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**truebluefan** · 05-05-2008, 05:10 PM

Macdonald Cardrona Hotel G&CC, Scotland

**truebluefan** · 06-28-2008, 08:26 PM

One of the strongest European Challenge Tour fields of the season will assemble at the Macdonald Cardrona Golf and Country Club this week, when Andrew McArthur will bid to become the first home winner of the Scottish Challenge.

McArthur is one of 13 winners on the 2008 Challenge Tour Schedule who will head to Peebles, Scotland, to compete for the €220,000 prize fund – the fifth largest on offer this season.

The latest player to add his name to the roll call of Challenge Tour champions was England’s David Horsey, whose one-shot victory at last week’s Telenet Trophy was his maiden success on the Challenge Tour.

He said: “To win on the Challenge Tour is a brilliant feeling – I’m chuffed to bits. I’ll have a few drinks to celebrate, then get myself ready for the Scottish Challenge. My game’s in really good shape at the minute, so I can’t wait for the rest of the season now.”

Horsey will join fellow winners Antti Ahokas of Finland, the English trio of Seve Benson, Gary Clark and Simon Robinson, Wil Besseling of the Netherlands, Argentina’s Estanislao Goya and Miguel Rodriguez, Sweden’s Joakim Haegmann, Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, Scotland’s McArthur, Paraguay’s Marco Ruiz and Italy’s Alessandro Tadini at the 6,990 yards, par 72 course, which is located 20 miles south of Edinburgh.

Source

**truebluefan** · 06-28-2008, 08:27 PM

Despite the adverse weather conditions there was a distinctly homely feel to the first day of the Scottish Challenge, with three natives at the top of the leaderboard.

A first competitive hole in one on his maiden appearance in a professional tournament helped 19 year old Scottish amateur James Byrne to a round of 66 and the outright lead, one shot clear of his compatriots Chris Doak and Greig Hutcheon.

Sweden’s Klas Eriksson and England's Matthew Morris, in fast fading light, also shot rounds of 67 to make it a four-way tie for second place on minus four.

But the day belonged to Byrne, who has fond memories of Macdonald Cardrona Hotel Golf and Country Club, having won the Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship there in similarly treacherous conditions last year.

Source

**truebluefan** · 06-28-2008, 08:28 PM

A final hole birdie from Tyrone Ferreira saw the young South African join England’s Matthew Morris at the top of the leaderboard on day two of the Scottish Challenge.

Despite often attritional conditions at Macdonald Cardrona Hotel Golf and Country Club in Peebles, Scotland, Ferreira – who has finished in the top 20 in his last three Challenge Tour events – posted an eagle two in his round of 66 to join Morris on seven under par.

The Challenge Tour rookie, who hails from Johannesburg but is currently sharing a house in Manchester with fellow South African Branden Grace, said: “I’m not used to this sort of rain where I come from! It was also quite difficult to see the ball on the last few holes, so I’ve got to be pretty pleased with a 66. I haven’t got a Challenge Tour category, so I need to finish in the top ten here to get into next week’s tournament. So there’s no pressure!”

Morris’ return to the fairways after a two-year absence is starting to bear fruit after the Englishman shot a round of 68 for a share of the lead.

Source

**truebluefan** · 06-28-2008, 08:29 PM

Despite experiencing the harsh realities of life on The European Tour, Denmark’s Jeppe Huldahl has targeted a return to the top tier after grabbing the lead on the third day of the Scottish Challenge.

Following a round of 68 at Macdonald Cardrona Hotel Golf and Country Club in Peebles, Scotland, Huldahl sits on nine under par, one shot clear of Taco Remkes of the Netherlands, with England’s Matthew Morris a further shot back in third.

Huldahl has already tasted life on The European Tour in 2004, having finished fourth at the Qualifying School Final just days after turning professional.

A chastening experience subsequently knocked Huldahl’s confidence, but the young Dane feels he is now better equipped to compete amongst the elite.

He said: “I’d definitely like to get back there. It came too quickly for me at the time. I turned professional just before the Qualifying School, and finished fourth in the final. So I had a good experience playing for one season on The European Tour, but it was too much too soon. I wasn’t ready, but I had to try it. I didn’t have a choice. It was a rough year for me, and my confidence took a knock. It took me a while to recover, but I hope I can use the experience if I get on The European Tour again. I think I’m ready now.”

Remkes’ flawless round of 67 was the joint lowest of the day, along with Scottish amateur Scott Henry, who is tied seventh on four under par.

The Dutchman said: “I haven’t played that well this week, but I’ve just managed to keep the bogeys off my card. I hope I keep them off tomorrow. That’s the key, particularly with the wind and the rain and the thick rough. I haven’t made many mistakes, and even though I haven’t created that many chances, I’ve taken most of them. So I’m pretty happy, because it doesn’t always work out that way.

“I’ve come close to winning twice, once in Argentina and once in Brittany. So hopefully it will be third time lucky.”

Another player targeting victory is Morris, who had looked to be in on course to join Huldahl at the top of the leaderboard, until a double bogey at the 17th hole checked his momentum.

But the man from Birmingham remains upbeat, saying: “It’s important not to press too hard round here, because you can get unstuck. I’ve got to keep playing my own game. The weather’s probably going to be a factor – it usually is up here! I can’t see it being calm and sunny, so it may come down to who handles the conditions the best. I’ve just got to stay positive, and keep going. My game’s in good enough shape.

“Perhaps in the past I’ve been my own biggest critic. I’ve always had the low numbers in me, but when you’re not at the best it’s important to get round and still make the pars. But I’m still learning. If I can just keep playing the way I have been, I’ll be happy.”

Morris is trailed by one shot by Klas Eriksson of Sweden, with England’s Seve Benson - currently second in the Challenge Tour Rankings - and Denmark’s Anders Schmidt Hansen a shot further back.

**truebluefan** · 06-29-2008, 08:31 PM

A quite stunning final round saw Taco Remkes of the Netherlands blow the field away at the Scottish Challenge to claim his maiden Challenge Tour title.

Remkes’ victory at Macdonald Cardrona Hotel Golf and Country Club meant a double delight for the Dutch on Scottish soil, following his compatriot Reiner Saxton’s Amateur Championship triumph at Turnberry just eight days previously.

At 23 Remkes is the senior partner, but the man from Amsterdam still showed astonishing maturity to card six birdies on the front nine en route to a round of 65 to finish on 13 under par, five shots clear of his nearest challengers.

A cheque for €35,200 also catapulted Remkes into the top five of the Challenge Tour Rankings in his maiden season, with the top 20 gaining cards on next season’s European Tour International Schedule.

Remkes said: “I told myself to stay calm and relax, because it’s just another 18 holes of golf. Starting with three birdies was fantastic – every putt seemed to drop in the hole! On the back nine the wind got up a little bit, but I knew pars would be good enough to win. It’s a great feeling to win in my first season on the Challenge Tour.

“It’s been a good couple of weeks for Dutch players in Scotland. I know Reiner Saxton very well, because we belong to the same golf club in Amsterdam. I was really pleased for him, because he gets to play the Masters – what more can you want? I don’t know why it is that Dutch players are doing so well in Scotland, but we certainly enjoy the place!”

England’s Seve Benson and overnight leader Jeppe Huldahl finished in a tie for second on eight under par. Benson’s cheque for €19,800 saw the man from Surrey climb to the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings.