Stirling golfers team up for Glasgow 2018 at Ladies Scottish Open pro-am

Three young golfers from the University of Stirling were given the opportunity of a lifetime this week as they teamed up for Glasgow 2018 at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open pro-am at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire.

Alasdair McDougall (22), Colin Edgar (21) and Hazel MacGarvie (17) enjoyed a round in the company of Chinese golfer and 2016 Olympic-bronze medal winner Shanshan Feng, who was delighted to play with the students and offer a few tips around the course.

McDougall, who recently took part in The Amateur Championships at Royal St George’s & Princes in Kent, said: “I’m lucky to have played with guys like Richie Ramsay and Scott Jamieson at the University of Stirling but it was really beneficial to get an insight from a female golfer.

“Shanshan was so meticulous in her approach and it was interesting to see how she spent time around the greens. It’s something I’ll learn from.”

All three golfers were at Dundonald Links representing the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, a brand new multi-sport event coming to Scotland in August 2018 featuring Aquatics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon.

The European Golf Team Championships – which is supported by both the European Tour and Ladies European Tour – will be played at the stunning Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course and will see men and women compete side-by-side for the first time in a competitive tournament.

Tickets for the European Golf Team Championships are now on sale and start at just £10 for adults (Under 16s go free). To purchase tickets and find out more about Glasgow 2018 visit Glasgow2018.com

Hazel MacGarvie, who first picked up a set of clubs at just four years old, is excited at the benefits the European Championships can bring to both the men’s and ladies’ game.

She said: “I’m really looking forward to it and I think it’ll be great for golf to have men and women competing together. I think that’s something golf has lacked so it’ll be a great event.”

Colin Edgar also has high hopes for Glasgow 2018. He said: “I think it’ll be great from a spectator point of view for ladies golf. To let spectators come and watch the females it’ll maybe encourage them to come and watch again.”

All three athletes will be part of the University of Stirling's High Performance Golf Programme, run by former European Tour player and Italian Open winner Dean Robertson, in the new academic year with MacGarvie joining MacDougall and Edgar as she commences her studies in September.