SLIGHTLY LONGER MUIRFIELD FOR THE OPEN ... AND THE ROUGH WILL BE TOO!

FROM THE BBC SPORT WEBSITE
Muirfield’s popularity amongst players as an Open venue will be tested by an extra 158 yards and 'plenty' of rough for this year’s Championship from July 18-21.
New tees have been added on seven of the holes, taking the overall distance of the course from 7,034 yards when Ernie Els won in 2002 to 7,192 yards, par 71 this summer.
The biggest difference is on the ninth, where a land swap with neighbours the Renaissance Club has enabled the tee to be moved back almost 50 yards - extending the par-five to 554 yards - with a new bunker added on the right of the fairway and bunkers moved closer to the green.

'We are absolutely delighted to be back at Muirfield for the 16th time,' R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said. 'It's immensely popular with the players. Jack Nicklaus’ comment about ‘What you see is what you get’ at Muirfield was perhaps directed at other links courses with blind shots and where more luck is involved.
'The ground here is relatively flat and every hole seems to be going in a different direction, but we will be setting the golf course up to challenge these golfers.
'The rough has been cut down over the winter but will regenerate over the coming weeks. We will seed the rough up and you are unlikely to win an Open Championship at Muirfield from the rough. The amount of rough is weather-dependent, but we will get plenty.
'The course has been lengthened by 158 yards since 2002, but that is only a two per cent increase.'

Other new features this year will include a 'wi-fi mesh' around the course, primarily available in the grandstands and tented villages, a free 'Open in the Square' event in Edinburgh the weekend before the championship and LED scoreboards on the seventh, 11th, 16th and 17th in addition to the famous yellow scoreboard on the 18th.
Mobile phones will be allowed again after a largely successful re-introduction last year, although executive director of championships Johnnie Cole-Hamilton admitted: 'It did not go completely without incident.
'We have learnt lessons from last year and we did not get any complaints from the players, which was important. I think it will improve year on year.'
Jim McArthur, chair of the championship committee, added: 'We took a big risk but we had some belief in the spectators’ respect for the game. It (allowing phones) brings so many benefits that we think we need to continue with this unless we have any major problems.
'We will also have complete control over the content displayed on the LED scoreboards - which have video capability to show live footage - to ensure that we don’t disrupt the players. We will err on the side of caution.'

HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNA COUNTY NEWS

  NO JOY FOR CLACKMANNAN  AT PROVAN SALVER

 Needing a win against Fife last Sunday at Burntisland, there was disappointment when the Clackmannan County golf team went down by 6 matches to 2 in bitterly cold windy conditions.   

A narrow win looked possible after the outward half, but the Fife team fought strongly over the inward nine holes to score a convincing win.  It was all in vain anyway as Angus beat Perth and Kinross at Monifieth to take the 2013 Provan Salver title. 

Best performances for Clackmannanshire came from the team Captain Darren Hulston with a 2 and 1 win highlighted by a drilled iron through the wind at the 400 yard 16th to 8 feet and go two up  plus Ross Benvie who fought back from a two hole deficit to take his match on the last green.

   CLACKMANNAN 2,  FIFE 6

   (Clackmannan names first)

1. Scott Borrowman (Dollar) lost to Scott Stewart Cation   1 hole

2. Darren Hulston (Dollar) beat Stuart Hill (Leven Thistle) 2/1

3. James Aitken (Alloa) lost to Darren Gould (Ladybank) 2/1

4. Ross Benvie (Braehead) beat Ally Hain (St Andrews) 1 hole

5. Allan Watson (Braehead) lost to Brian Erskine (Ladybank) 2/1

6.  Steven Horne (Tulliallan) lost to Scott Brownlie (Burntisland) 2/1

7.  Steve McIvor (Alva) lost to Kevin Blyth (Lundin) 2/1

8.  John McLaren (Alloa) lost to Alex Moir (Thornton) 2/1.

 FINAL TEAM POSITIONS    

1 ANGUS 

2 FIFE

3 CLACKMANNAN 

4 PERTH AND KINROSS

  COUNTY TEAM GO EAST

 Being played next weekend is the annual Scottish Area Team Championship contested among the sixteen Areas in Scotland.  Six of the best players from each Area will play 36 holes stroke play at Crail and the top four play off by match play for the title.

Selected for the County are Darren Hulston (Captain), Scott Borrowman (both Dollar), James Aitken (Alloa), Steven Horne (Tulliallan) Allan Watson, Ross Benvie (both Braehead).

Hopefully the six will be in top golfing form for the weekend.  Best of luck to all !!

MIDLAND ALLIANCE SALUTES EDDIE SHERRY ON HIS RETIREMENT

Several of the Wee County Midland Alliance members made the trip to Scotscraig last week for a retiral dinner to celebrate 25 years of conscientious work by the secretary, Eddie Sherry.  Clackmannanshire is well served by volunteers like him who give their time to promote the game of golf.

UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS

 

 This weekend sees the Carlsberg Open at Tillicoultry on Saturday 4th, and next week sees the concluding stages of the County Fours.

 Local golfers are reminded that entries for the County Summer Meeting and Boys Championships are still available.   

EDINBURGH GETS AN OPEN IN THE SQUARE EVENT

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R AND A
 The Open Championship and the famous Claret Jug trophy will come to the centre of Edinburgh at a special event celebrating the return of golf’s oldest Major Championship to the region.
The Open in the Square event takes place in St Andrew Square from Thursday 11 – Saturday 13 July, the week before the Championship is held at Muirfield in East Lothian.
The public will have the opportunity to try golf, to receive some tips from PGA golf professionals, to play some of the great Open courses on EA Sports games consoles and to get their picture taken with the Claret Jug.
The event will also feature a golf simulator, a large screen showing some of the great moments from The Open Championship and artificial practice putting greens.
Michael Tate, Executive Director of Business Affairs at The R&A, which runs The Open Championship, said, “The Open will attract tens of thousands of people to Edinburgh and East Lothian for the week of the Championship but we wanted to bring a little bit of The Open into the City of Edinburgh and celebrate its status as Britain’s biggest festival of golf.
“The Open in the Square will showcase golf and let the people of Edinburgh interact directly with the world’s oldest Major Championship. It will be a great way for people to give golf a try and even to get their hands on the Claret Jug, an opportunity normally reserved for the legends of the game.”
The Open in the Square event will run in St Andrew Square from 11am to 7pm on Thursday, 11 July, Friday, 12 July, and Saturday, 13 July and will be free and open to the public.
The 142nd Open Championship will take place at Muirfield from 14-21 July. It will be the 16th time the Championship has been played at the East Lothian links and some of the game’s greatest champions have won there including Harry Vardon, James Braid, Walter Hagen, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and Ernie Els.
For more information visit TheOpen.com

ANGUS CLINCH PROVAN SALVER SUCCESS BY BEATING P AND K AT MONIFIETH

Angus won the inter-district Provan Salver men's golf tournament by beating Perth and Kinross 6-2 at Monifieth on Sunday. They finished with 2 1/2pt out of a possible three, having drawn with Fife 4-4 and beaten Clackmannan 6-2. Also on Sunday, at Burntisland, Fife beat Clackmannan 6-2 to finish runners-up with 2pt, having earlier drawn  with Fife 4-4 and Perth and Kinross 4-4. Details: ANGUS 6, PERTH & KINROSS 2 At Monifieth Ross Bell bt Glenn Campbell 3 and 2. Chris Hutcheon bt Connor Neil 2 holes. Willie Bremner bt Liam Barn 2 and 1. Graham Bell bt Jason Thomson 5 and 4. Raymond Perry bt David Simpson 4 and 3. Maurice Lindsay bt Rory Tinker 6 and 5. Stewart Smith lost to Scott Michie 3 and 2. George Findlay lost to Stuart Graham 2 and 1. FIFE 6, CLACKMANNAN 2 At Burntisland Scott Stewart Cation bt Scott Borrowman 1 hole. Stuart Hill lost to Darren Hulston 2 and 1. Darren Gould bt James Aitken 2 and 1. Ally Hain lost to Ross Benvie 1 hole. Brian Erskine bt Allan Watson 2 and 1. Scott Brownlie bt Steven Horne 2 and 1. Kevin Blyth bt Steve McIvor 2 and 1. Alex Moir bt John McLaren 2 and 1. FINAL PLACINGS 1 Angus 2 1/2pt, 2 Fife 2pt, 3 Clackmannan 1pt, 4 Perth and Kinross 1/2pt.

What to Look For When Purchasing Golf Clubs for Beginners

Buying your very first set of golf clubs can be a satisfying moment for any golfer, but it can also be somewhat daunting if you don’t know what you’re looking for. With this in mind, here’s some great information that should help you to get started.

Buying Golf Clubs to Fit
Just like buying golf wear, it’s important to purchase the right clubs for your height. In some cases, using the wrong sized clubs on a continual basis can cause injury not to mention affecting your golf game itself. Therefore it’s vital to get this right. If you know your correct height then most golf club retailers will have height to club ratio charts that are fairly easy to follow and this will allow you to find the perfect club for your height.

Identify your Golfing Goals
Golf clubs can range from reasonably priced to very expensive and a general rule of thumb is that the more expensive clubs won't necessarily improve your game. If you are looking to take the hobby up as an active sport and play every week, then you may want to look at paying a little more for your clubs. However if you’re simply looking to play a few times a year with your brother in law then you may want to look at cheaper clubs.

Half or Full Set
For anyone looking to take up the game you may want to consider a half set. Generally they consist of a four, six and eight iron, a sand wedge, pitching wedge and a putter. In addition you’ll probably get a four and five wood. These are all the clubs that a beginner really needs. Also, the limited selection means that it’s far less daunting when selecting the right clubs for the shot and if you prefer you can always add clubs to your set as you feel the need.

Try Before you Buy
The right golf clubs have to look and feel right in the hand, so it’s important to try before you buy. Most bricks and mortar establishments will have a mini driving range or area where you can try clubs out, before you part with your hard earned cash. If you do decide to shop online (and in many cases this is often where you find the cheapest offers) make sure that you choose a reputable retailer and one that has a no hassle returns policy. This way you can get that same try before you buy experience, by shopping online, as you can with Galvin Green Golf.

Finding the Sweet Spot
Golf club manufacturers are pretty ingenious and as a result, many beginners clubs have something known as perimeter-weighted heads. This gives the head of the club an expanded sweet spot making it far more forgiving. In addition graphite shafts are generally considered better for beginners because they carry less weight than steel shafts and are more flexible, meaning that more weight can be put through the head. Therefore in theory, the ball can be struck further with less of a swing.

Hopefully armed with this information you can go out and purchase the right set of golf clubs. Check out a wide range of golf clubs at 118Golf and enjoy your new found sport.

Harvey at Julian Carax

FOX HEADS QUALIFIERS FOR GLENMUIR PGA CHSHIP

GOLF COPY AND SCORES CREDIT CAL CARSON GOLF AGENCY QUERIES TO COLIN FARQUHARSON TEL 01224 869782 FOX HEADS BLAIRGOWRIE QUALIFIERS FOR GLENMUIR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Scottish PGA champion Graham Fox headed the 13 qualifiers for the Glenmuir PGA professional championship at De Vere Slaley Hall, Hexham when the Scottish qualifying round was held over the Lansdowne course at Blairgowrie Golf Club, Perthshire today (Monday). Fox (Clydeway Golf) shot a two-under-par 70 to lift the £500 first prize and book his place in the field for the June 11 to 14 tournament. All the action was in his first 10 holes with birdies at the first, second, nine and 10th, either side of bogeys at the sixth and eighth. He parred the last eight holes. Alan Reid (West Lothian) collected the £300 runner-up prize with a 71, a round in which he had six birdies - two more than the winner - but a stretch of five bogeys between the seventh and 12th. The other qualifiers in a field of 55 were: Scott Catlin (Greenburn), David Orr (Mearns Castle), Garry Forrester (St Andrews Golf School), Kenny Hutton (Downfield), David Fleming (Prestwick), Stephen Lamb (Macdonald Cardrona), Paul Jamieson (Dunblane New), Christopher Tierney (Affordable Golf), Stewart Savage (Dalmuir), Craig Everett (Caldwell) and Jonathan Porteous (Craigielaw). Fraser Mann (Musselburgh), Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle4) and Ewan Hogarth (Peebles) had to settle for first, second and third reserve placings after being eliminated in a six-man play-off on 76 for the last three qualifying spots. GLENMUIR PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP| Scottish qualifying round Blairgowrie Lansdowne course, Perthshire QUALIFIERS Par 72 70 Graham Fox (Clydeway Golf) £500. 71 Alan Reid (West Lothian) £300. 72 Scott Catlin (Greenburn) £250. 73 David Orr (Mearns Castle) £200. 74 Garry Forrester (St Andrews Golf School), Kenny Hutton (Downfield), David Fleming (Prestwick), Stephen Lamb (Macdonald Cardrona) £62.50 each. 75 Paul Jamieson (Dunblane New), Christopher Tierney (Affordable Golf). 76 Stewart Savage (Dalmuir), Craig Everett (Caldwell), Jonathan Porteous (Craigielaw). NON-QUALIFIERS 76 (after a play-off) Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) alternate 1, Patrick Walker (Ballumbie Castle) alternate 2, Ewan Hogarth (Peebles) alternate 3. 77 Greig McSporran (Kinross), Richard Valentine (Loretto School Golf Academy). 78 Jonathan Sharp (Carrick on Loch Lomond), Mark Loftus (Mearns Castle), Nigel Scott-Smith (Palacerigg), Craig Ronald (Carluke), Lee Vannet (Carnoustie Golf Link), Gareth Hardy (Ayr Belleisle). 79 Fraser Dunlop (Gleneagles), Blair Cross (St Andrews Golf Academy), Craig Knowles (Panmure), Gordon Law (Uphall), Scott Herald (Meanrs Castle), Anthony Caira (Kirkcaldy), Norman Huguet (Musselburgh), Nick Walton (Glasgow), Daniel Wood (Hirsel). 80 Paul Edgecombe (Forrester Park), Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Ron Walker (Lundin), Alistair Brown (Arcdherfield), Iain Colquhoun (Dundonald), Anthony Mackrell (Playsport Golf), Andrew Cooper (Newmachar). 81 Neil Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh), James Erskine (Portpatrick Dunskey). ends

INVERNESS BOY GRINDELL WINS SPENCE TROPHY AT LOSSIEMOUTH

David Grindell (Inverness) won the North of Scotland boys' championship for the H R Spence Trophy at Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth on Sunday. Trailing after a first-round 81, Grindell produced the best round of the day in the improved afternoon conditions, a 74, in the second round for a total of 155 - pipping clubhouse leaders Rory Asher (The Nairn) 80-76) and Callum Coutts (Alford) (78-78). LEADING TOTALS CSS 74 74 155 David Grindell (Inverness) 81 74. 156 Rory Asher (The Nairn) 80 76, Callum Coutts (Alford) 78 78. 159 Craig Stephen (Aboyne) 81 78, Cameron Franssen (Inverness) 81 78, Sandy Scott (The Nairn) 77 82. 162 Lewis McWilliam (Aboyne) 85 77. 164 Alasdair Ross (Fort William) 81 83. 165 Hector Clarke (Moray) 79 86. 166 Niall Young (Insch) 84 82. 168 Aaron Stewart (Moray) 81 87. 169 Ray Gordon (Aboyne) 89 80. 170 Graeme Bethune (Moray) 86 84, Rory MacEwan (Moray) 87 83.  171 Findlay Ahser (The Nairn) 84 87, Isaac Aleander (France) 88 83, Cameron Kerr (Elgin) 85 86. 172 Ewan Gill (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 86 86, Michael Baber (Hopeman) 84 88. UNDER-16s158 Rory Franssen (Inverness) 75 83. 159 Sandy Scott (The Nairn) 77 82. 170 Rory McEwan (Moray) 83 87.  HANDICAP AGGREGATE 139 Ryan Nelson (Inverness) (20)144 Lee Findlay (Orkney) (16) 147 Hector Clarke (Moray) (9)

NORTH-EAST BLOOD JOHN DUFF IN AREA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP SQUAD OF SIX

North-east Alliance champion John Duff (Newmachar) will make his debut in the North-east District six-man team for the SGU area team golf championship over Crail Golfing Society's Balcomie and Craighead links on Saturday, May 18.
The full team is:
Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon), Graham Gordon (Newmachar), Bryan Innes (Murcar Links), Anthony Bews (Murcar Links), Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord), John Duff (Newmachar).
This is likely to be the last time the area team championship is played in the format which sees the four teams with the best stroke-play titles qualifying for the match-play stages on the Sunday.
The proposal is that it becomes a three-day tournament with the stroke-playing qualifying round on the Friday but with the number of qualifying teams doubled to eight who will go forward to sudden-death match-play on the Saturday and Sunday.

STUART ROBIN WINS AYRSHIRE STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP AT WINDY PRESTWICK

Ayrshire Golf Association vice-president James McMurdo with new

  Ayrshire stroke-play champion, Stuart Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas) 

Stuart Robin (Prestwick St Nicholas) won the Ayrshire stroke-play championship at a windy Prestwick Golf Club on Sunday.
He edged out defending champion David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) by a single shot to become the first St Nicholas member to win the title since Gavin Lawrie in 1996.
The players had to contend with strong winds veering from south west to north west, and heavy rain showers, throughout the day.
Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) led the field after the morning round with an outstanding four-under-par 67.
At that point Smyth led by four from Wilson and Ewan McKinnon (Corrie) on par 71 with George Robertson (Irvine Ravenspark), John Haggarty (Loudoun)  and the eventual winner, Stuart Robin, one further back on 72.
In the afternoon, Robin returned a second successive 72 for a two over par total of 144 finished a shot ahead of Wilson who followed up his 71 with a three-over 74 for 145.
Third place went to Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle) on 147 with rounds of 73 and 74.
Smyth faded badly in the testing afternoon conditions. He carded a 10 over par 81 for a total of 148 and fourth place overall.
Host club member James Bunch (Prestwick) took fifth place on 150 (78 72), while sixth place was shared by Loudoun duo Steven McEwan (77-74) and Tommy McInally (76-75) alongside Ewan McKinnon of Corrie (71-80).

FINAL TOTALS
SS 73 CSS 75 + 76
Stuart Robin    Prestwick St Nich    72    72    144
David Wilson    Troon Welbeck    71    74    145
Craig Hamilton    Ballochmyle    73    74    147
Michael Smyth    Royal Troon    67    81    148
James Bunch    Prestwick    78    72    150
Steven McEwan    Loudoun   77    74    151
Tommy McInally    Loudoun  76    75    151
Ewan McKinnon    Corrie     71    80    151
Scott Brown    Turnberry    79    73    152
John Shanks    Irvine            74    79    153
George J Robertson Irvine Rvspark    72    81    153
Alan McLean    Kilbirnie Place    76    78    154
Steven Stamper    Girvan     76    78    154
John Haggarty    Loudoun    72    82    154
Keith Hamilton    Ayr Belleisle    75    80    155
Walter Meiklem    Troon Welbeck    80    76    156
Craig Telfer    Prestwick St Cuth    77    79    156
Brian Moore    Largs             79    78    157
Craig Adams    Irvine                   79    78    157
Ian Walker    Turnberry    79    79    158
Barry O'Rourke    Kilbirnie Place    80    79    159
Malcolm Pennycott    Whiting Bay    77    83    160
Darren Mallinson    Irvine Ravenspark    75    85    160
Kevin Brock    Prestwick St Nich    86    75    161
Paul Denim    Loudoun                   79    82    161
Chris Bone    Loudoun       78    83    161
Dominic Booth    Turnberry    85    77    162
Stephen Spence    Irvine                   84    78    162
Gary McTaggart    Stewarton    84    78    162
Gavin Wilson    Loudoun                   80    82    162
Adrian Orton    Kilm Barassie    79    83    162
Gareth Lamb    Irvine                   83    80    163
Andrew Kent    Troon Welbeck    81    82    163
Jack Thomas    Irvine           81    82    163
Jamie Sharp    Western Gailes    82    83    165
Robbie Fulker    Kilm Barassie    85    81    166
George Higgins    West Kilbride    80    86    166
Kenny Milliken    Troon St Meddans    79    87    166
Greg Telfer    Prestwick St Cuth    84    83    167
Gary Bryden    Girvan                   90    78    168
Darren McConnell    Kilm Barassie    90    83    173
David Longair    Prestwick St Cuth    87    87    174
Iain Fraser    Kilm Barassie    90    85    175
Gordon Cree    Troon Welbeck    82    93    175
Sandy Buchanan    Prestwick St Nich    88    91    179
Brian Yates    Prestwick St Cuth    90    94    184
Steven Wallace    Prestwick St Cuth     81    N/R    N/R
John Sloan    Doon Valley    78    N/R    N/R
Stephen Murray    Troon Welbeck    84    N/R    N/R
Gordon Boyle    Turnberry    N/R    70    N/R
Mark Anderson    Irvine                  N/R    N/R    N/R
Ryan Smith    Prestwick St Cuth    77    N/R    N/R
Barrie McDonnell    Caprington    82    NR    N/R
Billy Hunter    Irvine                   83    N/R    N/R
Kenneth Houston    Prestwick St Nich    77    N/R    N/R
David A MacDonald Largs            82    N/R    N/R
Euan Brown    Kilm Barassie    N/R    N/R    N/R
Stuart Miller    Kilm Barassie    78    N/R    N/R
Gavin Nimmo    Troon St Meddans    78    N/R    N/R
Neil Black    Rowallan Castle    81    N/R    N/R
Scott Gilchrist    Loudoun                   90    N/R    N/R
Gordon Johnston    Kilbirnie Place    86    N/R    N/R
Kyle Dunn    Ayr Belleisle    84    N/R    N/R
Brian Murray    Troon Welbeck    85    N/R    N/R
Dave Power    Troon St Meddans    81    N/R    N/R
David Orchiston    Ballochmyle    85    N/R    N/R

HUTCHEON FAVOURITE TO MAKE WINNING START AT AVIEMORE

 NEWS RELEASE FROM PGA SCOTLAND

Tartan Tour No. 1 Greig Hutcheon will be among the favourites when the 36 Hole Challenge Series Tournament gets the Scottish season underway tomorrow (Tuesday).
The Spey Valley tournament is the first of nine that comprise the Order of Merit with the five Challenge Series events spread throughout the summer.
The series is also unique in offering low handicap amateurs the chance to compete against seasoned professionals.
Hutcheon, pictured by Andy Forman, the winner of the 2012 Scottish OOM and the leading player across the Challenge Series last year, heads the list of entries with reigning Scottish PGA champion Graham Fox, who did not play at Spey Valley last year due to the imminent birth of his first son, looking to build upon his Gleneagles success.
Current national Glenmuir PGA champion Gareth Wright (West Linton) is another who should do well around the Aviemore course.
Also in the field are former European Tour winners Jonathan Lomas, Stephen McAllister and Andrew Oldcorn.
Ross Kellett and 2012 Scottish Alliance Champion John Henry, whose brother Scott eventually triumphed in the 2012 play-off are amongst those non-PGA professionals due to compete, although Kellett's participation may depend upon whether or not he gains entry to next week's Challenge Tour event.
Another face familiar to the Scottish scene will also be treading the fairways next week; Colin Gillies the two-time Scottish PGA Champion who retired at the end of 2011 will be making a return to competitive action after playing only Invitational events in 2012.
Brian Mair, Secretary of the PGA in Scotland commented: "Spey Valley kicks off one of the most exciting periods in Scottish golf history.
"The eyes of the golfing world are on Scotland on the lead up to Ryder Cup 2014.
"The challenge is to embrace this unique opportunity to ensure the legacy will benefit all involved in Scottish golf for years to come.
"Sponsors, and potential sponsors, will have the benefit of aligning their businesses to a truly world-class product - and the PGA in Scotland are committed and determined to play our part.
"When Fraser Cromarty, Ross Harrower and Graham Fox tee up at 8am on Tuesday they will be leading the way for Scottish Professional golf not just for the tournament or the season but for the next chapter in our history."

PGA EUROPRO TOUR 2013 SEASON STARTS THIS WEEK IN NORFOLK

NEWS RELEASE

The 2013 PGA EuroPro Tour season gets underway tomorrow (Tuesday)  with the Motocaddy Masters over three days at Wensum Valley Hotel, Golf and Country Club in Norfolk.

The Wensum Course at the venue will once again host what has become the traditional curtain-raiser on the PGA EuroPro Tour where last year Newbury’s Dan Seymour won a dramatic play-off by sinking a birdie on the 18th to defeat Liam Burns.
The winner will walk away with £10,000, a brand new Motocaddy trolley and will be invited to take part in the Challenge Tour’s Scottish Hydro Challenge in June by virtue of being guaranteed a place in the Order of Merit top five after the first three EuroPro Tour events of the season.

Among the field will be Sheringham golfer William Harrold. The 24-year-old former US college circuit player  is about to embark on his second season on the PGA EuroPro Tour and is hoping the experience he has gained over the last 12 months will stand him in good stead this year.

“The more tournaments you play the more experience you gain so I am certainly more experienced going into this season,” he said. 

“Missing cuts on the EuroPro Tour is easy; you don’t have to play badly to miss cuts because the standard is so high. But I made a few cuts last summer and gained valuable experience over the winter.

“I have been in Spain, Morocco and I got a start on the European Tour in Dubai, which was great. That sets your goals really high because you know what you have to look forward to. 

“I have played the course recently. They have added some new holes at Wensum Valley this year and it is drier than last year so I have no idea what the scoring will be like. The standard is very high on the EuroPro Tour and I think everybody is capable of winning an event.”

The Motocaddy Masters will take place over 54 holes, with a cut to the leading 50 players plus ties taken after the second round.

A two-hour highlights package of the event will be broadcast four times on Sky Sports HD, with the first airings on Wednesday, May 15 at 11am and 7pm.

 

Live scoring from the event will be available at www.europrotour.com

 

CARLUKE PLAYER WINS LANARKSHIRE BOYS' SPRING MEETING

Andrew  Robertson of Carluke won the Lanarkshire boys' spring meeting with a gross 75 at a windy and wet Carnwath Golf Club on Sunday.

He won with the best inward half from Keiran McVicar (East Kilbride) and Innes Ferguson (Drumpellier). 

Winner of the handicap section was Mitchell Ronald (East Kilbride) with a net 68. Mitchell’s father Craig won the scratch prize in 1987 and is the professional at Carluke Golf Club.  
Picture shows Airdrie GC vice-president John Main with Mitchell Ronald and the handicap salver.
 

Results:

 SSS 69. CSS 72

Scratch and Salver Winner

1^st   Andrew Robertson  Carluke         75  bih

2^nd Keiran Mc Vicar    East Kilbride     75  bih

3^rd  Innes Ferguson   Drumpellier       75

4^th Andrew Thomson  Lanark               76 bih

5^th Callum Connacher   Wishaw           76

Handicap Section

1^st   Mitchell Ronald    East Kilbride     76-8     68

2^nd  C Cadell     Drumpellier                  82-12   70

3^rd R Duffy      Crow Wood                    86-14  72  bih

4^th  M Wilson   Playsport                        83-11  72

William Sharpe
Past President
Lanarkshire Golf Association

FAXON AND SLUMAN WIN LEGENDS OF GOLF TEAM EVENT ON CHAMPIONS TOUR

               Brad Faxon and Jeff Sluman with the team trophy

               Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c) 

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
SAVANNAH, Georgia (AP) -- After teaming with Craig Stadler for two runner-up finishes in three tries at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf, Jeff Sluman decided it was time for a change.

Leaderboard
Raphael results Demaret results Highlights Schwab Cup

He called Brad Faxon nearly two years ago to court him as a teammate for the Champions Tour's annual team competition and the new pairing paid off on Sunday as they combined for a final-round 7-under-par 65 to finish at 23 under for a one-stroke victory at The Club at Savannah Harbor.
"I had a wonderful four, five years with Stads and all that, but like everything else, it was time," Sluman said.
When Sluman called Faxon on Aug. 1, 2011, Faxon -- who was becoming eligible for the Champions Tour -- was flattered yet somewhat perplexed. Sluman's voice came over the line as a whisper. Asked why he was speaking so softly, Sluman replied "I don't want Stads to know."
Sluman and Stadler had partnered for the Legends tournament for 2008, 2009 and 2011, with runner-up finishes in the first two events highlighting those appearances.
After tie for third in their debut as a team last year, Sluman and Faxon came through in the better-ball format this time with each earning 230 Charles Schwab Cup points and $230,000. Sluman's earnings pushed him past the $25 million mark for his career.
Fred Funk and Mike Goodes combined for a 63 and Gene Sauers and Kenny Perry had a 62 to finish in a tie for second, one shot behind.
Stadler and teammate Kirk Triplett came to the final hole needing a birdie to force a playoff, but both missed the fairway off the tee, which forced them to play aggressively around the green. They made bogey, dropping them into a tie for fourth, two shots behind the winners.
"We had a great time, but I know we both were really frustrated because we really had a chance to win this thing," Triplett said. "We played like a couple guys that hadn't been in contention very much."
Sunday's windy conditions and difficult pin positions impacted play as well. The Legends is contested on a low, flat course located on an island in the middle of the Savannah River, just upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. Only three teams broke 65 Sunday after 13 teams shot 64 or better in the second round.
Sluman and Faxon's topped the scores of the more legendary teams that started the day on the leaderboard, such as Tom Watson and Andy North (67) and Bernhard Langer and Tom Lehman (69).
Sluman and Faxon credited their close relationship for carrying them to victory. They shook off a sloppy second round, marked by their only bogey of the week, over an 86-year-old bottle of dessert wine Saturday night at a local restaurant.
"This is a perfect marriage because it's not like we're going to get mad at each other if either one of us doesn't play well," Faxon said. "I know he's going to try his hardest, and I'm going to try my hardest."
Sluman led the final round charge, making five birdie putts. He called No. 12 the "key hole," draining the duo's longest putt of the week, a 35-footer, on the 17,000-square-foot green.
Sluman's birdie at No. 12 upped their score to 22 under and an eight-foot birdie putt by Sluman two holes later broke a logjam on the leaderboard and put them in the lead for good. They were the only pairing to reach 23 under on the day.
Sluman was overjoyed to snap his bridesmaid streak at the Legends, saying "It's a dream come true to win with Brad."
Bernhard Langer maintained his lead in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points table.

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