Perthshire golf star Gavin calls for change

Oct 1 2010 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

MURRAYSHALL’S European Tour card chasing Gavin Dear is eager to see pro golf expanding on the home front.

The 2009 Walker Cup player – and a pro winner this year on the Alps Tour – hopes new funding for Scottish golf will pave the way to a domestic mini-circuit of three-day events.

Dear reckons a developmental tour would provide an opportunity for regular competitive play for ambitious young Scots – amateurs or pros, who don't have European or Challenge Tour cards but aspire to play at the highest level.

Dear noted that none of the ambitious Perthshire touring pros – Wallace Booth, Steven Hume, Kevin McAlpine and himself – can play in the Midland Alliance competitions because they are not PGA members.

The Midland Alliance's 60-year old constitution stipulates that only PGA members can play with amateurs in their competitions.

Dear said: “The frustrating thing in Scottish pro golf is that everything seems to be a closed shop. I play on the continent in the Alps Tour and the foreign boys go home to play national events all the time.

“It allows them to compete on national order of merits and, if they play well, gain entry to European and Challenge Tour events. It is an important part of their development.

“It was good to see Wallace Booth and other non-PGA members given invites for the recent Northern Open. It can only improve the field and the competitiveness.

“I think with the new funding coming into place, it's time everything opened up and we gave young players as much competitive experience as possible.

“I would be interested in competing at Alliance competitions, Scottish PGA events or anything else in Scotland during my weeks at home from the Alps Tour.

“There's a Midland Alliance event held at Murrayshall – Steve and I are members there but we can't play in it!

“I have a schedule but there are spaces in it, and playing against guys like Chris Doak, Craig Lee and Greg Hutcheon on the Tartan Tour could only improve my game.

“I think we need to follow the example of what happens in France, Spain, Italy and Sweden, where they have free-for-all tours with good purses, to create an order of merit and allow guys to gain invites to profile events.”