Scotland's top amateurs can have no excuses ahead of home Walker Cup

WITH a month-long trip to the United Arab Emirates about to be followed by an eight-week stint in South Africa, Scotland's leading amateur golfers have been reminded there can be no room for excuses heading into a season when it is hoped there will be a strong home contingent in the Walker Cup match at Royal Aberdeen.

Ten players, the same number that was out in Dubai and Abu Dhabi just before Christmas, head off to South Africa in just under a fortnight's time to prepare for the 2011 campaign, the highlight of which is Great Britain & Ireland's biennial encounter against the Americans at Balgownie in September.

In addition to spending nearly three weeks practising in Johannesburg, the group, which is headed by Scottish champion Michael Stewart and also includes two other GB&I squad members in Ross Kellett and Kris Nicol, will also play in five events on the South African amateur circuit. They include both the South African Stroke Play and Match Play Championships, while the trip also involves a one-off Test match against their South African counterparts at Leopard's Creek, venue for the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the European Tour.

The training camps in both the UAE and South Africa have been made possible for the Scottish Golf Union through a sponsorship from Aberdeen Asset Management, a partnership that has just been extended for another year. It means the company has backed the national body for five years back to 2007, providing support, both in cash and in kind, estimated at 250,000.

From last year, Aberdeen Asset Management also now sponsor the Scottish Ladies Golfing Association as well as some of the country's best-known professionals in Colin Montgomerie, Sandy Lyle, Paul Lawrie and Mhairi McKay. Add the Ladies Scottish Open, the Brunei Senior Masters and the Northern Open to that portfolio and the company is certainly doing its bit to support golf, particularly in Scotland, at a time when English businesses are not giving world No 1 Lee Westwood or his other high-flying compatriots the backing they deserve.

"Our investment has helped bring some exciting young talent through the (Scottish] amateur ranks and we look forward to seeing these players progress further," said Aberdeen Asset Management chief executive and keen golfer, Martin Gilbert.

"Golf is hugely important to us and we are committed to every level of the game in Scotland with a strong desire to see our players flourish, from the leading Tour professionals to the youngsters in the Scottish Golf Academy."

The decision to hold training camps in the Middle East and South Africa has marked a change of approach by the SGU to its winter programme, which used to involve trips to Argentina, Australia and, more recently, America for the Jones Cup for players to retain a competitive edge during the off-season.

"These training camps have been made possible with the expanded support of Aberdeen Asset Management and our players are extremely grateful for the new opportunities they have been given," said Hamish Grey, the SGU's chief executive, who also revealed the ground costs in South Africa, including accommodation, were being covered by Johan Rupert, the Springbok businessman who hosts the Dunhill Links Championship.

Admitting those opportunities meant there would probably be extra pressure on players to deliver when the domestic season teed off in April, Grey added: "We are looking to see a number of Scots in the Walker Cup team this year and there is no room for excuses. We've done all we can and it is now down to the players, who will get the plaudits when they deliver."

Joining Stewart, Kellett and Nicol on the flight to Johannesburg on 25 January are David Law, Philip McLean, Jordan Findlay, James White, Greg Paterson, Paul Shields and Scott Gibson, the notable exception from the men's elite squad being James Byrne, who joined some of his team-mates in Edinburgh yesterday but heads back to Arizona State University this weekend.Ian Rae, the Scottish national coach, will spend part of the trip with the squad, who will also receive strength and conditioning and psychological support, Dr Richard Cox having spent some time with the players towards the end of their trip to the UAE. "The aim is to hit the ground running for our season proper," added Grey.

According to Stewart, who decided not to return to East Tennessee State University last summer to give himself the best possible chance of playing in a Walker Cup on Scottish soil, the pre-Christmas training camp has already put him and his colleagues ahead of schedule.

"We were out in Abu Dhabi and Dubai just as the weather in Scotland turned shocking," said the Ayrshireman. "By contrast, the weather out there was fantastic, meaning we could play and practice for 8-10 hours each day. The trip to South Africa is another great opportunity for us and, for me, it will mean starting my competitive golf for the year earlier than if I had stated in the States."

The trio ranked 914th, 540th and 469th in the world respectively survived yesterday's 36-hole international qualifier at Kingston Heath in Melbourne. Millar, who on 10 under beat Barnes by one after rounds of 66 and 68, and Kulacz, who defeated Stephen Leaney in a play-off for the final spot, will be playing the first major of their careers.

South Africa schedule: 29-30 January - Gauteng North Open Stroke Play, Pecanwood; 8-11 February - South African Stroke Play, Mount Edgecombe; 18-21 February - Free State & Northern Cape Stroke Play, Bloemfontain; 27 February-4 March - South African Match Play, Vaal de Grace; 7-10 March - Test Match v South Africa, Leopard's Creek; 13-18 March - Northern Amateur Open, Randpark Club.