Thursday, January 12, 2012

DALMAHOY PLAYER WINS JOHN GLEN TROPHY AT GULLANE NO 3

By ALAN GREENSHIELDS
Edinburgh and East of Scotland Alliance secretary
The Edinburgh and East of Scotland Alliance started back after the festive break and 101 members enjoyed a calm day on a very well manicured No 3 course at Gullane with less than a handful of no returns evidencing their enjoyment.
Scoring was excellent and fresh from their Braids Invitational win the duo of Robert Cunningham (Dalmahoy) and Darren Love (Archerfield) fought each other to secure The John Glen Trophy.
Robert's net 61 (73 less 12) was just enough to ease past Darren's net 62 (73 less 11). Robert had a fantastic level par front nine of 34 and although he slipped to a 5 over par 39 on the back nine, Darren's inward challenge of 35 just fell short of the mark.
Third handicap place went to Musselburgh man Gerry Wilson with net 63 (73 less 10).
Scratch scoring was equally close and top score went to Scott Catlin (Greenburn) with 62, one shot better than the 63s secured by Gullane trainee Keir McNicoll and David Patrick of Elie. While Keir set the pace on the front nine with 4 under 30 it was the back nine of four under by Scott that secured the top prize.
The remaining scratch prizes all went to professionals with the fourth prize split three ways.
There were few changes in both orders of merit.
Handicap saw Sean McGarvey gain five points but otherwise the top 3 are unchanged -
1. Daniel Airens (Falkirk Tryst) - 112.5
2. Sean McGarvey (Glencorse) - 103.0
3. Steven Dand (Pumpherston) - 94.5
Scratch saw Sean McGarvey swap places with Andrew Marshall -
1. Stephen Lamb (Cardrona) - 417.5
2. Sean McGarvey (Glencorse) - 400.0
3. Andrew Marshall (Houston DR) - 394.0
Senior prize went to East Alliance stalwart Peter Ritchie (Bathgate) with a net 65 (74 less 9)
In two weeks we move a few miles along the coast to The Glen at North Berwick.
LEADING SCRATCH AT GULLANE NO 3
1 Catlin Scott Greenburn Professional 62

2 McNicoll Keir Gullane Trainee 63
3 Patrick David Elie Professional 63
4 Gordon Craig Edinburgh Golf Cen Professional 65
5 Grieve Scott Turnhouse Professional 65
6 Neill Ross Drumpellier Professional 65
7 McAllan Michael Glenbervie Professional 66
8 Wood Daniel The Hirsel Trainee 66
9 McGarvey Sean Glencorse Amateur 67
10 Millar Andrew Musselburgh Amateur 67
11 Morris Jamie Peebles Amateur 67
12 Reid Alan West Lothian Professional 67
13 Rothney Andrew Deer Park Amateur 67
14 Dick Allyn Kingsknowe Amateur 68
15 Fraser Colin Peebles Amateur 68
16 Johnston Richard Glenbervie Amateur 69
17 Lamb Stevie Cardrona Professional 69
18 Munro Donny Kingsknowe Amateur 69
19 Boyle Tony Glenbervie Amateur 70
20 Brown Stuart Glencorse Amateur 70
21 Buckley Ryan Craigielaw Professional 70
22 Callan Stuart Bathgate Professional 70
23 Erskine Andrew Ratho Park Professional 70
24 Imlah Craig Peebles Professional 70
25 Morton Wilson Dunbar Senior 70
26 Oldcorn Andrew King's Acre Professional 70
27 White Justin (Harrison, Braids) Amateur 70
28 Wither George Lothianburn Amateur 70

LEADING HANDICAP
1 Cunningham Robert Dalmahoy Amateur 73 12 61

2 Love Darren Archerfield Amateur 73 11 62
3 Wilson Gerry Musselburgh Amateur 73 10 63
4 Eadie Gordon Musselburgh Amateur 72 8 64
5 McCluskey John Archerfield Amateur 75 11 64
6 Miller William Falkirk Tryst Amateur 73 9 64
7 Brown Stuart Glencorse Amateur 70 5 65
8 Millar Andrew Musselburgh Amateur 67 2 65
9 Ritchie Peter Bathgate Senior 74 9 65
10 Rothney Andrew Deer Park Amateur 67 2 65
11 Boyle Tony Glenbervie Amateur 70 4 66
12 Forsyth Walter Peebles Amateur 75 9 66
13 Mills Alex Lothianburn Amateur 76 10 66
14 Morton Wilson Dunbar Senior 70 4 66
15 White Justin Harrison (Braids) Amateur 70 4 66
16 Young Alan Lochend Amateur 72 6 66
17 Anderson John Kingsknowe Senior 76 9 67
18 Doyle Steven Gifford Amateur 73 6 67
19 Kay Michael Ratho Park Amateur 77 10 67
20 Louden Michael Glencorse Amateur 71 4 67
21 McGarvey Sean Glencorse Amateur 67 0 67
22 McKean David Cardrona Senior 73 6 67
23 Munro Donny Kingsknowe Amateur 69 2 67
24 Sewell Peter West Linton Amateur 73 6 67
25 Wyse Ian Falkirk Tryst Amateur 76 9 67

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ALAN TAIT, MAN OF MANY PARTS, NOW AN AFTER-DINNER SPEAKER

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Is there anything Alan Tait doesn't do?
Former Scottish and world boys golf champion ... beaten in the final of the Scottish men's amateur championship ... a winner more than once on the Tartan Tour ... BBC Radio golf pundit .. satellite tour founder ... director of golf at Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel ... gourmet golf tour host.
Have I missed anything out?
Yes, I certanly have. Alan's got a burgeoning career on the side as an after-dinner speaker, and not just for all-male gatherings, who is also available for prizegivings, open days, corporate and charity events.
Compared with the four-figure fees commanded by the top men in the field, Alan's a snip at £450 + overnight accommodation if he has to travel some distance to an engagement.
The captains of such a diverse range of golf clubs as Royal Troon, Old Ranfurly, Whinhill, Cathcart Castle and Peel, Isle of Man, all sing the praises of Alan's performance at their dinners - "the best speaker we've ever had!" says one.
By this time next year, Public Speaker Tait may well be in the £1,000+ class.
"I only have a few available Fridays and Saturdays left in October-November this year, due to the amount of prizegivings in Scotland at that time. However, I am available throughout the rest of the year," says Alan who has his own website - http://www.alantaitgolf.com/ - and can be contacted at 07734 207119 or by E-mail at golfprotait@btinternet.com and you can look at his website http://www.alantaitgolf.com/

EVERYTHING - WELL, ALMOST EVERYTHING -
YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ALAN TAIT

Ayrshireman Alan has been a PGA Professional for 22 years and is also The Director of Golf at The Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club. He is a former PGA Scottish Region Order of Merit Winner and played on The European Tour in 1997.
By his own admission, his season playing in the Big League was not a very successful one but it left him with a huge fund of stories with which he regales his audiences. And he is not slow to poke fun at himself.
A Tartan Tour Order of Merit winner in 1996, Alan showed his skills early as an amateur and won the Doug Sanders World Boys' Championship at the Aberdeen Links in the 1980s and the Scottish boys' title at Dunbar in 1986 before losing to another man from Ayrshire, Alan Thomson, in the final of the Scottish Amateur Championship at Lossiemouth in 1989.
Alan commentated for BBC Radio Scotland at the 2011 Barclays
Scottish Open at Castle Stuart and is pictured right with Scotland's top Olympic
Curler, Eve Muirhead, an accomplished golfer in her own right.
Alan is a top golf pundit and weekly co-hosts "The Golf Show" with Sportscene's Rob McLean on BBC Radio Scotland.
Alan also does on course commentary as The Barclay's Scottish Open and, The Open Championship, also with the BBC.
As an amateur golfer, Alan played for Scotland from 1987 through to 1989 before turning professional in 1990 and starting his PGA apprenticeship in the Cawder Golf Club pro's shop.
In 1994 he was the first player to shoot 64 at the famous Carnoustie championship course – regarded as one of the toughest in the world. This is still a joint course record to date.
In recent years, he has also found the time to have three attempts at founding an independent professional tour within Scotland, latterly open to women as well as men pros, and some leading amateurs.
The Optical Express Tour is expected to be back in action this year. Alan Tait is in action all the time.
Does he run on batteries? Hire him for the day/night and judge for yourself.

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HARPER LEADS FOUR SCOTS PAST ASIAN TOUR Q SCHOOL CUT

Lee Harper, the Scottish boys champion of 1999, then  playing out of Musselburgh Golf Club, was one of four Scots to survive the halfway cut in the Asian Tour Qualifying School Stage One competitions at four venues in Thailand today.
Harper, attached to Archerfield Links, had rounds of 69 and 73 for level par 142 to be in joint 23rd position at Majestic Creek.
Clive Lutton made it through with nothing to spare at this venue after rounds of 76 and 74 for 150.
Graeme Stewart (79-74 for 153) was among the Majestic Creek non-qualifiers.
Edinburgh's Greg Nicolson and Derek McKenzie will contest the final stages at Lakeview. Nicolson is sharing 18th place on 148 (76-72) while McKenzie is joint 30th after scores of 78 and 72 for 150.
Scots non-qualifiers at Springfield were Sandy Mitchell on 159 (83-76) and Ted Innes-Kerr on 164 (84-80).
The top 20 per cent after four rounds will go forward to the Final Stage beginning next Wednesday (January 18). Banchory's Walker Cup player James Byrne is among those exempt from Stage 1

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McGRANE AND ELSON SHARE LEAD ON 63 IN JOBURG OPEN

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
England’s Jamie Elson proved his recent Qualifying School heroics in Spain were no fluke as he stormed into a share of the first-round lead at the weather-hit Joburg Open today.
The 30-year-old from Leamington Spa holed a 40ft birdie putt on the final green in Girona to secure a European Tour return for 2012, and followed that up with an eight under par 63 over Royal Johannesburg and Kensington’s West Course.
That matched the earlier effort of Ireland's Damien McGrane, who managed to reach the clubhouse before thunderstorms halted play.
In total around four hours were lost because of the threat of lightning, with some players unable to complete their rounds before darkness set in as a result. Craig Lee, for instance, is four under par with nine holes still to play and Steven O'Hara is level par after 12.
But, after five birdies in his first six holes, Elson came out and picked up two shots in his last three holes on resumption.
“I had just hit a good shot on 16, the par-3, and there was a strong downwind,” he said.
“With the water short it was a pretty good shot and left myself with an eight footer when I resumed play. I managed to knock that in and then finished well.
“I got off to a flyer. I birdied the first, second, third and then chipped in at the fourth.
“I had a good year here last year – I think I shot six-under on the second day at the hard course, so if I can do that again it would be nice.”
Elson, whose father Pip was also a successful pro golfer, turned pro in 2003 after playing on the American college circuit as a student at Augusta State University.
McGrane carded five birdies in a flawless front nine 31, before the 40-year-old - whose only European Tour title came at the Volvo China Open four years ago - collected two further gains and chipped in for an eagle on the 15th.
The only blemish on his scorecard came at the 18th with a bogey 5, but he still sat alongside Elson with a one-shot advantage over Dutchman Reinier Saxton and South Africans Desvonde Botes and Peter Karmis.
Botes carded a seven-under 65 on the East Course, which made him the only player in the top ten playing the tougher course.
His effort matched the 64s of Saxton and Karmis, with six players a shot further back on six under.
“I am delighted to be in a good position after round one,” said McGrane who was born and still lives at Kells, Co Meath.
“For the last three or four years Irish golf has been quite incredible, and I think we feed off each other. For a small nation it sure is great to be there or thereabouts.
“I stacked up a few birdies during the round, but that eagle really turned my round.
“I played beautifully from start to finish, and this course does give up opportunities. The greens and weather were perfect, so if you’re on your game there are birdie chances. Needless to say you have to make the chances and today I holed a few nice putts.
“I hit plenty of fairways and holed a few nice putts for birdie. It was just the bogey at the last which was disappointing. Apart from that it was a perfect round of golf.”
Masters Tournament champion Charl Schwartzel, looking for a third straight win in the event, was level par with three holes left to play.
If the South African makes it a hat-trick he would become one of only six players, alongside Ian Woosnam, Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods, to win the same European Tour event three years in a row.

LEADERBOARD
WEST COURSE (Par 71)
Players from South Africa unless stated otherwise
63 Damien McGrane (Ireland), Jamie Elson (England).
64 Reinier Saxton (Netherlands), Peter Karmis.
65 Joel Sjoholm (Sweden), David Drysdale (Scotland), George Murray (Scotland), George Coetzee, Carlos Del Moral (Spain), Shaun Norris.
Selected scores:
66 Marc Warren (Scotland) (T8).
70 Raymond Russell (Scotland) (T78).
74 Lloyd Saltman (Scotland) (T174)

EAST COURSE (Par 72)
65 Desvonde Botes.
68 Chris Swanepoel, Ulrich Van den Berger.

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JIMMY GUNN'S GOOD START AT MESA, ARIZONA

Dornoch exile Jimmy Gunn has made a solid start to the first All-American Professional Golf Tour event of the year at Longbow Golf Club, Mesa, Arizona.
Gunn shot a five-under-par 66 to be sharing fourth place - two behind the leader, American Kyle Morris.
Gunn finished 2011 in good style by winning first prize of $1,450 in a one-round event at Scottsdale and then, later in December, finishing third in the Nevada Open which he led until the last few holes. His consolation prize there was $3,325.

LEADERBOARD
players from US unless stated
Par 71
64 Kyle Morris
65 Danny Wax, Nathan Tyler.
66 Jimmy Gunn (Scotland), Ryan Hogue.
Field of 72 players

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