Tiffney is bowled over to reach Portugal final

Bowls enthusiast Shaun Tiffney will exchange a jack for a set of clubs as he prepares to play in the Lombard Trophy Final in Portugal.

The Musselburgh Golf Club amateur will tee off with PGA Professional Norman Huguet when the Scottish pair travel to the Algarve for the National Pro-Am Championship event.

Huguet and Tiffany will be aiming to win the £41,450, Coca-Cola and Pestana Resorts supported, showpiece which is being held at the Vila Sol resort between September 20-21.

They qualified for the final by winning their regional qualifier at Crieff Golf Club in June when they won on countback after carding six under par round of 65 at the Perthshire course.

But 24-year-old joiner Tiffney admits that he has been combining golf with his other sport bowls this summer.

Now though he will be aiming for holes rather than the small white jack.

“My time’s been taken up by lawn bowling this summer but that’s coming to an end now and I can get out there practicing my golf,” said 12-handicapper Tiffney.

“It can take over a little bit unfortunately, but I try my best to combine the two. I play for a local Musselburgh club called Eskmills, I’ve been there for a long time.

“It’s now definitely time for a refresher on my golf. In bowls, it’s such a short season and so many competitions, then you can find yourself playing every day. It can get a bit stressful.

“The season starts mid to late April and it comes to an end in September.”

Tiffany has been a member at Musselburgh Golf Club for three years and he got back into the game the game through his father.

“He’s been a member there for a while, I’d played golf a little as a junior but gave up when the bowling started as I found it hard to juggle the two,” he explained.

“My dad’ll be coming out to support me in Portugal so that’s good.

“My handicap hasn’t changed since we qualified so I hope I can still play to it.”