EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP AT SOTOGRANDE SCOREBOARD

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

To view the men's individual scores

CLICK HERE

To view the men's team scores

CLICK HERE


For the links to the women's scoreboard, switch over to our sister website http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/

DAMIEN McGRANE LEADS BY TWO IN MOROCCO

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
A brilliant seven-under-par 65 gave Damien McGrane a two-shot lead after the first round of the Trophée Hassan II at Agadir in Morocco today.
The 40 year old teed off with an eagle on the par five tenth at Golf du Palais Royal and, although he had three bogeys on his card, there were also eight birdies - four of them in his last five holes.
McGrane, whose only European Tour victory came by nine shots in the 2008 Volvo China Open, is two ahead of Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares.
“I played beautifully out there today and I am delighted with it,” said McGrane.
“I got off to a fast start and managed to keep it going so it was a very good day. The conditions were fairly tough with the warm wind and it was very testing out there, but I managed to putt very well out there and hence the reason I have the good score.
“This golf course is beautiful and if you play well it can give you plenty of opportunities. I am playing well at the moment – I played well last week and could have finished a lot better but this is a new week a new opportunity and I am very thankful to have got off to such a good start.
“I made a great start today with the eagle and that really got the confidence going early and I managed to continue that and finish strongly so all in all it is a nice feeling.
“Both Richie Ramsay and myself played really well out there today and it became a bit of a putting competition between the two of us!
“This is a beautiful golf course and there is something very special about playing on the King’s course. As European Tour players we are very privileged to play great courses most of the time and we always get well looked after wherever we go but this week is very special indeed.”
Cañizares was pleased with his opening 67 after a steady rather than spectacular start to the year.
The 29 year old has made five cuts in five events on The European Tour, with a best finish of tenth in the Avantha Masters, as well as finishing fifth in the Mayakoba Classic on the US PGA Tour.
“I have been playing well so far this year and I am just waiting for everything to come together. I hope that this is the week it comes together,” he said.
“It was a good round today. It was very steady and I managed to putt well on the greens so all in all it was good. I didn’t play great last week but I managed to find a better rhythm on the greens this week and feel a lot more comfortable.”
Spain's Jorge Campillo, Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen, Italian Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari, Welshman Phillip Price, Aberdonian Richie Ramsay and English pair Kenneth Ferrie and Graeme Storm were all bunched together on four under, three off the pace.
Italian 18 year old Matteo Manassero, needing a win to qualify for the Masters Tournament at Augusta, kept his dreams alive with a three under 69.
“I am happy to have made seven birdies on a tough course because I took my chances at the right moments but you can easily make bogeys because I only missed two shots all day and dropped four shots,” said last week’s runner-up.
“This course penalises you a lot for the smallest mistakes, but it is never going to be a bad round if you can make seven birdies.
“Obviously I would love to win here and match the victory with qualifying for the Masters. It is definitely a goal but I just have to see what happens. The main thing is I am playing good golf and putting well but you really have to be careful around this golf course.”
Storm reached seven under with two to play, but after five successive birdies he double-bogeyed the short eighth and dropped another on the last.
"A month ago I wanted to pack the game in, so where I am now is a massive leap forward," said the former Open de France champion.

ROCK'S 11 KILLS OFF MASTERS DREAM FOR 2012

FROM CBS SPORTS.COM
AGADIR, Morocco -- A bitterly disappointed Robert Rock ruled out making his Masters debut next month after taking an 11 at one hole during his opening round of the Hassan II Trophy.
Rock, ranked 57th, needs to finish first or second in Agadir this week to make the top-50 world rankings and be assured of competing at Augusta National in two weeks.
The Englishman who kept Tiger Woods at bay to capture the Abu Dhabi Championship this year saw his hopes dive early on the par-four No. 4 hole of the Gulf du Palais Royal course. Off the tee he drove left out of bounds and over the barbed wire fence running the length of the Atlantic shoreline. He then played two provisional balls but managed to find the second that was resting on a small salt bush.
"I thought I could hit the ball even though it was sitting a little off the ground so I took a big swipe at the ball but didn't manage to move it," he said.
"So without changing my stance I then managed to move the ball about two feet and from there I now hit my sixth shot back onto the fairway."
Rock had 212 yards to the pin but his 4-iron seventh shot landed short of the green. His eighth ran 10 feet past the hole, and then he three-putted for an 11.
However, he regrouped somewhat when he eagled the 17th in an eventual round of 5-over 77.
Rock sat on the steps leading into the scorer's hut expressing his disappointment, and in no doubt that he'd lost the chance to compete in a first Masters.
"I think I had a 12 or an 11 when I was first starting to play golf but nothing like this score for a long time in my pro career," he said.
"But it was my main intention in coming here this week to try and qualify for the Masters and hopefully it was to be the end result of a good week. I was looking forward to playing this course but it's not to be, and I have to try and find some way of finding some interest in playing the next few days.
"It's a shame and a disappointment I won't be going to the Masters just because of what happened at one hole."
John Daly returned to competition with a 77, while playing partner and 2005 U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell scored 81.
After commencing with two birdies, the crestfallen New Zealander dropped six strokes in his last four holes.
It left Campbell third-to-last in the 126-player field, and just one stroke fewer than former U.S Amateur winner Peter Uhlein, who had a consecutive quadruple and double bogey in his 83.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
65 Damien McGrane (Ireland)
67 Alejandro Canizares (Spain)
68 Richie Ramsay (Scotland), Graeme Storm (England), Robert-Jan Derksen (Netherlands), Edoardo Molinari (Italy), Kenneth Ferrie (England),  Philip Price (Wales), Jorge Campillo (Spain)

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
71 Steven O'Hara, David Drysdale (T25)
72 Marc Warren, Gary Orr, George Murray, Stephen Gallacher (T35)
73 Craig Lee (T53)
79 Peter Whiteford (T116).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

ALYTH ASSISTANT PRO RAE WINS MIDLAND ALLIANCE AT BRECHIN

This week’s Midland Golfers’ Alliance was held at a sunny Brechin in Angus. Making good use of the conditions was Michael Rae (AP, Alyth) returning a 2 under par score of 70. Dick Robertson (Brechin, 8) used his local knowledge to win the handicap prize with a fine net score of 67.
Leading Scratch Scores
70 M. Rae (AP, Alyth)
71 S. Graham (Arbroath, 1), A. Webster (P, Edzell), C. Matheson (AP, Falkirk Tryst), K. Harper (Carnoustie, +1)
72 G. Tough (Edzell, Scr), S. Rennie (P, Brechin), G. Brown (AP, Montrose)
73 C. Knowles (AP, Panmure), B. Webster (Edzell, 3)

Leading Handicap Scores
67, R. Robertson (Brechin, 8)
68, D, Spaven (Pitlochry, 9)
69, M. Arnold (Kirkcaldy, 12)
70, S. Graham (Arbroath, 1), B. Webster (Edzell, 3)
72, K. Harper (Carnoustie, +1), G. Tough (Edzell, Scr), A. Farquharson (Downfield, 12), A. Smith (Edzell, 7), D. Black (Dunfermline, 12), S. McIntosh (Brechin, 3)

Next weeks meeting
W.H. Miller Team Competition
Tuesday 27th March,
Monifieth Golf Links, Monifieth Golf Club,
Tee reserved 8.30 - 12.30

Lee Sutherland

My Golf Ranking.co.uk Scoreboard

MyGolfRanking for Fife Golfing Association and its participating Clubs

                                         FIFE - Week 11, 18 March 2012

      Ranking      Name                   Club                                                                   Points

            1              Andy Hodge                        Earlsferry Thistle                             525.00

            2              John Paisley                       Earlsferry Thistle                             516.67

            3              G H Le Maitre                      Royal and Ancient                           375.00

                            A J N Loudon                     Royal and Ancient                           375.00

            5              Greg Walker                        Earlsferry Thistle                             366.67

            6              T W Corke                            St Andrews GC                               341.67

            7              David Redpath                   Earlsferry Thistle                             333.33

            8              Dwayne Johnson              Leven G S                                        333.33

            9              J S Clark                              St Andrews GC                               300.00

                            H Niall Scott                        St Andrews GC                               300.00

           11             C R Blair                               St Andrews GC                               291.67

           12             D A Comb                            Royal and Ancient                           283.33

                            H J Thomson                      Royal and Ancient                           283.33

           14             R D Muckart                        Royal and Ancient                           266.67

                            Fraser Thomson                Earlsferry Thistle                             266.67

           16             Adam Carnall                      Falkland                                           266.67

                            Colin Edwards                   Kirkcaldy                                          266.67

           18             A Cannon                            St Andrews GC                               250.00

                            G A Crichton                       St Andrews GC                               250.00

                            R Mitchell                             St Andrews GC                               250.00

                            J W G Patrick                      Royal and Ancient                           250.00

                            R Thomson                         St Andrews GC                               250.00

           23             Sam Harris                          Leven G S                                        241.67

                            Colin McMann                    Leven G S                                        241.67

           25             Sandy Syme                       Earlsferry Thistle                             233.33

For up-to-date ranking lists of participating Clubs, the full Fife ranking list and How It Works, please visit

www.MyGolfRanking.co.uk

ANDREW OLDCORN RETAINS EAST OF SCOTLAND ALLIANCE TITLE

By ALAN GREENSHIELDS
Edinburgh and East of Scotland Alliance secretary
A fantastic day's weather produced some fantastic scores in the championship meeting at Gullane and the morning round scoring suggested some low scoring was to feature throughout the day.
The Gavin Clark Trophy for the best aggregate net score was firmly in the hands of William Laing (Prestonfield) after a net 61 (68 less 7) after his morning round over Gullane No 3.
Willie followed this great score with a net 70 (77 less 7) over Gullane No 2 in the afternoon. His aggregate of net 131 secured the trophy by four shots from Derek Fish (Glenbervie) and Wilson Morton (Dunbar), both on an aggregate net of 135.
The main event to find the East Alliance Champion for the year and secure The Uni Royal Trophy saw things hotting up in the morning.
On Gullane No 2 Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) posted a seven-under-par 64. Shortly after this Gordon Law (Uphall) posted a 66 and last man in the morning, Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe), returned a 68.
Over on Gullane No 3 the low scores came in late in the morning with 64s from Scott Catlin (Greenburn) and Andrew Marshall (Houston GR) but a fantastic eight-under-par 60 from David Patrick saw him four shots ahead on No 3.
These morning scores saw a foundation for the outcome -
Following a 68 on Gullane No 2 Allyn Dick secured thrd place with an aggregate of 132. David Patrick added a 69 on Gullane No.2 to his 60 to fill second place on 129.
The clear winner and defending champion (joint with Jamie Morris in 2011) was Andrew Oldcorn who added a 61 on No 3 to his 64 to finished four shots ahead of the field with a total of 125.
The day also saw the Scratch Order of Merit concluded with the top three from the previous week swapping places.
1st and overall winner - Andrew Marshall (Houston GR) - 696.5 points
2nd - Jamie Morris (Peebles) - 675.5 points
3rd - Stephen Lamb (Cardrona) - 667.5 points

The season is almost over but on April 2 the annual match, East v West Alliance takes place at Lanark where the East will be defending the trophy.

Leading Championship scores


Gullane No.2 /Gullane No.3/ Totals / Handicap

                                     Score Net Score Net Score Net

Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) 64 64 61 61 125 125
David Patrick (Elie) 69 69 60 60 129 129
Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) 68 70 64 66 132 136 -2
Andrew Marshall (Houston G R) 69 69 64 64 133 133
Gordon Law (Uphall) 66 66 67 67 133 133
Andrew Erskine (Ratho Park) 69 69 65 65 134 134
Daniel Wood (The Hirsel) 71 71 64 64 135 135
Derek Fish (Glenbervie) 71 71 64 64 135 135 0
Scott Catlin (Greenburn) 71 71 64 64 135 135
Sean McGarvey (Glencorse) 72 72 67 67 139 139 0
Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess) 71 69 69 67 140 136 2
Colin Fraser (Peebles) 74 74 67 67 141 141 0
Craig Gordon (Edinburgh Golf Cen) 74 74 67 67 141 141
Jamie Morris (Peebles) 72 73 69 70 141 143 -1
Keir McNicoll (Gullane) 70 70 71 71 141 141
Stuart Callan (Bathgate) 73 73 68 68 141 141
Thomas Wilson (Glenbervie) 75 73 68 66 143 139 2
Wilson Morton (Dunbar) 75 71 68 64 143 135 4
George Wither (Lothianburn) 76 75 68 67 144 142 1
Richard Johnston (Glenbervie) 72 72 72 72 144 144 0
Ross Neill (Drumpelier) 75 75 69 69 144 144
Hugh Fraser (Niddry Castle) 74 72 71 69 145 141 2
Stephen Lamb (Cardrona) 77 77 68 68 145 145
William Laing (Prestonfield) 77 70 68 61 145 131 7
Richard Stott (Prestonfield) 75 70 71 66 146 136 5
Robert Denholm (Duddingston) 77 73 70 66 147 139 4
Jordan Lamb (Peebles) 77 71 71 65 148 136 6
Andrew Rothney (Deer Park) 77 75 72 70 149 145 2
Andrew Wight (Glencorse) 78 75 71 68 149 143 3
George Black (Torwoodlee) 75 72 74 71 149 143 3
Tony Boyle (Glenbervie) 77 73 72 68 149 141 4
Chris Morris (Kingsknowe) 76 76 74 74 150 150
Donny Munro (Kingsknowe) 77 75 73 71 150 146 2
Grant Skinner (Glencorse) 76 73 74 71 150 144 3

WHEN AND WHERE SIR BOB CHARLES IS PLAYING IN NORTH-EAST

Sir Bob Charles' North-east golf tour venues and playing partners, arranged by his good friend and Aberdeen businessman, Jim Hardie:

MONDAY, JULY 23 - Royal Aberdeen GC - 1.30pm

Sir Bob Charles, Jim Hardie, Stewart Spence, Neil Middleton.

TUESDAY, JULY 24 - Castle Stuart GC - 1pm

Sir Bob Charles, Jim Hardie, Jim Miller (Brora), Neil Hampton (Nairn).

WEDNESDAY, JULY 25 - Ballater GC- 1pm

Sir Bob Charles, Jim Hardie, John Sinclair (club captain), Ballater club championship winner.

THURSDAY, JULY 26 - Trump International Links - 12.07

Sir Bob Charles, Jim Hardie, John Cramond (Royal Aberdeen), John Hamilton (Murcar Links).

FRIDAY, JULY 27 - Peterculter GC - 1pm.

Sir Bob Charles, Jim Hardie, Dean Vannet (club pro), George Macandrew (club champion).

 

Sir Bob. winner of the 1963 Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes after a 36-hole stroke-play play-off against American Phil Rodgers, recently had his 76th birthday. He will travel south on Saturday, July 28 to the Lothians, having accepted an invitation to play in the Ian Woosnam pro-am at Archerfield on Monday-Tuesday, July 30-31

SMAIL'S PACE TAKES KIWI INTO LEAD IN JAKARTA INDONESIA OPEN

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOURJAKARTA – New Zealand’s David Smail showed no signs of rustiness following a three month break to take the clubhouse lead after the first round of the U.S. $1 million Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open.
He fired a four-under-par 68 at Emeralda Golf Club, where the course is proving to be a stern test for the high-calibre field.
China’s Liang Wenchong, second in this event in 2010, and Australian Rohan Blizard carded 69s.
The tournament is jointly sanctioned by OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) and is the opening event of the season for both circuits.
Six players were unable to complete their rounds as play was suspended at 6.15pm local time due to bad light.
Smail, a five-time winner on the JGTO, has not played in a tournament since last December’s Australian Masters, but the rest appears to have paid dividends.
“I haven’t played for a couple of months so I am delighted to have started so well particularly on what is a very tough golf course," said the towering Smail, who stands six feet five inches tall (1.96 m).
"You have to drive it well and I hit most of the fairways.”
The narrow fairways, thick rough and windy conditions turned Emeralda into a difficult layout, but Smail got the better of it making five birdies and dropping just one shot.
He started his round on the back nine with birdies on 10 and 11, and later repeated that feat with birdies on one and two.
His most recent victory in Japan came in 2005 and after a strong start today he is hopeful of an improved year.
“The last couple of years have not been that solid in Japan but I am hoping for a better season,” he said.
The round also marked a triumphant return for Smail as he last played at Emeralda in the 1995 Alfred Dunhill Masters, where victory went to his compatriot Michael Campbell.
Liang, meanwhile, made a birdie on his final hole for an encouraging finish.
“I am excited to be playing this week as I really want to win on the Japan Tour. I have been paying more attention to physical training in the winter and I am hoping that will pay off as the season progresses,” said Liang.
His second place finish in Indonesia two years ago, combined with victories in the Thailand Open and Luxehills Chengdu Open, helped him claim the OneAsia Order of Merit title.
Last year he was unable to repeat that kind of form, but he feels he feels his game is slowly returning.
He added: “I am not thirsty for results. I am just staying patient and enjoying playing each week.”
Japanese star Hiroyuki Fujita, an 11-time winner on the JGTO, finished two under along with compatriots Yoshikazu Haku and Kazuhiro Yamashita, Australian Ashley Hall and Koreans Kim Meen-whee, Lee Dong-min and Kim Seung-hyuk.
Indonesia’s Andik Mauludin ended the day as the leading local player with a 71.
Andik, who has won twice at Emeralda on the domestic circuit, made the turn in two-under-par 34 and moved into a share of the lead after birdies on 10 and 14. However, the wheels came off when he double bogeyed the 15th and then dropped a shot on 16.
“Honestly, I got too excited attacking the pins and forgot that the greens are quite hard today," he said. "The green speed and the thick rough also created some problems.”
His countryman Rory Hie, who finished second in this event last year, fired a 73 while defending champion Thaworn Wiratchant from Thailand shot 75.
New Zealand’s Michael Hendry, the winner in 2010, fell victim to a little-known golf rule and was disqualified.
The Kiwi golfer’s club caddie pulled the flagstick from the hole after he played a chip shot on the ninth green and the ball unerringly found the cup.
If Hendry’s ball had missed the cup no penalty would have resulted, but the ball could have struck the stick had the flag not been pulled.
Ordinarily the infraction would result in a two-shot penalty, but Hendry -- who won the title in 2010 and was joint second last year -- did not realise the error and signed for a three over par 75.
He was disqualified under rule 6.6, which deals with signing an incorrect scorecard.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
68 David Smail (NZ)
69 Liang Wenchong (CHN), Rohan Blizard (AUS)
70 Ashley Hall (AUS), Kim Meen-whee (SKOR), Lee Dong-min (SKOR), Kazuhiro Yamashita (JPN), Hiroyuki Fujita (JPN), Yoshikazu Haku (JPN), Kim Seung-hyuk (SKOR)
71 Andik Mauludin (INA), Jay Choi (USA), Mamo Osanai (JPN), Chawalit Plaphol (THA), Jamie Arnold (AUS), Park Jae-bum (SKOR), Satoshi Tomiyama (JPN)
72 Lee Seong-ho (SKOR), Stephen Leaney (AUS), Huang Wenyi (CHN), Naoto Nakanishi (JPN), Scott Arnold (AUS), Masaya Tomida (JPN), David Oh (US), Masanori Kobayashi (JPN), Choi Ho-sung (SKOR), Nick Cullen (AUS)

REVISED DRAW FOR NE ALLIANCE MATCH-PLAY FOURSOMES

Revised draw for next week's North-east Golfers' Alliance match-play foursomes at Murcar Links on Thursday and Friday:

PRESS and JOURNAL SHIELD (Handicap)
Quarter-finals

08.30 Mike Booth (Kemnay) (11) and Claire Prouse (Hazlehead) (9) v Harry Roulston (Stonehaven) (7) and Alistair Petrie (Oldmeldrum) (10).

08.40 Jackie Forrest (Northern) (9) and Benny Lumsden (Northern) (14) v Justin Thomas (Newmachar) (3) and Tommy Collie (Kemnay) (11).

08.50 David Mackay (Caledonian) (7) and Norman Stewart (Northern) (14) v Laurence Prouse (Hazlehead) (6) and Les Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (12).

09.00 Martin May (Cruden Bay) (6) and John Dalgarno (Hazlehead) (10) v Mark Lawrie (Kemnay) (7) and Paul Cornfield (Auchmill) (15).

EVENING EXPRESS SHIELD (scratch)
Quarter-finals

09.10 Philip McLean (Peterhead) and Keith Watson (Deeside) v Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) and Fergus Bisset (Banchory).

09.20 Ryan Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo) and George Paterson (Northern) v Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) and Euan Kennedy (Newmachar).

09.30 John Duff (Newmachar) and David Leslie (Northern) v Keil Beveridge (Inchmarlo) and Robert Lamb (Newmachar).

09.40 Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links) and Craig Carnegie (Kemnay) v Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) and David Fleming (Portlethen).

Semi-finals at 01.10, 01.20, 01.30, 01.40 on Thursday afternoon.

Finals on Friday at 09.00 (handicap) and 09.20 (scratch).

+The Alliance phone - 07578 196073 - will be "live" from 10am on Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday next week so that any of the match-play qualifiers' whose circumstances change and they have to withdraw, can phone that number and notify the joint secs. The sooner the call is made the better so that substitutes can be called up from the reserve list.

McILROY'S STAR TRAPPINGS DON'T GO DOWN WELL BACK HOME

FROM THE GOLF DIGEST WEBSITE
Truth and Rumours

The Irish Times' Brian O'Connor defends Rory McIlroy from critics uncomfortable with McIlroy's embrace of celebrity, especially after his recent White House visit.

The tone was one of disappointment, of barely disguised disapproval. Our young fella with the swaggering gait and swing from God doesn’t look like the ordinary, unaffected kid from Norn Iron anymore. The star system is taking over, apparently.
Rory has security now, and a high-profile girlfriend, and takes private jets, and gets invited to the White House, and hangs out with Clooney and Clinton and that red-haired bloke from Homeland, and promises to help Obama with his swing, and generally looks like he is way too-at-ease in celebrity-land.
Boo! To which one can only ask, what is Rory supposed to do? RSVP Obama and say he can’t accept an invitation to the leader of the free world’s gaff because there might be a few hacks out there with enough time on their hands to ponder whether Rory is keeping it real, like?
Sometimes it’s just plain inevitable that sporting passions lead us to ascribe human virtues in proportion to the wondrous talent in front of us. Journos are no different to anyone else. In fact, sometimes there’s almost a sense of ownership about it.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy made moving to the West Palm/Jupiter area fashionable for PGA Tour pros, and it appears the attraction must be strong for women golfers too.
According to reports, Michelle Wie is going to move to Jupiter, Florida, after she graduates from Stanford University, California this spring.
Her parents will be making the move from Palo Alto to Jupiter as well. They shadowed Wie during her regular practice sessions in Northern California, traipsing along in a golf cart, and they travel with her to every LPGA event. The habit has drawn not-so-muffled criticism over the years, and it seems their role will not subside once Wie is a college graduate.
B.J. comes across as calm and rational, but that's not always the image Bo projects. She's a one-time amateur champion in South Korea, openly emotional when watching her daughter play. Observers describe her as living and dying with every shot as she follows Michelle at tournaments, screaming at times.
There are two ways to view this. On one hand, Wie's parents allowed Michelle some independence at Stanford. Then again, they lived in Palo Alto and now will join her in Jupiter.

David Feherty served as starter/heckler in chief for the Tavistock Cup this week. Some highlights:
Introducing Tiger Woods: "Many of us are out here by helicopter, he came by ambulance."
Introducing Ernie Els (who missed a four-foot putt at the Transitions to get into a playoff Sunday): "Ernie will be putting with a live rattlesnake today."

SGU APPOINT NORTH, EAST AND WEST Club Development Officers

SGU MEDIA RELEASE

The Scottish Golf Union, following feedback from clubs across the country, has appointed a team of three Club Development Officers based in the North, East and West of Scotland.

Working under the guidance of Kevin Fish, Scottish Golf Club Development Manager, Claire Middleton (West Region), Iain Evans (East Region) and John Kemp (North Region) have taken up their new roles.

As the SGU and Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association have increased the range of services provided to affiliated clubs, the call from those clubs for more face-to-face support has grown.

Following the recent move by the Scottish Golf Union Board to release reserves after changes to the SGU Reserves Policy, the SGU has now responded to this request with the creation of the three individual regional posts.

Focusing on the SGU’s key objective of supporting clubs in these challenging times, each key post holder is to advise and support Scottish golf clubs with the goal of having a positive impact on their businesses. 

Over 70 candidates applied for the positions and, after a thorough recruitment policy, the successful trio were selected for a combination of their golf club experience and specific business skills, such as business planning and marketing, that can be applied to their roles.

Glasgow-based Claire, a marketing graduate, most recently worked as Golf Manager for Glasgow Golf Club, while business graduate Iain previously trained with Business Gateway, where he gained a post graduate diploma of Business Advice.

John, who hails from the Orkney Isles, has a degree in Golf Management from the University of the Highlands and Islands and was recently employed as Development Manager for Askernish Golf Club.

The impact of the Club Development Officers on Scottish Golf will be measured via several Key Performance Indicators and, ultimately, by club membership levels.

They will liaise closely with ClubGolf Regional Managers, who are delivering the national junior golf programme, to develop an understanding of clubs’ diverse needs, then create and deliver products and services that meet these needs.

The Club Development Officers will also assist clubs to utilise the tools available to them through their affiliation to the SGU and/or SLGA such as Governance and Business planning, HR and H and S support, benchmarking, education, marketing guidance and membership retention and recruitment.

Andy Salmon, Scottish Golf Development Manager, said of the new posts: “We have worked very hard over the last four years to offer a range of services that meet the ever-changing needs of our affiliated clubs.

“However, during this time, our greatest challenge has been communicating these services to clubs. Led by Kevin Fish, Claire, Iain and John will be very focused on supporting clubs in tackling the challenges they face and helping them establish governance structures and business plans to equip them for the future.”

Each post is for a fixed term of three years, with a formal review of the impact of the post after two years.

  

Ed Hodge SGU PR & Media Executive Direct Line: 01334 466483 Mobile No: 07850 772166

PGA IN SCOTLAND'S NOTABLE DATES FOR 2012 SEWASON

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA IN SCOTLAND

April 11-13: Optical Express Tour 54 Hole Tournament (Dundonald Links) *

May 1-2: Optical Express Tour 36 Hole Tournament (Spey Valley) *
May 7-8: Optical Express Tour Northern Links Challenge (Tain and Brora) *
May 21-22: “Skycaddie” Hole Y/P OOM Tournament (Deer Park) ^

June 26-27: Optical Express 36 Hole Tournament (Duddingston) *

July 18-19: Optical Express 36 Hole Tournament (Rowallan Castle) *
July 23-26: Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship (Kings Course) *
JulY 31–Aug 1: Muir Deer Park Masters (Deer Park) *

Aug 2-3: Craigielaw Y/P 54 Hole P-A Tournament (Craigielaw) ^
Aug 19-20: Shotts Y/P 54 Hole OOM P-A (Shotts) ^
Aug 28-30: Aberdeen Asset Northern Open *

Sept 1-2: Kerr Investments Classic 36 P-A (Dumfries and Galloway) *
Sept 4-5: Carnegie Invitational (Carnegie Club)
Sept 11-13: Scottish Y/P Championship (West Lothian) ^
Sept 18-20: Paul Lawrie Invitational (Deeside)
Sept 23-24: Sandy Pipey Young Masters (Royal Dornoch) ^

Oct 1-3: Tomatin Single Malt 54 Hole Pro-Am (Castle Stuart, Nairn, Royal Dornoch)
Oct 8-9: Optical Express Tour 36 Hole Tournament (Duke’s, St Andrews) *

*Order of Merit Tournament
^ Young Professionals Order of Merit Tournament

PGA IN SCOTLAND TO RUN OPTICAL EXPRESS TOUR'S SIX EVENTS

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA IN SCOTLAND
The PGA in Scotland and Optical Express are pleased to announce that the Optical Express Pro Tour is set to go ahead under the PGA’s management in 2012.
The Tour, set up in 2010 by PGA professionals Alan Tait and Nigel Scott-Smith, to give aspiring young Scottish golfers more competitive playing opportunities, gained the support of Optical Express in 2011.
Having administered the Tour themselves for the past two seasons, Alan and Nigel are now handing over the reins to The PGA, who will incorporate The Tour into their 2012 schedule.
For the coming season, there will be six “Optical Express” events, which will form an important part of the 2012 PGA in Scotland Order of Merit.
Continuing the ethos of the original Tour, non-PGA Professionals and elite Amateurs will still be able to play in these tournaments, but will not be able to gain points for the PGA Order of Merit.
In making the announcement, Michael MacDougall, the Secretary of the PGA in Scotland, said “I’m aware that there have been rumours circulating for some time regarding our involvement in the Optical Express Tour and I am very pleased to confirm that our discussions have had a positive outcome and we will be incorporating this into our schedule.
"Alan and Nigel developed an initial relationship with Optical Express and now pass over a product that has tremendous potential. It promises to be an exciting time ahead, and we are looking forward to building and developing the Tour into an even more successful one in years to come, in conjunction with David Moulsdale and his team at Optical Express.”
David Moulsdale CEO and Chairman of Optical Express commented “Optical Express are delighted to support the next generation of Scottish golfers and hope this Tour can deliver the next Paul Lawrie, Sandy Lyle, Sam Torrance or Colin Montgomerie.”
The first event will be a 54-hole tournament at Dundonald on April 11-13, with the remaining five events to be played over 36 holes throughout the season.
Full schedule and venues:
April 11-13: Dundonald Links (54 Holes)
May 1-2: Spey Valley
May 7-8: Tain and Brora
June 26-27: Duddingston
July 18-19: Rowallan Castle
October 8-9: The Duke’s

2012 SEASON LOOKING VERY GOOD FOR PGA IN SCOTLAND

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA IN SCOTLAND
PGA in Scotland officials are looking forward to the 2012 season with great optimism, with the unveiling of a schedule which promises to be busier than ever.
After an absence of over a decade, the return of a three-day Pro-Am to the diary will ensure a glittering finale to the 2012 Scottish golf season. To be staged over three magnificent links courses in Nairn, Royal Dornoch and Castle Stuart, respectively host clubs of The Curtis Cup, The Scottish Amateur Championship and The Scottish Open in 2012, from October 1-3, the “Tomatin Single Malt 54 Hole Pro-Am” has proved enormously popular, with almost all the team spaces being snapped up in a matter of weeks.
The Professional Prize-fund for the event will top the £50,000 mark, with around £7,000 being earmarked for the winner of the individual event.
The PGA have also reached an agreement to administer the Optical Express Pro Golf Tour, which has been running for the past couple of years, and will now form a significant part of the PGA’s season.
The national championship, the Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship will again be staged over the Kings Course, but now has a mid-season date (July 23-26) rather than being held in October as has been the case for the past couple of years. The field for 2012 will be 66, as has been the case for the past two years.
Two major events are destined for the North-East, with Meldrum House hosting the Aberdeen Asset Northern Open for a third successive year (August 28-30) and the £25,000 Paul Lawrie Invitational 54-hole tournament, which will be staged at Deeside in September (18-20) – moving from June to fit in with Paul’s schedule – after its successful inaugural year in 2011.
In addition to the Scottish PGA Championship and the Northern Open, eight other events will make up the 2012 Order of Merit schedule. These will consist of the six Optical Express Tournaments and 36-hole pro-ams at Dumfries and Deer Park.
Trainees and Young Professionals will have a minimum of five events in their Order of Merit, with the inclusion of a new 36 hole tournament at Deer Park on May 21-22, supported by Skycaddie. The Scottish Young Professionals Championship returning to West Lothian for a third year between September 11 and 13, 54 hole events at Craigielaw (August 2-3) and Shotts (August 19-20) and a season ending 36-hole tournament at Royal Dornoch on September 23-24).
Commenting on the season ahead, PGA in Scotland Secretary Michael MacDougall (pictured) acknowledged that after a couple of tough years, the future for Scottish professional golfers was looking much brighter:
“We are absolutely delighted to have new sponsors on board for the season ahead. There’s no doubt that things haven’t been easy, but with companies such as Tomatin and Optical Express committing to working alongside us, we have every reason to be optimistic about the future.
“Obviously, new events are always eye-catching, and while we expected the 54 hole pro-am to be a success, I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised at how quickly the teams sold.
"We have been exploring the possibility of reviving the three-day event for a couple of years, but working in conjunction with Fraser Cromarty, the Sales and Marketing Director at Castle Stuart, who has been heavily involved from the outset, it looks set to be a tremendous success.
“We are also extremely grateful to Gleneagles, sponsors of the national championship for their co-operation in finding space in their calendar for the event to move closer to the middle of the season.”
“Our pro-am season is, as always, exceptionally busy. This year we are particularly pleased to have secured new events at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian and Turnberry’s Ailsa course. We also welcome back to our schedule pro-ams at Duff House Royal, Kirkhill and Auchterarder, all of which staged an event in 2010, but didn’t do so last year.”