OPTICAL EXPRESS TOUR EVENT AT IRVINE BOGSIDE TOMORROW

NEWS RELEASE
The last scheduled two-day event of The Optical Express Pro Golf Tour 2011 tees off at Irvine (Bogside) Golf Club tomorrow (Thursday, October 6), the last counting event for the Tour Championship in Son Gual, Mallorca at the end of the season.
The draw has been announced with a field of 44 consisting of 41 pros and three amateurs who will compete for the guaranteed £8,000 prize fund over the Ayrshire Links - a final qualifying venue of The Open. The top 24 from the 2011 season money list will go to Spain for an all expenses paid trip to play for a £10,000 prize fund.
Notably absent from the draw is treble event winner Paul McKechnie from Braid Hills, who is due to play in the PGA Fourball Final down south at Forest Pines. Although missing the Irvine event, McKechnie cannot be caught at the top of the order of merit, having earned over £5,000, well ahead of Paul O'Hara from Colville Park in second place.
Playing at Irvine are former European Tour winners, Ronan Rafferty and Paul Affleck with Banchory's Greig Hutcheon, who is having his best season yet, also in the draw. Corisande Lee from West Lancs who plays on the Ladies European Tour is the only female professional in the field.
The forecast is looking to be very windy for the Irvine event and Tournament Director Alan Tait knows what a test this will provide, having grown up on Irvine (Bogside) as an amateur and now also a Life Honorary Member.
Tait said, "I am really excited to be returning to my old club. The course is a true inland links and if the wind blows it will make life very difficult for the players. Off the tee, keeping the ball in play is key, given the penal rough with the gorse and the heather. Length will not be everything round Irvine, more to those who keep it on the fairway.”
Jim McKinnon, the resident Professional at Irvine, is also looking forward to playing in the event, commenting, "Both our members and I are very excited to be hosting another Pro Tournament here at Irvine and our course provides a superb venue on the Optical Express Pro Golf Tour. I am sure the players will all enjoy the course."

Draw Thursday 6th October
10:25 Graham Rankin (Drumpellier), Mark Kerr (Murrayfield), Graeme Brown (Montrose)
10:34 Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), Fraser Mann (unattached), Martin Lawrence(Newmachar)
10:43 Scott Garrett (Irvine Bogside), Cameron Tortolano (Stirling), Scott Herald (Mearns Castle)
10:52 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), Scott Pithie (Carluke)
11:01 Ben Irving (Kirkcudbright), Fraser Grant (amateur), Chris Currie (Caldwell)
11:10 Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle), David Roger (Windyhill)
11:19 Steve Johnson (The Roxburghe), Peter Latimer (amateur), Tim Rich (Royal Lytham St Annes)
11:28 Ted Innes Ker (The Roxburghe), Carl Thompson (Pikefold), Stewart Savage (Dalmuir)
11:37 Paul Gallacher (Dalmuir), Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Neil Colquhoun (Merchants)
11:46 Graham Forbes (Gourock), Chris Hogg, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth)
11:55 Paul Wardell (Whitekirk), Sam Binning (am), Lorne Kelly (Pro Dream USA)
12:04 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory), Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle), John Henry (Clydebank and District)
12:13 Paul Affleck (Unattached), Ronan Rafferty, Scott Henderson (Kingslink)
12:22 Corisande Lee (West Lancs), Paul O’Hara (Colville Park), Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm)
12:31 Nigel Scott Smith (Palacerigg Golf Centre), Vincent Brown (The Westerwood), Jim McKinnon (Irvine Bogside)

Late entries to the event at Irvine (Bogside) will be accepted on the day by contacting Alan Tait on 07734 207119.