I hope you've all had a fantastic week on and off the golf course and welcome to another exciting edition of the Moray Pro Shop weekly newsletter, bringing you up to date with all the latest news and gossip from within the walls of MGC.

It's been a fantastic week's weather for a change and finally we seem to be getting some summer sunshine! Let's hope the weather continues for the rest of the summer. I can maybe put my waterproofs, woolie hats and hand warmers away for the summer now!!




When 59-year-old American amateur golfer Patrick Wills struck his tee shot at the 187-yard par three 14th at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Virginia, USA, he had already had a pretty remarkable day. 

The former marine, on his way to a round of 57 that would win him the Summer Solstice tournament, had already had holes-in-one at the par-four seventh and 10th when he hit his five-iron into the green at 14.

Patrick Wills had previously scored 22 aces 

"When we got to the green I looked down and I don't even know what I felt - I was dumbfounded," said Wills, from Woodbridge, Virginia, who was playing in a fourball with his sons Charlie, 29, and Christopher 27, and air force major Matthew Ghormley. 

"I don't know if I broke out in joy such was the disbelief. It was unreal. I had never experienced anything like that before."

The odds of achieving two holes-in-one in a single round are approximately 67 million to one, and the odds on three are well into the billions. In fact Wills, who plays off a handicap of plus four and has won the tournament 20 times, statistically had more chance of winning the lottery - 14 million to one - than of achieving this feat. 




Open Shop Sweepstake 

We are running our Open Championship sweepstake in the shop. 

Squares are £2.50 each or 5 for £10 and prizes will be awarded for the top 3 places, best and worst score each day as well as leading amateur. 

Be quick as squares are filling up fast 




Mens Club Championship 

Congratulations go to our new Club Champion, Andrew Stuart who finished one shot ahead of Kevin Thomson in an exciting final round finish. 

Andrew started the day 4 shots back, but by the 12th tee there was only one shot separating the final 3 ball. A close finish saw Andrew make a solid par 4 at the last to pip Kevin by one shot and Paul McHardy by 2 shots. This is the 2nd time Andrew has won the Club Championships, with his first win coming 13 years earlier in 2003. 

Congratulations Andrew! 

1st - Andrew F Stuart - 74, 81, 77, 73 = 305 
2nd - Kevin Thomson - 78, 73, 77, 78 = 306 
3rd - Paul McHardy - 78, 73, 77, 78 = 307 
4th - Malcolm Macleman - 79, 71, 82, 77 = 309 
5th - John Martin - 76, 82, 79, 79 = 316 
6th - Bryan Main - 73, 73, 91, 80 = 317 
7th - Michael J Dean - 74, 81, 83, 80 = 318 
8th - Scott R Little - 75, 80, 83, 81 = 319 


Texas Scramble Open Results - Sunday, 28 June 2015 

Division 1 [ Handicap 0 - 3.9] 

1st - N. Heron, N. Whyte, L. Farquhar, A. Watt (3.4) 56.6 [All Inverallochy] (£60 each) 
2nd - A. Innes, A. Innes, E. Innes, I. McKay (2.4) 57.6 [Rushcliffe, Nairn Dunbar, Nairn Dunbar, Cullen] (£40 each) 
3rd - R. J. Sheils, C. Sheils, G. Sheils, C. J. Smith (2.6) 59.4 [All Moray] (£25 each) 

Division 2 [4.0 + ] 

1st - D. Ross, S. Giles, A. Hynd, J. Bream (5.8) 56.2 [All Longside] (£60 each) 
2nd - D. Watson, M. Watson, A. Phillips, L. Collins (6.3) 57.7 [Rothes, Rothes, Maverston, Maverston] (£40 each) 
3rd - I. Garioch, R. Thomas, R. Clark, L. Smith (5.3) 58.7 [Moray, Elgin, Elgin, Moray] (£25 each) 


   




During a friendly game between Neil and Jimmy the topic of conversation turned to the forthcoming Moray Open which they had both entered. Jimmy had only been playing for a couple of years and was anxious to avoid some of the pitfalls that golfers find themselves in so he asked Neil to run through the important and helpful rules. Neil was happy to do so. 

1. Always put an identification mark on your ball. If you have to identify your ball at any time and you are unable to see your identification mark you must not touch or rotate your ball before you have marked its position and informed your fellow competitor so that he may witness the lifting and replacing of your ball.

2. Always play a provisional ball if there is any doubt that your ball may not be found. This speeds up play after a possible 5mins ball search. 

3. You can deem your ball unplayable anywhere on the course except in a water hazard. You have 3 options under this Rule (a) play again from where your original ball was last played.(b) drop a ball behind the point where your ball lay keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on which your ball is dropped with no limit to how far behind that spot your ball may be dropped. (c) drop a ball within 2 club lengths of the spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.

4. Should you find yourself in a doubtful situation and are unsure how to proceed then you can play and complete the hole with two balls. Rule 3-3 should be read before undertaking this procedure.

And finally 

5. Keep up with play. Your position on the course is behind the group in front not in front of the group behind. 

Play Well.