David Patrick crowned Deer Park Master

Aug 12 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

DAVID PATRICK is the new King of Deer Park after the Elie Golf Club member was crowned Masters Champions for 2010 last week.

Patrick was too hot to handle on the lush Deer Park fairways where he navigated his way around in an unstoppable 11 under par.

His two rounds of 65 and 68 couldn’t be matched as he beat second-placed Chris Doak by a single stroke and he couldn’t hide his delight at winning the prestigious Indbuild Deer Park Masters for the first time.

He said: “I am delighted to win the Masters for the first time - the course has been fantastic.

“I wish to thank the Muir Group, owners of Deer Park for once again organising and staging the Masters.

“We have had difficult economic times and events like this are really important to progress golf in Scotland.

“There is a great deal of talent here in this room today and the support of companies like the Muir Group and IndBuild is absolutely vital.

“I know I speak for all the professionals who have played here today and in the past when I say that we really appreciate it.

“Regarding the team competition, it is fantastic to see that 100 corporate teams were taking part again for the second year running.

“This is another major achievement given the fact that we have just come out of recession.”

The Deer Park Masters, which attracts golf professionals from clubs all over Scotland and is a Tartan Tour Ranking event, is now in its seventh year.

The tournament was first conceived by Deer Park’s long standing Golf Manager Stuart Cruickshank who identified the need for an event where golf pro’s could compete against one another, win cash prizes and play in a pro-am format too with corporate teams.

John Muir, chairman of the Muir Group and an enthusiastic supporter of the game in Scotland said:

“I wish to congratulate David Patrick — what an achievement with a fantastic score of 11 under par and being from the East Neuk myself — I am delighted for Elie Golf Club too.

“Golf professionals add so much to the enjoyment of the game of golf.

“On their day they can be as good as any of the big names we hear about playing in the European and US Tours.

“The Masters gives them vital support and gets more popular every year with a great backing from Scottish businesses.

“People may not know that competition for places at the two day event is fierce with an eventual fifty pro’s from clubs all over Scotland taking part, having come through the qualifying round. We had about 200 trying to qualify.”

Golf stars Andrew Coltart and Gary Orr all started their careers in Scotland on the Tartan Tour playing events such as the Deer Park Masters and Scotland’s Open Champion Paul Lawrie won at Deer Park in 1990 in the Under 25’s competition.

The Masters also provided the juniors with a chance to shine and the day before the main event, there was a junior event at the Livingston course.

Teenagers from Deer Park’s thriving junior section competed for prizes supported by clubgolf and Deer Park’s professioanls Sandy Strachan and John Murray.

The winner was John Bayliss (15) from Uphall in West Lothian who plays off a handicap of 9.

Such was the success of the event that the Junior Deer Park Masters will now be held every year.

Mandy Martin, the clubgolf representative for West Lothian said: “This year over fifteen hundred primary five pupils in West Lothian have been introduced to golf through the clubgolf programme.

“This has been enhanced by extended work in the schools, by Sandy Strachan and John Murray, PGA Pros at Deer Park, who have worked closely with West Lothian Active Schools to deliver taster sessions in many of the local schools.

“The Junior Deer Park Masters is a great opportunity for them and it may well inspire some of them — such as John — to become Pros themselves in the future. ”

In the team event there was a new course record for the Valad team who notched a phenomenal 20 under par scorecard to win.

Tucked in behind in second sport were IndBuild with Davidson Chalmers in third.