Spread the word!

I would like to thank everyone who has visited my site so far. If my campaign for funding and a Scottish Golf Tour for our professionals is to become a success the word needs to be spread. If anyone who visits the site and would like to make my ideas become a reality please post my link on websites, blogs and social networking sites. This would really bolster my site and the more people that get behind this campaign the more chance there is of turning round the fortunes of the Scottish game. http://www.scottishprofocus.blogspot.com/! Copy and paste wherever you can!

Another great week for Laird!

After narrowly missing out on victory last week Martin Laird has continued his great form by finished tied for 3rd in the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic. This is great for Scottish golf but is playing in America the reason why Martin continues to be our highest ranked player?? Your thoughts on this would be much appreciated!

Where is the funding?

The majority of feedback I have been receiving so far is without funding and sponsorship how can our professionals play. Our amateur golfers seem to get a good amount of funding and by no means is that a bad thing but surely a fund should be put into place to help professionals. Even a fund to cover entry fees which lets be honest are ridiculous. £275 to play 1 Euro Pro event is just not on! Times that by 15 and it becomes a fortune to play a full season. Some guys are almost afraid to turn professional cause they lose the funding they receive as a top amateur and suddenly playing golf is not financially viable. With the current state of the economy it is harder than ever to attract sponsorship. We are not all as good as the likes of Rory McIlroy who made it big time straight away. Like any profession it takes time to reach the top so lets financially support our guys and give them time to realise their true potential.

Laird beaten by Byrd hole-in-one!

Martin Laird narrowly missed out on victory in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at the weekend. As darkness fell in a 3 man playoff a hole-in-one from Jonathan Byrd at the fourth extra hole was enough to secure victory. With Martin Laird being the top ranked Scottish golfer at the moment it opens up the PGA Tour vs European Tour argument. Martin Laird plays the majority of his golf on the PGA Tour and I probably like many feel the feeder tours in the USA are far superior as to what we have to offer. You only need to look at the how much better the money is on the Nationwide Tour in comparison to the Challenge Tour. I believe for some of our guys America could be a better option. Now I may be talking rubbish but what does that say for us. Whether you agree or disagree I would really like to get your opinions on this matter!

Congratulations to Manassero

Big congratulations go to Matteo Manassero who today became the youngest ever winner on the European Tour. Not so long ago how many top Italian players could you name but look now, 2 Ryder Cup players and a sensational teenage star. Does that not just prove how quickly things can change and that with the right guidance and funding some of our guys could be featuring on the world stage very soon.

Rory plays Challenge Tour

It is great to see a player like Rory McIlroy playing Challenge Tour this week. It really adds to the event and gives even more incentive to our young guys to reach the Challenge Tour!

Scottish professionals need a stepping stone to the Challenge Tour!

There are a number of tours that offer cards on the Challenge Tour, (the Euro Pro and Alps Tour are examples of this), and yes these tours are both open to Scottish players but tours outside of Scotland are extremely expensive for our guys to play. There seems to me to be a real need for either a new Scottish Tour or a development of an already existing tour, for example the Tartan Tour that offer Challenge Tour cards. Good prize money is one thing but Challenge Tour cards being available to say the top 3 guys in the final order of merit is what will really push our guys through the ranks. Remember a certain Molinari brother was playing a full Challenge Tour season in 2009 and look where he is today. So lets not just offer our guys a tour with purely financial rewards but offer rewards which in my opinion are far greater!