Drambuie Ayrshire Golf Classic 2003

The Welcome Reception
As usual with The Drambuie Classics the welcome reception is held partly to welcome the guests to the area but also to introduce them to something new or different about the location. Well North Gailes is both new and different. Located on the same piece of links land that accommodates, Western Gailes, Glasgow Gailes and its new neighbour Loch Lomond Golf Club's Dundonald Course, North gailes comprises a nine hole Par 33 course, a new Classic course shaped on famous short holes and approach shots to greens and a state of the art health and fitness club. Add to that new restaurant and private dining facilities, a full driving range and game analysis equipment, an American Golf Discount store and you can see why it was right to showcase the facility to the visiting golfer.

Anyone visiting Ayrshire for a golf break could do a lot worse than a visit to North Gailes during their stay.

Day One - Western Gailes
Western Gailes is just one of those courses that everyone must play. Over the years it has achieved this status with many visiting American golfers and when the opportunity was given to us to host the first day's play over this wonderful links course the chance was gratefully taken.

Western Gailes Golf Club was founded in 1897 and is situated on the Ayrshire Coast, 4 miles north of Prestwick Airport. It is recognised as one of the finest & truest links courses in Scotland measuring 6714 off the championship tees. The course has played host to the Curtis Cup, P.G.A. Championship, Seniors, Scottish Amateur and Boys Championships and the Ladies' Home Internationals. It is also one of the Final Qualifying courses when The Open Championship is held at either Royal Troon or Turnberry. As the par 71 and standard scratch score rating of 74 indicates, Western Gailes is never other than an excellent test of links golf but any change in the strength or direction of the wind provides new challenges. The undulating terrain requires even the best of players to produce a full range of shot making, but never the less enjoyable for all players.

The day itself started off a little blustery and wet but as is often the case in Ayrshire the wind died down as the day went on and any rain lifted. The conditions were difficult but not impossible and the scores were actually higher than average for day one of a Drambuie Classic. The lead at the end of the day was held jointly 33 points by a Scot and an Englishman. Graeme Greenhill from the Glen course in North Berwick was later joined by Arthur Anderson from Ham Manor Golf Club. Two players were one further back on 32 points - Colin McAllister from St Andrews and local Charles McGregor from Wilson Sports.
The pairs event was being lead at the end of Day One by the composite team of McAllister and Anderson with 65 points.

The Drambuie Drive was struck - and how - on the eighteenth by Paul Hubbard from Dalmahoy. Okay it was downwind but on the 377 yard par four he was no more than thirty to forty yards short of the green. Drambuie Nearest the pin was struck by Roy Burnett from Aberdeen.

Day Two
Glasgow Gailes has been one of the ever present courses along with Barassie since the Ayrshire Golf Classic teed off in 2000. As usual the course was set up magnificently and proved to be a superb challenge of the Medal tees. There were five scores carded in excess of thirty - A Scot, an Englishman, a Spaniard and two Americans - prove if ever it was needed of the international nature of the Drambuie Classics!

Top score was carded in the last game by Arthur Anderson the London based Scot leaving him in a clear lead overall with 69 points from his two days on the Gailes. In second place from Jackson, Mississippi is Matt Bellew with 66 points adding a 35 to his first day 31. Sean Skinner from Runcorn, and playing in his third Drambuie Classic in a year is sitting well placed in third with 65 points having scored a fine 34 points at Glasgow Gailes.

Former Kilmarnock football player turned Golf Tour Operator, Jesus Sanjuan (pictured right), rocketed off to twenty points to the turn this morning but failed to capitalise on the back nine and had to settle for a still excellent 34 points.

Maria Latterell from The states was the final plus thirty pointer adding an excellent 31 to her 29 from yesterday and she sits in fifth place overall.
The excellent 36 points from Arthur Anderson helps him and his partner, Colin McAllister, pull slightly further away from Skinner and Welsh but as has been proved so often in the past a five point lead in the pairs event can soon vanish.

The Drambuie Nearest the Pin was at the tricky fifteenth hole and was hit by Jose Sanjuan and the longest drive at the fifth hit by Roy Burnett.

Day Three - Turnberry
Turnberry in the south of Ayrshire was pivotal to getting the concept of the Ayrshire Golf Classic of the ground in 2000 and without their assistance it is unlikely that any of the Classics would have seen the light. Since 2000 Turnberry have been an ever present in the schedule with The Ailsa for the past three events and both last year. With the British Seniors being held on the Championship course later this month it was the turn of the Open Qualifying Kintyre Course to be a host venue.

By the way if you're looking for something to do in a couple of weeks the British Seniors could well be the place to be - with Gary Player, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Tony Jacklin, Arnold Palmer and a whole host of famous names the event will be a must for the true golfing fan For more information visit www.seniorbritishopen.com

Back to our own humble event and just even arriving at this truly great venue is almost enough in itself. The magnificent clubhouse, your own locker, complimentary range balls for all competitors and use of the superb Colin Montgomerie Academy's facilities. Short game, long game, putting. Quite magnificent. The you move to the first tee….

The Kintyre is a composite course made up of a mix of the old Arran, some totally new holes and new fairways to old greens. The result is a quite stunning partner to the Ailsa and has been recognised by the R&A already as fit to host next year's Final Open Qualifying for Royal Troon.

On a day like today with a lightish breeze (although it did pick up in the afternoon making the back nine very difficult) and the sun shining it is a truly perfect place to play golf. The Isle of Arran wasn't visible but the Ailsa Craig some ten miles off the coast was and set the scene.

First game out was the group from sponsor's Wilson Sporting Goods and did Jim Wilson make good use of the weather. Forty points indeed! A stunning close to the outward nine where he went three, three and amassed nine points in two holes helped his cause and ensured that he would pick up the prize for the best stableford on the day.

Three players tied on second place with excellent 35's - Sean Skinner, Colin McAllister and Jeff Crum. Sean's contribution took him to 100 points in total and pulled him up to one point behind second round leader Arthur Anderson who scored 32 today.

The longest drive was hit at eighteen into the wind by Justin Percy and the nearest the pin at sixteen by Sean Skinner.

The overall pairs event looks like being battled out between Skinner/Welsh and McAllister/Anderson with the latter taking a five point lead into the last day.
And the last day? Well it's back to Troon and play over the very challenging Barassie Links. Cloudy day forecast. Bright for one winner though.

Final Day - Barassie
The final day was at the excellent Links course at Barassie just north of Troon. The course was redeveloped about seven or eight years ago with nine new holes being added to complement the traditional eighteen. The new holes were then incorporated into a new composite course adding considerably to both the length and the challenge of the course. Since then it has hosted Final open Qualifying, European Youths and other major amateur events and prior to next year's Open Championship at Royal Troon it will host The British Junior Open.
We have been extremely fortunate that since 2000 Barassie have agreed to be one of the venues for the Drambuie Ayrshire Classic and it was once again great to be back.

An hour before tee off things were looking a little ominous with dark clouds rolling in but once again the micro climate that seems to bless the Ayrshire coast kicked in again and there was no rain during play itself and indeed players teed off in shirt sleeves. This is on a course less than forty minutes south of Loch Lomond where play was suspended for four hours due to the downpours! Another reason for planning your golfing trip to Ayrshire perhaps?

The leader overnight was Arthur Anderson by one, unfortunately he had to pull out of the event for business reasons leaving Sean Skinner from Runcorn with the lead in the last game. But it wasn't a pushover and the final game produced a 36, a 37 and a 38. The 38 belonged to Sean Skinner and it resulted in him having an excellent four round total of 138, five points ahead of Matt Bellew from Mississippi and a further point ahead of Colin McAllister (below) from St Andrews.

As a result of Arthur Anderson pulling out Sean and his partner Alan (above) held a comfortable lead going into the latter stages of the pairs event - comfortable that was until Alan shot a final round of 21 points leaving him to sweat it out for a while. In the end his partner's 38 points compensated and the pair picked off the first place and prizes.

Longest drive was the tough par four seventeenth. It's actually a very good driving hole with bunkers skirting the fairway left and right and with the breeze against made it a little more tight from the medal tee. However Drew Parsons from sponsors Wilson launched an almighty hit past the second bunkers into the breeze and no-one was able to come near it for the rest of the day. We are certain that he was playing a Wilson True golf ball and it was finely struck with a Deep Red Driver.

Nearest the pin was at fourteen was Matt Bellew and we hope that he will enjoy his bottle of Drambuie (on Ice) in the heat of Mississippi when he gets back home!

The Prizegiving
The Marine Hotel in Troon was the venue for the final evening's dinner and was an excellent way to finish off the week. A relaxing dinner with some fine wine and a bottle of Drambuie on the table courtesy of the sponsors. The prizes were distributed and a few more tales, jokes and business cards shared and swapped.

The Drambuie Scottish Golf Classics are all about just that. Great golf in superb Scottish locations but equally importantly meeting other golfers from all around the globe. This week saw golfers playing together from the States (above), Spain, England, Australia and even from as far away as Edinburgh. All played with great spirit and fun and all looking forward to returning to another event in future years

So another event over. The final day at Barassie produced the best scoring of the week; Western Gailes the lowest (wind and rain). The best score of the event was posted by Jim Wilson with forty. There was some great golf over some magnificent courses and as usual our thanks go the four clubs, North Gailes, The Marine Hotel and the hotels who so ably looked after the guests all week. A wee break now and it's off to The Highlands again for the Drambuie Speyside in September.

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Ayrshire	Classics
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