FOUR US-BASED SCOTS BID FOR GLORY AT THE SPIRIT INTERNATIONAL

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION

ne

Scotland’s four-player team are seeking success at this week’s Spirit International Amateur Championship, one of amateur golf's most significant events.

The biennial event, which alternates tournament years with the World Amateur Team Championship, sees 20 teams from across the globe gather at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Texas, with the Olympic-styled competition beginning tomorrow.

The Scots are represented by the US-based quartet of St Andrews’ Ewan Scott, Grant Forrest (Craigielaw), Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) and Rachael Watton of Mortonhall.

Scott, 18, won the Scottish Youths title last year on his way to winning the Scottish Hydro Boys’ Order of Merit, while Forrest, 20 claimed the Scottish Amateur title in 2012 at Royal Dornoch.

Forrest, a student at the University of San Diego, secured the Saint Mary's Invitational in California in September and is hopeful of continuing his form Stateside.

“I’m very excited for this tournament, it's going to be different from the typical tournament,” said Grant. “My form has been good. I won a few weeks ago and then came fourth last week, so hopefully I can keep it up.”

The event is played over 72 holes in a best-ball competition format, with five separate competitions conducted: international team (men’s and women’s combined), men’s team, women’s team, men’s individual and women’s individual.

“It will be a great to have Grant as a partner, as he has had a great year and has continued to play well out in the US,” added Ewan, a first year student at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. “I’ve heard the tournament is a great event and a fun week on and off the course.

“The format looks exciting, so hopefully we can make plenty of birdies. My form is coming back, which is pleasing as I struggled a little towards the end of the domestic season, so it would be nice to finish the season off well at the Spirit.”

Aberdeen-born Dryburgh, 20, a student at Tulane University, New Orleans, and Watton, 21, a student at Denver University, represented Scotland at European level in 2013, with Dryburgh notably finishing as the 2013 Ladies British Open Amateur runner-up at Prestwick.