Hacienda Del Alamo's John Green

wins Senior Pro Golf Tour

Europe's Order of Merit

Hacienda Del Alamo professional golfer John Green, the man who has done most of the organising of accommodation for Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Festival competitors, has won the order of merit for the 2008 season on the Senior Pro Golf Tour Europe in his first year as a Pro.

The final event of the season at Alboran Golf in Almeria, Spain on December 3 was Green's third win on the over-50s tour in 2008. Rookie pro Green aged 53, turned professional in 2008 and this was also the inaugural season for the Seniors Pro Golf Tour Europe.

Hacienda Del Alamo professional and Hacienda Golf Properties Director John Green moved from Kent to Spain in April of 2006 in order to work on his golf.

"I was sold on Hacienda Del Alamo, the course, the academy and practice areas and of course the sun."

A two-handicap amateur only three years ago, Green is as astonished as most observers at his progress and commented: "I gave myself five years to try and find a game that would stand up to this level of competition and had no expectations for this season.

"I turned pro because I was advised that, in terms of survival on a pro tour, building experience was as important as the golf swing and so I concluded that the sooner I start the process of gaining experience on a tour, the better."

The Seniors Pro Golf Tour - not to be confused with the European Seniors Tour - staged six events in 2008 and Green took pole position in three of them as a well as a second and a fourth place.

The first event was at Sokolov GC in the Czech Republic in June and the second, a few days later, was only a short drive away in Stifland Golf Club in south-eas Germany.

Green performed superbly in his first two senior professional events, scoring under par in three of the six rounds.

The third win of the season came at the last event, in Almeria, Spain at the Alboran Golf Club where Green again won from Simon Parker, an Englishman based in Germany, a repeat of the standings from Germany.

In all three events that he won Green led the tournaments from the first round to the last.

Hacienda Golf Properties SL offers luxury villas and apartments for sale or rental at Hacienda Del Alamo Golf Resort in Murcia Spain http://www.hdagolfproperties.com/

Sponsorship opportunities of John Green as a golfer are still available for the 2009 season.

Hacienda Del Alamo Golf Resort is one of Spain's most prestigious new resorts located in Murcia and with one of the longest golf courses in Europe at over 7300 yards designed by renowned golf course architect Dave Thomas.

Irish 1-2-3-4 in men's event at Vilamoura

FERGUSON AND PATERSON TOP SCOTS
IN EUROPEAN SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Two Drumpellier Golf Club members, Alan Ferguson and Janice Paterson, were the top Scots in the European senior men's and women's amateur golf championships which ended at Vilamoura on Portugal's Algarve on Saturday.
Alan Ferguson came joint ninth in the men's event, played over the Vilamoura Old Course and dominated by Irish players who filled the first four places.
European senior men's champion is Adrian Morrow with a splendid eight-under-par aggregate of 211, made up of rounds of 69, 73 and 69.
He won by three shots from compatriot Arthur Pierse who won the British senior men's amateur title at Nairn last year.
Maurice Kelly (219) was third and Liam McNamara (221) fourth.
Ferguson scored 74, 75 and 77 for 226.
Next best male Scot was Donald McCart in joint 37th place on 234.
The European senior women's amateur championship, played over the Pinhal course, was won by six shots by Virginie Burus from France with scores 75, 74 and 76 over the par-72 lay-out for a nine-over-par total of 225.
Spain's Vicky Petrietta was runner-up on 231.
Janice Paterson finished joint 22nd on 248 with scores of 83, 81 and 84.
St Andrews hotelier Fiona De Vries came next on 249 for joint 36th position.
Dundee's Heather Anderson, well placed after the first round finished joint 36th on 255.
SCOREBOARD
MEN
Vilamoua Old Course
Par 219 (3 x 73)
211 A Morrow (Ire) 69 73 69.
214 A Pierse (Ire) 71 71 72.
219 M Kelly (Ire) 74 70 75.
221 K McNamara (Ire) 76 75 70.
223 N Swenson (US) 74 77 72.
224 R Morris (US) 75 71 78, D Lane (Eng) 73 78 73.
Scots scores:
226 A Ferguson 74 75 77 (jt 9th).
234 D McCart 81 77 76 (jt 37th).
239 J Deas 82 79 78 (jt 55th).
240 S Ellis 82 79 79 (jt 60th).
MISSED THE CUT
165 J Broadfoot 83 82.
183 B Campbell 87 96.
WOMEN
Pinhal Course
Par 216 (3 x 72)
225 V Burrus (Fra) 75 74 76.
231 V Pertierra (Spa) 79 77 75.
233 C Mourgue D'Algue (Fra) 77 81 75.
Scots scores:
248 J Paterson 83 81 84 (jt 22nd).
249 F De Vries 85 83 81 (jt 26th).
255 H Anderson 80 88 87 (jt 36th).
258 P Williamson 89 80 89 (jt 44th).
265 J Mack 81 89 86.

Alan, Heather lead senior Scots'

challenge at Vilamoura

Drumpellier's Alan Ferguson and Heather Anderson from Downfield, Dundee were leading the Scottish challenge in the European senior men's and women's amateur golf championships which began at Vilamoura on Portugal's Algarve today.

Ferguson returned a one-over 74 on the Old Course to be lying joint sixth, five shots behind the Irish leader, Adrian Morrow, at the end of the first round.

Ireland dominated the leaderboard with Arthur Pierse, winner of the British senior title at Nairn last year, in second place on 71.

Heather, pictured above, had an eight over par 80 and was sharing seventh place, five shots behind the pacemaker, Virginie Burrus (France), in the women's championship which began over the Pinhal course.

Scottish scores:

MEN

74 Alan Ferguson.

82 James Deas.

83 John Broadfoot.

87 Brian Campbell.

WOMEN

80 Heather Anderson.

83 Janice Paterson.

89 Pamela Williamson.

91 Jennifer Mack.

Dates change for European senior men and
women individual championships next year

Next year's European senior men's and senior women's interantional championships, originally scheduled for June 12 to 14, have been rearranged for 19-21 June.

The European Golf Association website states:

Following the success of the 2007 championships, the Portuguese Golf Federation, as 2006-2008 hosts, felt the 2008 edition should return to the Vilamoura region. Venue owners, Oceanico, were only too happy to again host the championships, but have asserted that heavy bookings have prompted a change of dates request.
Although the EGA insists that hosting members respect the scheduled dates for EGA championships, the EGA Championship Committee decided that it would not risk having to stage the championship at an inferior venue at this late stage.
We regret any inconvenience the change may cause our members and their players.

For further information, please contact the European Golf Association at: info@ega-golf.ch

THREE NEW CAPS IN SCOTLAND TEAM

FOR SENIOR MEN'S HOME

INTERNATIONALS NEXT WEEK

There are three new caps in the Scotland team for next week’s, Tuesday to Thursday, senior men’s home amateur internationals at Caldy Golf Club, Cheshire – John Fraser, Jim Watt and Gordon Brown.
Fraser is a former Newtonmore shinty star who became a North-east District representative golfer when his teaching profession took him to Aberdeen. He has since moved to Edinburgh and is a member of the Royal Burgess club.
John has come to the fore in the inaugural over-55s Scottish circuit this year.
Gordon Brown is a Vale of Leven member who had a short spell as a senior tour professional when he reached the necessary age of 50, fulfilling a long-held ambition before being reinstated as an amateur in 2005. Brown was the leading Scot in this year’s British senior open amateur championship at Nairn. He had the lowest final round of 67 to finish joint seventh.
Jim Watt (Letham Grange), too, has done well on the new Scottish seniors circuit.
Brown finished second, Fraser third and Watt fifth behind skipper Ian Hutcheon (Monifieth) in the final Order of Merit.
The unlucky ones who have not been selected – there are only seven places in the team – are George Paterson (Northern) who was fourth in the final table and Patrick Tomisson (Nairn) who came sixth. Tomisson finished joint 11th over his home course in the British seniors championship.
Fraser, Watt and Brown oust Gordon MacDonald (Callander), Alan Ferguson (Drumpellier) and Brian Grieve (King James VI) compared with the Scotland team who won the seniors’ home internationals’ title at Dunbar Golf Club 12 months ago.
Compared with the Scotland squad of six who were beaten 3-2 by Ireland in the final of the European senior men’s team championship in Slovenia during the summer, MacDonald and Grieve have been left out.
The team for Caldy GC is:
I C Hutcheon (Monifieth), capt., G Brown (Vale of Leven), S Ellis (Cowal), J Fraser (Royal Burgess), J W Johnston (Royal Aberdeen), D McCart (Castlerock), J Watt (Letham Grange).

FIONA IS TOP SCOT IN EURO SENIOR
CHAMPIONSHIPS AT VILAMOURA

St Andrews hotelier Fiona De Vries, last year’s Scottish senior women’s champion, achieved the highest finish of all the Scots – men and women – who took part in the European senior amateur championships at Vilamoura on Portugal’s Algarve.
St Rule member Fiona, pictured right, finished sixth in the women’s event over the Vilamoura Old Course with rounds of 78, 75 and 78 for a total of 231 - nine shots behind the women’s champion, Virginie Burrus from France.
Bogeys at the two of the last four holes cost Mrs De Vries a possible top four finish.
Former Scottish women’s amateur champion Fiona Anderson, formerly of Blairgowrie but now living in Merseyside and a member of Formby Ladies, finished joint ninth with scores of 76, 77 and 83 for 236.
Helen Faulds and Maureen Richmond tied for 15th place on 238.
David Smith from Stirling, a former winner of the European senior men’s title, and Donald McCart (Castlerock), tied for 11th place on 228 over the Vilamoura Pinhal course.
Smith had a double bogey 6 at the 18th in his final round of 76 while McCart took 45 to the turn in his last round of 83.
Another Scot, Robert Gill (Gerrards Cross) filled joint 15th place on 229.

FINAL TOTALS

MEN (at Vilamoura Pinhal)
Par 216 (3 x 72)
216 N Swenson (US) 73 68 75.
219 M Kelly (Ire) 73 71 75.
221 M Preysler de la Riv a (Spa) 73 74 74.
222 H-H Giesen (Ger) 73 74 75.
223 B Ronning (Nor) 76 72 75.
224 T Brown (Eng) 71 77 76.
Other totals:
228 D Smith (Sco) 75 77 76, D McCart (Sco) 70 75 83, D Lane (Eng) 69 81 78 (jt 11th).
229 R Gill (Sco) 73 78 78 (jt 15th).
234 R McLellan (Sco) 80 76 78.
241 J Deas (Sco) 78 81 82 (jt 67th).
243 J Broadfoot (Sco) 79 85 79, D Millar (Saco) 78 79 86 (jt 75th).

WOMEN (at Vilamoura Old Course)
Par 219 (3 x 73)
220 V Burrus (Fra) 76 75 69.
223 C Mourgue DAlgue (Fra) 75 75 73.
228 M Buscaini (Ita) 74 789 75.
229 E Ikalstad (Den) 78 72 69.
230 V Hoff (Swe) 79 75 76.
231 F De Vries (Sco) 78 75 78, A-K Hermansson (Swe) 79 74 78.
Other totals:
236 C Quinn (Eng) 79 79 78, F Anderson (Sco) 76 77 83 (jt 9th).
238 H Faulds (Sco) 82 77 79, M Richmond (Sco) 78 84 76 (jt 19th).
240 P Williamson (Sco) 80 74 86 (24th).
244 J Paterson (Sco) 82 83 79 (jt 31st).
245 S Quinn (Sco) 82 82 81 (jt 33rd).
248 B Woodham (Eng) 83 81 84 (jt 37th)
249 V Hassett (Ire) 87 82 80 (jt 39th).
257 V Shannon (Ire) 85 84 88 (56th).
260 B Biggart (Sco) 86 87 87 (57th).
261 J Mack (Sco) 88 89 84 (58th).

ANY COMMENTS? E-mail them to colin@scottishgolfview.com

SCOTS TO THE FORE IN EUROPEAN SENIOR AMATEUR

CHAMPIONSHIPS AT VILAMOURA

Scots Donald McCart, Fiona De Vries and Fiona Anderson are well to the fore in their respective divisions of the European senior men's and women's amateur championships at Vilamoura on the Algarve.

The men's championship is being played over the Pinhal course where McDart has had rounds of 70 and 75 for 145 to be four shots behind the leader, American Norman Swenson.

In the women's championships over the Vilamoura Old Course, Fiona De Vries and Fiona Anderson are sharing fourth place on 153, three shots behind the joint leaders, Else Kalsted (Denmark) and Cecilia Mourgue D'Algue (France).

Fiona De Vries has scored 78 and 75, Fiona Anderson 76 and 77.

Details:

MEN (at Pinhal)

141 N Swenson (US) 73 68.

144 M Kelly (Ire) 73 71.

145 D McCart (Sco) 70 75.

147 F Lang (Ita) 77 70, M Preysler (Spa) 73 74, H-H Green (Ger) 73 74.

Other scores:

148 T Brown (Eng) 71 77.

150 S Baker (E ng) 72 78, D Lane (Eng) 69 81.

151 R Gill (Sco) 73 78.

152 G Mellerick (Ire) 75 77, D Smith (Sco) 75 77.

153 A Morrison (Eng) 77 76.

154 P Slater (Eng) 82 72.

156 R McLellan (Scvo) 80 76.

157 D Millar (Sco) 78 79, G Steel (Sco) 79 78.

159 J Deas (Sco) 78 81.

161 I Stewart (Sco) 82 79.

164 I Broadfoot Sco) 79 85.

WOMEN (Vilamoura Old Course)

150 E Kalsted (Den) 78 82, C Mourgue D'Algue (Fra) 75 75.

151 V Burrus (Fra) 76 75.

153 A-K Heermansson (Swe) 79 74, F De Vries (Sco) 78 75, F Anderson (Sco) 76 77, M Buscaini (Ita) 74 79.

154 V Hogg (Swe) 79 75, P Williamson (Sco) 80 74.

Other scores:

159 H Faulds (Sco) 82 77 (jt18th).

162 M Richmond (Sco) 78 84 (jt 26th).

164 S Quinn (Sco) 82 82 (jt 33rd).

167 J Paterson (Sco) 82 83 (40th).

173 B Biggart (Sco) 86 87 (jt 55th).

177 J Mack (Sco) 88 89 (59th).

DONALD AND FIONA DOING WELL IN EURO
SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS ON ALGARVE

David Lane from Goring & Streatley, who won the English senior men's championship last week, set the pace with a 69 at Pinhal Golf Club on the Algarve, Portugal in the European senior men's amateur championship.
He led by one shot from Scotland's Donald McCart.
In the European senior women's amateur championship over the Vilamoura Old Course, Marina Buscaini (Italy) led with a one-over-par 74 from former champion Cecilia Mourgue D'Algue (France).
Leading Scot in joint third place was former Scottish women's champion Fiona Anderson, formerly from Blairgowrie but now Formby Ladies. Fiona had a 76.
Scoreboard
MEN
69 D Lane (Eng).
70 D McCart (Sco).
71 T Brown (Eng).
72 J Hubbard (Eng), S Baker (Eng).
73 H-H Green (Ger), N Swenson (US), M Kelly (Ire), M Preysler de la Riva (Spa), R Gill (Sco).
Other scores:
75 D Smith (Sco) (jt 13th).
78 J Deas (Sco), D Millar (Sco) (jt 30th).
79 G Steel (Sco), J Broadfoot (Sco) (jt 40th).
82 I Stewart (Sco) (jt 78th).
WOMEN
74 M Buscaini (Ita).
75 C Mourgue D'Algue (Fra).
76 F Anderson (Sco), S Boedeer (Ger), V Burrus (Fra).
77 C Birke (Swe), T Oldenbourg (Ger), K Gumpert (Ger).
78 E Kaisted (Den), M Richmond (Sco), V Perterra (Spa), F De Vries (Sco).
Other scores:
80 P Williamson (Sco) (jt 20th).
82 S Quinn (Sco), J Paterson (Sco), H Faulds (Sco) (jt 29th).
86 B Biggart (Sco).
88 J Mack (Sco).