WHERE HAVE ALL THE BOY GOLFERS GONE?

E-Mail from Ian Steven

I was looking at the early results from the Scottish boys' championship at Monifeith on the SGU's website.
One thing I noticed  was that there were insufficient entries this year.
There should be 256 competitors but top seed Ewan Scott from St Andrews has been given a bye into Round 2.
There have been a couple of players who have withdrawn and those boys without an opponent have also been given a direct entry into Round 2.
In years gone by there have been 30-50 reserves.
Where have all the boys gone?
Maybe your readers could give reasons for the decline.
 
Ian Steven

RESPONSE FROM ED HODGE
SGU Press and Media Officer

 

The field was 255, with no reserves. Three players have since pulled out.

 

 
TO VIEW ALL THE RESULTS FROM THE SCOTTISH BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

 CLICK HERE

KIPPIE LODGE GOLF POST FOR KEIL BEVERIDGE

By COLIN FARQUHARSONColin@scottishgolfview.com PGA professional Keil Beveridge from Aboyne has been appointed Director of Golf at Kippie Lodge Sports and Country Club, Milltimber near Aberdeen. Beveridge, 29, who specialises in teaching the game, had his base at Inchmarlo Golf Centre, Banchory, which closed earlier this year when the company leasing the facilities went into administration. "I'm delighted with the appointment," said Keil. "It's a great place to be associated with and a fantastic career opportunity for me." Beveridge, whose young sister Kimberley is one of Aberdeenshire's best young players, is coach and partner of Laura Murray who won the Scottish women's amateur title last year and recently turned professional. Laura worked part-time at the Kippie Lodge swimming pool for a spell but has not given up that attachment to concentrate on her new career as a tour golf professional. She will be playing on the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Scottish Ladies Open Tour. "I believe Keil will be a brilliant coach at Kippie. He has a lot of enthusiasm and his fresh approach will be welcomed with open arms," said Laura. One fellow pro who will substantiate that is Royal Aberdeen's Joel Hopwood who won the North-east Alliance scratch foursomes with Brian Harper last week. "I was having trouble with my driving until I played a round with Keil Beveridge and asked him if he could sort me out. He spotted the flaw right away and got me to take a wider arc in my takeaway on the back swing," said Hopwood. The remedy worked a treat for Hopwood a few days later in the North-east Alliance championship second round at Duff House Royal where he reduced the outward nine holes to only 31 shots. And in the foursomes over the next two days, he was booming his drives down the middle, giving him and his partner an advantage of up to 100 yards at some holes in the final. Beveridge started his new post on April 1 at Kippie Lodge which has its own nine-hole course, driving range, and a short-game and putting practice area. It also organises its own pro-am at Peterculter Golf every summer. The Kippie Lodge Sports and Country Club, which also has a tennis professional, Alan Lamont, two all-weather tennis courts, a swimming pool, a gymnasium and restaurant, was formerly called the Aberdeen Petroleum Sports Club and was set up mainly for American oil-related workers in the 1970s but has since broadened his membership base and changed its name to become one of the leading sports and country clubs in the North-east of Scotland, if not farther afield. ends

PAUL CASEY IS DOWN ... BUT HE'S CERTAINLY NOT FEELING OUT OF IT

                                                                                    FROM THE BBC SPORT.COM WEBSITE

While Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter hone Masters preparations, consider a contemporary of this gilded generation.

Georgia next week is not on the mind of Paul Casey. His last chance of making it to Augusta came and went with a missed cut last week at the Houston Open.
Resurrecting a once stellar career is the 35-year-old Englishman's priority after struggling to overcome the dislocated shoulder he suffered at the end of 2011.
Casey is outside the world's top 130 players, yet he came to Texas exuding positivity and hoping to repeat his Houston Open triumph of 2009.
That win took him to the Masters of that year as one of the best players in the world. It helped him to a career-high ranking of three and a year later he was a contender in the Open Championship at St Andrews.
He was a top-10 player when Colin Montgomerie overlooked him for a place in the Ryder Cup team for Celtic Manor but the future still appeared bright.

Casey's triumphs

US PGA Tour (one title)

• Houston Open (2008)

European Tour (11 titles)

• Johnnie Walker Championship (2001, 2006)
• ANZ Championship (2003)
• Benson & Hedges International Open (2003)
• TCL Classic (2005)
• China Open (2005)
• World Match Play Championship (2006)
• Abu Dhabi Golf Championship (2007, 2009)
• BMW PGA Championship (2009)
• Volvo Golf Champions (2011)

Ryder Cup (with Europe)

• Winner: 2004, 2006
• Also played: 2008

WGC-World Cup (with England)

• Winner: 2004
• Also played: 2001, 2002, 2003

Seve Trophy (with GB & N Ire)

• Winner: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007

In the weeks prior to his fateful snowboarding accident in January 2012, Casey had enjoyed two top-four finishes and he appeared on a path to levels of success similar to those enjoyed by Donald, Rose and Poulter.
The injury put paid to such a notion. It has been a constant struggle ever since. When he returned to action last year, he missed 13 cuts and lost his playing rights on the US PGA Tour.
It is easy to assume that Houston victory, when he beat JB Holmes in a play-off, now feels a life time away, but Casey disagrees. "It seems like yesterday," he told BBC Sport.
"It's very strange - it's been four years and a lot has happened. My game has gone through a bit of a rough patch. Injuries certainly knocked the confidence.
"But I feel really happy about where I sit right now. I've figured a lot of stuff out. The past year or so has been very much a learning curve but I really enjoy my golf right now.
"The light bulb has really gone on about how I always played my best golf and I think I was very unaware of that. I think I was just freewheeling for such a long time - and going through this patch, I have had to learn and understand how I play golf."
For Casey, there has always been a constant battle between technique and feel. At his best, he can move the ball huge distances and shape it both ways at will.
He said: "I've gone through this period trying to figure it out scientifically and I've realised that's not me. That's not the way I do it. I'm someone who is more artistic, who goes out there and gets stuck in and just plays golf.
"I'm one of those players who can react to things, be creative and hit good golf shots. I've stood there for quite a while now trying to be correct, trying to set up correct, trying to make a perfect golf swing and getting results that are less than satisfactory.
"In the past few weeks, I've been saying: 'This is absolutely silly. What am I doing?' It's amazing how you can become so blinded and not realise that you are getting in your own way."
Casey admits the slump has been tough but he feels he has matured in adversity. He is not eligible for any of the majors at the moment. "It is the vehicle that drives the rest of my life, it is a job but it doesn't make me incomplete if I can't do it," he said.
"I still have a wonderful life and plenty of friends and family that I have a great time with and I've come to realise that. But it's not going to make me softer in any way. I'm still a hell of competitor."
He says those competitive fires burn "probably greater than they were when I was a young kid".
These qualities will need to come to the fore as he sets his sights on a European Tour schedule that offers the chance for him to be a bigger fish in a smaller pool.
Despite Casey's fall, he remains one of the game's most engaging characters and a player on whom promoters are happy to sell their tournaments. While Europe's star names ply their trade in America, he has a significant opportunity to capitalise in their absence.
"Having those guys based in the US and not playing full-time in Europe opens the door but there are lots of stars in Europe, lots of great young players," he said. "My focus isn't taking that spotlight. It is just winning golf events."
Only great play will suffice and to date it continues to elude a player who has played in three Ryder Cups.
This doesn't stop Casey setting himself high targets; he believes a return to the world's top 10 by the end of the year is within his compass.
Current results suggest otherwise but while he watches the Masters from afar he will feel that Augusta and not his home couch is where he belongs.
No player feels more motivation to succeed in 2013.