LEADING SCOTS AMATEURS COMPETING GLOBALLY THIS MONTH

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

A number of Scotland’s leading amateur players will compete globally later this month with the Australian Amateur Championship and the South American Amateur Championship on their agendas.

Scottish Golf Union Men’s Performance Squad players Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) and James White (Lundin) are both competing Down Under, along with Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs), winner of the 2012 North of Scotland Stroke Play.

Indeed, a field featuring over 50 international players from the likes of Canada, USA, England, Germany, Finland, Japan, France, Singapore, Korea and New Zealand will tee it up against Australia’s best in the Australian Amateur Championship.

A total of 288 players will head to Melbourne’s impressive Commonwealth and Woodlands Golf Clubs for the men's and women's titles held from January 15 to 20, and will contest qualifying over 36-holes with the leading 64 men and 32 women going forward to match play.

The Men’s championship will have a new winner, with the 2012 champion Marcel Schneider (Germany) having turned professional. Other past winners include Michael Clayton, Michael Campbell, Matt Goggin and Brett Rumford.

Commonwealth Golf Club is the primary venue and has previously hosted the 2010 and 2011 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

“I’ve just been goal setting for the year in the last few days,” said Robertson, who enjoyed a superb 2012 which saw him help steer Scotland to Home Internationals glory, win the Palmer Cup with Europe and represent Great Britain and Ireland in the St Andrews Trophy.

“Everything for me is geared towards the Walker Cup in September (at National Golf Links of USA, New York). Hopefully I can win a major event worldwide and give myself a good start to the season.

“I’ve just come back from playing in Arizona, as Palmer Cup players were invited to the Patriot All-America Invitational. Now it’s on to Australia and then to South Africa for some events, as part of the SGU’s winter performance programme. I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

White will also have a Walker Cup spot in his sights this year after the former SGU Men's Order of Merit winner was part of the Great Britain and Ireland Training Squad in 2012.

As well as the Australian Amateur, the Scots will go on to contest the Lake Macquarie Amateur Championship at Belmont Golf Club from January 24 to 27 before Robertson and White join up with squad members in South Africa.

Meanwhile, a four-strong Scots contingent will play the South American Amateur Championship in Colombia.

The event is to be held from January 23 to 26 at the El Rincon Golf Club, Bogota and four members of the SGU’s Men’s Transitional Squad will compete.

Former Scottish Amateur champion Graham Gordon (Newmachar) will be joined by Erskine’s Michael Daily, Fraser Moore of Glenbervie and Jamie Savage, the Cawder player who was runner-up on the Scottish Hydro Boys’ Order of Merit in 2012.