‘PGA Fourball at Troon Portland’
It’s been a few years since playing at Troon Portland, and last time I played in this event with Stewart Savage in 2019 we almost won the event if it hadn’t been for a certain friend of mine from South Africa. Gareth Hardy and his partner finished just ahead of us playing in the final game and we did feel a bit hard done by after playing so well but you can’t beat a 12 under better ball.
Playing Partner
This year I was supposed to be playing with my fellow Pro and friend Nigel Scott-Smith but he had to withdraw at the last minute due to a problem with his shoulder he recently had surgery on. He says it’s not really getting any better and I assured him not to worry as we’d sort something out with a replacement, and that he needs to be patient with an injury like that.
After speaking with David-Ross Nicol (Dundonald), he was happy to step in and it was a good opportunity to catch up with him again after our ProAm meeting last month.
We had coffee and a roll before play and this gave me the chance to share my idea of a introducing a ‘thought for the day’ in our smaller events.
I explained that this would link in with our statement of faith and well-being and David-Ross really liked the idea. He also discussed the relevance of mental health issues these days and it could be helpful to an individual with whatever they may be struggling with, personal or spiritual. A good start to the day and good to have more support from one of my colleagues and friends.
The weather was better than last week but still a fair wind was blowing and it would be tricky rather than tough. We played with Rob and Mark from Edinburgh and for most of the front 9 not much was said after our introductions.
The boys were quite young and quiet so I took the in road of football. It turns out Rob is a Hibs supporter and we chatted a bit about Scottish football and the poor refereeing we keep seeing week in week out.
They never really enquired about LGMS after a few opportunities I tried to create so I decided to leave it there. David-Ross and I had some good chats about golf, the LGMS ProAm and where we want to go in the year ahead. We played fairly decent without holing too many putts but it was nice to further consolidate an existing friendship and promote the ministry.
We only had 1 dropped shot all day but failed to hole some mid-range putts that could have put us amongst the top groups. It’s a really fine line with the 4 Ball events and you need runs of birdies to have a hope of posting a winning score.
A high percentage of 8 Foot putts are a must!
After Golf Snack and Chat
After completing our round we had a quick soup and sandwich and talked more about the ProAm. I thanked David-Ross for stepping in to play with me today and I tried to pay for his lunch but he wouldn’t have it. We both enjoyed our day and look forward to working with each other this year. We’re both playing in the 36 Hole event at Dundonald in April so maybe he’ll allow me to buy him a coffee in that stunning new clubhouse they have. Looking forward to going back to the venue of our first ProAm and hopefully where we can hold it again this year.
Yours in Christ,
Vincent Brown, PGA Professional, Logos Golf Ministries Scotland.