TOP SCOTS HOPING FOR BEST AT A MURCAR LINKS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION
By COLIN FARQUHARSONColin@scottishgolfview.com
When Carly Booth was still young enough to play in Under-18s golf she was a member of a Scotland team that under-performed big time in the European girls' team championship at Murcar Links.
Touted as possible title winners, the Scots girls failed even to qualify for the top flight of eight and finished well down the second.
A European team championship returns to Murcar Links this week with the Under-18 boys stepping into the spotlight from the first two stroke-play qualifying rounds tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday with the match-play stages following from Thursday through to Saturday.
Not surprising then after the Murcar anti-climax by the Scottish girls of yesteryear that neither Scotland team captain Scott Knowles nor SGU chief executive Hamish Grey is going overboard about the home nation's boys team being the stars of the show.
"We're looking forward to a great week, playing on home soil. We hope to do well on a golf course which is in fantastic condition," said team captain Scott Knowles (pictured right) who has North-east based Neil Marr as his coach and right-hand man.
"It is fair to say that our best two boys are playing for Scotland in the European men's team championship in Denmark but I am sure quite a few other countries will be in the same position," said Hamish Grey, pictured below.
"I did try to get this boys' championship switched to another week, bearing in mind that the Scottish Open is being played not all that far away at Castle Stuart but that was turned down.
"We know how good our boys are but we can only guess at how good the opposition is. That's what makes it difficult to assess Scotland's chances of winning the title at Murcar Links this week.
"All the countries have been praising the condition of the course which will play like a true Scottish links. With hardly any rain for weeks, the course will be very hard and very bouncy."
French boys finished first and joint second in last week's Scottish Under-16 open boys' stroke-play championship at another North-east venue, Portlethen.
The French Golf Federation seem to be spending an awful lot of money sending their juniors - male and female - here, there and everywhere. There were 17 of them in the Portlethen field.
So it is more than likely that the French squad of Under-18s at Murcar Links will have the edge on the opposition when it comes to tournament experience at a high level.The Scots who will be doing their best to overcome that are:
Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden), Calum Hill (Tantallon), Ben Kinsley (St Andrews), Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten), Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) and Ewan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie).
For patriotic North-east golf followers, the tee-off times on Tuesday for the Scots are: Ferguson at 7.30am, Kinsley, MacIntyre, Syme and Walker spread over 7.50, 8.20, 10.30 and 10.50, with Hill the tail-gunner at 11.20.
+The Scotland team that last won the European boys title - in the Netherlands in 2000 - was: Martin Laird, Jack Doherty, Kevin Reid, David Inglis, Stephen Buckley, Mark Risbridger.
Whatever happened to Mark Risbridger?
When Carly Booth was still young enough to play in Under-18s golf she was a member of a Scotland team that under-performed big time in the European girls' team championship at Murcar Links.
Touted as possible title winners, the Scots girls failed even to qualify for the top flight of eight and finished well down the second.
A European team championship returns to Murcar Links this week with the Under-18 boys stepping into the spotlight from the first two stroke-play qualifying rounds tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday with the match-play stages following from Thursday through to Saturday.
Not surprising then after the Murcar anti-climax by the Scottish girls of yesteryear that neither Scotland team captain Scott Knowles nor SGU chief executive Hamish Grey is going overboard about the home nation's boys team being the stars of the show.
"We're looking forward to a great week, playing on home soil. We hope to do well on a golf course which is in fantastic condition," said team captain Scott Knowles (pictured right) who has North-east based Neil Marr as his coach and right-hand man.
"It is fair to say that our best two boys are playing for Scotland in the European men's team championship in Denmark but I am sure quite a few other countries will be in the same position," said Hamish Grey, pictured below.
"I did try to get this boys' championship switched to another week, bearing in mind that the Scottish Open is being played not all that far away at Castle Stuart but that was turned down.
"We know how good our boys are but we can only guess at how good the opposition is. That's what makes it difficult to assess Scotland's chances of winning the title at Murcar Links this week.
"All the countries have been praising the condition of the course which will play like a true Scottish links. With hardly any rain for weeks, the course will be very hard and very bouncy."
French boys finished first and joint second in last week's Scottish Under-16 open boys' stroke-play championship at another North-east venue, Portlethen.
The French Golf Federation seem to be spending an awful lot of money sending their juniors - male and female - here, there and everywhere. There were 17 of them in the Portlethen field.
So it is more than likely that the French squad of Under-18s at Murcar Links will have the edge on the opposition when it comes to tournament experience at a high level.The Scots who will be doing their best to overcome that are:
Ewen Ferguson (Bearsden), Calum Hill (Tantallon), Ben Kinsley (St Andrews), Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten), Connor Syme (Dumfries and Co) and Ewan Walker (Kilmarnock Barassie).
For patriotic North-east golf followers, the tee-off times on Tuesday for the Scots are: Ferguson at 7.30am, Kinsley, MacIntyre, Syme and Walker spread over 7.50, 8.20, 10.30 and 10.50, with Hill the tail-gunner at 11.20.
+The Scotland team that last won the European boys title - in the Netherlands in 2000 - was: Martin Laird, Jack Doherty, Kevin Reid, David Inglis, Stephen Buckley, Mark Risbridger.
Whatever happened to Mark Risbridger?
Labels: Boys
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, July 08, 2013
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