Rounds at Carnoustie 16 minutes quicker in busiest month last year

Rounds at Carnoustie impoved by 16 minutes during the Open Championship venue’s busiest month last year.

11/07/14 ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT SCOTTISH OPEN ROYAL ABERDEEN GOLF CLUB Scott Henry searches for his ball

The welcome statistic, which came to light in more than 10 million rounds of golf being tracked worldwide, has earned recognition for the Angus venue in golf’s bid to speed up play.

Carnoustie achieved the highest status, a Diamond Award, in the inaugural Tagmarshal Awards at the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida, as well as being named the “Top International Achiever”.

Tagmarshal track rounds using “real-time” data collected by using small ‘tags’ clipped onto golf bags or handheld carts or installed in buggies. The information is transmitted to on-course staff, allowing identification of groups that are out of position before issues arise.

“The awards are a powerful seal of approval for clubs who prioritise on-course experience and player satisfaction,” said the company’s CEO, Bodo Sieber. “The awards system ranks courses based on achieving outstanding results regarding player experience, pace and flow of play, player communication, and on-course service delivery.”

Whistling Straits, venue for this year’s Ryder Cup, was one of the US courses to pick up an award along with Valhalla, Baltusrol, National Golf Links of America and Cypress Point.

l Scott Henry has the leaders in his sights after the opening round of the MENA Tour’s latest event, the Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open.

The former European Tour player, left, was out in level par before making an eagle and two birdies coming home as he opened with a 68 to sit joint fifth, two shots off the lead in the $75,000 event.

Craig Ross, who went close in last week’s event in Oman, carded a two-par 70 along with two of his compatriots, Sam Locke and Calum Fyfe, as Germany’s Max Kramer, Joel Girrbach from Switzerland and England’s David Hague set the pace with 66s.

l Rookie Ali Thurlow made his first cut on the Alps Tour after adding a 68 to his opening 69 to sit joint 20th on seven under heading into the final round of the Red Sea Little Venice Open in Egypt.

Fellow Scot Ross Cameron (67-76) missed the cut by three shots on one under.