Weekend of drama deserves better audience

THE MONEYGATE Scottish Area Team Championship, won by Perth and Kinross at Blairgowrie, ought to get more attention than it does.

Here’s everything that is great about grassroots golf crammed into a weekend.

Sunday’s f inal in the fabulous setting of Rosemount was a thriller, with the result in doubt right down to when Fife’s James White missed from five feet on the first extra hole, his first real mistake of a great match with P&K’S perennial stalwart Glenn Campbell.

Glenn may not play the full circuit these days but you’ll still see him hitting it down the middle at the Scottish Strokeplay and the Scottish Amateur, where he is an opponent no-one wants in the draw.

“I’d have him in my Scotland team every time,” said Brian Soutar, main man of the beaten finalists and the leading Scottish amateur of the moment.

This was the third year of this newer format of a day of qualifying followed by a final four on Sunday.

The old Area Teams had its devotees, and as it was played on weekends throughout the season more players got a chance to be capped.

But the five- man teams are still drawn from all parts and ages, for example the new champions had both 16-year-old Bradley Neil and veteran Blairgowrie club stalwart George Brass making his county debut.

The only addition I’d like to see is a few more people turning out to watch and join in support with the enthusiastic area officials.

Seeing Renfrewshire, for example, turn out in resplendent gear with three stars above the badge to commemorate their titles and Fife officials virtually in tears when they won last year after 35 years of trying, shows the kind of local pride that we could do with a lot more of in our national game.

Glenn Campbell.