JAMIESON VICTORY COULD BE FALSE DAWN FOR SCOTTISH GOLF
FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By ALISTAIR TAIT
Follow him: Twitter@GolfweekTait
Everyone concerned about the state of Scottish golf will be hoping Scott Jamieson’s victory in the Nelson Mandela Championship heralds the start of a Scottish revival.
We shouldn’t hold our breath.
Jamieson became the first Scottish golfer to win the opening event of a European Tour season since Stephen McAllister won the 1990 Vino Verde Atlantic Open.
It might be the weirdest win Jamieson ever achieves.
With heavy rain in Durban bringing chaos to the opening event of the 2013 European Tour season, organisers were forced to reduce the tournament to 36 holes and shorten the Royal Durban Golf Club lay-out to a par-65.
The 29-year-old former Augusta State player began the final round six shots off the lead, but eight birdies and no bogeys gave Jamieson a closing 57 – yes, 57 – and helped him to a share of the lead along with England’s Steve Webster and Eduardo De La Riva of Spain in the rain-shortened tournament.
Jamieson then took the title with back-to-back pars on the first two extra holes. De La Riva dropped out after the first hole with a bogey, while Webster found trouble on the second extra hole to give the Scot his first European Tour victory.
“To get your name on any European trophy is a fantastic achievement,” said Jamieson, “but it’s a little more special when it’s for someone like Nelson [Mandela].
“At the start of the day I probably didn’t think I would be standing here holding the trophy; but I knew I needed a fast start and I was lucky enough to get that.
“It's amazing; I've got to give a special mention to my wife Natalie, my family, Nike golf, everyone at my home club of Cathkin Braes in Scotland and all the other people who has ever helped me get to his point. I couldn't have done it without them."
Jamieson earns a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2014 season along with the €158,500 first-place cheque.
He becomes the 22nd Scottish golfer to win on the European Tour. Those 22 players have racked up 131 wins since the European Tour began in the 1970s. Colin Montgomerie has 31 of those wins, while Sandy Lyle accounts for 18.
Despite Jamieson’s win, it’s hard right now to see where the next 131 victories are going to come from.
It’s perhaps a sad reflection on the current state of Scottish golf that Paul Lawrie is the Scotland’s top-ranked player.
Enjoying a renaissance at the age of 43, Lawrie is currently ranked 29th, Richie Ramsay is 53rd, Martin Laird occupies 63rd spot while Stephen Gallacher is 92nd. Jamieson is World No. 167.
Four Scots in the world's top 100 might be good enough for some nations, but not for the country that invented the game. Especially when so much money is invested in amateur golf.
Jamieson’s victory helps the Scottish cause. It adds to the two notched up by Ramsay and Marc Warren in recent years to go with wins from the old guard of Lawrie and Gallacher.
Where future wins are going to come from is a moot point.
Scotland currently has no players in the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking compared to England’s 12. Jack McDonald is the highest-ranked Scot at World No. 105.
Scotland finished 44th in this year’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey. The Scots didn’t even make the A-flight, finishing lower than nations like Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey, Puerto Rico and Guatemala.
With young Scots like James Byrne, Michael Stewart and David Law still trying to find their feet in the pro game, Jamieson and the likes of Ramsay and Warren have a heavy load to bear in the coming years.
Let’s hope Jamieson and Co. have strong shoulders!
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT
SCOTT JAMIESON'S VICTORY
• His first European Tour International Schedule victory in his 65th European Tour event.
• Moves to the top of The Race to Dubai with €118,875.
• This victory beats his previous best European Tour finishes of tied third. They all came in the 2011 season. The events were: the Open de España, the BMW International Open and the Barclays Scottish Open.
• Becomes the first, first-time winner of the 2013 season.
• Only second Scot to win a co-sanctioned event with the Sunshine Tour, following Richie Ramsay at the 2010 South African Open Championship.
• The first Scot to win the opening event of a European Tour season since Stephen McAllister won the 1990 Vino Verde Atlantic Open.
OTHER FACTS
• The 131st Scottish victory in European Tour history.
• Jamieson Becomes the 22nd different Scot to win on The European Tour.
• He gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2014 season.
• Scott also gains an exemption into the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions.
• It was his third victory as a professional.
• Jamieson becomes the 308th European Tour victory by a former European Challenge Tour player.
• He is the 128th different former Challenge Tour player to win on The European Tour.
By ALISTAIR TAIT
Follow him: Twitter@GolfweekTait
Everyone concerned about the state of Scottish golf will be hoping Scott Jamieson’s victory in the Nelson Mandela Championship heralds the start of a Scottish revival.
We shouldn’t hold our breath.
Jamieson became the first Scottish golfer to win the opening event of a European Tour season since Stephen McAllister won the 1990 Vino Verde Atlantic Open.
It might be the weirdest win Jamieson ever achieves.
With heavy rain in Durban bringing chaos to the opening event of the 2013 European Tour season, organisers were forced to reduce the tournament to 36 holes and shorten the Royal Durban Golf Club lay-out to a par-65.
The 29-year-old former Augusta State player began the final round six shots off the lead, but eight birdies and no bogeys gave Jamieson a closing 57 – yes, 57 – and helped him to a share of the lead along with England’s Steve Webster and Eduardo De La Riva of Spain in the rain-shortened tournament.
Jamieson then took the title with back-to-back pars on the first two extra holes. De La Riva dropped out after the first hole with a bogey, while Webster found trouble on the second extra hole to give the Scot his first European Tour victory.
“To get your name on any European trophy is a fantastic achievement,” said Jamieson, “but it’s a little more special when it’s for someone like Nelson [Mandela].
“At the start of the day I probably didn’t think I would be standing here holding the trophy; but I knew I needed a fast start and I was lucky enough to get that.
“It's amazing; I've got to give a special mention to my wife Natalie, my family, Nike golf, everyone at my home club of Cathkin Braes in Scotland and all the other people who has ever helped me get to his point. I couldn't have done it without them."
Jamieson earns a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2014 season along with the €158,500 first-place cheque.
He becomes the 22nd Scottish golfer to win on the European Tour. Those 22 players have racked up 131 wins since the European Tour began in the 1970s. Colin Montgomerie has 31 of those wins, while Sandy Lyle accounts for 18.
Despite Jamieson’s win, it’s hard right now to see where the next 131 victories are going to come from.
It’s perhaps a sad reflection on the current state of Scottish golf that Paul Lawrie is the Scotland’s top-ranked player.
Enjoying a renaissance at the age of 43, Lawrie is currently ranked 29th, Richie Ramsay is 53rd, Martin Laird occupies 63rd spot while Stephen Gallacher is 92nd. Jamieson is World No. 167.
Four Scots in the world's top 100 might be good enough for some nations, but not for the country that invented the game. Especially when so much money is invested in amateur golf.
Jamieson’s victory helps the Scottish cause. It adds to the two notched up by Ramsay and Marc Warren in recent years to go with wins from the old guard of Lawrie and Gallacher.
Where future wins are going to come from is a moot point.
Scotland currently has no players in the top 100 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking compared to England’s 12. Jack McDonald is the highest-ranked Scot at World No. 105.
Scotland finished 44th in this year’s World Amateur Team Championship in Turkey. The Scots didn’t even make the A-flight, finishing lower than nations like Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey, Puerto Rico and Guatemala.
With young Scots like James Byrne, Michael Stewart and David Law still trying to find their feet in the pro game, Jamieson and the likes of Ramsay and Warren have a heavy load to bear in the coming years.
Let’s hope Jamieson and Co. have strong shoulders!
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT
SCOTT JAMIESON'S VICTORY
• His first European Tour International Schedule victory in his 65th European Tour event.
• Moves to the top of The Race to Dubai with €118,875.
• This victory beats his previous best European Tour finishes of tied third. They all came in the 2011 season. The events were: the Open de España, the BMW International Open and the Barclays Scottish Open.
• Becomes the first, first-time winner of the 2013 season.
• Only second Scot to win a co-sanctioned event with the Sunshine Tour, following Richie Ramsay at the 2010 South African Open Championship.
• The first Scot to win the opening event of a European Tour season since Stephen McAllister won the 1990 Vino Verde Atlantic Open.
OTHER FACTS
• The 131st Scottish victory in European Tour history.
• Jamieson Becomes the 22nd different Scot to win on The European Tour.
• He gains a European Tour exemption until the end of the 2014 season.
• Scott also gains an exemption into the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions.
• It was his third victory as a professional.
• Jamieson becomes the 308th European Tour victory by a former European Challenge Tour player.
• He is the 128th different former Challenge Tour player to win on The European Tour.
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, December 09, 2012
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