Bathgate golfers Graham Bell and Karen Burns are heading to Egypt

Apr 1 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

TWO Bathgate golfers are heading to the land of the Pharaohs after being ranked No1 in the Northern Finals of the UK’s largest amateur golf tournament, the Matchplay Championship.

Karen Burns and Graham Bell took first place at the Matchplay Championship in the Mixed Pairs tournament at the North Regional Finals, which were held in the Marriott Hollins Hall in the Yorkshire Dales last week.

The West Lothian pair are now preparing for a luxury trip to Egypt to play in the Grand Final.

It was the first time either have taken part in the championships and Karen, 47, admitted to feeling a few nerves as she approached the 18th green.

“I knew we’d played well but to go on and win the competition was something else,” she said.

“It was an interesting experience with the TV camera’s there and I had to concentrate when I saw them. When I saw them at the 18th I felt a bit of nerves as I knew we had to par the hole.”

The Bathgate golfers will now compete in the Grand Final at the stunning Marriott Taba Heights Course in Egypt, set between the Red Sea and a breathtaking mountain range, on May 8-15.

And Karen has revealed she hopes to make sure her hosts can see at a glance what club they belong to.

She added: “Both Graham and I are members at Bathgate Golf Club and we hope to take some polo shirts with us to Egypt with the club’s name on them.

“That way everyone will see we are Scottish and members of Bathgate Golf Club, which is home to two former Ryder Cup captains after all.”

John Woosey, Managing Director of The Golfers Club which promotes the Matchplay Championship, said: “We wish them the very best of luck and hope they do Bathgate proud. It really is a fantastic opportunity.”

After flying to Egypt, Karen and 35-year-old Graham will spend seven nights of full board accommodation in the 5-star Taba Heights Golf Resort and three days of competition in the Grand Final before attending a lavish gala prize-winning dinner.

Now Matchplay Championship has announced it will be hosting its 2010-11 grand final at The Els Club, Dubai.

With an entry fee of just £20 per person, the venue is a major coup for the prestigious tournament, which was launched in 2003.

“We’re delighted to be able to host the 2010-11 Matchplay Championship at such a superb course as The Els Club. It makes the tournament even more attractive for keen golfers,” added John.

Entries are now open for the 2010-11 tournament which take place on May 7-14, 2011, at the stunning course designed by Ernie Els, winner of a record seven World Matchplay titles.

Golfers have until June 30 to enter and be included in regional qualifying rounds before a North and South regional final. In all, 36 finalists will make it to the Dubai Grand Final, staying at the sumptuous Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel.

Headline sponsors of the event are Direct Golf UK, Rewards4Golf.com, and Golf Monthly.

The tournament, as well as the regional finals, will be covered by Sky Sports and the Daily Telegraph.

To enter the Matchplay Championship for 2010-11 or to find out more information, log on to www.matchplaychampionship.co.uk