Stuart begins his new chapter in golf
GB&I Walker Cup captain Stuart Wilson has turned back the clock to take charge of The Blairgowrie Golf Club.
The former Amateur champion has succeeded Steven Morgan as managing secretary of the Perthshire club, after 15 years in a similar role with his hometown club Forfar.
Family man Stuart (43) tookup the reins with pandemic restrictions and the winter weather presenting immediate challenges.
“There’s not many clubs I would have moved to from my home club but this is one of them,” said Stuart.
“I have had a close affinity with Blairgowrie since I left school and spent two seasons working in the shop for longtime professional Gordon Kinnoch.
“I also had the huge honour of captaining the European Junior Ryder Cup team here in 2014.
“Blairgowrie hosted the event superbly and of course club member Bradley Neil was part of the team. It was a very special week.
“It’s great to be back here in a full-time position.
“2020 was a tough year for most people and businesses but golf was perhaps more fortunate than many.
“Most clubs enjoyed a boost in membership after the first lockdown.
“Golf, and the domestic visitor market especially, is still going to be an attractive prospect come the spring. We will still be living under some sort of restrictions I suspect.
“Blairgowrie has done very well to bounce back from the spring lockdown. The club has seen a good number of under 35s dusting off the clubs and getting back into golf.
“The challenge now is to maintain that progress and momentum in the season ahead.”
Despite his success in the amateur game, former Scotland international and Walker
Cup player Stuart opted for a different career path, studying quantity surveying at Abertay University before securing a sports qualification.
“Winning the Amateur at St Andrews in 2004 opened up some marvellous opportunities,” he recalled.
“I was fortunate that it was the 250th anniversary of the R&A. I couldn’t have picked a better year to win it.
“I got the slot at The Open at Troon, where I managed to make the cut and left with the low amateur medal.
“That was the year Tod Hamilton beat Ernie Els in a play-off.
“I also played in The Open as a qualifier. But when you are there as the Amateur champion you get a better draw and I was fortunate to play with Mark O’Meara and Michael Campbell in the first two rounds and Lee Westwood in the third.
“Unfortunately, The Masters didn’t work out quite the same. It is a different animal altogether.
“I played with Tom Watson and Jim Furyk so that was a nice draw.
“There were a lot of rain delays and two tee starts that year. It wasn’t as smooth as usual.
“But everyone was really welcoming.”
Stuart added: “I never really harboured ambitions of turning professional. I always saw my career elsewhere.”
Stuart, who selected fellow Amateur champion Bradley Neil for international honours in his amateur days, knows Blairgowrie has several promising youngsters emerging through the ranks.
“It’s good to see youth development is important at Blairgowrie,” he said. “I have always liked to help boys and girls get the most out of their game.
“It’s great we have some very decent prospects at Blairgowrie.”