Burglars take rare videos of golf pros

IRREPLACEABLE videos recording the golf swings of top players like Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie were stolen from a professional coach during a break-in at his home.

Gary Nicol returned to his Merchiston home this week after watching Montgomerie's European team storm to victory in the Ryder Cup to find his window had been forced and all of his camera equipment had been stolen.

Mr Nicol, 42, who has been a professional coach with the European Tour for the last 15 years, had recorded the golf swings of some of the greatest players in the modern game to study their form and pick up tips for his own players.

Many of the swings were recorded on his favourite super slow-motion camera, which is no longer on the market, which was in a bag with memory cards containing all of his slow motion swings. Three other cameras and an iPod were also stolen.

Mr Nicol said: "To say I am gutted is an understatement.

"I arrived home about 4pm and walked into the living room to find my stuff lying all over the floor. I noticed my iPod was missing and I started to worry that my cameras had been taken too.

"I went through to the bathroom and saw that the window was wide open, so I searched the house and found that all my video equipment was gone.

"The total value of the electrical equipment was probably about 1500, but the swings were irreplaceable. Half the Ryder Cup team were on there.

"I've worked as a coach for the European Tour for 15 years so I've been lucky to have access to all these great players, and to study their form in close detail. I had some great shots of Tiger Woods.

"Most of my players find the slow-motion footage extremely beneficial. I've ordered another slow motion camera but it's not as good, the Casio was irreplaceable.

"However, what's most annoying is I've lost videos of some of the guys I've coached during their finest moments."

Mr Nicol had videos of Welsh champion Bradley Dredge winning the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in 2006, and Richard Finch at the Irish Open in 2008.

Mr Nicol reported the theft to police who said daylight robberies were more likely in the area than at night.

He added: "Most of the people round here will be at work. The police reckon the burglar got disturbed as only the hall and living room appeared to have been entered, while the upstairs was untouched.

"I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the memory cards might turn up somewhere before two open days I'm involved with at Kingsfield Golf Centre next week."

A police spokesman said: "Lothian and Borders Police are investigating following a housebreaking in Harden Place, Polwarth.

"Inquiries are ongoing and anyone who has information that can assist with our investigation is asked to contact police immediately."