SCOTTISH STROKEPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP - Ayrshire connection for New Zealand contender McCall

Vaughan McCall

Whilst Ayrshire has a good representation of players from the host county taking part in the Scottish Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Kilmarnock (Barassie) this week, local supporters will be able to cheer on another competitor who has his roots in the local area and has travelled half way round the world to take part in the event.

20 year old Vaughan McCall, who was runner up in the Welsh Amateur Stroke Play Championship last week hails from The Gore Golf Club, Southland in New Zealand and he has had a superb season in 2012, becoming the first player in 24 years to win both the New Zealand Strokeplay and New Zealand Amateur titles in the same year.

The McCall surname prompted some investigation by Colin Farquarson of the www.scottishgolfview.com website as to a Scottish connection, and it transpired that not only were Vaughan McCall's ancestoral roots in Scotland but his forebears actually hail from Ayrshire with many of his ancestors being buried in an old cemetery in Newton On Ayr, just a few miles down the coast from Kilmarnock (Barassie).

Whilst it is not known if Vaughan will have the opportunity to visit the sites connected with his ancestors whilst he is in the area, local golf supporters can maybe lend support to Vaughan during the week along with other Ayrshire golfers in the field, and celebrate his local connections as he bids for the title.