SGU's new-look Area event can put top players on the radar

NORMALLY an event that would fly under the radar in the qualifying phase before barely flickering on the screen in the final stages, the Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship is set to command a higher profile at Kinross this weekend after receiving a welcome makeover.

Over two days, the country's leading amateurs will almost be able to forget about individual achievements – although there are world ranking points up for grabs in the stroke-play qualifying – and concentrate instead on trying to help their respective area earn some bragging rights for the next 12 months.

Lothians were able to do the most bragging in the event's former guise, having lifted the title 13 times, which is nine more than any of the 15 other areas. Their side this time includes Grant Forrest, the Scottish Boys' champion, but, on paper at least, there are other teams that appear to be stronger.

Renfrewshire, the defending champions, are certainly top of the list in terms of experience. In addition to former Amateur champion Craig Watson, they've got Andrew Farmer, the reigning Scottish Mid-Amateur champion, and Matthew Clark, this year's Craigmillar Park Open winner, in their ranks.

As for North-East, who last won in 1982, they not only have David Law, last year's double Scottish champion, but also the in-form Kris Nicol, who was runner-up in both the Lytham Trophy and the Irish Open Stroke Play Championship in the last two weekends, and Philip McLean, the Paul Lawrie protg who claimed the Edward Trophy at Glasgow Gailes recently.

Lanarkshire's line-up includes Ross Kellett, the second-highest ranked Scottish amateur in the world behind James Byrne, while the likes of Angus, Dumbartonshire and Perth & Kinross all look to have teams capable of mounting strong title challenges.

For Angus, as well as Argyll & Bute, Borders, Clackmannanshire and Fife, it will be a case of hoping the revamped event brings a change of luck after coming up empty-handed thus far since the event was first played in 1978.

It has taken a fair bit of arm twisting by the SGU to get this new format in place but, with most teams comprising a blend of youth and experience and the golf over the two days involving a mix of both stroke-play and match-play, it should certainly show up more on that radar screen from now on.

The six players in each team play two rounds of stroke-play today over the Montgomery and Bruce courses, with the five lowest scores in each round counting towards an aggregate score. The top four teams then qualify for the match play knock-out phase on Sunday. The latter will comprise one foursome and four singles.

• Alyth rookie Kevin McAlpine leads the Scottish challenge after the opening round of the Alps Tour's Slovenian Open at the Ptuj club. The former Scottish Amateur champion highlighted a one-under 70 with an eagle-2 at the 13th to sit five shots behind Jorge Garcia Fernandez of Spain and France's Matthieu Bey.

Perth's Gavin Dear, four-over with three holes to play, finished birdie, eagle, birdie to sign for a battling level-par 71, while Zack Saltman opened with a 73. Steven Hume (78) and Elliot Saltman (80) finished well down the order.