RENFREWSHIRE ORDER OF MERIT WINNER

CRAIG WATSON DOES IT AGAIN

RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION

PRESS RELEASE

 turnberry.db@gmail.com

When Renfrewshire’s top golfers lined up at Renfrew Golf Club for the final event of the season, the Herbie Pirie Trophy, there was still a mathematical possibility that former British Amateur Champion, Craig Watson from the East Renfrewshire club, could be overtaken in the race for the top of the Order of Merit.   

Craig led the table with 622.5pts with Renfrew’s Craig Pirie a long way back on 482.5.  However, with double points available at the event, Renfrewshire Golf Union President, Andrew Anderson, who does all the mathematical work, advised that Pirie, a relative youngster, still had an outside chance with 300 points on offer for the winner.

After the morning round, young Craig recorded a solid 74 with Watson three shots behind on 77.  Could Pirie hold on for a win which would mean that Watson would have to be, at least, in sixth place to tie for the top spot?  As it transpired, William MacMillan from Bonnyton intervened to halt Craig Pirie in his tracks.  While Pirie repeated his morning round for an aggregate of 148, MacMillan pushed him into second place adding a great round of 67 to his morning effort of 76 for a 143 total.

With 250 points in the bag for second, Craig Pirie had to wait to see if Watson could make it to the top ten which he needed to clinch the Blake Clark Trophy.  It came as no surprise when the experienced Watson handed in a second round 74 for a share of fourth spot and more than sufficient points to ensure that his name went on the trophy. 

Top scores were:

143 William MacMillan (Bonnyton) 76 67

148 Craig Pirie (Renfrew) 74 74 

150 Ronnie Clark (Erskine) 75 75

151 Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 77 74  (Best second round)

Pictures show Craig Watson with the Blake Clark Trophy

IRELAND TO HOST WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

CARTON HOUSE, COUNTY  KILDARE 

WILL BE VENUE

Ireland's Carton House Golf Club in County Kildare is to host the men's and women's world amateur team championships in 2018. 

The Espirito Santo Trophy for women is played the first week followed by the Eisenhower Trophy for men the following week.

The only previous time the Eisenhower Trophy was played in Britain or Ireland was on its inauguration at St Andrews in 1958.

Both  are 72-hole stroke play team championships.

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EUROPEAN TOUR QUALIFYING SCHOOL STAGE 1 at Kelso

LLOYD SALTMAN SHOWS HIS CLASS 

WITH A 10-BIRDIE ROUND OF 64

If Lloyd Saltman had been able to transfer the immense talent he showed on a regular basis as an amateur to the professional ranks he would be near the top of the tree.

Instead he is back at school this week in the European Tour Q School Stage 1 event over the Roxburghe course at Kelso.

But today this was Lloyd back at his brilliant best.

Saltman shot an eight-under-par 64 with 10 birdies and two bogeys in halves of 33-31.

He leads by two from Paul Shields (Kirkhill) who had seven birdies and one bogey in halves of 33.

The lowest outward half was 31, achieved by Scott Borrowman (Dollar) on his way to a 68

The number of qualifiers for Stage 2 in Spain has not been announced yet but it is likely to be fewer than 20.

James Byrne (71), Craig Lawrie (71), Kris Nicol (71) are not far away from the qualifying zone but players such as Lloyd Saltman's older brother, Elliot (73) and Jordan Findlay (78) need to pull more than just one good score out of the bag

to survive.

 Stage 1 - Roxburghe, Kelso.

Par 72

LEADING SCORES

Players from Scotland unless indicated otherwise

64 L Saltman

66 P Shields

68 N Fenwick, S Borrowman, K Gray (Eng), G Thacker (Eng), L Joy (E).

69 H Bateman (NZ), C Corbin (Eng), T Whitehouse (Eng), J Moul (Eng), P Cutler (NIre)_, B Melton (USA), T Lawrence (SAf), A Wrigley (Eng), M Young (Eng) (am), T Murray (Eng), A Culverwell.

SELECTED SCORES

70 P McLean, P McKechnie, S Gray (T19).

71 P Doherty, J Byrne, F McKenna, C Lawrie, K Nicol (T24).

73 J Mullaney, E Ramsay, E Saltman (T39)_

74 C Lutton, C Sutherland, J Hendry (T43)

75 T Innes Ker (T58)

78 J Findlay (69th)

Field of 73.

A GRAND PERFORMANCE BY RAYMOND RUSSELL

SCOT WINS TP TOUR EVENT AT CHIGWELL WITH A 66

Raymond Russell won the TP Tour event over 18 holes at Chigwell Golf Club, Essex on Monday.

The Scot had six birdies in a round of five under par 66 over a course he had never seen previously.

Russell, winning for the second time this season on the mini-tour event, earned £1,000 for finishing three shots clear of Andrew George (£400) and four in front of Nick Flynn (£300).

SCOTTISH SENIOR PROS' STROKE-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

FRASER'S YOUR MANN AT DALMAHOY 

HALFWAY

Fraser Mann is favourite to land the first prize as he leads the field with a four-under-par 64 over the Marriott Dalmahoy West Course at the halfway stage of the Scottish senior professionals' stroke-play championship.

The Carnoustie Golf Club pro, pictured above, birdied the second, sixth, seventh, 10th, 15th and 18th, dropping shots at the 11th and short 17th as he ended the day a shot ahead of Stewart Savage (Dalmuir) and two in front of third-placed Alastair Webster (Edzell), John Chillas (unatt), Stephen Craig (Craig Golf), Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle) and Kenny Hutton (Downfield).

Savage, whose son Jamie won the Irish open amateur stroke-play title earlier this season, should have been in the pole position. He ran up a double bogey 7 at the long 13th which was offset by birdies at the second, third, fourth, 14th and 15th.

Tomorrow's second round will be over the longer, more difficult East course at the Edinburgh venue.

SCROLL DOWN PAST THE SCORES TO
VIEW THE SECOND-ROUND TEE TIMES

SCOTTISH SENIOR PROFESSIONALS STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

Marriott Dalmahoy West Course, Edinburgh

FIRST-ROUND

Par 68

64 F Mann (Carnoustie GC)

65 S Savage (Dalmuir)

66 A J Webster (Edzell), J S Chillas (unatt), S Craig (Craig Golf), C Elliott (Haggs Castle), K Hutton (Downfield).

67 N Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh, D Vannet (Peterculter), I Taylor (Drumpellier), A Tait (Marriott Dalmahoy).

68 R Stewart (Newburgh on Ythan), D Thomson (Carnegie Club).

69 D Williamson (Kirkhill), L Mann (unatt).

70 C Brooks (Braid Hills)

71 A Crerar (Panmure), A Forrow (Whitecraigs), G Law (Uphall).

72 K Phillips (Winterfield), P Brookes (Pitreavie), A Hutton (World of Golf), K Campbell (Machrihanish)

73 A McLean (Duddingston)

74 D Gemmill (Aberdour)

76 N Walton (Glasgow)

77 I Seath (Liberton)

79 C Everett (Caldwell).

 SECOND ROUND TEE TIMES
EAST COURSE WEDNESDAY

 Tee  Time      Name

  1   8:00 AM   Craig Everett, Caldwell Golf Club
                Iain Seath, Liberton Golf Club

  1   8:10 AM   Nick Walton, Glasgow Golf Club
                David Gemmell, Aberdour Golf Club
                Alastair McLean, Duddingston Golf Club

  1   8:20 AM   Ken Campbell, Machrihanish Golf Club
                Andrew Hutton, World of Golf
                Paul Brookes, Pitreavie Golf Club

  1   8:30 AM   Kevin Phillips, Winterfield Golf Course
                Andrew Crerar, Panmure Golf Club
                Gordon Law, Uphall Golf Club

  1   8:40 AM   Alastair Forrow, Whitecraigs Golf Club
                Colin Brooks, Braid Hills Golf Range
                John Chillas

  1   8:50 AM   Kenneth Kelly, Baberton Golf Club
                Lindsay Mann
                Duncan Williamson, Kirkhill Golf Club

  1   9:00 AM   David Thomson, Carnegie Club
                Robert Stewart, Newburgh on Ythan Golf Club
                Alan Tait, Marriott Dalmahoy Golf & Count

  1   9:10 AM   Ian Taylor, Drumpellier Golf Club
                Dean Vannet, Peterculter Golf Club
                Neil Colquhoun, Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Cl

  1   9:20 AM   Kenneth Hutton, Downfield Golf Club
                Campbell Elliott, Haggs Castle Golf Club
                Stephen Craig, Craig Golf 79

  1   9:30 AM   Alastair Webster, Edzell Golf Club
                Stewart Savage, Dalmuir Golf Club
                Fraser Mann, The Carnoustie Golf Club

Complete information is available at Tournament Information Page (TIP)

SEPTEMBER 18 SHOWDOWN AT ST ANDREWS VENUE

ABERDEEN BUSINESS GOLF LEAGUE 

FINAL AT CASTLE COURSE

NEWS RELEASE

Finalists in the DF Communications Aberdeem Business Golf League are set to tee off  for charity after a summer of fierce competition.

Baker Hughes, DF Communications, Fugro Subsea Services, John Wood Group, Knight Frank, Nu-Style Products, Premier Oil, RAWC Services, Strachans, Stork, Undersea Sense and Westburn Solutions have all reached the final.

DF Communications, an award-winning mobile phone and communications specialist to small, medium and large businesses, is sponsoring and organising the long-running league for a third consecutive year.

Businesses will come to the fore at the Castle Course, St Andrews on Thursday, September 18 as part of a combined Stableford competition.

Money raised from this year’s event will go to the British Heart Foundation. The charity was nominated by Neil Ferguson and Andy Williamson, of Undersea Sense, who won the 2013 competition and will be looking to defend their title this year.

In addition to the trophy, the winners of this year’s competition nominate a charity to benefit from funds raised during the subsequent event. Last year’s final saw £700 raised for the Maggie’s Aberdeen cancer campaign.