Omens good as Easwood pair eye Turkey trip

Colin Farquhar hopes he and Stuart Wilson (pictured) will be a match made in heaven when they compete in the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge.

The Eastwood Golf Club duo have each experienced success over the last few years, and will now team up for the Scottish regional qualifier, which is being held at Crail Golf Club on Friday 23 August.

They will be aiming to make it through to the £25,000 final, supported by Canopius, to be held over the PGA Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club, Turkey, from November 21-22.

PGA Professional Wilson reached successive PGA National Pro-Am Championship finals in 2011 and 2012, while captain Farquhar has already reached the final of a Secretary-Captain competition this year.

Now he hopes to pull off a ‘double’ and book a flight to Turkey.

Farquhar, aged 52, who plays off a handicap of five, said: “Stuart’s results over the past few years have really raised the profile of the club, and it’s always good to tell potential members that we have a professional who gets to these sort of finals.

“In fact our membership figures are better than planned, so we tend to be bucking the current trend in this part of Scotland.

“Now I hope some of Stuart’s record rubs off on me at Crail and we can get to Turkey.

“I’ve already won one qualifier with our secretary Ian Storie this year, so I hope that form will continue.”

Farquhar, who works as a retail manager, believes the standard of golf has improved over the last 10 years since the course had to be redesigned following the construction of the M77 motorway.

He added: “We laid some new greens 10 years ago and they are in superb condition now.

“As a result, I think we attract a new type of golfer who’s looking for a more competitive venue, but we hold open days and competitions to attract new members as well.”

Other teams taking part at Crail include Gordon Law and John McDermott (Uphall); Kieron Stevenson and Bob Martin (Royal Troon); Jonathan Cliff and George Shaw (Murrayfield); Martin Piggott and Jamie Gordon (Loch Ness); and Steven Dunsmore and Ian Hunter (Falkirk Tryst).