BIG DAY FOR A WEE CLACKMANNANSHIRE CLUB

TILLICOULTRY junior clubhouse opening
 
by KEITH BROWN MSP on MARCH 22

FROM COLIN McKENZIE

Tillicoultry Golf Club will have its new junior clubhouse opened on Saturday, March 22 by Transport Minister Keith Brown MSP along with other local invited guests.

This development has been in planning for a few years now, but thanks to an "Awards for All" http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/scotland/awards-for-all-scotland

grant, and the hard work from our junior convenor Jim McGorgray, our club now has a clubhouse for the junior members to be proud of.

Hopefully this will stand our club in good stead for the future members of Tillicoultry and allow the club to flourish for many years ahead. 

Some information about our club:

Tillicoultry Golf Club  http://www.tillygc.co.uk/ is a parkland, (tight!) nine-hole course, located about 10 miles east of Stirling in the county of Clackmannanshire. 

We have around 240 members with the juniors consisting of 35 members. Our junior section has been very successful, producing many low handicap golfers over the past few years. 

We have a good sized clubhouse with function suite, bar and locker room available. 

As a local course we strive to promote our club to families and juniors. Our club is small enough for most members to know each other whilst still being welcoming to visiting parties and open competition visitors.

Colin McKenzie

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE 36-hole CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1

Tee times for Buckpool next Wednesday (March 12)

8.15  C Cassie, B Harper, G Leslie.

8.22  D Townsley, P McKenna, free
8.29  S Kiloh, N Young, K Zeynalove.
8.36  free   free    free

8.43  D Mackay, A J Smith, R Masson.

8.50  John Duff, M Merchant, R Lamb.
8.57  C Nelson, P Anderson, D Law

9.04  K Shanks, C Law, N Macandrew.

9.11  G Paterson, J Scott, N Chisholm.

9.18  J Hamilton, H Roulston, R Brown.
9.25   L Roger, M Rendall, H McNaughton.
9.32   M Winton, S Thomson, D McDougall.
9.39   J Hopwood, Laura Murray, K Beveridge.
9.46   J Duncan, G Milne, free.
9.53   R Buchan, J Forrest, N Stewart

10.00   L Vannet, A Gall, L Fowler.
10.07   P Craig, B Lawrie, R Orr
10.14   B Fyfe, S Lawrie, R O'Donnell.

10.21   S Lawrie, C Grant, P Walker.

10.28   G McDonald, R MacRae, M Smith
10.35   B Lumsden, P Cheyne, D Wright.
10.42   D Leslie, G Homer, W Shaw.
10.49   J Jessiman, I Grant, A Petrie.
10.56   J Borthwick, D Nelson, A Graham.

11.03   D Fleming, J Emslie, M Duncan.

11.10   D Bisset, F Bisset, J Murray. 
11.17   C Brindley,  G Hutcheon,  free

11.24   T Collie, M Lawrie, I D Smith

11.31   S Finnie, D McKay, M Booth

11.38   W Skene, D Lane, free.
11.45   G Thom, R Duncan, free
11.52   A Dunton, G Watson, J Booth.
11.59   J Findlay, K Nicol, free

12.06   P McLean, C Lawrie, free

12.13   G Allan, P Cornfield, J Nicolson.

12.20   D Wilson, B Nicolson, S Mackie.
12.27  free, free, free
12.34  free, free, free
12.41  free, free, free
12.48  free, free, free
12.55  free, free, free

Round 2 of the Championship will be played at Portlethen on Wednesday, March 19.
Each round of the championship has the usual 
Wednesday prizes.
+Newburgh is the venue for an additional NE Alliance fixture on Wednesday March 26
The NE Alliance foursomes (scratch and handicap) will be played at Murcar Links on March 27 and 28. Players qualify for places in the foursomes through the Alliance championship

ABERDONIAN HAS CLIMBED THROUGH SATELLITE SYSTEM

 

      

David Law, took advice from Paul Lawrie. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

David Law ready for the Challenge as season 

tees off in Kenya this week

David Law makes his first start as a full 

European Challenge Tour player this 

week at the Barclays Kenya Open, the 

first event of the season, and the Scot 

cannot wait to get going in the higher echelons of European golf 

after climbing through the Satellite Tour system.

The Aberdonian, a protégé of former Open Champion and 

two-time Ryder Cup player Paul Lawrie, made the decision to turn 

down invites on the Challenge Tour last year in favour of gaining 

full status via the Satellite Pro Golf Tour.

While it was a tough decision to make at the time, Law believes 

it has been fully justified and now the former amateur star - 

twice Scottish men's champion and once Scottish boys' 

champion - is hoping to make a big impression in his first 

season on the Challenge Tour.

“I can’t wait,” said the 22 year old. “Obviously I’ve played a few events over the last two years so I know what to expect, which is a good thing because I've always been one to struggle when I don’t know what to expect.

“I know a lot of the guys and a few of the courses and I'm really looking forward to playing week-in week-out. Last year and the year before it was scattered and there is a lot of pressure on you when you do get the chance to play.

“I thought it would be a better experience to play the Pro Golf Tour in Europe last year as opposed to playing mostly in Britain, to experience the travelling and all, and I learned a lot through that.

“It was about knuckling down and, while I had planned to get a few more Challenge Tour starts, I decided against it and focussed more on getting my card sorted for this year. I was glad I did that. It was a big decision because it would be easy to keep coming back here and hope for a big result.

“But I sat down with Paul (Lawrie) and my management and I 

didn’t think it was the right way to go - to skip the Satellite 

Tour events and hope for the best.”

Having played in Kenya last season, Law thinks it is the perfect place to begin his chase for a top 15 finish in the Challenge Tour Rankings.

“I played pretty good here last so I feel quite comfortable,” he said. “It’s a little bit linksy here too, it can be hard and fast and there has been a bit of wind here in recent days too so it’s a course I like.”

Other Scots in the field include Callum Macaulay, George Murray, who finished third here last year, and Duncan Stewart, who narrowly missed out on European Tour graduation in 2013, finishing 20^th in the Rankings.

For the Barclays Kenya Open tee times, leaderboard and other news, visit http://po.st/CTHP.

 

 

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FOUR BIRDIES BUT FOUR BOGEYS FOR CAWDER TOUR PRO

CHRIS KELLY MATCHES PAR FOR JT 7th

PLACE IN EVOLVE TOUR CH/SHIP

Cawder's Chris Kelly shot a par-matching to be lying joint seventh at the end of the first round of the 54-hole Spanish Evolve Tour Championship at Corvera Golf club, Murcia today.
Kelly had birdies at the fifth, 10th, 11th and 13th but cancelled them out with bogeys at the fourth, sixth, 13th and 18th.
Englishman Philip Kelly leads with a four-under 68 - one ahead of Welshman Bradley Dredge and England's Matt Haines.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
68 Philip Kelly (England)
69 Bradley Dredge (Wales), Matt Haines (England)
70 Alex Bett (England, Jordan Gibb (England)
71 William Harrold (England)
SELECTED SCORES
72 Chris Kelly (Scotland) (T7)
74 Paul McGhee (Scotland) (T16)

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

SGU QUARTET LYING JOINT FOURTH AT END OF FIRST DAY

BRADLEY NEIL SPEARHEADS SCOTS' 

EFFORT IN NATIONS CUP TOURNEY

A one-under-par round of 71 - matching the best of the day - by Blairgowrie's Scottish boys champion Bradley Neil spearheaded Scotland's drive into joint fourth place at the end of the first round of the European Nations Cup tournament, organised by the Spanish Golf Federation, at

Sotogrande today (Wed).

Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) and Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) both shot 75s.

The squad of four's non-counting score was an 80 by Dollar's Scott Borrowman.

The Scots are on 221, four shots behind pacemakers Italy and one behind second placed France and Holland.

Also on 221 are Spain and Ireland (Jack Hume 73, Gqary Hurley 74, Cormac Sharvin 74, Dermot McElroy 79).

England (Ryan Evans 74, Garrick Porteous 76, Matthew Fitzpatrick 79 and Paul Howard 82) are joint 10th on 229.

England (Sarah-Jane Boyd 73, Annabel Dimmock 73, Gabriella Cowley 74) lead the women's team event with a first-round aggregate of 146, one shot ahead of Spain.

Scotland did not enter a women's team.

EUROPEAN NATIONS CUP

Sotogrande, Costa del Sol, Spain.

MEN'S TEAM SCORES

217 Italy
220 France, Holland.
221 Scotland, Spain, Ireland
223 Norway
225 Switzerland.
227 Belgium
229 England, Germany.
230 Austria
231 Finland, Sweden
239 Portugal, Norway
241 Slovenia
WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES
146 England
147 Spain
150 Italy
153 Switzerland, France, Holland, Wales
155 Germany
160 Norway
165 Belgium.

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE REPORT AND SCORES

DUNTON SHOWS HIS CLASS WITH A 64 TO BEAT PROS AT SPEY BAY 

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Scotland cap Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) underlined his international class with a six-under-par 64 to beat a field of 77, including Tartan Tour supremo Greig Hutcheon, making his debut as a Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player, in today's North-east Alliance competition at the Spey Bay links on the Moray Firth coastline.
Dunton had never seen the more than a century-old classic links near Fochabers and he used his driver only once.
"I have just got a new two-iron and I wanted to get familiar with it plus the fact that I was playing for position most of the time, not knowing where the trouble was - and it's a shorter course by modern standards so you don't really need the extra length a driver gives you," said Dunton who is planning
to make 2014 his last season in the amateur ranks.
"I hit 17 greens in regulation and I putted well, even though I did three-putt the 11th and the 14th for my only two bogeys. The longest putt I holed was from about 40ft for an eagle 3 at the 16th."
Dunton also birdied the third, eighth, 10th, 12th, 13th and 18th in halves of 33 (two under par) and 31 (four under).
It was his third win of the NE Alliance season, having led the way previously at Craibstone (November 6) and Duff House Royal (February 12).
He won the £100 first prize voucher by two shots from another +2 amateur, Nick Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen), and two former British boys champions, professionals Lee Vannet (Carnoustie) and Fraserburgh's Jordan Findlay (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre).
Hutcheon finished fourth with a creditable 67 (36-31) in his first competitive round since he won
the PGA play-offs in Turkey at the end of November.
"I felt I needed a rest from golf so I put the clubs away for three months. I had a practice hit for
coming out to Spey Bay and that was the first time I had had a golf club in my hand for ages,"
said Hutcheon.

HANDICAP PRIZEWINNERS
Class 1 - P McKenna (4) 65; J Hamilton (6) (bih), L Fowler (6), A Gall (5) 70; F Bisset (4) 71 (bih).
Class 2 - M Winton (13) 63; J Scott (10) (bih), H McNaughton (13) 67; M Booth (13) 68; R Orr (11) 69.

TODAY'S SCRATCH SCORES
Par 70 (35-35) Yardage: 6,219
64 A Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 33-31
66 N Macandrew (Royal Aberdeen) 33-33, L Vannet (Carnoustie) p 33-33, J Findlay (Paul Lawrie GC) p 35-31
67 G Hutcheon (Paul Lawrie GC) p 36-31.
68 C Nelson (Mackenzie Shop) p 33-35
69 K Shanks (Elie) 34-35, S Kiloh (Paul Lawrie GC) p 36-33, P McKenna (Royal Aberdeen) 33-36
70 John Duff (Newmachar) 35-35
71 C Lamb (Newmachar) 36-35
72 K Beveridge (Kippie Lodge) p 38-34, S Finnie (Caledonian) 35-37, K Nicol (Paul Lawrie GC) p 35-37
74 G Watson (Meldrum House) 36-38.
75 A Gall (Deeside), Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie GC) p, F Bisset (Banchory), J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen), B Nicolson (Auchmill)
76 J Hamilton (Murcar Links), G Paterson (Northern), M Winton (Caledonian), L Fowler (Royal Aberdeen).
77 B Harper (Newburgh), A J Smith (Turriff), J Scott (Peterculter)
78 A Graham (Aboyne)
79 J Nicolson (Auchmill), H Roulston (Stonehaven), R Masson (Auchmill), D McDougall (Caledonian), D Leslie (Northern), G Milne (Newburgh).
80 M Merchant (Newmachar), H McNaughton (Cruden Bay), R Orr (Kemnay), R MacRae (Newmachar), W Shaw (Banchory), D Fleming (Portlethen)
81 J Borthwick (Craibstone), M Booth (Kemnay).
82 C Cassie (Nigg Bay), D Lane (Deeside)
83 L Rogers (Royal Aberdeen), M Duncan (Murcar Links), D Bisset (Banchory), C Brindley (Banchory)
84 R Duncan (Royal Aberdeen), C Duffus (Kemnay).
85 I Clark (Deeside), W Skene (Deeside)
86 G Leslie (Newburgh), R Brown (Newburgh), R Buchan (Northern), D Nelson (Aboyne)
87 D Townsley (Peterculter), G Allan (Auchmill), M Rendall (Stonehaven), J Forrest (Northern), T Collie (Kemnay), P Cornfield (Auchmll)
90 B Lumsden (Northern).
92 N Stewart (Northern), I Grant (Fyvie)
93 J Jessiman (Oldmeldrum)
94 S Davidson (Northern)
95 M Brown (Newburgh), G Homer (Northern), A Petrie (Oldmeldrum).
TODAY'S TOP SCORECARDS
Par figures:  444 344 435 - OUT 35
                    444 343 544 -      IN 35
ADAM DUNTON 64
OUT: 443 344 425: 33
    IN: 353 253 343: 31
JORDAN FINDLAY 66
OUT: 544 543 424: 35
    IN: 434 343 433: 31
LEE VANNET 66
OUT: 544 343 334: 33
   IN: 434 343 534: 33
NICK MACANDREW 66
OUT: 444 244 434: 33
    IN: 443 343 444: 33
GREIG HUTCHEON 67
OUT: 444 463 434: 36
    IN: 344 243 434: 31
COLIN NELSON 68
OUT: 443 245 425: 33
   IN: 445 333 544: 35

CADILLAC CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL, FLORIDA THIS WEEK

JUSTIN ROSE: Won the Cadillac Championship two years ago. Picture by courtesy of GettyImages(c)

Justin Rose is aiming to tame new-look Blue Monster

PREVIEW FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Justin Rose is looking forward to taking on a new-look Blue Monster course at Trump National Doral as he attempts to reclaim the WGC – Cadillac Championship he won two years ago.

The US Open Champion has been battling a shoulder problem this year, pulling out of last week’s Honda Classic as a precaution, with tendonitis having reduced the Englishman to only two appearances so far in 2014.
Rose slew the Blue Monster in 2012 as he won his first World Golf Championships event, and was tied for eighth last year as Tiger Woods added to his formidable WGC record.
But past form may count for little this week, with the Florida venue having undergone some major changes in the last 12 months.
“I'd say it's definitely a different Doral,” said Rose. “They have obviously been working hard at it.
“A lot's clearly been done since last year; the golf course is a new golf course.
“There are elements that you recognise, but the shots and the lines and the reads on the greens are all completely new, so yes, I played well here in 2012 but again this is essentially a new golf course”
Rose believes his victory in Doral two years ago played a significant role in giving him the confidence to capture a first Major at Merion last June. 

“It kept me on what I said was a trend of winning bigger and bigger tournaments,” he said. “The trend and the progression was getting bigger and bigger and it really only left a Major. So my story to myself was the next one is a Major, working my way up the ladder. I'm glad it turned out that way.”

Rose is also hoping that his shoulder injury does not return and feels he can contend despite his preparation being hampered.

“The shoulder is definitely getting better. It's just tendonitis, so the tendon just gets angry if you do too much,” he said.
“Basically, I've just got to re-pattern the shoulder, get everything moving better around it, get the muscles hitting better.
“I wouldn't call it 100 per cent but I would call it on the way there and it will be a situation where I'm just going to continue to get stronger and stronger over the coming months.
“I feel very comfortable with where my swing is at and what I'm working on, and it's allowed me the opportunity to work more on my short game, which I'm hoping will be a blessing in disguise.
“I still believe I can go out this week and win the golf tournament. I've seen enough good things happening on the range and enough good things on the putting green. But there's no substitute for competitive sharpness, so that's what I'm lacking right now. We'll just have to wait and see.”
Meanwhile, debutant Victor Dubuisson is hoping to make a similar impact as he did on his first appearance in a World Golf Championships event two weeks ago, when he was runner-up in the WGC – Accenture Match Player Championship.

Despite eventually losing to Jason Day in the final, the Frenchman impressed throughout the week and is now virtually assured of a Ryder Cup spot following that result.

The 23 year old is no looking forward to testing himself in a WGC event under stroke play conditions.
He said: “This week, it's very different. It's stroke play, so it is very different to two weeks ago. I'm really confident about this week - even if I don't know what the course looks like now.

“I'm not really more nervous. I just try to do my best on every shot on the course, and I try to don't really think about the event I'm playing. For example at the Match Play, on Sunday morning, I was on the range and I realised I was going to play in a few minutes against Ernie Els in the semi-final of a WGC tournament. I always dreamed to play him, and I had a very poor start. I will try not to make that mistake again.”

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