EAST OF SCOTLAND OPEN AT LUNDIN IS WEEKEND HIGHLIGHT

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY DAVID MOIR

This weekend at Lundin Golf Club, Lundin Links, the 2012 East of Scotland Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship, generously presented for the second year by golf in DUBAi, is as late in the year as its traditional spot in the golfing calendar allows – three weeks before The Open Championship.

The East of Scotland now has to compete for entries with the English Stroke Play Championship since the English Golf Union changed the dates of its event and top Scots amateurs are nominated to fill exempt places. 

Fortunately the organising committee’s efforts have paid off and, to augment the otherwise strong Scottish contingent, it has attracted many overseas entrants and players from England and Ireland. This maintains the strength of the starting field and the status of the championship on the Counting Event List of RandA/USGA World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). The lure of “the East” has resulted in an influx of top-class non-Scots who wish to sample competitive links golf and visit the famous golf courses of The Kingdom.

Although the 2011 East of Scotland Champion Paul Ferrier (Baberton) is defending the title he won so convincingly, Fife’s trio of international players, Scott Crichton, Brian Soutar and the host club’s James White will undoubtedly be missed. However, other high WAGRanked players in the field comprising golfers from Australia, Austria, Bolivia, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore and USA, are New Zealanders Sam Davis and Craig Hamilton, Jack Hume from Rathsallagh and Benjamin Weilguni (Austria).

Joining Champion Ferrier, semi-finalist in last week’s Amateur Championship at Royal Troon, and past East Champions Ronnie Clark (Erskine) and Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) at Lundie are former Scottish Champion and Walker Cup man Graham Gordon (Newmachar), international players Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) and Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe), Leven specialist Ross Bell (Downfield) and current Scottish Boys Champion Craig Howie from Peebles.

The highest Scottish WAGRanked golfers are Kilmacolm’s Matt Clark, 2012 Scottish Youths Champion Ewan Scott from St Andrews, Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) and North East’s Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) and the locals who are striving to be WAGRanked are Lundin’s Stuart Main and Cameron Mitchell, Mark Anderson (Leven Thistle), Jake Hogg and Scott Stewart-Cation (The Duke’s), Josh Jamieson and Liam McGowan from St Andrews and Jordan McColl (Scotscraig).

The field is class, the course is great, the fairways are closely mown, the greens are true, the rough flourishes, the bunkers gather, the players compete, the spectators sweat, the spectators bask, the spectators shiver, the weather is the weather, the clubhouse invites, Lundin invites you to visit.

SATURDAY ROUNDS 1-2 TEE TIMES

  7:00-12:00  Glenn Campbell                      Blairgowrie

                    Fraser Thain                             West Linton

                     Cameron Mitchell                    Lundin

  7:10-12:10  Stuart Main                             Lundin

                    Paul McPhee                           King James VI

                   Oliver Roberts                         Hong Kong

  7:20-12:20 Jake Hogg                               The Duke’s

                   Connor Neil                            Blairgowrie

                   Andrew Wallace                      Glenbervie

 7:30-12:30 Liam McGowan                       St Andrews New

                    Callum Trahan                         Meldrum House

                   Jamie Aitken                            Alloa

 7:40-12:40  Liam Johnston                        Dumfries and County

                   Jordan McColl                         Scotscraig

                   Ben Renfrew                            Wynyard

 7:50-12:50 Gordon Stevenson                  Whitecraigs

                  Neil Henderson                       Glen

                  Ewan Scott                              St Andrews

 8:00-1:00  Henry Featherstone                 Ringway

                  Lawrence Allan                        Alva

                 Eamon Bradley                        Mount Ellen

8:15-1:15 Mark Dickson                          Mortonhall

               Gabriel Ormachea                   Bolivia

               Darren Watson                        Peterhead

8:25-1:25 Jamie Savage                          Cawder
               Scott Mann                             Carnoustie

               Craig Hamilton                        New Zealand

8:35-1:35 Ross Bell                                 Downfield

               Allyn Dick                                Kingsknowe

               Graham Gordon                      Newmachar

8:45-1:45 Fredrik Edmunds                     Aldeburgh

              Craig Watson                          East Renfrewshire

              Scott Borrowman                    Dollar
8:55-1:55 Scott Stewart-Cation               The Duke’s

               Sam Davis                               NZ
              Kyle McClung                          Wigtownshire County
9:05-2:05 Matt Clark                               Kilmacolm

              Daniel Young                          Craigie Hill

              Paul Ferrier                              Baberton

9:15-2:15 Graham Robertson                 Silverknowes

              James Bunch                           Prestwick

             Benjamin Weilguni                  Austria

9:30-2:30 Ronnie Clark                          Erskine

              Alexander Culverwell               Dunbar

             Chris Robb                              Inchmarlo
9:40-2:40 Sam Binning                         Ranfurly Castle    

            John Duff                                Newmachar

            Jack Hume                              Rathsallagh

9:50-2:50 Chris Lawton                       Falkirk Tryst

             Nick Macandrew                     Royal Aberdeen

             Nicholas Borren                      New Zealand
10:00-3:00 Steven Maxwell                   Windyhill

              Tom Hayes                              West Byfleet

             Fraser Moore                          Glenbervie

10:10-3:10 Leon Ang                           Singapore

           Kyle Godsman                         Moray

           Michael Daily                           Erskine

 10:20-3:20 Jerome Titlow                   Knole Park

           Alan Sutherland                      Ladybank

          Conor O'Neil                           Pollok

 10:30 3:30 John Mathers                  Haggs Castle

          Mark Anderson                       Leven Thistle

          Scott Davidson                       USA

  10:45 3:45 Colin Thomson            East Renfrewshire

           Ross Noon                              Craigielaw

           Richard Docherty                    Bearsden

  10:55 3:55 James Hendrick            Pollok

                   Joshua Jamieson          St Andrews New

                   Charlie Macneal           Troon Welbeck

11:05-4.05 Jerram Chudleigh                     Australia

              Steven Spence                 Irvine

              Hugh Nelson                    Kilsyth Lennox

11:15-4:15 Al El Kordi-Hubbard         USA

                 Craig Howie                            Peebles

                 Anthony Blaney                       Liberton

11:25-4:25 Jordan Milne                           Elgin

                                                         John Shanks                            Irvine

                                                         Gordon Miller                          Cawder