BIG STEP TOWARDS UNIFICATION OF BRITISH STUDENT GOLF

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY BRITISH UNIVERSITIES GOLF
Today, British Universities Golf, in association with the University of
Stirling and The Gleneagles Hotel, are pleased to announce the launch of
a new pilot event - The Stirling Invitational, to be played over the
Queens, PGA Centenary and Kings courses on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th
September 2011.
The Stirling Invitational, in association with Gleneagles, is a pilot
event - for both the best men and women currently studying at university
in the UK - which is anticipated to herald a new structure for BUCS
performance golf where, from 2012, a "collegiate" series of sixteen
54/72 holes events will compliment traditional matchplay formats and
events.
Currently, Scottish Universities Golf hosts fours such events,
and English/Welsh Universities two (plus there is the end of year BUCS
Championship), but the step change to 16 events will trial a move
which is hoped will better meet the needs of today's student golfers.

Dr Rob Macpherson, manager of the British World Universities Golf team
competing at Mission Hills, China from 17-20 August 2011 (Kelsey
MacDonald, Stirling University and Scotland; Jane Turner, Robert Gordons
University and Scotland; and Gemma Bradbury, St Andrews University and
Wales), welcomed the development and said:
"British universities can be a great proving ground for talented young golfers. Improving their game in a supportive culture of education and development can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see if they can compete on the best
courses, against the best players.
"The fantastic support of the R and A has allowed student golf to develop over the past 25 years (since the introduction of student bursaries), but it is now time to take the  next step and link talent with high-class competition and opportunity.
"While European Tour golfers such as Luke Donald, Graeme McDowall and
Oliver Wilson have all represented British University Golf while
studying in American Colleges, we want to offer today's students the
opportunity to have similar experiences without the need to cross the
Atlantic.
"Stirling University have always been at the forefront of this
desire - Catriona Matthew and Richard Ramsay being the strongest
manifestation of the belief that the UK has a product to offer that can
be as good as anywhere else in the world.
"The newly proposed 'collegiate' structure and the link to the fantastic resources of Gleneagles in a meaningful and hard-fought competition will, hopefully, indicate that BUCS Golf is helping prepare tomorrow's golfers for high performance and successful potential careers."
Dean Robertson, former European Tour winner and now Director of
Performance at the University of Stirling, added: "British Universities
Golf has the opportunity to raise the bar and provide the 'vital'
competitive platform that will help stop the migration of the best
players to the USA and have them competing in 54 hole stroke play
championships around top class tournament venues. Additional benefits
such as WAGR / Team / National and International exemptions will (I am
confident) follow.
"It is fantastic that British Universities golf is working with the R and A, the four Home Nations, the PGA and other interested parties to try to develop a structure for student golf which compliments existing national competition as well as preparing individual and talented golfers for future prospects."


For further details, contact:

Dr Rob Macpherson
Chair, British Universities Golf; Manager, Scottish Universities Golf
University of the Highlands and Islands
Grange Road, Dornoch, IV25 3LE


Tel. 01862 811855
Mob. 07775 027994
Email: rob.macpherson@uhi.ac.uk