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Leading energy suppliers to invest in Scottish grassroots game

Energised: Team Scottish Hydro member Craig Lee, left, joins Jonny Petrie of Scottish Hydro and emerging talents Anthony Blaney and Greig Marchbank to announce the company’s investment in grassroots Scottish golf

Leading energy suppliers Scottish Hydro have made a “significant” five-figure investment in junior golf to further increase the company’s commitment to the sport in Scotland.

Already a major supporter of professional golf through both the innovative Team Scottish Hydro programme and as title sponsors of the Challenge Tour’s Scottish Hydro Challenge, the Perth-based company will now also become official sponsors of the SGU Boys’ Order of Merit and Junior Tour series.

The SGU’s sponsorship and marketing executive Ross Duncan expressed his delight at the company’s backing for the grass roots of the game.

“It’s great to see a strong Scottish brand investing so much in the game in Scotland at all levels, from the Junior Tour to Team Scottish Hydro,” said Duncan.

The SGU Boys’ Order of Merit, which ranks the country’s best performing youngsters across a number of major events throughout the season, counts Michael Stewart, David Law and Scott Henry among its previous winners. Greig Marchbank, of Dumfries and County Golf Club, is the current champion.

The Boys’ Order of Merit will include three 54-hole Scottish Hydro Junior Tour events on its schedule in 2012, with the SGU revealing plans were afoot to stage two further tournaments; one in both the South and North of the country. The series of strokeplay events, the fields for which were previously selected, will now also be open to entries.

Jonny Petrie, sponsorship manager for Scottish Hydro, said the energy suppliers were delighted to be able to invest in every stage of the pathway for nurturing Scotland’s most talented golfers.

“As a company we’ve strong roots in Scotland and we’re trying to really help the emerging talent coming through,” said Petrie. “This partnership with the SGU provides us with an excellent means of developing that. It’s a significant five-figure sum we’ve invested over three years.”

“It’s an exciting time for golf in Scotland. We hope to see a stream of young players coming through the ranks to forge successful careers – for us to be part of that is hugely exciting. It’s something we want to develop over a period of time in the run up to the Ryder Cup in 2014.”

Craig Lee, who as a member of the inaugural Team Scottish Hydro has made use of the company’s backing to earn a place on The European Tour next season, welcomed the news of the new sponsorship.

“It’s great to see Scottish Hydro extending their sponsorship of golf even further into Scotland’s most talented youngsters and hopefully their support will help see more young players come through the SGU’s development programmes,” said the 34-year-old Stirling.

Scottish Golf Union chief executive Hamish Grey said he was “delighted” to welcome Scottish Hydro on board as a sponsor, emphasising the importance of the Junior Tour in nurturing the successful Scottish golfers of the future.

“These events are crucial to the development of our best youngsters, giving them the chance to compete on great courses in a highly competitive environment,” said Grey.

He added: “Scottish Hydro has been a great supporter of golf in Scotland over the past three years and it is encouraging to see such a major brand investing in the game at all levels, from grass-roots level through to our elite tour professionals.”

There was also a welcome boost for Scotland’s club golfers in the shape of the launch of the 2012 edition of The Scottish Hydro National Competition. The competition invites every golf club member in Scotland, male and female, to participate in an allocated club medal during April for the opportunity to win a place alongside a Team Scottish Hydro member in the Pro-Am for the Scottish Hydro Challenge at the Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Course from June 21-24, 2012.

For more details visit:

http://www.teamscottishhydro.com/national-competition/

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Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered

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