Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallacher tee up warm weather training trips for up and coming Scottish golfers

Through being part of the Paul Lawrie Academy programme, four youngsters from the North and North-East spent a week in Turkey last week honing their games under the watchful eye of coach Spencer Henderson.

In a similar set up, the Stephen Gallacher Foundation is taking a group of 16 players out to Spain later this week to work with swing coaches Ian Rae and Alyson McKechkin, as well as golf strength and conditioning coach Chris Hair and sports psychologist Dr John Pates.

The two camps are aimed at helping Scottish players shake off any winter rust before the start of the new season in the Scottish Boys’ and Girls’ Open at West Kilbride and Arbroath Links respectively next month.

Five players are currently part of the Paul Lawrie Academy but, with Cruden Bay’s Koby Buchan at university out in the US at the moment, the trip to Gloria Golf in Belek was made by Deeside duo Ollie Robertson and Oli Blackadder, Boyd Gray (Duff House Royal) and Nairn’s Fraser Brown.

“It is a year-long programme, with most of the sessions being held during the winter,” said Henderson, Scottish Golf’s men’s performance coach but wearing his Paul Lawrie Golf Centre senior instructor hat for this particular assignment.

“Paul attends just about every session we have in Scotland, either playing with the guys, working with them on their short game or passing on his knowledge of playing in the Ryder Cup and what it is like coming down the stretch in The Open.

“We also have Will McConn, a sports psychologist who works for Scottish Golf, on board and he attends sessions as well.

“Out at Gloria Golf, the boys played a practice round then a four-round tournament among themselves. It was quite competitive and gets them back in that mindset of scoring after basically four or five months when they don’t have a scorecard in their hands. On top of that, they practised for three or four hours a day on the individual things they need to graft on.”

The trip, which started at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian due to the four boys being in the Edinburgh area at the time, was funded by the Paul Lawrie Academy, which is an offshoot of the 1999 Open champion’s foundation.

“I think it is a brilliant programme and, going forward, we hope that kids from the North and North East are working hard to get on it.”

The Stephen Gallacher Foundation training camp will be held at La Manga on 21-28 March, with a World Amateur Golf Ranking event taking place over the three separate courses at the Murcia venue.

Gullane pair Alexander Yuill and Archie Cook are among the boys making the trip, as are Finlay Galloway (St Andrews), Nathan Tait (Aberdour), Fraser Walters (Craigielaw), Thomas Kelly (Stirling), Hayden Fowler (Bathgate) and Finlay Hazelwood (Carnoustie Caledonia).

Joining them are Jodie Graham (Royal Troon), Sofia McGhie (Royal Birkdale), Melissa Keay (Ralston), Louisa Hamilton (Ponteland), Ava Paterson (Tulliallan), Kaci Robertson (Nairn), Holly McKenzie (Murcar) and Katie MacKenzie (Craigmillar Park).

“This training camp promises to be a game-changing opportunity for the young players,” said Scott Knowles, the Stephen Gallacher Foundation manager. “It will provide them with expert coaching, world-class facilities, and the chance to compete in a WAGR event on an international stage.”

Titleist, Swing Out Sister Golf Wear, Druids Golf and Glenmuir 1891 have all helped make the La Manga trip possible.