SCOTTISH AMATEUR GOLF - Scotland’s Top Golfers to do Battle at Crail

(Thanks to Peter Mason for this article)

Scotland’s top amateur golfers are hoping to be the one to lift the Battle Trophy next month (April) at Crail.

The new-look Battle Trophy tournament is to be played over four rounds of Crail Golfing Society’s Craighead Links and points will be awarded which count towards the R&A’s world amateur rankings and the Scottish Order of Merit.

With the entry limit of 69 competitors looking to be exceeded, the field so far includes 40 golfers with handicaps better than scratch. One notable entrant is the current Scottish Amateur champion, 21 year old Michael Stewart from Troon Welbeck club, playing off a handicap of plus 4, who also won the South African amateur championship earlier this month (March).

Local interest will centre on 24 year old Peter Latimer, playing off plus 3, from the New Golf Club in St Andrews and 27 year old Brian Soutar, off plus 2, from Leven. Also vying for the title are Blairgowrie’s 38 year old Scottish internationalist Glenn Campbell, who played for Scotland against Spain over the Craighead Links, and 33 year old Allyn Dick from Kingsknowe, both off handicaps of plus 3.

“This is a field of outstanding quality,” said Crail Golfing Society’s Captain Ian Dickson. “This year is the Society’s 225th anniversary and having the cream of Scotland’s amateur golfers here for the Battle Trophy adds tremendously to our celebrations.”

Defending champion, 21 year old Graeme McDougall from Bishopriggs, who is also a member at Crail and plays off plus 1, will be hoping to retain his title.

The Battle Trophy, which was instituted in 1999, was a two round event until this year, when the R&A decided that world amateur ranking points would be awarded for success and the Scottish Golf Union designated it a counting event for the Order of Merit. This led to its being upgraded to a 72 hole stroke play tournament. It will be played over the weekend of 16/17 April.

Crail Golfing Society was founded 225 years ago in 1786 by 11 local golfers and now has 1400 members across the world. It has two courses: Craighead Links, which opened in 1998 and was designed by American Gil Hanse, winner of the 2009 accolade as Golf Course Architect of the Year, and Balcomie Links, laid out by Tom Morris and opened in 1895.