Just over ten years ago in 1999, Scotland had three players in the European Ryder Cup side, who admittedly fell to the Americans at Brookline. But they qualified nonetheless.

And this is more than can be said for many other Scottish golfers of the last decade. Colin Montgomerie has long been a lone ranger for the Scottish nation in the Ryder Cup and, despite his lack of a victory, in the majors as well. Next year he will take on the captaincy, a spot which he wrestled off another Scotsman, Sandy Lyle.

Indeed, Montgomerie is the next in long line of Scottish Ryder Cup captains, with Bernard Gallacher and Sam Torrance having both led their European sides to victory during their tenure.

But it is unlikely that there will be any team players to continue the traditions of the Scottish contribution. Richie Ramsay and David Drysdale lie closest to qualification at the moment, sitting in 18th and 36th respectively on the World Points List.

But it is unlikely that they will qualify due in large part to their absence at the biggest events, a result of their low world ranking (117 and 159).

When Lloyd Saltman performed so well at the 2005 Open Championship as an amateur, it looked as if Scottish golf fans might have a new young hopeful to hang their colours on.

But, despite his success in the Open and the Walker Cup, Saltman has struggled since joining the professional ranks.

Similarly, when Marc Warren won the WGC World Cup with Montgomerie in 2007, it looked as if he might go on to greater things. But he now lies in 327th position in the world rankings and realistically nowhere near the Ryder Cup side.

So why have Scotland’s elite golfing traditions suffered in the last decade?

As is often the case in other sports, it is instructive to look first at the grass roots development. Local authorities have tried to teach golf to kids at an early age. For example, the Highland Council's Junior Golf Strategy, which started in 2003, aims to introduce youngsters in primary 5 to the game. However, further down the line, there are issues which must be addressed.

The Scottish Golf Union, a centralised entity, is doing what it can to nurture our aspiring young professionals through its academy structure.

Just recently the SGU announced an agreement with IMG, which will mean five of Scotland’s leading amateur golfers spend a week at the world famous IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida preparing for the new season.

Welcoming the new partnership, SGU Chief Executive Hamish Grey said: “Having use of the facilities at IMG Academies in Bradenton is a great boost for the squad, allowing us to prepare for some big events coming up, including the Jones Cup and the Spanish and Portuguese Amateur Championships.”

But this is still a very focused approach. If Scotland is to re-emerge as a breeding ground for Ryder Cup stars it will take a more comprehensive effort, combining the input of private clubs and national bodies.

South of the border players like Ross Fisher have benefitted from the support of schemes such as the Wentworth Junior Scholarship Programme.

Other English stars have gained from the support received as part of a club setup and Paul Casey in particular has reaped the rewards, currently 6th in the World Rankings.

European Tour player Anthony Wall also graduated from the same junior programme as Casey at Foxhills Golf Club near London, and both golfers have since reinvested their time in the scheme, helping to sustain the flow of English golfing talent.

And perhaps this is part of the problem in Scotland: a lack of contribution from our heroes of the past. In England, players like Nick Dougherty have had the guidance and direction of mentors such as Nick Faldo. Sir Nick’s contributions to the sport at youth level can be seen in his commitment to the Faldo Junior Series and this has certainly borne fruits for English golf.

In contrast Colin Montgomerie seems to have his eyes set more on glory in the present than success in the future. Paul Lawrie has set up a Junior Golf Development Programme since his triumph in the 1999 Open Championship but he seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

Montgomerie has done coaching clinics in the past such as the HSBC-sponsored Wee Wonders Open but clearly a more sustained effort is required if Scottish golfers are to be leading the way in future Ryder Cups.

While Richie Ramsay’s victory at the South African Championship at the end of last year seems to present some hope for the future it may just mask the flaws which exist in the current setup.

If this is the case there may be no homegrown talent at all when the historic match comes to Gleneagles in 2014.

RY
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