Young golfers to have a ball in honour of tragic Stuart

Published on Tuesday 7 September 2010 17:23

The family of a young professional golfer who died in a road accident hope to raise £12,000 for other youngsters to pursue the sport.

The grieving relatives of Stuart Hutchison, 22, who died a year ago, want to make sure he is remembered by helping others follow in his footsteps.

They will celebrate his memory on September 18 with the launch of the Stuart Hutchison Trophy event for eight to 14-year-olds at Swanston New Golf Club, where Stuart played.

Prizes for the contest have been paid for using some of the 800 donated by friends and family at his funeral. The donation was given to the charity The Golf Foundation to help develop the game at grassroots level through its junior initiative, Clubgolf. The remainder has been used to buy golf equipment for use by children who don't have their own.

Stuart's mother Isobel said she was delighted by the contest: "It was Clubgolf's idea and I thought it was lovely.

"When Stuart was a junior there wasn't the same help as there is now and I'm sure he would have achieved what he achieved much earlier if there had been."

She, her husband David and daughter Lorna will present the prizes at the end of the tournament.

She said: "I think it will be very emotional but it will be nice to see something good come out of Stuart's accident.

"It's a difficult month for us, with the anniversary coming up. But he would be proud."

Stuart, a former Gracemount High School pupil, worked at the Scottish Golf Centre shop in Seafield Road and was following a correspondence degree course through the Professional Golfers' Association.

The family has already raised thousands, with David and Lorna completing sponsored runs, and a fundraising calendar planned for 2011.

Mrs Hutchison said: "We raised 2020 with a prize draw, my sister had a retirement party and asked for money instead of presents and got 420, and now we're getting into the golf calendar, so we do hope to raise 12,000 by the end of the year."

Laura Rushby of Clubgolf said: "The golf equipment they bought is getting well used at Clubgolf coaching, school festivals and events for children who do not have or cannot afford their own equipment.

"We hope the competition in memory of Stuart will be a great opportunity for children who have just started playing golf to have fun, meet new friends and encourage them to continue playing."

The Stuart Hutchison Trophy is open to players aged eight to 14, and is aimed at those who have just started playing. For more information contact lrushby@clubgolf scotland.co.uk.