New amateur contract rule mirrors SGU’s current set-up

Under changes to the Rules of Amateur Status announced recently by the R&A and the USGA, the game’s two main ruling bodies, organisations such as the SGU have been given a licence to have more control over players as they come through the ranks.

From 1 January, they can ask players to sign a formal contract to either tie them into how long they spend in the amateur game or ensure they give something back to golf at grass-roots level after they’ve turned professional.

While Grey welcomed the introduction of such a ruling, he also said it wouldn’t dramatically alter the way the SGU operates at present as he felt it “mirrored” what the Scottish game’s ruling body already has in place.

“We have a code of conduct at the moment which sets out what the Union do for players and, from the other side, what is expected of players in terms of behaviour etc,” he told The Scotsman.

“This isn’t legally binding but, following the recent changes to the Rules of Amateur Status, we can now make it more formal and that would benefit all parties.

“To be honest, though, we already benefit from the goodwill of players. When it has come to giving back, whether it’s junior coaching or whatever, we’ve never had anyone say ‘no’ as long as it fitted in with their schedules.”

Grey used a recent induction day for the Scottish Golf Academy, which provides coaching and other technical support to the country’s leading youngsters, to highlight his point.

“It was held at Largs and (2010 Scottish champion) Michael Stewart came along,” he added. “He talked through his career, why he came back early from college in the US and playing in the Walker Cup.

“He was really open about everything. That session lasted a couple of hours yet he also stayed on for the dinner at night and moved around the tables to chat to people.

“That’s the way our players are. We’ve also benefitted from the goodwill of players like Paul Lawrie, Richie Ramsay, Wallace Booth and Callum Macaulay as well over the years.”

Lawrie apart, they were all products of the SGU system and Grey believes that the organisation doesn’t need contracts in place to ensure the leading players turn out for Scotland in key amateur events such as the Eisenhower Trophy or Home Internationals.

“We already sit down with players and plan their objectives and build up a good schedule with those in mind,” he commented. “Playing for Scotland has always been part of those objectives – that has never been an issue for any of our players.”

In addition to helping players with competition costs, the door has also now been opened for unions to provide subsistence payments, a change aimed at helping talented golfers who perhaps aren’t at university in Britain or college in America.

“It is one thing being able to help with subsistence, it’s another having that extra money and, in the current economic times, we don’t have that at the moment,” said Grey.

In America, the college golf system is governed by the NCAA, which has strict amateur rules, to the point the SGU has had to fight the cases of Scottish players when they’ve declared receiving travelling expenses. However, Gray is confident the latest changes will not provide new obstacles to deter Scots from applying for college scholarships in future.

He has also welcomed the introduction of a new rule that allows amateurs 18 aged or over to sign a contract with a management company 12 months before they turn professional.

“It means they can think things through and plan ahead rather than have an unhealthy rush at the end of the season,” he said. “It allows us to put our tuppence worth in as well by advising who is the right management company and when is the best time to make the move.”