UKKO Tour Ambassador James Busby (pictured wearing Midnight Blue “Maddox” Polo) has booked his place on next season’s Challenge Tour after winning the biggest event of the 2011 PGA EuroPro Tour season, the 888poker.com Tour Championships at the Intercontinental Mar Menor Golf Resort in Murcia, Spain.

James’s ability, hard work and determination have paid off as he won the £15,000 first prize and finishes 2nd on the EuroPro order of merit… which gives him automatic promotion to the European Challenge Tour for 2012.

Congratualtions from all of us at UKKO, we look forward to seeing you compete at the next level along with the other UKKO Challenge Tour Ambassadors Matt Cryer, Jack Doherty and Matthew Southgate.

You can see coverage of James’s last tournament – the 888Poker.com Tour Championships in Mar Menor, Spain – on Sky:

26th October 2011:

• 10am – Sky Sports 2
• 2pm – Sky Sports 2
• 8pm – Sky Sports 4
• 2.30am – Sky Sports 3

» Tour Championship Report

Matthew Southgate, currently lying 19th in the order of Merit, also started well with a 4-under par 67.

Jack Doherty also went under par with a round of 70.

Good luck to all 3 for the reminder of the tournament!

Mid-season Update – I’ve had a good season so far with three seconds on Euro Pro – just need another good result and I should secure Challenge Tour next year! There are four events left including Tour Champs with the venue still TBA – hopefully its somewhere nice and warm! I’ve made 8 out of 9 cuts, just missing out last week at Formby

Your tour/home club – Euro Pro Tour / The Shropshire

Handicap and Date when turned Pro – +1.9, August 2004

What’s in your bag (we like details…!)
Driver – Callaway FT9, 9.5 with a Rombax stiff shaft
Woods – Mizuno MP 3wood with Fubuki shaft
Irons – Mizuno MP68’s with extra stiff soft stepped KBS shafts
Putter – Yes Callie Forged
Balls – Titleist Pro V1x

1. Your ultimate 4-ball with anyone past & present? Seve Ballesteros, Ricky Hatton & Hugh Hefner, Oh and me!!

2. Before the big game, what’s on your iPod? ACDC – Back in Black

3. Where would you take them on? Druids Glenn, Ireland

4. What UKKO gear would you be wearing? Lava Red Maddox Polo and White Titanium Belt

5. What’s your fairway style? Focused but still having fun

6. Which club’s first in your bag? The putter!

7. How would you celebrate your win? With a beer or ten

8. 1st and last drink on the 19th? Carling please

9. Your private jet’s on stand-by… where d’you go? The Maldives

10. How has this season been for you so far? Consistent with three 2nds on Euro Pro

11. What are your main goals for the remainder of the season? Continue the good results and secure a Challenge Tour for next year, maybe getting a full Tour card at Tour Scho0l

12. Where do you want to be in 3 years? On the European Tour, competing for wins

13. If golf didn’t exist, what would you be doing? I don’t know what I’d do if golf didn’t exist!

Your tour/home club - Euro Pro Tour and I represent Betchworth Park Gc/Crownbrush.co.uk

Handicap and Date when turned Pro - +2.4 in march 2007

What’s in your bag (we like details…!)

Driver – Callaway Razr Tour 9.5

Woods – Titleist 910 Fd

Irons – Callaway X forged 3-PW

Putter – Odyssey 2 Ball V Line

Balls -Titleist Pro V1x

1. Your ultimate 4-ball with anyone past & present?
Seve, my dad and my bro

2. Before the big game, what’s on your iPod?
At the moment iv got the Rocky Soundtrack on!

3. Where would you take them on?
Les Bordes or Augusta

4. What UKKO gear would you be wearing?
The Wine Red Crispin polo, White Titanium Belt and White Titanium Cap

5. What’s your fairway style?
Smart

6. Which club’s first in your bag?
Putter

7. How would you celebrate your win?
Beer and lots of it in my “soon to be wife’s bar”

8. 1st and last drink on the 19th?
1st is always a beer, last…….I cant normally remember!!!

9. Your private jet’s on stand-by… where d’you go?
The Maldives (most amazing place in the world)

10. How has this season been for you so far?
Very Solid but not setting the world on fire, made every cut so far!

11. What are your main goals for the remainder of the season?
Give myself a chance or 2 to win and prepare for Q school

12. Where do you want to be in 3 years?
I’d love to have my tour card

13. If golf didn’t exist, what would you be doing?
Earning money!!!

A top 20 spot by the end of the year will earn him a place on the European Tour in only his 2nd season as a Pro. We urge you to follow his progress, big things are on the horizon. A few shots of him on course recently are below in the following gear;

- Palace Blue “Avery” Polo
- Racing Green “Vigo” Polo
- White “Titanium” Belt
- Blueberry “Crispin” Polo

Matthew is enjoying a stellar start to his Professional career on the Challenge and his biggest pay-cheque to date of £24,200 Euro’s was the reward for his efforts.

As seen in the photo’s below, during the round he was wearing;

Racing Green “Vigo” Polo
Blueberry “Crispin” Polo
White “Titanium” Belt

More about his progress can be seen on the European Tour Website here;

http://www.europeantour.com/challengetour/season=2011/tournamentid=2011738/news/newsid=139380.html#southgate+surges+ahead+scotland

More here – http://www.europrotour.com/news/clark_wins_first_tour_event_since.htm

He’s also going well in the current EuroPro Tournament at Galgorm Castle in Northern Ireland, lying in T5 place after almost 2 rounds.

He continues to look like a solid bet for a decent Order of Merit placing come the end of the season.

Chris was 8 under after the first 9 holes in the first round!

Read more here – http://www.jamegatour.co.uk/news-and-reports/tournament-reports.html

Martin has worked really hard over the Winter with his coach and it’s obviously paid off. Well done Martin. Martin wins @ Mentmore with a massive score of -13 for two rounds. Read his blog below to find out how he did it… Mind you, the UKKO Clothing has got to be helping.

“Having teamed up with top coach Matt Woods during the winter, and showing some promising signs in the first few Jamega Tour events of the season I knew that i was close to putting together some good performances. Two weeks ago after a poor week I went back to work with Matt to see if we could Iron out a couple of shots that were causing me concern, after a fantastic session I was upbeat about the upcoming event !

So with some newly found confidence I trotted off to
The Shire GC where i put together a couple of solid rounds and finished 4th. A step in the right direction and a shot of some much needed confidence. Roll on
the next event.

This weeks event took place at Mentmore Golf & Country club near Leighton Buzzard, a venue I had had decent results on before and a course where I knew you had to go low to be successful. After finishing 2nd in the pre tournament Pro-AM I was feeling happy with my game and looking forward to the days ahead.

There was a stiff breeze blowing for the first round and I played extremely solid golf. Recording 6 birdies an eagle and a three putt bogey I signed for a 7 under par 65, my lowest round of the season so far. I was obviously delighted with my score but I was happier with just how in control of the golf ball i was, I hit almost every shot just how I wanted to.

As Round 1 drew to a close it was apparant that it was a day for low scoring
as I was joined at the top of the leaderboard at -7, and with about 15 players
within 3 shots it was going to be an interesting final round.

After a good nights rest I arrived at the course to find similar conditions as round 1.
I was looking forward to playing and missed the feeling of leading a golf tournament. When you’re in contention at any tournament the first thing you want to do is to get off to a steady solid start, therefore my start of Bogey, Par, Par, Bogey, Bogey (+3 through 5) was far from ideal and not at all what I was looking for ! After giving myself a my needed kick up the backside on the 6th tee I birdied the following 2 holes and pared 8&9 to turn in +1 (-6 overall). A good back nine was needed !!

The 10th was a good opportunity to get another shot back and I achieved the desired Birdie 4 on the short Par5. Looking at the Leaderboard I could see that I was 3 shots adrift of the leaders, it was time to get my head down and play a flawless nine holes if i was to win this tournament. Birdies on 11, 14 & 15 saw me tied at the top with three players on -10, a good 7 iron into the par 3 16th and a successful putt from 12 feet put me out ahead. Boarding the 17th (a reachable par5 that i had eagled on day 1) I knew that this was now my tournament to lose. I hit a good drive and a great approach leaving me a putt from around 15feet for an eagle 3, the putter had really warmed up on the back nine and the following eagle putt rolled right into the middle of the cup giving me a 2 shot a lead with only the 18th to play. After missing the 18th green with a mid iron I left myself a tricky chip to the pin but played a great shot to within a few feet and roled the putt in for the first VICTORY of the 2011 season !!!

It was great to win early season and helped affirm that the things Matt and I have been working on are coming to fruition. With confidence high I cant wait for the next
tournament!”

Watch this space………………………     Martin