GRANT FORREST IS VOTED WEST COAST CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF YEAR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com 

Grant Forrest, the 2010 Scottish boys golf champion from North Berwick and now a student at San Diego University, has been named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year by the league's eight coaches.

He finished joint fourth in the recent West Coast Conference championship with a five-under-par total of 211.

Forrest, pictured by Andy Forman, finished second in the San Diego University team scoring averages with 72.25 over 12 tournaments.

The Scot was also named to the All-West Coast Conference team by the coaches.

Head coach Cory Scoggin said:

 "After I watched Grant play in his first two events this year I knew he would have a great chance to win this award. He had a great fall (autumn) with three top-10s. His 66 in the final round at Edgewood,  Nevada, where he beat the field by four shots was one of the most impressive rounds I have seen as a coach.

"His spring started off slow but he has really started swinging it well lately and was right in the mix coming down the stretch this week at the WCC championship.. Grant has a bright future as a Torero and I look forward to watching his game develop over the next few years."

San Diego's No 1 player, Alex Ching, voted the WCC Player of the Year, completes his fourth and final term in a few weeks. Forrest is expected to take over as the team leader in the 2012-2013 college season.

A FEW DOLLARS MORE FOR JIMMY GUNN

Dornoch exile Jimmy Gunn earned $1,300 for a sixth place finish in the Parker Open over the Emerald Canyon Course, Lake Havisu, Arizona at the weekend.

Gunn had rounds of 62, 69 and 73 for a total of 12-under-par 204.

Ryan Hogue won the $7,500 top prize with scores of 64, 69 and 67 for 200.

WENDY GUNN REPORTS

1st Round:  10 under par 62. Out in 32, back in 30.  Bogey-free round with 10 birdies.  Hit his ball into water with tee shot on 18 but still made par for 62.

2nd Round: Conditions more difficult than previous day as wind got up.  Par all the way to 15 then birdied 16, 17 and 18 for  three-under 69.

3rd Round:   Started badly bogey-bogey but came back to even par with birdies on 5 and 6. Continued to set up birdie chances with no putts dropping.

Disastrous double bogey 6 on the driveable short par 4 16th. Birdied 17, parred 18 to finish one-over 73.

Twelve-under-par total for solo sixth place and prize of $1300.

His best mate in Arizona, Ryan Hogue was winner with scores of 64 69 67 - 16 under overall winning $7500.

Jimmy Gunn's Arizona home is Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix - same area Martin Laird lives in. They have met and he was invited to the Lairds for a New Year's party a  couple of years ago. Unfortunately it was just after Jimmy's beloved Granda died so he didn't attend.  

I don't know if you are aware that his Granda (my Dad), Donald Urquhart, was a very good golfer in his own day. He played out of Golspie Golf Club and they have just had a memorial stone placed on the course with an inscribed plaque details his golfing achievements. That's it pictured above. Click on the image to enlarge it.
He had been club champion there 11 times and county champ twice so it's obviously "in the genes".  
WENDY GUNN

 

ENGLAND GAIN TWO SECONDS IN LIMA INTERNATIONAL

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLAND GOLF
England’s glowing record in the annual 72-hole Lima International was extended by Jamie Rutherford and Greg Payne with two runners-up spots at Lima Golf Club.

Rutherford (Knebworth, Hertfordshire) finished second in the individual ranking for the Manuel Prado Cup, while the duo were runners-up in the team event, the Carlos Raffo Cup.

In the individual competition, Rutherford, England's reigning National County Champion, was always near the top of the leaderboard throughout the four days and finished on nine-under-par 279, three strokes behind the winner, Patricio Alzamora from the home club.

Payne, (Chobham, Surrey) didn’t enjoy the best of weeks, ending joint 16^th on 297, nine over par.

However, together they finished on level par 576, comfortably in second spot in the team event, but 15 shots behind the runaway winners, Alzamora and his home club partner Jean Peglau.

Leading final scores:

Team:

561 Lima GC (Alzamora and Peglau)

576 England Golf (Rutherford and Payne)

582 Peru (Barco and Tola), Tennessee (Burgan and Golliher), Oregon (S Hval and J Dukeminier)

Individual

276 P Alzamora (Lima) 72 70 65 69

279 J Rutherford (England Golf) 69 72 68 70

283 J Dukeminier (Oregon) 67 72 73 71

284 M Tola (Peru) 67 73 70 74; G Hill (Ontario) 71 73 71 69; A Aduddell (Arizona) 72 70 72 70

Other score:

297 G Payne (England Golf) 74 72 72 79

KINLOCH TWINS ON SCOTTISH PGA PATRONS' SPRING MEETING PRIZELIST AT THE DUKE'S

Both the Kinloch twins from Cardoss figured on the prize list at this week's Scottish PGA Patron's Spring Meeting Stableford competition at The Duke's Course, St Andrews. Jim, who plays off three of a handicap, topped the returns with 35pt, one ahead of Colin Browne (Monifieth) (2) with David Paterson (Bruntsfield) (8) third with 33pt. Peter Kinloch, who plays off six, won the nearest the pin award at a designated short hole. Grant Jenkins (Crieff) (4) won the longest drive competition.   Anyone interested in joining the Scottish PGA Patrons Club at an annual subscription of £80 should contact Janette Miller at the Scottish PGA HQ at King's Lodge, Gleneagles.  Telephone: 01764 661840.

The perks for Scottish PGA Patrons include a car sticker and lapel badge with free admition to the Diageo Championship at Gleneagles and other PGA Scottish Region events; access to the PGA Marquee at the Open Championship, entertain your own gueast the Patron and Guest Greensomes Golf Day, participate in all the Patrons' competitions during the season, purchase from a range of exclusive Patrons' clothing.
On joining gentlemen will receive a Patrons Club tie and ladies will receive a Patrons Club scarf with the PGA Scottish Region motif and an exclusive Patrons Club bag tag.
What a nice birthday present to give someone - membes of the PGA Scottish Region Patrons' Club.

RORY McILROY'S THE (YOUNG) MAN, SAYS R AND A CHIEF

FROM THE SKY SPORTS.COM WEBSITE

R and A chief executive Peter Dawson believes world No.1 Rory McIlroy can go on to become the golfer of his generation in much the same way as Tiger Woods did.

The 22-year-old already has one major title to his name after winning last year's US Open, having previously had a successful amateur career.
And with Woods struggling to regain his dominance of a couple of years ago, McIlroy heads the queue of young golfers hoping to take over his mantle.
The Northern Irishman's rise to the top of the rankings is just another indicator of his talent and Dawson has watched his progress with admiration.
"It's very gratifying to see someone we've seen from his amateur days and played in a lot of events come through like this," he said.
"It's a wonderful time for British golf and European golf, having so many players from these islands and the continent of Europe doing so well.
"It is quite indicative to me as to who the star players are; the star players are always the ones where the TV companies are very interested in what tee times they're going to get at the Open.
"Rory and Tiger are the two that they are most interested in. So you're really seeing the old guard in Tiger, he's only mid-30s, isn't he, and the young Rory.

"Every generation has its stars, and Rory is going to be this one, I'm sure."

Jim McArthur, chairman of the R&A's Championship Committee, echoed Dawson's endorsement of McIlroy.
"Rory certainly relates to the younger person, the younger golfer. I think he has certainly been a good role model for them," he said.
"Obviously reaching No.1 he gets even more prominence as far as the golfing public is concerned and I think that can only be good for the game going forward."
The focus on Irish golf has grown in recent years, starting with Padraig Harrington's victories in two Opens and the US PGA, and being followed up by Graeme McDowell's success at the US Open, then McIlroy's breakthrough major and finally, last year, Darren Clarke's long-awaited Open triumph at Royal St George's.
There has been a growing call for the Open to return to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, which hosted the championship for the only time in 1951.
Dawson, announcing the course changes for this summer's event at Royal Lytham and St Annes and also the lifting of the mobile phone ban for spectators, admitted they had looked at taking the championship back across the Irish Sea.
"I and some of the people in the Championship department have been over having a look at Royal Portrush, a magnificent golf course," he added.
"It is very interesting they have the Irish Open there this year and have had some very strong ticket sales, so I hear, and we will have a look to see how that goes.
"We're a long way from any announcement that the Open is going back to Portrush but we have had a look at it.
"It's an interesting venue from all sorts of points of view but there are certain aspects of the golf course which would be very difficult for big crowds."