COLIN IN SECOND WEEK OF HOLIDAYS

COLIN FARQUHARSON IS STILL ON HOLIDAY.
UPDATES WILL BE LESS FREQUENT UNTIL HE RETURNS ON SUNDAY NIGHT

IF YOU WISH DETAILS OF CHEAP BUT NICE SELF-CATERING VILLA ACCOMMODATION AT MOURAGOLF VILLAGE, VILAMOURA ON
THE ALGARVE, E-MAIL Colin@scotttishgolf view.com

BRIAN MAIR IS NEW SECRETARY OF PGA IN SCOTLAND

                          BRIAN MAIR
 
PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS’ ASSOCIATION
PRESS RELEASE

One of the golf industry’s most respected figures has been appointed Secretary of The PGA in Scotland.
Former Glenmuir marketing director Brian Mair will take up his new role at The PGA’s Scottish base at Gleneagles on April 17.
Mair will be tasked with looking after the interests of Scotland’s 600 PGA Members, managing the popular Tartan Tour and ensuring The PGA continues to play a prominent role, in growing and promoting the game through various initiatives such as ClubGolf.
He brings a wealth of business expertise to the role notably with his marketing and sales experience with leading golf apparel companies Sunderland of Scotland and more recently Glenmuir and helped successfully integrate both.
Mair also oversaw the marketing activities for Glenmuir relating to the Ryder Cup 2010 and 2012, The Open Championship 2010 and 2011 and the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championships.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to have got this new role, particularly at such an exciting time for Scottish golf with the Ryder Cup just around the corner,” said Mair.
“I have worked closely with The PGA through my previous roles and have a tremendous regard for the work the Association and its members do on a daily basis.
"I’m looking forward to representing Scotland’s PGA Professionals and ensuring The PGA in Scotland continues to play a pivotal role in golf at all levels of the sport.”
The PGA’s chief executive, Sandy Jones, welcomed the new man on board, commenting: “I’m delighted Brian will be joining The PGA team, we have worked with him over many Ryder Cups through Glenmuir and I’m sure he will do an outstanding job on behalf of PGA Members in Scotland.”
ends
Issue date: 8 April 2013
Image attached of Brian Mair for free use courtesy of Adrian Milledge…/
For further information, contact Nathaniel Sylvester at PGA Headquarters on 01675 470 333 or email media@pga.org.uk

MARTIN LAIRD COMES OUT OF SLUMP TO WIN TEXAS OPEN

            GREAT SCOT! MARTIN LAIRD WINS DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
                                 Image by courtesy of the US PGA Tour
 

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By PGATOUR.COM wire reports
SAN ANTONIO -- Martin Laird has spent the last six months on the driving range looking for answers to his struggling game.
The Scottish golfer finally found what he was looking for and then some on Sunday -- winning the Valero Texas Open with a final-round 9-under 63 to hold off a resurgent Rory McIlroy and some of the world's best along the way.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Laird won $1,116,000.

VALERO TEXAS

Results, points
Final leaderboard
FedExCup standings
Laird breaks slump
Congratulate Laird  
TOUR Report notes
Round 4 video
Interview transcripts

Laird, who entered the week 157th in the FedExCup standings, tied the course record with his bogey-free effort and secured 500 points to move inside the top 20. He punctuated the overall 14-under effort with birdies on the final three holes, earning a trip to next week's Masters and plenty of confidence in a recent swing change along the way.
"I came in here quietly confident, even though my record this year has been poor to say the least," Laird said. "But golf's a funny game; doesn't matter what you did two weeks ago. It turns around pretty quickly."
The win was Laird's third on the PGA TOUR, his first since the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard in 2011.
He entered the week having missed four of eight cuts this year following a swing change last September, including a missed cut at last week's Shell Houston Open. However, he shot a second-round 65 in that event after a four-hour range session -- providing plenty of confidence that his game was finally starting to come together.
It did just that Sunday, and how.
Laird began the day four shots behind leader Billy Horschel, but he birdied five of his first eight holes to immediately jump into contention. His 7-foot birdie putt on No. 8 -- one of only 22 putts in the round -- put him into a tie with Horschel at 10 under.
He then held off a hard-charging McIlroy over the last few holes including a stunning up-and-down for birdie out of the fairway bunker and off the fringe on No. 17. He capped the win with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th.
McIlroy, the world's No. 2, began the day at 6-under before posting a 66 to finish two shots back in solo second -- his best finish of the year.

FEDEXCUP

Martin Laird made his way into the FedExCup top 20 after winning in San Antonio. Standings

Horschel shot a 1-under 71 to finish in a tie for third with Jim Furyk and Charley Hoffman.
Furyk eagled the par-5 18th from 104 yards out to jump into third. The former U.S. Open winner had only four holes of practice on the Greg Norman-designed Course at TPC San Antonio on Wednesday before rain washed him out, but he posted a final-round 69 to close out a steady week.
Horschel, who led after the second and third rounds, was unable to match the low rounds of his competitors and finished with a 1-under 71. The Florida native, who was second at last week's Houston Open and was borderline defiant earlier in the week about his chances of competing against former major winners, was seeking his first PGA TOUR win.
"Everyone's going to have butterflies," Horschel said. "I don't care if it's Tiger Woods or Joe Schmo at the golf course; you're going to have butterflies, and you have to learn how to deal with it."
McIlroy, who only entered the tournament late last week, closed to within a shot of Laird when he sank a 13-foot birdie putt on the 204-yard par-3 16th to reach 11 under.
The former world No. 1 had struggled with his consistency for much of the year entering the week, but he made seven birdies on Sunday. It was exactly the kind of competitive final round McIlroy envisioned when he signed up in advance of next week's first major of the year.
He continued to struggle off the tee, hitting just seven of 14 fairways for the third time this week Sunday. However, he needed only 26 putts -- by far his best effort on the greens for the week.<"I feel like my game's in really good shape going into next week," McIlroy said. "A round like that gives me a nice bit of confidence.
"I thought if I got to 12 under today that might have been good enough, but Martin just played too good and holed so many putts. It was hard to keep up."
Laird earned this third straight trip to the Masters with his win. He finishedw with a 15-foot putt for birdie on 18 -- clinching a share of the course record, which was set in last year's opening round by Matt Every.
He became the first PGA TOUR player to earn a trip to the Masters in the last week before the tournament since Johnson Wagner won the Houston Open in 2008.
Laird played at Augusta National the last two years following his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2011, finishing 20th two years ago and 57th last year.
Well-known name or not, Laird overcame some of the world's best on Sunday.
"I know how good Rory is, but it doesn't matter if it's Rory or Jim or Billy, if someone's behind me making birdies like they were, I know I've got to keep making birdies," Laird said. "That was a pretty strong leaderboard at the top there."

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
274 Martin Laird (Scotland) 70 71 70 63
276 Rory McIlroy (N Ieland) 72 67 71 66
277 Billy Horschel (US) 68 68 70 71, Jim Furyk (US) 69 70 69 69, Charley Hoffman (US) 71 67 70 69.
SELECTED OTHER TOTALS
281 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 68 73 70 70 (T10)
283 David Lynn (England) 72 70 71 70 (14th).
284 Shane Lowry (Ireland) 70 72 72 70 (T15)
286 Brian Davis (England) 69 72 75 70 (T29)
288 Ian Poulter (England) 70 75 74 69 (T37)
292 Russell Knox (Scotland) 73 72 74 73 (T69)

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE          

HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS

  Clackmannan County president Hugh Hunter congratulates Scott Borrowman after his fine win at Leven on  Sunday.

STYLISH SCOTT TAKES TITLE AT LEVEN.

  Dollar’s Scott Borrowman likes Leven Links…. in many years of competing in the major events held there, the former Youths Champion has taken a third place and a runner up spot, but a win has always eluded him. That was corrected last weekend in the cold conditions when he emphatically won the 2013 Scottish Champion of Champions title by three shots.  Scott led from start to finish, and with one round to go he led by four shots.  He struggled to the turn in the last round in two over par starting with a double bogie, but corrected the situation with a run of three birdies in four holes from the 10th, and could even afford the luxury of three putts on the last hole to win by three shots from Matthew Clark.  It’s the first win by a Clackmannan player since Michael Niven won in 1974, and should consolidate Scott’s place among the elite Scottish Amateur golfers.

  Braehead’s Allan Watson , the current County Champion finished a bit  further down with rounds of 70, 78,76,77

  Champion of Champion 2013---leading scores.  (Par 284)

1. Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 70,67,72,71      280

2. Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 71,69,73,70   283.

                       COUNTY GOLF TEAM CRASHES AT ALLOA

  As many golfers will tell you, golf is a funny old game….. just when you think you are on top of it, it all goes wrong.  Well the County Golf team discovered this last weekend when they went down by 6 matches to 2 on home ground against Angus County in the second match of the Provan Salver series.  Crumbs of comfort came from Team Captain Darren Hulston who won by 4/3 and home player David Milloy who won by 2/1.  The final match of the Provan Salver will take place in three weeks time against Fife at Burntisland.

 MATCH RESULTS.  (Clackmannan names first).

Jamie Aitken lost to Campbell Donaldson 3/1

Darren Hulston beat Stewart Smith 4/3

Steven Horne lost to Raymond Perry 4/3

Ross Benvie lost to Morris Lindsay 3/2

Steve McIvor lost to Andy Fyfe 2/1

John Maxwell lost to George Findlay 9/7

David Milloy beat Scott Grant 2/1

John McLaren lost to Steven Cargill 2/1

                             ALEXANDER MAKES LAST 32

  Braehead’s Rikky Alexander had a good run in the Scottish Boys Championship at Monifieth, winning 3 matches before losing to the eventual semi-finalist.  Rikky played some good golf in his matches especially his third round tie where he recovered from one down after 14 to take the match on the 17th green after some fine approach play to the greens.

 

  Rd 1 beat Adam Gillespie (Balmore) 2/1

  Rd 2 beat Callum Connacher (Wishaw) 4/3

Rd 3 beat Christopher MacLean (Clydebank and District) 2/1

Rd 4 lost to Ben Craggs (Glenbervie) 6/5

  The other three Braehead boys (Grant Murray, Scott Beattie, and Ryan Calder) made great efforts on the seaside links but all lost in the first round.

                    LOCAL TRIO AT CRAIGMILLAR PARK

  In the first counting event of the 2013 season held at Craigmillar Park in Edinburgh, Dollar’s Scott Borrowman will be making a start to the defence of his 2012 Order of Merit title. Also competing will be Jamie Aitken (Alloa) and Darren Hulston (Dollar).

               COUNTY SPRING MEETING COMING UP

   The County Spring Meeting ( A Division Alloa; B Division Braehead) takes place on Saturday 20th April. The draw is already made, but late entries will be accepted and new members with handicaps of local Clubs are especially invited to take part. The first group of qualifiers from the leading scratch scores will be obtained for the County Match Play Championship later in the season

LANARKSHIRE NEWS FROM WILLIE SHARPE

Lanarkshire Golf News

Lanarkshire boys had mixed success at the Scottish Boys championship at Monifieth last week.  None of them reached the last 32 but there were good wins in earlier rounds for Kieran Stark of Crow Wood and Kieran Mc Vicar of East Kilbride. They both lost narrowly in round 3 at extra holes. Best comeback of the week came from David Fair of Hamilton in round one. He was five down after nine holes but fought back to win at the 19^th hole. On a positive note most of the boys are eligible to play again next year at West Kilbride.

Fife Boys   v    Lanarkshire Boys    Friendly Match

Fife Boys beat Lanarkshire Boys six and a half to one and a half on Sunday April 7^th in their annual friendly match at Pitreavie Golf Club in Dunfermline. The teams comprised four boys at under 16 years of age and four boys at under 14 years of age.

Results:

1.     Fraser Rollo     Burntisland    beat  Zac Geddes   Cambuslang   3/2

2.     Sam Nicholson  Ladybank     beat   Kieran McCormack  Crow Wood   5/4

3.     John Paterson  St Andrews   beat  Kieran McAllister    Easter Moffat   4/3

4.     Keith Bowman  St Andrews   beat  Brett McNaught   Kirkhill   2/1

5.     Greg Cessford  Balbirnie        halved with  Kieran McVicar   East Kilbride

6.     Jack Walsh  Kirkcaldy             beat   David Fair  Hamilton    2/1

7.     Euan Diston Kirkcaldy           lost to  Andrew Thomson  Lanark  2/1

8.     Niall McMullan  Lundin      beat    Fraser Kane    Kirkhill    1 hole

  

Next Sunday, April 14^th,   Lanarkshire Boys play the Lothians Boys in a friendly match at Shotts Golf Club. It will be ten a side with a mixture of under 18’s, 16’s and 14’s.

LANARKSHIRE BOYS SPRING MEETING AT CARNWATH  SUNDAY APRIL 28^TH.

Lanarkshire will host their annual boys Spring Meeting at Carnwath Golf Club on Sunday April 28^th. Handicap limit is 16 and boys wishing to play should phone Tom Logan Secretary on 01236 428799

     Willie Sharpe

    past president  LGA

BORROWMAN IS TOP DOLLAR AT CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS OPENER

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Dollar's Scott Borrowman  won the SGU Order of Merit title for his consistency last season and he is off and running again with a three-shot victory in the opening 72-hole event of the 2013 campaign, the Scottish Champion of Champions Tournament at Leven links. It doesn't count for this year's Order of Merit as it is not strictly an "open event, but the former Scottish youths champion and past Palmer Cup student international player looks set for another very good season on this past weekend's form. Borrowman shot rounds of 70 and 67 to surge three shots clear on five-under-par 137 at the halfway stage. Scott peaked on the inward half of that second-round 67, birdieing four of the last nine holes. That was the purple patch that separated him from the star-studded field and he was never really challenged after that. Borrowman, although off the boil, increased that lead to four shots with a third-round, one-over-par 72 on Sunday morning and he then coasted to a closing par 71 for a four under par total of 280. Runner-up was Matthew Clark of Kilmacolm on 283. Only in the final round did he return a lower score than the winner but he stuck to his task and was clear second best in the final analysis - four shots ahead of the joint third placed trio, Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar), Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) and last year's Scottish Under-18 boys' match-play champion Craig Howie (Peebles) on 287 David Wilson (Troon Welbeck), another recent winner of the Scottish boys title, finished a creditable sixth on 288. His last two rounds of 70 and 68 added up to the "Sunday best" of 138 by any player Defending champion Fraser McKenna (Balmore) finished seventh on 289. Only five shots off the pace after three rounds, he went backwards over the final 18 holes which cost him a four-over-par 75. Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie), the SGU's Player of the Year in 2012, had, by his high standards, a poor tournament, finishing 19th on 12-over-par 296. James White (Lundin) suffered a wrist injury during his third round and was unable to go out again for the final circuit. Former Scottish amateur champion and past winner of the Champions' title, Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) had a hole in one at the ninth hole, using a six-iron, during his final round. FINAL TOTALS Par 284 (4x71) CSS 74 73 74 74 280 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 70 67 72 71. 283 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 71 69 73 70. 287 Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 73 74 70 70, Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 72 70 75 70, Craig Howie (Peebles) 75 71 70 70. 288 David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) 77 73 70 68. 289 Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 71 72 71 75. 290 Conor O'Neil (Pollok) 72 74 68 76, Andrew Farmer (Kilmacolm) 73 71 75 71. 292 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 70 73 75 74, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 73 74 75 70. 294 Michael Daily (Erskine) 78 70 76 70, William Bremner (Edzel) 74 72 77 71, Steven Higgins (Gourock) 72 78 71 73, Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 75 75 70 74. 295 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 74 75 71 75, Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 76 74 72 73, Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 76 74 72 73. 296 Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) 75 75 73 73. 299 Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 81 71 75 72, Stephen Machin (Cowglen) 75 76 74 74. 300 Steven McEwan (Caprington) 72 75 75 78. 301 Clark Brechin (Murcar Links) 74 77 80 70, Lindsay Blair (Grangemouth) 78 75 78 74, Allan Watson (Braehead) 70 78 76 77. 303 Scott Michie (Kinross) 80 73 78 72, Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 73 78 76 76. 304 Scott Brownlie (Burntisland) 74 75 76 79. 306 Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 76 76 79 72, Connor Neil (Blairgowrie) 76 75 81. 307 Mark Lutton (Bellshill) 74 80 73 80. 308 Stephen Renfrew (Port Bannatyne) 77 79 77 75. 309 Alan Sutherland (Ladybank) 81 77 76 75, Connor Cook (Caird Park) 81 71 79 78, Callum McNeill (Lauder) 79 74 81 75. 313 Gordon Miller (Cawder) 78 77 80 78. 314 David Paterson (Leven GS) 80 80 76 78, Dean Armstrong (Lochmaben) 80 77 78 79, Scott Graham (Arbroath Artisan) 80 75 79 80. 316 Paul Ratcliffe (Thornton) 73 75 83 85 317 David Gardner (Broomieknowe) 76 77 81 83 321 Declan Dooey (Colville Park) 77 84 80 80 322 Chris Brown (Marriott Dalmahoy) 81 76 82 83. Withdrew: Allyn Dick (Shotts) 72 77 wd, Brian Erskine (Merchants of Edinburgh) 83 73 wd, Ross Bell (Downfield) 79 77 wd, James White (Lundin) 76 71 75 wd. Retired: Graham Gordon (Newmachar) 72 73 76 ret. Disq - Steven Aitken (Falkirk Tryst) 76 71 80 dq.