Draw - Stableford. PGA. Yellow tees. Sat 20th June.
As we approach the weekend, the draw for the PGA Centenary Stableford has seen a few late movements, settling into a line-up that promises a high standard of golf for those not involved in the knockout drama. While the quarter-finalists are preparing their matchplay faces for Friday evening, the rest of the field can look forward to the expansive challenge of the PGA on Saturday morning.
The updated schedule is as follows:
The day begins at 7:00am with a sharp two-ball featuring Scott Williamson and Aidan O’Carroll. Aidan is back in the mix after a brief hiatus involving a cut finger—an injury we all hope has healed sufficiently to allow his putter to remain on its best behaviour.
At 7:10am, we have a formidable pairing in Jon Cooper and David Logie. Cooper is currently the man with the golden touch following his eagle-inspired 72 on the King's, while Logie, our returning champion, is back from his travels and undoubtedly eager to remind the membership that his game hasn't stayed behind in foreign climes.
The 7:20am slot sees Alan Black and Andy Lothian head out, followed at 7:30am by Stuart Wallace and Kevin Dickson. These two-balls will need to keep a brisk pace, as the three-balls begin to stack up behind them.
At 7:40am, Jonathan Fletcher, Douglas Hamilton, and Rob Crockart form a group that won't be lacking in competitive spirit. Crockart and Fletcher are seasoned campaigners who know exactly how to grind out a Stableford score when the PGA starts to show its teeth.
The 7:50am group brings together Keith Stirling, Tony Stewart, and Daley Smith, while at 8:00am, Patrick Elsmie, David Watt, and your correspondent, Tariq Ali, will attempt to navigate the fairways without too much architectural damage.
Bringing up the rear at 8:10am is the trio of Gordon Stewart, Billy Z McNeill, and Peter Unwin. Billy Z, as always, will be a player to watch, particularly if the wind gets up and the PGA requires a bit of creative ball-flighting.
One final reminder: Do keep an eye on the draw late on Friday evening. Matchplay can be a brutal business, and should any of our knockout qualifiers suffer a premature exit on Friday night, they may well seek refuge (and redemption) in a Saturday morning tee time on the PGA.
To those heading into the Club Championship and Millennium quarter-finals on Friday at 5pm: we wish you the very best of luck. May the bounces be kind, the gimmes be generous, and the handshakes be sincere.
For the rest of us, we’ll see you on the PGA.
