WALLACE BOOTH STAYS IN USA TO PRACTISE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON  Colin@scottishgolfview.com Wallace Booth's top-10 finish on the NGA Tour in South Carolina at the weekend will be his last competitive round until he starts his European Challenge Tour campaign in Madrid from April 24 to 27. By E-mail from the States, the Comrie man said:

"I've played in two events out here in America and now I am going to spend four more weeks in Augusta practising and getting ready for the main chunk of the Challenge Tour season. 
"The next event for me will be in Madrid near the end of next month."
Booth's early season or two as a professional were blighted by a shoulder injury but he says now:
"I am as fully fit as I will ever by now, which is nice."Booth spent four years at Augusta State University on a business management degree course and knows the Augusta area of Georgia and its golf facilities well.
The success of Scott Jamieson - one of his arch-rivals in Scottish boys' golf a decade and more ago - on the European Tour will be the motivating factor for Booth as he tries to graduate to the Big League through the Challenge Tour.

STONEHAVEN GOLF CLUB NOW ON TWITTER

I don’t know if you post these sort of details on your site but Stonehaven Golf Clubis now on Twitter and can be followed @StonehavenGC

We are looking for as many followers as possible as we embrace social media and would certainly benefit from a mention on your site!!

Steve Guzik

)
EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm a dinosaur - I'm not into Twitter, Facebook and the like!
But I can tell you that former Stonehaven GC captain Harry Roulston - former Scottish tennis champion and former Editor of The Press and Journal - will be writing a wee article for Scottishgolfview.com about recent improvements in the Stonehaven GC facilities.
Stonehaven Golf Club will always have a place in my heart.
As a wet-behind-the-ears cub golf reporter, the first tournament I reported was the Stonehaven Open - circa 1955-56 before I was called up for National Service - won by Wallace Anderson who played football for Falkirk. I was so shy and nervous that I spent all day OUTSIDE the clubhouse before catching the bus back into Aberdeen.
While on the subject of football-playing golfers, I remember the days when there was a Scottish footballers' golf championship.
 Max Murray of Rangers, if I remember correctly, won it more than once.
Best pro footballer at golf, in my lifetime, was Tommy Pearson, who played "outside left" for Newcastle United before being transferred at the age of 35 to Aberdeen FC for £5,000 by David Halliday in 1948. Pearson, the only player ever to play international football for both Scotland and England (during the World War II years), later succeeded Davie Shaw as the Aberdeen manager.
In Tommy's golfing days, the ultimate handicap was scratch. There were no plus handicaps.
Tommy was a scratch golfer who played in Aberdeen Links championship matches that drew thousands to watch - the days before TV provided stay-at-home entertainment.    
Pearson never won the Aberdeen Links title in the 1950s. He was unlucky that Jack Booth was at the height of his powers, winning the title at least three times. Pearson played Booth in at least one final.  
George Hamilton, who also played for Aberdeen and was a member at Deeside GC, was also a good golfer but not in the same class as Pearson.
Tommy, who had a unique "double shuffle" trick for getting past the opposing full back, was also an expert penalty kick taker at football. He didn't blast the ball. He simply rolled it with the inside of his right foot just inside the post with unerring accuracy, just out of the reach of the keeper.   

IRELAND'S FAMOUS FIVE WILL ALL PLAY IN IRISH OPEN IN JUNE

   Irish golf's famous five (left to right): Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke.   Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c).

NEWS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN TOUR
Paul McGinley expects to feel humble, as well as deeply honoured, when he steps on the first tee of the 2013 Irish Open to be introduced as Ireland’s first Ryder Cup Captain.

The 46 year old Dubliner is relishing the opportunity to return to his homeland to compete at Carton House, Co.Kildare, from June 27-30, in a tournament which has been close to his heart since he made his debut as an amateur in 1989.

McGinley, who in January was handed the responsibility of trying to help Europe retain The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles next year, cannot wait to join the all-star cast of Major Champions and Tour winners taking part in what he believes has become one of the premiere events on The European Tour Schedule.

His inclusion in the 2013 field ensures that the ‘Famous Five’ of Irish golf – Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and McGinley – will all be on centre stage at Carton House in June.

“It is obviously a tournament I always look forward to with an immense amount of excitement and anticipation and one I always enjoy playing in,” said McGinley, who holds the privileged position of playing in three successful Ryder Cup Teams.

“I’ve said on many occasions that the Ryder Cup captaincy is not just an honour for me, it is an honour for the whole of Ireland. I think Irish people are genuinely happy for me but they are also genuinely happy that an Irishman is the Captain. You can see that in the reaction I get whenever I come home.

“With the success that Irish players have had around the world in recent years, too, the Irish Open really is now a showcase event on The European Tour and a chance for the Irish fans to see the Number One player in the world in Rory McIlroy, as well as our other Major Champions of late – Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke. 

“We are in a very fortunate position now to have such a wide variety of talented players from our shores and it is an opportunity for us to showcase that to the world in our home country.”

It will be McGinley’s 23^rd appearance at the Irish Open and he will be hoping to draw on the good memories of a tied third place in 2000 at Ballybunion and a tie for fifth at Baltray in 2004.

“I played really well at Ballybunion and at Baltray, too, and I just hope I can recreate a few of those memories when we return to Carton House. 

“It would be special for me to go and compete for the title and get up there amongst the leaders. I’m anticipating big crowds there again this year like we had last year at Portrush and hopefully we will get good weather which will help swell the crowds even more.”

Tickets for the 2013 Irish Open are selling well and spectators are advised to buy early. An advance season ticket for all four days of the 2013 Irish Open can be purchased for €70, a saving and €10 on admission at the gate. 

Adult day tickets are priced at €30 pre-event, and €35 on the gate. Concessions are available at €50 for a season (€60 on the gate) and €20 for any one day (€25 on the gate).

Under-16s accompanied by an adult are admitted free of charge and all car parking is also free. Reserved grandstand seating can also be purchased immediately for Thursday, Friday and Saturday (€10) and the Sunday (€15) of the event.

Additionally, as part of the Irish Open ticket campaign, fans of golf and horse racing can enjoy both sports on the same day – Saturday, June 29 – by purchasing a specially priced ‘Irish Double’ ticket to enjoy the third round of the Irish Open and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Day for a combined price of €50.

Corporate Hospitality packages are also available with prices ranging from €245 to €295 (plus VAT). For all enquiries please contact Joanne in CSL Hospitality on 01 676 6650 or joanne@cslhospitality.ie For further information please visit www.cslhospitality.ie.

Full ticket information can be found at: www.europeantour.com/tickets or telephone Ticket Hotline: +440800 023 2557. Irish callers can phone: 1890 252 698. 

Postal enquiries should be sent to: European Tour Tickets, Mirren Court Three, 123 Renfrew Court Three, Paisley, PA3 4EA.

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

FROST WINS BY FIVE STROKES ON US CHAMPIONS TOUR

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
David Frost carded a final round 65 to complete a comfortable five-stroke victory over reigning Senior Open Champion Fred Couples in the Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach CC on the US Champions Tour.
European Senior Tour Member Frost tied the tournament record of 19 under par 194 set by Jay Haas in 2007 as he became only the second player in the event’s 19 year history after Nick Price in 2011 to win wire-to-wire.
The South African, who won the 2012 season-ending MCB Tour Championship on the Senior Tour, claimed his fourth Champions Tour victory and extended his fine start to the new season.
In four events so far this season, Frost has not finished outside of the top ten, posting ties for ninth, fifth and losing in a playoff to John Cook in Hawaii in the Champions Tour’s season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
"I felt as good as I did the first two days," Frost said. "I really enjoyed the tussle with Freddy (Couples) out there."
"I've been playing really, really consistently and haven't had any of those ups and downs," said Frost. "I know they will come, but right now I am playing well."
Couples, the 2010 champion, began the day a stroke behind Frost and tied him with a birdie on the first hole. That was the last time Frost would relinquish the outright lead. He birdied the second and third holes to build a two-shot advantage and his lead never went lower than one the rest of the round.
"Freddy was the one they were rooting for," Frost said of playing with Couples. "Fortunately, my putter was a little hotter than his was. There was too much work for him. I wasn't really hitting bad shots."
After making a birdie on the tenth Couples had a chance to tie Frost again, but made a bogey two holes later and never recovered. Couples battled back pain for most of the day, especially on the back nine. After hitting an approach shot the 16th Couples dropped his club and bent over in obvious discomfort.
"I was feeling good, but then I got really, really stiff," Couples said. "I hit a lot of bad wedges. I hit a bad wedge on six and seven and 16. I was kind of flinching at it. They weren't very good swings either."
Haas, the 2007 winner, finished tied for third with Peter Senior at 11 under. Senior Tour Honorary Life Member Tom Watson finished fifth another stroke back, while Germany’s Bernhard Langer, Ireland’s Mark McNulty and England's Barry Lane, who had to come through the Monday qualifier led the European challenge in a share of 20th position. 
Roger Chapman from England finished on 212, Mark Mouland (Wales) on 217 and Sandy Lyle from Scotland on 219.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
194 David Frost (South Africa) 63 66 65
199 Fred Couples (US) 64 66 69
202 Peter Senior (Australia) 68 68 66, Jay Haas (US) 69 66 67
203 Tom Watson (US) 70 67 66

SELECTED TOTALS
208 Mark McNulty (Ireland) 73 68 67, Bernhard Langer (Germany) 67 70 71 (T20)
209 Barry Lane (England) 67 71 71 (T26)
212 Roger Chapman (England) 69 71 72 (T44)
217 Mark Mouland (Wales) 77 67 73 (T66)
219 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 73 73 73 (T72)     

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE 

HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS

Some new golfers in the local Clackmannanshire clubs may be unaware of Clackmannan County Golf Union and its activities. 

It was founded in 1903 with the object of promoting golf among the six local clubs, and it provides competition and match experience at all levels.  

 All local club golfers with a handicap are eligible to play in county competitions. Entry fees are reasonable, and travel is fairly inexpensive since all the courses are within easy reach.  New golfers will be made most welcome on the County scene.

Entry sheets for the Spring Meeting will be available soon. It will be played in two divisions on April 20 - A Division at Alloa and B Division at Braehead.

The County boys' championships will be played on April 21 at Tillicoultry.

The 2013 Clackmannan County Golf fixture card is now available at local Clubs; in addition to the County events, the card lists the various Open events run by the six Clubs.

BRAEHEAD QUARTET AT SCOTTISH BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP

It is encouraging to see four local boys--- and all from Braehead---- entered for the 2013 Scottish boys' championship at Monifieth at the beginning of April.  

Mind you, they all have early rises. Grant Murray is second match off on April 1 at 6.53; Scott Beattie is at 7.41 and on Tuesday, April 2, Rikky Alexander plays at 7.25 and Ryan Calder at 7.57.   

 Local golfers will be wishing them the best of luck, and hope they have some good results.