SOME of Europe’s top FootGolfers will battle it out in Greenock this weekend at the biggest Scottish event of the year in their chosen sport.

Greenock Golf Club is playing host to the FootGolf Association of Scotland’s flagship event, the Scottish Open.

Nearly 100 players will travel the town to battle it out on the fairways of the Forsyth Street venue.

Scotland take on a Rest of the World select this evening, in a tie which will be broadcast on the FootGolf Association of Scotland Facebook page, ahead of a 36-hole singles event tomorrow.

FootGolf sees players kicking size 5 footballs around golf courses with 21-inch holes, trying to complete 18 holes in the least number of shots.

Competitive FootGolf was put on hold in March because of the Coronavirus lockdown, but golf is one of the sports allowed under the reduced Covid-19 measures.

And, as FootGolf is played to the same rules as golf, competitions are now permitted under the new restrictions.

There has been a flurry of tournaments since the measures were eased, with players observing social distancing guidelines and the rules around mixing with other households outdoors during play.

The Scotland squad for the match against the Rest of the World select, which will see 14 Scots taking on players from Ireland, England, Wales, Spain and Holland, is comprised of the players who have performed best in their respective categories — men, ladies, over-45s and juniors — on the FootGolf Association of Scotland’s National Tour this season.

Greenock man Michael Eardley, who is currently ranked Scotland number three, is in the Scotland squad.

He said: “It’s amazing for my family to come and see me represent my country and for it to be in my hometown is an honour.

“Bringing FootGolf into my hometown is amazing for the town as it’s a big golfing and football community, so bringing a combination of the two is amazing and I think it will be a massive hit in Greenock.

“I never thought I’d get to represent Scotland but to do it in my own back yard is a dream come true and I cannot wait for my friends and family to come and share the sport that we love and see why we love it so much.”

The squad includes current Scotland number one, Scottish national champion and 2019 world number six Matt Morgan and Scottish female number one Carolyn Kent, who is the top ranked female in Europe. The squad is captained by Joe McCourt.

Joe, alongside Carolyn, Matt and fellow Scotland star David Quigley, was part of the 2019 Team UK side that won two pieces of silverware.

They defeated Team USA in the Jansen Cup, a Ryder Cup-style event between the nations at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, where the 2010 Ryder Cup was staged.

They were then crowned European champions after defeating France in the final of the European Championships, after beating Slovakia, Belgium, Italy, Hungary and Holland en route to the final.

The last outing for Scotland was the triumph in the Tri-Nations Cup, against England and Wales, in Wales last September.

The Rest of the World select boasts Wales star Nik Ardrey and Ireland’s Tiarnan Magee, Scottish-based Spaniards Guille Ibarra and Jose Rodriguez and Romanian national Razvan Oncioiu, who all play for UK Club League champions Kingdom of Fife.

Scotland player Rory Cassidy, who was crowned 2019 UK captain of the year for his performances as he led Glasgow FootGolf Club to the Scottish League title, said: “The course looks immaculate and the guys from the course and the FootGolf Association of Scotland have put a lot of work in to get it sitting perfectly ahead of the game and the tournament.

“Having played in a handful of internationals now I can say they are great occasions with plenty of drama, but first and foremost top quality action.

“Observers are welcome as long as they can adhere to social distancing rules and the guidelines around mixing outdoors, which is pretty easy to do as it’s on a golf course. What’s even better is that it’s free to watch, and some of the guys taking part are genuinely some of the best players in the world.

“If you can get down to show your support and take in some of the action, you definitely should.”

WATCH the Scotland v Rest of the World tie today online or find out more about the weekend's events at www.facebook.com/FootGolf-Association-of-Scotland-104172424669974/ 
THE main event sponsor of tomorrow’s Scottish Open at Greenock Golf Club is volunteer-based men’s mental health charity Brothers In Arms.
They are the first charity dedicated to reducing male suicide in Scotland and their strategy is about ‘prevention through self-management’, using tools and information that enable men to manage their own mental health rather than reach crisis. 
For more information visit www.brothersinarmsscotland.co.uk