Friends of tragic golf star set for final round

THE friends of a promising young golf pro who died in a road accident are preparing to send him off on his "last round" by dressing in golf clothes at his funeral.

Former Gracemount High School pupil Stuart Hutchison, 22, died when his car was involved in a collision on the A7 last Wednesday.

His family today paid tribute to their "special boy", and said they were determined to pay an uplifting tribute to the young man who had been devoted to golf since the age of eight.

The family have asked that no-one wear black to his funeral at Mortonhall Crematorium on Friday, and are encouraging Mr Hutchison's golf pals to come "dressed for the final round" with Stuart.

His mother, retired teacher Isobel, 50, said: "Stuart was always in golf clothes. We wanted people to come dressed for golf because it's Stuart's final round of golf."

Mrs Hutchison said she and her husband, taxi driver David, 51, had found comfort in the warm tributes paid to their son by friends: "He was a special boy. It's been very difficult, but we're coping because Stuart would want us to – he loved life. We've been on Facebook and that is giving us great strength, reading everything that his friends have said."

Mrs Hutchison said her son had been introduced to golf by his grandfather, David Stein, and played at Swanston golf course until turning pro a year ago.

"He was a natural. His dad used to take him out on the golf course and try to show him how to play golf, but unfortunately it was actually the other way round.

"He was a very bright boy, who didn't apply himself at school, because all he wanted to do was play golf. We knew he had the potential but like all teenagers, he had a bit of a temperament problem but in the last three years he settled down and got himself together and last year he managed to achieve the standard required to become professional," she said.

Mr Hutchison worked at the Scottish Golf Centre shop in Seafield Road, where he also pursued his professional golf development under the guidance of pro Stuart Pardoe. He was also following a three-year correspondence degree course through the PGA and Birmingham University.

Very close to sister Lorna, he had already begun to encourage her son Callum to take up the game he loved so much.

Mrs Hutchison said: "He had him playing golf already with no problem at all at the age of three."

The family lived in Gracemount until two years ago, when they moved to Clovenfords in the Borders.

Mrs Hutchison said: "He spent as much time as he could on the golf course – when he wasn't working he was golfing, that was his one real passion – and his family and friends. At the weekend he would always go up to Edinburgh to his friends."

His mother said: "In the long term he didn't want to be a Tiger Woods and play on the circuit, he really just wanted to be a golf club pro and play."