Hi everyone,

So, the first Pro-Am without Eric Thatcher at the helm has passed and I would like to congratulate those who took up the reins. I have been involved in organising these things before and I can confirm it is definitely not easy. However, once again we had an amazing field of 47 teams with professionals and sponsorship for every hole – something we do not see at any other pro-am that we play around the PGA South Region.

Unfortunately I didn’t play well on the day and that is just golf for you. As it happens I then played very well at another pro-am on Friday and missed winning by one shot. So it is with golf. Our pro-am was won by another local player, big-hitting Max Brackley who managed to master the very strong winds to shoot 64. The winning amateurs – Tom Coker, Andy Belsey and Adam Harris (all bandits) also won the team event with Max with an amazing 23 under par total. To top that off Andy Belsey also walked off with a number of other spot prizes. Well done guys and to everyone else who placed and won prizes.

Without a doubt this is a great day for the club and one that we need to promote and also make even better in years to come. This would be the best way to honour Eric as he worked so hard in past years to ensure its success. Again well done to everyone involved and let us all make sure next year is a great one.

Like London buses…

Witnessing a player shoot a course record is something rather special, but having three golfers card the same course record in a major tournament is unheard of – until now. Kingsbarns hosted the Ricoh Women’s British Open last weekend where Jodi Shadoff, Michelle Wie and Inbee Park all signed for course record 64s, albeit in vain as Korea’s I.K Kim triumphed on Sunday to claim her maiden major victory.

Across the pond, at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, Hideki Matsuyama stole the show with a scintillating nine-under-par 61 on Sunday to secure his sixth victory in his last 20 starts. Another man showing form going into the USPGA Championship this weekend is Rory McIlroy, who, alongside his new caddie, managed a T5th finish at the WGC to follow up his T4th position at The Open a couple of weeks ago.

Both golfers are sure to be among the favourites at Quail Hollow come Thursday morning, but will it be Spieth's time to cement his place in golfing history by completing a career grand slam at the tender age of 24? We can't wait to find out...