ABERDEEN AND DISTRICT JUNIOR PENNANT LEAGUE FIXTURES 2012

APRIL 22
SECTION A

Banchory v Royal Aberdeen

Caledonian v Hazlehead.

SECTION B

McDonald Ellon v Peterculter

Inverallochy v Cruden Bay

SECTION C

Alford v Portlethen

Newmachar v Deeside

SECTION D

Stonehaven v Murcar Links

Oldmeldrum v Aboyne

Inverurie v Auchmill

APRIL 29
SECTION A

Royal Aberdeen v Caledonian

Peterhead v Banchory

SECTION B

Peterculter v Inverallochy.

Northern v McDonald Ellon

SECTION C

Kemnay v Alford

Portlethen v Newmachar

SECTION D

Oldmeldrum v Stonehaven

Murcar Links v Inverurie

Aboyne v Auchmill

MAY 6
SECTION A

Royal Aberdeen v Peterhead

Hazlehead v Banchory

SECTION B

Peterculter v Northern

Cruden Bay v McDonald Ellon

SECTION C

Portlethen v Kemnay

Deeside v Alford

SECTION D

Stonehaven v Aboyne

Inverurie v Oldmeldrum

Auchmill v Murcar Links

MAY 13
SECTION A

Banchory v Caledonian

Peterhead v Hazlehead

SECTION B

McDonald Ellon v Inverallochy

Northern v Cruden Bay

SECTION C

Alford v Newmachar

Kemnay v Deeside

SECTION D

Inverurie v Stonehaven

Murcar Links v Aboyne

Auchmill v Oldmeldrum

MAY 20

Banchory Junior Open

MAY 27
SECTION A

Hazlehead v Royal Aberdeen

Caledonian v Peterhead

SECTION B

Cruden Bay v Peterculter

Inverallochy v Northern

SECTION C

Deeside v Portlethen

Newmachar v Kemnay

SECTION D

Stonehaven v Auchmill

Oldmeldrum v Murcar Links

Aboyne v Inverurie

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

SEMI-FINALS

League A winners v League C winners

League B winners v League D winners

Neutral venues to be agreed.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24
FINAL
Winners of League A v League C v Winners of League B v League D

Once beautiful Christchurch city centre now a pile of bricks after earthquake

E-mail from New Zealand
By JIM HARDIE
Well-known Aberdeen golf figure who goes to New Zealand every UK winter so that he can enjoy the summer Down Under

Yes I am in sunny, well, sometimes, New Zealand, but while great to escape the dreadful North-east of Scotland weather, it's been a very harsh reality check in coming back to a Christchurch simply devastated by recent earthquakes.

A once beautiful city centre in now virtually a pile of bricks in places, endless areas simply gone, with car parking space is now no longer a central city problem!

It is fair to say I am bewildered at what I have seen, and a disgrace that the UK media has not given more coverage! There are another 6,000 homes yet to be demolished. It's incredible.

Anyway, after a three-day journey to get here, mainly courtesy of a problem with yet another A380 airbus before take-off at Heathrow, it was rather nice to arrive to a typical Christchurch day - biting north-east wind, and cloudy!

Arriving a day late meant my first game with Sir Bob (Charles)was missed, so a bit disappointed with that, but other days beckon!

The NZ courses played so far are all in awesome condition, seemingly been a lot of late spring rain.

My form has been great - four wins and one loss to date, a very good start, with yesterday's modest 72 less six going down particularly well with the guys at Templeton Golf Club!!

The lure, pardon the pun, of the mighty Clutha River in Central Otago is simply too much to ignore, so early tomorrow I head south-west to cast one's line far out and catch a rainbow trout, or at least that's the plan. 

The 5hr drive through the finest scenery in NZ is also a bonus.

Regards to all back hom

Jim Hardie

DUSTIN JOHNSON HAS RIGHT KNEE CARTILAGE OPERATION

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE

JUPITER, Florida (AP): Dustin Johnson has undergone surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee. He is expected to be out of competition until sometime in January.

Johnson won The Barclays in August to become the first player since Tiger Woods in 1999 to win in each of his first four years on the US PGA Tour straight out of college. He has five career wins.

His agent, David Winkle at Hambric Sports, said today that Johnson had been feeling pain since July, when he was a runner-up to Darren Clarke in the British Open.

Johnson is expected to be crutches for a week, then resume chipping and putting. He should be at full speed by the end of December before returning to golf. It is not clear if he would be able to play the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua, which starts on January 6.

SUNSHINE TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL SCOREBOARD

TO VIEW ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES IN THE SUNSHINE (South African PGA) TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL AT BLOEMFONTEIN AND SCHOEMAN PARK GOLF CLUBS

CLICK HERE

SCOTS FINISH JOINT 2ND BEHIND CHAMPIONS FRANCE IN PORTUGAL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Scotland, second placed overnight,. were not able to mount a challenge on leaders France over the fourth and final round of the PGAs of Europe international team golf championship over the Ocean Course at Vale do Lobo Golf Club on Portugal's Algarve coastline. France's Benjamin Nicolay (69), Stephane Lahary (70) and Bertrand Cornut (72) clinched the title with a 19-under-par total of 557. They each earned £2,000. Last year the French team were robbed of potential victory when bad weather led to a decision to disregard the final-day scores and revert to the third-round totals of which England had the lowest. Today Scotland slipped from five shots off the pace with a round to go to nine shots behind the winners and were joined in second place by Spain on 10-under-566. That represented a fine effort by the Spaniards who were reduced to a two-man team over the last two days due to injury. Scotland's "anchor man" Jim McKinnon (Irvine) shot a closing two-under-par 70 but Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) and Chris Currie (Caldwell) had one-over-par 73s, giving the Scots a fourth-round total of 143, their second worst of the week. The consolation for the trio was £1,500 each from the prize fund. Irvine totalled five-under 283, Lockhart 290 and Currie 297. Defending champions England were worse than Scotland on the last day and a team score of 144 pushed them down to fifth place on 568. Gary Brown and Craig Goodfellow both had 72s, Chris Gill a 74. They earned £1,000 a piece. Ireland (Eamonn Brady 69, David Ryan 71, John Kelly 74) earned £966 apiece for finished joint sixth on 569 alongside Denmark. Wales (Simon Edwards 71, Andrew Barnett 75, Matthew Parsley 79) finished out of the money in 15th place on 585.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 576 (8x72)
557 FRANCE 140 140 138 139 (£6,000).
566 SPAIN 142 138 145 141, SCOTLAND 145 137 141 143 (£4,500 each team).
567 ITALY 138 142 147 140 (£3,900).
568 ENGLAND 136 147 141 144 (£3,600).
569 IRELAND 139 143 147 140, DENMARK 148 142 138 141 (£2,900 each team).
575 AUSTRIA (£2,200).
578 SWEDEN (£2,000).
582 POLAND.
583 NETHERLANDS.
584 SOUTH AFRICA, PORTUGAL, GERMANY.
585 WALES 151 145 143 146.
587 SWITZERLAND.
593 CZECH REPUBLIC.
603 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.
608 NORWAY, BELGIUM.
615 FINLAND.
616 CROATIA.
620 ICELAND.
624 SLOVENIA, RUSSIA.
626 HUNGARY

Marche de Triomphe for nine-shot winners France
FROM THE PGAs OF EUROPE WEBSITE
The combination of sang froid and red hot ball-striking saw France serve up cordon bleu golf to win the PGAs of Europe International Team Championship at Vale do Lobo.
Such was the dominance of the French that the five-shot advantage they boasted at the start of the fourth and final round had almost doubled at the end of it.
All of which left the five teams that harboured realistic hopes of denying the French their second triumph in the tournament scrapping for the runner’s up berth.
In the event it was shared between Spain and Scotland who finished nine strokes adrift. Long beforehand, however, Benjamin Nicolay and his two team-mates had turned the event into a procession.
So much so, that any champagne the French had put on ice before the start of play over the Ocean course could have been cracked open midway through their round. But Nicolay was not taking anything for granted in his team’s pursuit of the £6,000 first prize and cut glass trophy.
“Five shots is not that big a lead in this format and things can change very quickly,” he said. “So it was very important we got a good start to settle us down.”
His caution was especially understandable given the bitter disappointment he experienced last year when Mother Nature was at her most malevolent.
As a result their chances of winning 12 months ago were washed away by the abandonment of the final round and England were the beneficiaries.
“I guess we’ve got our revenge and this makes up for last year,” said Nicolay, without a hint of triumphalism.
And rather than gloat and turn the clock back to 2010, he preferred to talk about the past four days. “We’ve been very consistent throughout the tournament,” he added. “We all carded par or under again today. Apart from once, that’s been the case in every round. We’ve played very well and I’m very happy.”
Bertrand Cornut and Nicolay gave France the steady start they craved, the former posting three birdies in the first six holes, the latter two. And although Cornut could not maintain his early momentum and finished on level par, Stephane Lahary (two-under) picked up the baton.
Once again, though, Nicolay played a role befitting his status and carded a three-under-par round of 69, his fourth successive sub-par return. Meanwhile, Francisco Cea and Ismael del Castillo both posted sub-par rounds to earn Spain £4,500 for finishing joint second – an effort that was particularly noteworthy given that they were deprived of the services of Fernando Roca for the last three rounds because of injury.
Likewise Scotland in the light of a dreadful start that saw them one-over after the first round and nine shots off the pace. “That cost us,” said Jim McKinnon.
“But we turned it round on day two by carding seven-under-par. That was a really good effort and we kept in touch after that.
“Unfortunately we could make up the five-stroke gap today but France played fantastically well, so all credit to them.”
Spain and Scotland finished a stroke ahead of Italy and two clear of England, who were never able to maintain the form they showed on the first day.
For an example of maintaining form, however, look no further than Sweden’s Peter Grimfjord. After an opening round of 76, he carded 69, 68 and 67 – the last two the best of their respective rounds.
* The PGAs of Europe’s Annual Congress and International Team Championship are supported once again by Glenmuir, Associaçäo Turismo do Algarve and the Ryder Cup European Development Trust.

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BOB MACKAY BACK IN NORTH AS MURCAR LINKS COURSE SUPREMO

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Murcar Links Golf Club, hosts to the Scottish boys' match-play championship next April, have landed one of the most experienced Scots-born head greenkeepers/course managers to succeed Brian Anderson who retired last Friday after nearly 14 years.
The much-travelled Bob Mackay took up his new duties as Murcar Links course manager on Monday, some 34 years after he got his first job as an apprentice keeper at his local golf club, Royal Dornoch.
He later moved on to Worthing Golf Club in Sussex before getting his first head greenkeeping post, at Dumfries and County GC, in 1985.
He returned to Royal Dornoch as head greenkeeper in 1998, having worked in Ireland and then Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club in the 1990s.
In 2004, he became course manager at the new Spey Valley course at Aviemore. Latterly, he held down a similar post at another Dave Thomas-designed course at The Roxburghe GC, Kelso.
Another former Royal Dornoch head greenkeeper, Robert Patterson, has been course manager for many years at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club whose Balgownie Links adjoin Murcar Links. This year Robert won a golf environmental award.
Now there's a 2012 target for Bob Mackay!

CAMERON WEST'S PAR 72 WINS MIDLAND ALLIANCE AT DRUMOIG

Scotscraig assistant professional Cameron West battled through wet and windy conditions at Drumoig golf course near Leuchars today to win the top scratch prize in the Midland Alliance competition by three strokes.

There was a triple tie at the top of the handicap returns between former SGU president Hugh Hunter (Alloa), John Rankin (Scotscraig) and Derrick Wilson (Monifeith), all with net scores of 72.

LEADING SCRATCH

72 C West (Scotscraig)

75 M Pirie (Pitlochry), W Hutton (Pitlochry), A J Webster (Edzell).

76 D Wilson (Monifieth).

77 J Watt (Edzell), R Sinclair (Muckhart).

78 M MacKenzie (Edzell), S Clark (Elie), P Brookes (Pitreavie).

LEADING HANDICAP SCORES

D Wilson (Monifieth) (4), H Hunter (Alloa) (10), J Rankin (Scotscraig) (7) 72; I Cameron (Panmure) (6) 73; S Hills (Monifieth) (8),D Vicary (Craigie Hill) (12), D Peter (Scotscraig) (10), G Muir (Burntisland) (7), A McEwan (Carnoustie) (13) 74; A Reid (Monifieth) (12), I Crawford (Dunblane New) (6), W Hutton (Pitlochry) (scr), N Henderson (Scotscraig) (12), J Watt (Edzell) (2), R Baldie (Crieff) (7), D Black (Dunfermline) (12), J Brown (Kirkcaldy) (9), R  Sinclair (Muckhart) (2) 75.

Qualifiers for the J T C Kitchen Express Midland Golfers Alliance Championship in April at Carnoustie

D. Wilson (Monifieth)

C. West (Scotscraig) ap

S Clark (Elie) ap

Qualifiers for the J T C McQueen Shield in April at Carnoustie

D Wilson (Monifieth)

J Rankin (Scotscraig)

Next Meeting

Tuesday, December 6

Charleton Golf Course

Tee reserved: 8.45am - Noon

Lee Sutherland

HowDidiDo Qualifiers for Portugal in February

Throughout the past Golf season, across the UK, golfers have been battling it out to qualify for the finals of the HowDidiDo National Matchplay Championships, to be held in the Portugal next February. The last stages of qualifying happened throughout October and below are a list of those who will be jetting out for some winter sun and golf next year.

Singles
Chris Wall from Middlesbrough
Karl Worsley from Bury
Patrick Goffin from Gorleston
Arun Ganatra from Whipsnade Park

Mixed Pairs
Robert Stewart and Karen Bissell from Torvean
Kimberley Vardy and  Kevin Vardy from Retford
Jane Lee and Andy Rogers from Fingle Glen
Yvonne Brown and Brian Medlam from Broadstone

Pairs
Brian Neil and Barry Bloomer from Bishop Auckland
Robert Brown and Brian Williamson from Kingsknowe.
Richard Cooper and Andrew Newby from Wakefield Woodthorpe.
Steve Roberts and Mike Anderson from Mellor and Townscliffe.
Keith Finlay and Mark Turner from Camberley Heath.
Peter Shore and Ross Ranson from Crondon Park

Senior Pairs
David McNeill and Dennis Wright from Billingham
Stephen Rayer and Martyn Harris from Tytherington
Brett Halling-Brown and Stephen O'Connell from Mendip, Burnham and Berrow
Steve Bowler and Pete Lyons from Cottesmore

OUT OF WORK EAST KILBRIDE GREENKEEPER WINS ELECTRIC TROLLEY
An unemployed greenkeeper from East Kilbride has won the inaugural HowDidiDo Golf Monthly order of merit. And a PowaKaddy sport electric trolley is winging its way to Scotland as his reward.
The competition was open to all amateur golfers whose handicaps are listed at HowDidiDo – Europe’s largest golfing community – and was aimed at the thousands of regular golfers in the UK and Ireland who compete in medal competitions and enjoy benchmarking their game against friends and fellow golfers.
It ran from August 1 to October 31, and the placings were determined by each player’s three best medal rounds at their own club during that period, with the scores worked out on best net differential to ensure a level playing field regardless of the difficulty of the individual courses.
And Playsport Golf’s Michael Wilson, emerged as the competition’s overall winner, just 34 points ahead of his nearest rival.
Understandably, the 23-year-old was delighted – and a little shocked – with his success.
The eight-handicapper said: “I hadn’t been checking it so I was really surprised. I was still checking my medal rounds but not the order of merit leaderboard.
“It was only when a lady at my club showed me that I knew – and I was over the moon. My family are really pleased for me as well. I don’t know if we’ll be celebrating at the club, but I have seen they’ve put up a notice on the club website.”
Rathbane Golf Club’s Patricia Costello emerged victorious in the ladies’ section to win a pair of FootJoy My Joys golf shoes, two-dozen Titleist proV1 balls and a Titleist StaDry waterproof stand bag. She scored 3,672 points to beat her nearest rival, Claire Ross, from Tain GC in Ross-shire, by just 21 points.
The 42-year-old home help said: “My friends started texting me saying ‘congratulations’ and I was asking ‘for what?’. They had seen it on the HowDidiDo website. I was absolutely stunned. I can’t believe it.
“My own club is so happy too. Several of the men had also entered and they have been in touch too. They knew more about it that me. I never expected to do well as there were so many people involved.
“It’s a tremendous concept – even just to be able to judge yourself against other players from other clubs is great.”
Costello started playing just two years ago – when her family presented her with a set of clubs, a pair of golf shoes and a bag for her 40th birthday. And now she plays off 11!
HowDidiDo’s managing director, Barry Dyett, said: “The response to our first order-of-merit competition was phenomenal and it has been a real pleasure to contact all our winners – congratulations to all of them.
“There appears to be a real desire for this type of competition at the grass-roots level of the game and I believe there is a great future for the HowDidiDo Golf Monthly order of merit.”
Michael Harris, the editor of Golf Monthly, added: “Golf Monthly was delighted to partner HowDidiDo in launching the order of merit in 2011. I was confident the concept would capture the imagination of UK and Irish club golfers but I could never have predicted more than 11,000 of them would have participated in its first year.

SCOT NIALL CAMERON HAS DESIGNED NEW MARRAKECH COURSE

PRESS RELEASE

The Marrakech Golf Club, Assoufid, one of the best new courses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, featuring spectacular views of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, is set to open in spring 2012.

The championship lay-out, an extraordinary debut design by Scottish PGA professional Niall Cameron, pictured, forms part of an exquisite new resort and private residential development on a 222-hectare estate that is set to become Morocco’s premier golf venue.

A luxury, 98-room Rocco Forte Collection hotel and spa, is planned, along with a sumptuous golf clubhouse, currently under construction and set to open next year.

The estate’s first private residence, one of 80 luxury villas each set within a one-hectare plot, has been completed and is now occupied. Twelve more homes are being built as part of an initial release of property.

Yet it is the location, just 20 minutes from the ancient centre of the vibrant ‘Red City’ of Marrakech, and a 10min drive from the international airport, in view of North Africa’s majestic Atlas Mountains, that is capturing visitors’ imagination.

“I had to pinch myself when I first saw the site for the golf course,” said Niall Cameron, who previously oversaw the development of the Kyle Philips- designed Verdura Golf and Spa Resort, Sicily.
“The setting, with the views to the mountains, is mesmerising – you can see why people from all over the world are drawn here.

“The terrain for the golf course was ideal. The palm and olive groves, set on undulating rolls and folds in the landscape, enabled us to incorporate mature trees into the design.

“We also have a creek running through the course, which we have brought into play. It’s a strategic design, prompting the golfer to think about how they tackle each shot, but it’s also highly enjoyable and opens out on the back nine so you can fully appreciate the landscape and views to the mountains.”

Morocco is among the fastest growing golf destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and The Marrakech Golf Club, Assoufid, is perfectly situated to become the home club or resort for the discerning international golfer.

Within a 3hr flight time of most European capital cities, Marrakech is a legendary haven for artists, fashionistas, movie stars, business people, statesmen and their families. While tourists enjoy the sights, sounds and heady aromas of the souks, residents head for discreetly favoured restaurants, clubs and shopping.
For those with a taste for the outdoors, skiing, walking and 4x4 driving in the Atlas Mountains is a 90min drive away, while the beach is a two-hour trip. Lake Lalla Takerkoust, just 30km from Marrakech, offers a wealth of water sports including jet skiing, water ski-ing, kite surfing and wind surfing.

The 7,020-yard, par-72 golf course is scheduled to open in March 2012.

For more information, visit: http://www.assoufid.com/ 

For all golf travel trade enquiries, please contact Guy Maxwell, Director of Golf, The Marrakech GolfClub, Assoufid, http://uk.mc870.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=g.maxwell@assoufid.com

R and A BOOST FOR ST ANDREWS LINKS JUNIOR ASSOCIATION

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ST ANDREWS LINKS JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION
St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association (SALJGA) received a major boost today with the news that The R and A has pledged to continue its support with £75,000 of funding over the next five years.
The R and A has been a committed supporter of SALJGA since it was formed and sees it as a key element in the development of junior golf in St Andrews.
Duncan Weir, the Director of Golf Development at The R and A, met with Nick Randerson, Junior Golf Co-ordinator at St Andrews Links Trust, to confirm the award.
SALJGA was established in 2001 by St Andrews Links Trust in partnership with local golf clubs in the town to provide co-ordinated support for the development of young golfers from the ages of five through to 18.
Since then hundreds of youngsters, who live in St Andrews or go to school in the town, have benefited from the programme which offers coaching from PGA professionals and volunteer coaches and gives them the opportunity to take part in competitions on the Links courses.
In recent years, talented young players such as Ewan Scott, Ian Redford, Daniel Sommerville, Peter Latimer, Greg Paterson, Ben Kinsley and, more recently, Lauren Whyte and Alasdair McDougall have emerged through the programme to achieve national success.
Mr Weir said, “We have supported SALJGA since the beginning and are delighted with the success it has had in giving access to the game to youngsters in St Andrews. Ten years on we are now starting to see the fruits of the programme. There have never been more boys and girls from this area playing in county and national events. SALJGA is one of the most effective programmes of its kind anywhere and we are pleased to give it our continued support.”
Mr Randerson, said, “This is extremely welcome backing from The R and A which will assist us in continuing to develop the junior golf programme in St Andrews in the years to come. SALJGA is all about encouraging youngsters to take up the game and have the opportunity to learn and gain experience in a supportive environment. With the support of a team of volunteer coaches we run a programme of coaching and competitions throughout the season and funding such as this is very important.”
For more information on SALJGA visit www.saljga.com.

DIAGEO NAMED OFFICIAL PARTNER FOR 2014 RYDER CUP

NEWS RELEASEDiageo, the world’s leading premium drinks business and producer of Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, was today named as an Official Partner of The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
The agreement will see Diageo use its portfolio of premium beverage alcohol brands to promote The 2014 Ryder Cup around the globe in partnership with Ryder Cup Europe.
Central to the partnership will be Johnnie Walker, the world’s number one Scotch whisky and the first Scottish brand to enjoy Official Partner status for the tournament.
Diageo owns The Gleneagles Hotel, the host venue for the 40th staging of the biennial contest, which will take place from Friday September 26 to Sunday September 28, 2014. The Official Partner agreement builds on Diageo’s long-standing association with The Ryder Cup which stretches back to the 1980s when Johnnie Walker was a presenting sponsor of The Ryder Cup in Europe in 1989, 1993 and 1997.
Diageo will work closely with Ryder Cup Europe in the build-up to The 2014 Ryder Cup to maximise the opportunity which the Official Partnership creates to promote the tournament and Scotland in more than 180 countries around the world where the company markets its products.
 They will also work together to ensure those coming to Scotland for The 2014 Ryder Cup enjoy the best possible visitor experience at The Gleneagles Hotel.
Announcing the sponsorship at Gleneagles on behalf of Diageo, Peter Lederer, Chairman of Gleneagles Hotel, said: “We are already tremendously excited to be hosting The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in 2014 and we are determined to make this event a major success for the whole of Scotland. Adding Johnnie Walker as a global brand which is exported to over 180 markets around the world, can only help us achieve that goal.
“Diageo, Johnnie Walker and Gleneagles Hotel have a long and proud history of supporting golf in Scotland and there couldn’t be a stronger team than the world’s number one Scotch whisky, the world’s number one team golf event, The Ryder Cup, and Scotland’s finest hotel golf resort, Gleneagles.”
As part of its role as Official Partner, Diageo has also committed to working with Clubgolf – the Scottish junior golf development agency – at corporate level to help promote participation in golf across Scotland, with numerous initiatives planned for the build up to 2014.
“Gleneagles and Diageo have a strong record in supporting youth golf development in Scotland  and we are determined to use this sponsorship to contribute to the long-term positive legacy The Ryder Cup generates for Scotland and Scottish golf,” added Lederer.
Scottish First Minister, The Rt Hon Alex Salmond, who was at Gleneagles for the launch of the Official Partnership, said: "The Ryder Cup is set to bring immense benefits to Scotland, both in terms of the economic boost from the many thousands of visitors and the lasting sporting legacy the golf's premier team competition will leave on the country's golfers - both young and old.
"Plans for the tournament are progressing well, but the support from sponsors will ensure that the event is able to maximise the benefits to Scotland, be that through increasing visitor numbers or ensuring the tournament is the most spectacular Ryder Cup ever.
"That is why I am delighted to welcome Diageo on board as a major backer for The 2014 Ryder Cup. Their welcome support underlines the huge popularity of The Ryder Cup and shows the willingness of the Scottish business community to support major events right here on their doorstep.
"It is also exciting to see Diageo's pledge to work with the Scottish Government's innovative Clubgolf initiative, with a commitment to help promote participation in youth golf in the run up to the 2014 event.
"Clubgolf gives thousands of children in Scotland the chance to play golf, putting a club in the hands of every nine-year-old in the country, and the Scottish Government recently announced a £2million investment in the programme to build on the legacy opportunity The Ryder Cup offers."
Richard Hills, European Ryder Cup Director, added: “We are delighted that Diageo and Johnnie Walker are making a welcome return to The Ryder Cup at the highest level, playing an active role in helping Ryder Cup Europe to put on a world class event in 2014 at Gleneagles, the course owned by Diageo.
“It is important to have a strong Scottish brand on board for The Ryder Cup in 2014 and Diageo recognises the importance the event will have on Scotland and Scottish golf and will work with us to provide a lasting legacy.
“As Diageo are owners of host venue Gleneagles, we look forward to working with them to help them maximise the opportunities of bringing The Ryder Cup to Gleneagles.”

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - 2014 RYDER CUP AT GLENEAGLES

The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles Hotel will take place from September 26 to 28 at the five-star Perthshire venue.

The Jack Nicklaus-designed Centenary Course will be used for the Europe v United States biennial contest.

Torrential rain forced last year's event at the Celtic Manor in Wales into a fourth day for the first time in the tournament's history.
Europe are the reigning champions and have won four of the previous five Ryder Cup matches.

NEWS RELEASE
PGA Centenary Course Modification
On Monday 17 October 2011 The PGA Centenary course closed to allow work to commence on some exciting changes, proposed by Jack Nicklaus, to the layout of a number of holes, and to let us carry out a program of scheduled winter maintenance.
Under the supervision of Scott Fenwick, Golf Courses and Estate Manager, the team have been hard at work and some impressive changes have already taken place in a short space of time.
The Gleneagles Hotel is currently testing a “sub-air system”, an aeration and moisture removal system, on the tenth green. If successful, this could be implemented on all 18 greens in addition to the putting green.
The main work to date has been to the 9th and 10th holes, with work just beginning on the 12th and 18th holes.
The 9th Hole
The significant changes to the 9th hole, a par 5, have taken place towards the green and approach shot landing area. The large fairway bunker that flanked the pond to the right of the fairway has been dug out and this area will form a larger pond that comes in to play for those who try to get to the hole in two.
For those that are thinking of laying up and playing the hole in regulation by keeping the ball out to the left, they will have to navigate two new bunkers to the right side of the fairway, close to the pond, as well as a bunker on the left hand side that will narrow the landing area.
A well struck and accurate second shot will be required for longer hitters while precision will be the key for those who choose to play the lay-up shot.
The 10th Hole
The major change on the 10th hole is the position of the tee boxes. On this long, downhill par 3 the championship tee and white medal tees have been moved significantly to the left of their current position.
This change will mean that the angle of approach in to the green will change and the greenside bunker to the left will come more in to play.
This change to the teeing area will allow a better flow of spectators between the ninth and tenth holes. The banking behind the ninth green will also be lowered, allowing for better viewing

HONG KONG IS ONE MY FAVOURITE PLACES, says RORY McILROY

ALL ABOARD in Hong Kong Harbour - Hong Kong Open defending champion Ian Poulter with the trophy - and some friends - on a promotional boat ride. Image by courtesy of Getty Images.

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
Hong Kong: World No 2 Rory McIlroy is determined to win this week’s US$2.75 million UBS Hong Kong Open after several agonising close calls.
The reigning US Open champion, pictured left, lost in a play-off to
Chinese Taipei's Lin Wen-tang in 2008 and finished second behind Frenchman Gregory Bourdy in the following year. Last season, the swashbuckling Ulsterman contended for the title at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling before finishing sixth.
McIlroy, who went on a promotional boat ride in the Hong Kong harbour along with title-holder Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Y E Yang, Padraig Harrington and local amateur Justin Hak, said:
“You know, I've come close a couple of times. I was probably involved, for me, one of the best experiences I've ever had on a golf course here in 2008 in the play-off with Lin Wen-tang.
“Hong Kong is a tournament for me that is one of the first on my schedule every year. I absolutely love this place. I've loved it from the moment I got here in 2005 I think when I played the Faldo Series at Fanling and I've come back every year since. It's one of my favourite places in the world, and I'm really going to enjoy myself this week.”
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a magical ride in 2011, capped by a first Major title in June which came two months after a final day meltdown at the Masters Tournament where he blew a four-shot lead going into the final round.
McIlroy's ability to bounce back from his Masters heartbreak spoke volumes of his immense talent and determination to rise to the top of the world rankings where he is now ranked only behind Luke Donald of England.
“It's been an interesting year for me to say the least, from having a great chance at the start of the year at Augusta to win my first Major, and obviously not quite getting it done there. I learned a lot about myself and a lot about what I actually needed to do to become a Major champion, and I feel like I've put a lot of that experience into practice at the U.S. Open and it was great for me just to have the opportunity to prove myself at that tournament two months after what happened at Augusta.
“I've played very, very well this year. Climbing to No. 2 in the World Rankings feels like a big achievement for me, and it would be great to finish off the season well with a good result here. I would love to have the chance to win here; it's a tournament that I've wanted to win for the past number of years and haven't quite been able to do it. It's been a great year. There's been a few changes on the golf course, off the golf course, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.”
World No 16 Rose is making his debut at the UBS Hong Kong Open, which is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour. He arrived in the bustling city in top form after combining with Poulter to finish second in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup on Sunday while representing England. But Rose is not expecting any insights into the tricky Fanling track from the title holder.
“It's actually funny. Last week he (Poulter) was full of tips for me, being World Cup partners, but this week they seem to have dried up,” said Rose as Poulter broke into a big smile.
“Out here on Tour, any advantage you gain, it's very hard earned and hard fought for. I'm sure he's not going to share his yardage book with me but speaking with these guys a few weeks ago, they did tell me what a fun tournament it is and they were very praising of the place itself.
“I had a good practice round today, I spent four and a half hours out there and hit a lot of putts around the greens and really tried to get a good feel for it because I know that's obviously a big advantage.”
Yang, Asia’s first Major champion when he won the 2009 US PGA Championship, is determined to improve on his showing at the UBS Hong Kong Open after finishing 29th and 19th in the past two seasons.
“It’s my third time consecutive to Hong Kong. It’s always good to be here; great food, great city,” said the South Korean strongman, who is an Asian Tour honorary member.
“Last two years, I haven't played as I've expected, so this year, I really want to take that trophy away from Ian!”