Stephen Gallacher and his incredible team of competition winners ‘cleaned up’ in the morning Pro-Am curtain-raiser ahead of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart Golf Links.
All three members of the Scottish player’s ‘Promotions Team’ had won the right to link up with the 2013 Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner from Bathgate through a series of competitions via the tournament’s official newspaper, The European Tour Website and a new initiative to ‘Play Your Way’ to Castle Stuart through monthly club medals.
And, on the day, the top trio excelled in the company of Gallacher by not only winning the Pro-Am competition with a 24 under par score, but one of their number also walked away with the nearest and pin and longest drive awards!
Graeme Anderson from Kinloch Rannoch had shot a gross 77 for a net 74 off his handicap of three to claim his place in ‘Team Gallacher’ in the grand final for monthly medal winners over the same Castle Stuart course last month.
Kevin Dawson, a six handicapper, earned the right to join the party through his Website entry. He made his way from his home in Worksop – home to former Scottish Open winner Lee Westwood –to play in the Pro-Am and didn’t regret the decision for one moment.
Finally, Invernessian Donald Sinclair, playing off ten, joined the team at the last minute when his father, Peter, was unable to compete due to tendonitis, having been selected through a competition run by the Press & Journal newspaper, the tournament’s Official Media Partner.
It turned out to be an inspired choice, as Donald claimed the prize for nearest the pin at the short 11th and the longest drive at the par five sixth.
As Gallacher joked: “I had to look at the sheet and make sure it wasn’t Luke Donald I was playing with!”
The afternoon honours went to Rafa Cabrera-Bello’s team of the Desmond family - Dermott and his sons Brett and Ross, as they lifted the Aberdeen Asset Management Pro-Am title with a score of 25 under par, denying Scotland a double pro-am triumph by edging Sandy Lyle’s team on count back.
