CATRIONA MATTHEW OPENS MONTROSE LINKS' LENGTHENED 11th HOLE

NEWS RELEASE BY WENDY GLASS

As part of the celebrations of 450 years of golf in Montrose,  Catriona Matthew, one of the world’s top female golfers, officially opened Montrose Medal’s newly-extended, 450-yard 11^th hole by teeing off from the 11^th tee.

“It’s a great honour to be asked to officially open the redesigned 11^th hole on Montrose Medal, one of the two courses on Montrose Links, where golfers have been playing their beloved game for 450 years,” said Catriona Matthew, Carnoustie Country Ambassador and winner of the 2009 Ricoh British Women’s Open.

“I’ve played many fabulous rounds of golf on Montrose Medal and this 450-yard hole, which is named the ‘James Melvill’ in honour of the Montrose school boy who wrote about his golf lesson on the Links in 1562, will provide a lasting reminder of the town’s 450 years of golfing heritage to every golfer who plays the course.”

As well as hitting the first shot across the lengthened 11^th hole, Catriona held two free Carnoustie Country golf clinics at Montrose – one for lady golfers and one for all golfers.

“We are delighted Catriona was able to share her golfing expertise with us during her visit to Montrose,” said Alan Crow, chair of Montrose Links and a member of the Montrose 450 steering group established by the three Montrose golf clubs to organise the programme of events commemorating the town’s four and a half centuries of golf.

Having started with the re-enactment of the James Melvill’s 1562 golf lesson and continuing with the opening of the 450-yard 11^th hole at Montrose Medal on April 13, Montrose 450 will continue throughout 2012. The celebrations will include a series of golfing and social events, Montrose Museum’s Montrose 450 Exhibition (which opens on April 28) and the establishment of various initiatives to support junior golfers and encourage young people in Montrose to take up golf.

“The people of Montrose are obviously very proud of Montrose Links’ contribution to a game that is now played by millions across the globe,” added Catriona. “Montrose Medal, the fifth oldest golf course in the world, is a challenging links course which I always enjoy playing and making the 11^th 450 yards long actually returns this hole to how it was in the early days of this historic golf course.

“By officially opening the ‘new’ 11^th hole, I like to think that I have played a small part in the fascinating history of golf in Montrose and in Carnoustie Country, which is rightly referred to the world over as ‘The Cradle of Golf’.”

For more information about Montrose 450, visit www.montroselinks.co.uk. To find out more about Carnoustie Country and its golf courses, visit www.carnoustiecountry.com.

+Pictures of Catriona Matthew at the 11th hole by Graham Hood Photography/www.carnoustiecountry.com