£6,000 PRIZE FUND AND £25,000 FOR HOLE IN ONE AT FIFTH

HURRY, HURRY! ENTRIES FOR PAUL LAWRIE LADIES

    

TOUR EVENT AT MURCAR CLOSE NEXT TUESDAY

Murcar Links Golf Clubhouse with pro Gary Forbes' shop on  the left of the main entrance 

FROM NICOLA MELVILLE

Tour Director

Paul Lawrie Golf Centre

 Ladies' Tartan Tour

The next Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Tartan Tour event is at Murcar Links, Aberdeen on May 8 and 9 and we still have spaces left for any lady professional or amateur girl/lady/senior that would like to enter.

In addition to the a £2,500 first prize (an amateur winner would be limited to a £500 prize voucher), the tournament winner will also receive a three- night weekend self-catering break at Gleneagles Village, Perthshire, courtesy of Melville Properties (to be taken subject to availability)

Also on offer to a professional or amateur who is the first player to get a hole in one at Murcar Links' short fifth in either the first or second round is a special £25,000 prize.

Should no-one get a hole in one, and it has to be at the fifth,  there will be a consolation award of £100 for the tee shot that ends up nearest to the pin on the fifth green.

Both prizes have been put up by the management of the Atholl Hotel, Aberdeen.

ENTRIES CLOSE ON APRIL 29, SO ENTER NOW TO GUARANTEE YOUR PLACE IN THE FIELD.

No deposit is required. Entry fees taken only after closing date.

Full event details can be found on http://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi14/event/pgagbi14746/index.htm

Non-PGA professionals need to enter by phoning the PGA in Scotland office at Gleneagles on 01764 661840

CHECK OUT WHO HAS ENTERED 
SO FAR

CLICK HERE

PETERHEAD MAN FINISHES JT 28 IN DAR ES SALAM OPEN

McLEAN IS TOP SCOT IN MOROCCO

Philip McLean, in joint 28th place, headed the three Scots competing in the Dar Es Salam Open at Rabat, Morocco where thunder and lightning storms reduced the tournament from three to two rounds.

The Paul Lawrie Golf Centre player, pictured, from Peterhead shot 78-74 for six-over-par 152 over a par-73 course.
McLean deviated for par only three times in his second round - a birdie at the long 10th and bogeys at the eighth and 17th in halves of 37.
Stablemate Sam Kiloh, a rookie pro from Portlethen, tied for 49th place on 156 with a pair of 78s. In his final round Sam birdied the 17th and 18th after a double bogey 6 at the 15th and a bogey at the 16th.
Conor O'Neil from Pollok had rounds of 78 and 80 for 158 and a share of 61st place in a field of more than 100. O'Neil had a triple bogey and two double bogeys in his final rounds.
There was a German 1-2-3 finish to this German PGA developmental tour 30,000 Euros event.
Sebastian Heisel won first prize with a seven-under-par aggregate of 139 (68-71).
Moritz Lampert finished second on 141 (71-70) and Marcel Schneider came third on 142 (73-69).

BASED IN ABERDEEN AREA, JUNE TO OCTOBER WORK

PART-TIME TOURNAMENT POST ON 

OFFER AT THE PGA IN SCOTLAND  

The PGA in Scotland is looking for a Seasonal Starter/Recorder, based in the Aberdeen area. This is a great opportunity to assist at an array of PGA events in the Aberdeen City and Shire region.

The responsibilities include setting up the on-site administration facilities and assisting with administration (including starting and recording etc.). 

When working at events you will be report to the PGA Tournament Controller/Director. 

To perform this role you will need to possess the following skills, experience and personal qualities:

 

• A knowledgeable and enthusiastic golfer

• PC literate: including MS Outlook, Word, Excel

• Good written and oral communication skills

• Experienced administrator

• Self-motivated and a committed team player

• Have a flexible approach to work and working hours      

This is a casual work contract, effective from June to October 2014.

To apply, please e-mail a covering letter and CV to glen.mcphee@pga.org.uk

Please note the closing date is 2^nd May 2014.

 

Brian Mair
Secretary
The PGA in Scotland

BROCKET HALL'S GOLF ACADEMY IN HERTFORDSHIRE

    SIMON KHAN: 2010 BMW PGA CHAMPION

SIMON KHAN LAUNCHES ELITE 

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

NEWS RELEASE

Brocket Hall Golf Club's Palmerston Academy in Hertfordshire is offering six elite golfers the chance to follow in the footsteps of European Tour winner and Brocket Hall ambassador Simon Khan - to become one of the stars of the next golf generation.

Khan, who claimed victory at the 2010 BMW PGA Championship, will mentor half a dozen players between the ages of 12 and 23 as part of a scholarship programme the prestigious Hertfordshire venue is launching this summer.

The players will also benefit from 24 months' membership and comprehensive coaching with head professional Simon Garner.

David Griffin, director of golf operations at Brocket Hall said: "The scholarship is central to the academy's mission to help nurture the country's leading talent. Each individual will have his or her own personal programme - giving them the best chance of achieving their goals."

"The scholars will receive priceless guidance from Simon Khan - someone who knows what it takes to lead a successful career as a playing professional."

The academy is running assessment days for prospect scholars on Monday, May 5 and Saturday, May 10. Individuals will be selected on a number of performance criteria and personal qualities.

Situated within 22 acres of woodland, the Palmerston Academy boasts some of the finest practice facilities in the country. Golfers can hone their skills on a mixture of its par-three short course, extensive driving range facilities and indoor golf studio.

Brocket Hall's two 18-hole championship courses set in stunning 18^th century parkland are famously named after the prime ministers who once resided there, Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston.

Opened in 1992, the par-72 Melbourne Course is set in magnificent surroundings, crossing the River Lea several times before a memorable finish in front of the hall after a short ferry ride to the 18th green.

In contrast, the Palmerston Course - designed by Donald Steel - is a challenging par-73 woodland lay-out, with rare Hornbeam, Scots and Corsican pine and 300-year-old oak trees creating a memorable test for professionals and amateurs alike, and is ranked in the latest ‘Top 100 Golf Courses in England' by Golf World.

For more details on the scholarships or to book onto an assessment day, phone 01707 368700 or visit www.brocket-hall.co.uk .

Information about Brocket Hall Golf Club

Situated within 543 acres of stunning 18^th century parkland, Brocket Hall's two 18-hole championship courses are famously named after the prime ministers who once resided there, Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston.

Opened in 1992, the par-72 Melbourne Course is set in magnificent surroundings, crossing the River Lea several times before a memorable finish in front of the hall after a short ferry ride to the 18th green.

In contrast, the Palmerston Course - designed by Donald Steel - is a challenging par-73 woodland layout, with rare Hornbeam, Scots and Corsican pine and 300-year-old oak trees creating a memorable test for professionals and amateurs alike, and was ranked 86^th in the latest ‘Top 100 Golf Courses in England' poll.

In addition, golfers can hone their skills at the renowned Palmerston Golf Academy, and no visit to Brocket Hall is complete without indulging in five-star dining at its award-winning restaurant, Auberge du Lac, a more laid-back meal in Watershyppes Restaurant or a stay in the recently-refurbished Melbourne Lodge.

STONEHAVEN SWITCH FROM SECTION D TO SECTION A

NEWMACHAR PULL OUT OF ABERDEEN 

 

JUNIOR PENNANT LEAGUE

Newmachar have withdrawn from the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Aberdeen Junior Pennant League for the 2014 season. Stonehaven moved up from Section D to take Newmachar's place in Section A.

The fixtures start on Sunday

Section A - Aboyne, Banchory, Murcar Links, Stonehaven.

Section B - Caledonian, Hazlehead, Kemnay, Peterculter

Section C - Inverallochy, Inverurie, McDonald Ellon, Oldmeldrum, Royal Aberdeen.

Section D - Cruden Bay, Deeside, Peterhead, Portlethen.

SUCCESSOR SOUGHT FOR ABERDEEN-BORN CHIEF EXECUTIVE

PETER DAWSON TO 

RETIRE IN 2015

NEWS RELEASE

St Andrews: It was announced today that Peter Dawson is to retire as Chief Executive of The R and A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Mr Dawson, picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency, will step down in September 2015 after 16 years leading the body which organises The Open Championship and governs the sport worldwide in conjunction with the United States Golf Association.

Having succeeded Sir Michael Bonallack as Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1999, Mr Dawson took over in an important period in the Club’s history.

In 2004, the same year that the Club celebrated its 250th anniversary, the private members’ club formed a separate group of companies to run The Open and conduct its governance responsibilities. This evolution enabled The R and A to focus on its governance role, running successful championships and supporting the growth of the game around the world and the Club to concentrate on catering for the needs of its more than 2,000 Members.

The Open Championship has enjoyed continuing commercial success throughout Mr Dawson’s tenure enabling The R and A to invest substantially in supporting the development of golf around the world through Rules education, grassroots initiatives, coaching, the provision of greenkeeping equipment and university golf.

The R and A now works with 152 affiliated organisations from the amateur and professional game in 138 countries and jointly administers the Rules of Golf, the Rules of Amateur Status, Equipment Standards and the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ with the USGA.

Mr Dawson became the Joint Secretary of the International Golf Federation in 1999 and was a key figure in securing golf’s return to the Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He was appointed President of the IGF in 2010 and the IGF Board has extended his term of office to 2016.

The recruitment of Mr Dawson’s successor will be handled by international executive search firm Spencer Stuart and the position will be advertised this weekend. 

An appointment is expected to be made in sufficient time to allow for an appropriate handover period in 2015.

Expressions of interest in the role should be sent to TheR&A@SpencerStuart.com

+Spencer Stuart has a well-established track record in global executive search in the sports sector, including the recruitment of the current Chief Executives of two high profile members’ clubs responsible for hosting iconic sporting events: the All England Lawn Tennis Club and the Marylebone Cricket Club.

ABERDEEN-BORN, CAMBRIDGE GRADUATE and former scratch golfer!

Peter Dawson, now 64 years of age, is a former scratch golfer who still has a single-figure handicap. He was also a successful business man who ran his first company at the age of 24.
Born in Aberdeen, he lived in the Granite City until the age of six. His father came from Banff and worked for the GPO in running their telephone business. The family lived in Edinburgh for a spell in Fairmilehead when Peter was schooled at Heriot’s and first played golf at Lothianburn.
"We moved to Southend when I was 14 and I joined Thorpe Hall as a junior," he remembered. "By a twist of fate, Michael Bonallack was the great man there and I was fortunate enough when I got into the club team to partner him in foursomes quite often," said Dawson.
"When I went to Cambridge, I played a lot of match play golf. I was captain of the university team for a couple of years and we defeated Oxford twice. My stroke play ability went off a bit during that period, but it was great fun and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. "I married Juliet within three months of graduating and started work in industry. I was managing director of a company by the time I was 24. I played county golf for Warwickshire but the business responsibilities I had took me away from the game.
"Even now, I like to compete and each year I get a little buzz when I play in the President’s Putter. I truly wish I could play more, but like an awful lot of other golfers I feel quite frustrated when I play in medals after not lifting a club for three or four weeks and find myself four over par after five holes and yet to hit a proper shot.
"I became an R&A member in 1994 and was asked to join the rules of golf committee.
"When the vacancy for the secretary’s position was first advertised I didn’t think too much about it. The closing date was on New Year’s Eve and that’s when I put in my application along with a couple of hundred others. 
"I was very surprised to get the job, though looking back, the background I had on the commercial side and in golf was useful. Being a Scot probably helped a wee bit as well."

TED SCOTT SHOWS HE CAN PLAY AS WELL AS CARRY BUBBA'S CLUBS

Bubba Watson's caddie shoots under par in US 

PGA Tour qualifier

 FROM THE GOLF DIGEST WEBSITE
By ALEX MYERS 
The US PGA Tour's slogan is, "These guys are good." The motto for its caddies should be, "These guys are good, too."
Ted Scott, the caddie for Bubba Watson, is the latest to prove that. Fresh off helping to guide Bubba to a second Masters title, Scott shot one under in a Monday qualifier for this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where Watson is not in the field.
Scott's score wasn't quite good enough (he missed qualifying by four shots) to earn a spot, but it's still impressive, considering his current day job is carrying clubs, not hitting them. He knows a thing or two about great golf, though, from watching and playing with his boss.

"I have played golf with him probably 40, 50 times," Scott said of Watson after the Masters concluded. "And we have been together that long and every single day that I play golf with him or watch him play golf I just go, 'How do you do that?' 
"And I asked him on 18, after he hit the tee shot, I said, 'Are you from Mars or something, because I don't believe that you can hit these shots that you hit.' "
Related: 19 things you need to know about Bubba Watson
Scott added on Twitter that Bubba "beats me by 7-10 shots every time we play." The former pro golfer told CNN in 2011: "Being a caddie wasn't my dream, but it's a dream now. To caddie for a great player, a guy that treats me well. If you have a nice player to work with it's a great job."
Scott won't earn anything for working as a player this week, but that's OK. Watson took home $1.6 million for winning the Masters and caddies typically get 10 percent of a winning paycheck. A great job, indeed. 

 KOEPKA SHARED Q HONOURS FOR 
THIS WEEK'S ZURICH CLASSIC

Brooks Koepka will get another chance this week to lock up special temporary membership on the US PGA Tour. 
The former Florida State University star shared medalist honours at the Monday qualifier for this week’s Zurich Classic, shooting 8-under 64 at LaTour Golf Club. 
It’s an important week for Koepka, who is seven FedEx Cup points shy of earning special temporary membership, which would allow him to receive unlimited sponsor exemptions for the rest of the season. He has 271 points after making eight starts (and burning all seven of his sponsor exemptions).
To earn the necessary points, Koepka will need to finish T-50 or better this week at TPC Louisiana. He hasn’t played since a T-36 at the Valero Texas Open. 

PRO GOLF NEWS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD

AUSSIE BLAND FINISHES JT 4th IN JAPAN

South Australia's Adam Bland has started his first season in Japan in style, finishing in a share of fourth place at the first event played on Japanese soil for the year.
The left hander, who earned his card at last year's qualifying school, finished four shots behind winner Yusako Miyazato and picked up a cheque for almost $60,000 Australian.
Bland was consistent over the four rounds shooting 69-68-68-69 for a 10-under total in the second event of the year but first played in Japan after the One Asia co-sanctioned Indonesian PGA last month.
It was the second Japan Tour victory for Miyazato who is the brother of former world number one in the women's game, Ai.
Steve Conran and Scott Strange were next best among the Australians after Bland, both finishing T28, while Kurt Barnes was the only other to make the cut and finished 64th on his own.
Brendan Jones, playing his first event since undergoing wrist surgery late last year, shot rounds of 72-70 to miss the cut by one and according to his website he will return to Australia for further treatment after playing in pain both days.
Also missing the weekend were Brad Kennedy, Stephen Leaney and Steve Jeffress.

 

FIRST TOURNAMENT ON WORLD'S NEWEST GOLF PRO TOUR

Australians make flying start on new

PGA Tour China

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN PGA WEBSITEWith four players inside the top-10 Australia's touring professionals made a good start at the first event of the world's newest tour, PGA Tour China.
The inaugural event of the new Tour, which will reward the year's top money winner with exempt status on the Web.com Tour, saw 23 Australians tee up with 20 of those making the cut.
Stephen Dartnall and Ray Beaufalis shared top honours amongst the Australians, finishing T3. Aaron Townsend and Ryan McCarthy finished four shots further back in T8 position.
The Mission Hills Haikou Open was the first event played on the new Tour, a joint venture between the US PGA Tour and China Golf Association launched in November last year.
Several Australians will play the Tour in 2014, having gained playing rights at two qualifying schools earlier this year.
There are 12 events set down for the 2014 schedule all carrying minimum purses of US$200,000, the next tournament being the Buick Open in two weeks' time in Guangdong.
Australian players featured among the many firsts that come with the launch of a new Tour including Ray Beaufalis having the dubious distinction of recording the first double bogey and Alex Hawley the first sub-60 round in Tour history (a first day 4-under-par 68).
South Korea's J H Wang was crowned the Tour's first winner after a dominating performance saw him finish 10 shots clear of the field.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

ARGYLL AND BUTE TEAM FOR SCOTTISH AREA CHAMPIONSHIP

Argyll and Bute squad for the Scottish men's area team golf championship at Old Ranfurly and Ranfurly Castle from May 16 to 18 is:

Robert MacIntyre (Glencruitten)
Greg Watson (Dunaverty)
Craig Pirie (Millport)
Stephen Renfrew (Port Bannatyne)
Allan McKie (Glencruitten)
Graham Bolton (Bute)