £30.
JUNIOR ROUND: £7 / £7 / £7.

RESTRICTIONS ON VISITOR PLAY:

SUN - FRI: NO RESTRICTIONS

SAT: PLAY PERMITTED ONLY BETWEEN 14.44 - 15.40

(MEMBERS HAVE USE OF THE COURSE FOR THE REST OF THE TIME).

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS OF EIGHT OR MORE GOLFERS.