Latest news with #Fifer
Scottish Sun
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Meet Calum Hill, the little-known Scot having to hastily redraw his plans after stunning start to Scottish Open
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTS golfer Calum Hill dreams of tearing up his ticket to California after a sensational 65 at the Scottish Open. The Fifer is one shot off the lead at the Renaissance Club and in a prime spot to earn one of three Open places up for grabs. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Calum Hill produces a spectacular 65 in the opening round Credit: Getty 3 Calum Hill in action at the Scottish Open Credit: Alamy 3 A good day's work for the 30-year-old Credit: Getty Hill planned to play in the Barracuda Championship in the US rather than at Portrush. But the 30-year-old boosted his chances of securing a last-gasp invite to the year's final Major with an opening five under par on Thursday. Referring to the PGA Tour event, Hill said: 'I always say I'll go to that one, and every year I finish on a Sunday disappointed I didn't get into The Open and then never fly. 'But I've booked flights and I'm going. The Open would be a bonus. I'd love to play Portrush. It seems like a proper event.' Hill, bidding for a third DP World Tour win after his maiden victory at the Cazoo Classic in 2021 and Joburg Open triumph earlier this year, admitted his game has been a bit up and down in recent months. But there was no sign of that on Thursday as he compiled his five-under effort in the strongest field of the year after the Majors. Hill believes having his family and friends watching on helped him relax a little more. He added: 'My wife's kicked me for the last few months, saying this is just another event and to enjoy it more. 'So I'm just trying to be a little bit easier on myself, I would say, and obviously good golf helps with that. 'I generally play better when people are watching and for me it's the best event we play all year, especially when it's getting so big now.' Brooks Koepka suffers meltdown and smashes tee marker into fans before withdrawing from LIV Dallas claiming 'illness' With Bob MacIntyre, Daniel Young and amateur duo Connor Graham and Cameron Adam the only Scots in the field for Portrush next week, Hill would be a welcome addition. Defending champ MacIntyre was solid rather than spectacular on his way to a 68. There was a time not so long ago when the Oban ace would have vented his frustration at three-putting the fourth — his 13th — but he kept the head instead of throwing a wobbly. He explained: 'It's something I work hard on every week but it varies. The lid can still come off, don't worry about that! 'But I've just got a level of performance now that I fully expect to achieve every day. 'I prepare as well as I can. A lot more gym work, a lot more warm-ups before I even start hitting shots. Before I used to just go and play.' Richie Ramsay signed for a 70, while Ewen Ferguson matched MacIntyre's effort after getting to four under at one stage. Grant Forrest, who only got into the field as first reserve, justified his inclusion with a 67, one fewer than recent KLM Open winner Connor Syme. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Hearts daft caddie and kick from wife inspiring Calum Hill's supercharged start to the Scottish Open
Hill is leaving the stress of previous years behind as Fifer enjoys his home open at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick Calum Hill reckons being kicked by the wife and his Hearts -daft caddie supercharged his start. The Fifer flew out of the Renaissance traps with a 65 and a relaxed state of mind did the trick. In the past, the strains of self-imposed expectation had stopped Hill from really enjoying himself at his home Open. However, on this occasion, the 30-year-old was completely at ease. Hill's good lady Miranda gave him a verbal boot in the right direction as, when asked if he'd been over-stressing himself in the past, he smiled: 'I would say there's a chance that you might be correct with that! It's my favourite event of the year and you just want to do so well. 'My wife has kicked me for the last few months just to say that this is just another event, just go and enjoy it more. I think I used to be a bit more on edge, so if anything went quite off-keel, I was a bit frustrated getting quick to disappointment and things. 'So I just try and take it a little bit easier on myself and then, obviously, good golf helps with that. 'I think it's just self-influence. You just want to do as well as you can in your Scottish Open. 'It's the best event we play all year for myself and I'm sure the other Scots will say the same thing, especially when it's getting so big now. It's such a big tournament. A good week goes a long way.' Hill's caddie Stuart Davidson also helped with the clarity of thought as he continued: 'He doesn't slur his words. He's extremely confident in the way he says things, which means I don't have very little doubt and I think he's a very good analytical person on where that ball needs to finish to give himself the best chance. 'So I've not hit it particularly well off the tee, and on those holes, you're just looking to get back in position, and every single time, it was always in a place where it was quite a straightforward up and down. 'There was never one where I'm like: Oh my goodness, how am I going to make a par here? It was always: I've got a really good chance, followed by a couple of putts.' Davidson is a big Hearts fan and constantly talks about them regularly as Hill said: 'He does regularly. I see that on his yardage book every time. He's always talking about them. I heard it was 8-0 against East Kilbride and I follow zero football, but that's impressive. Even I know that.' Hill enjoyed the company of partners Padraig Harrington and Corey Conners and, speaking on the three-time Major champion, he said: 'I enjoy his pre-shot routine with the driver. He seems to thump it off the deck a few times, and then give it yaldi, every tee shot he has. There's no holding back. I remember him winning both those majors back-to-back, beating Sergio [Garcia] in one of them. That was pretty cool.' Two of Harrington's Majors were at The Open and Hill is in position to grab one of the three available qualifying spots for Royal Portrush from East Lothian. But, again, there's no extra pressure. He's playing golf at the Barracuda Championship in the United States if he doesn't get to Northern Ireland and the flights are refundable even if he has to change his plans. Hill said: 'I've been trying my best. No matter what happens, I'm playing golf next week because I've always said I'll go to that one in Truckee. 'Every single year, I finish on a Sunday disappointed I didn't get into the Open because you're trying to get a last spot, and then I never fly. So I've booked flights. 'Open would be a bonus. I'd love to play Portrush. It seems like a proper event. They [flights] are refundable, so that's all right. 'It's not as if it's a small event, exactly. It's one of those where you go out and get a new experience from never playing in America. It's meant to be an awesome course. A good week there still means a lot.'
Daily Record
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Connor Syme on Bob MacIntyre inspiration and Home of Golf strains
Scots star admits there's expectation on the boys from golf's birthplace Connor Syme senses an added pressure representing the Home of Golf as Bob MacIntyre sets the benchmark. The Fifer says it's back to work after the highs of his KLM Open win and he's aiming for a big week at The Renaissance. Syme is amongst six Tartan stars looking to deliver at the Genesis Scottish Open and emulate MacIntyre's success of 12 months ago. The 29-year-old knows there is always a degree of expectation on Scots stars as he addressed the current position of the game in his country. Syme stated: 'I guess we are probably kind of getting it back. Certainly, when I was coming through amateur golf, the talent that we have in Scotland for whatever reason didn't end up making it on Tour, certainly, at that point. 'I think a few of those guys probably still could do it, but, from my age group growing up, there's quite a lot of us have managed to get on Tour and have won, which is awesome. 'I think we're all pushing each other on where we can all get to, who knows. Obviously, with the Home of Golf, it definitely carries its pressures and stuff with that about trying to live up to that. 'Bob is doing absolutely brilliantly and we are all trying to get, hopefully, to where he gets to. Growing up playing golf with him, you always had that kind of tenacity and willingness to do really, really well in tournaments. He's always won big tournaments growing up. 'It's not that surprising, but seeing him actually going and doing it is really impressive and the results he's had here, certainly, the last couple years, he basically won it two years in a row, barring Rory [McIlroy] finishing the way he did a couple years ago. 'It shows it's possible and he's doing just absolutely brilliantly, and it is really good to see. Obviously, I watched all the US Open and he looked like the guy that was going to win it. It's very inspiring.' Syme wants a MacIntyre moment at Renaissance and continued: 'Even when I won in Holland, it was like taking you back as a kid to when you're put to go try and win tournaments. For us, being Scottish, they are the ones you think about more, The Open, The Scottish Open, the Masters, they are the stuff you dream about. 'Obviously, having got a win, it's definitely given me a lot of belief that I can do that. That is a dream to have that sort of moment. But you've got to play so much golf to get to that point and that's the kind of work we're doing out there, to try and make moments like that possible.' As well as the trophy in East Lothian, there are three places available for The Open at Royal Portrush and Syme is determined to return having featured in the 147th Championship at the venue six years ago. He said: 'It would be awesome to go back. Looking at this as the last opportunity to try and get in, would be cool. But I was chatting to a few people about it. This is obviously such a massive tournament and that's the dangling carrot, too. 'But I'm trying to focus as well as I can and do as well as I can in this tournament and hopefully I can play well enough to tick off a lot of things. 'The thing with golf, there's always something, you always want something more. This is a great tournament. 'I'm going to try my best to do as best I can here and, hopefully, I can get some nice rewards from that.'
The Courier
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Fife marketing guru who worked with Nike now helps local firms take on ‘big boys'
In a career spanning almost 40 years in advertising, Fifer Guy Hayward worked with some of the world's top brands, including Nike, Adidas and Haagen-Dazs. But now the St Monans resident wants to help smaller businesses in the area who want to 'take on the big boys'. Guy, 61, started Local Heroes, a marketing consultancy firm, in 2023. He has since used his marketing expertise to help Fife businesses Vivimus Water and the Centre of Golf Excellence St Andrews. Guy spent decades working in the upper echelons of global marketing, working with several top firms, including being the UK CEO of J. Walter Thompson in London. But during the Covid years he realised his passion for corporate marketing was waning. 'I found myself falling out of love with the big corporate structure and falling in love with the ecosystem of independent businesses,' he explained. 'They have real values, and they care about their communities. It is not just about making money. 'With access to digital platforms, they're now competing directly with big brands, but without the resources.' Guy started his company in 2023 as a side hustle, while also working on a short-term job in London. He realised that to make an actual difference he would need to shift his focus. For the last year he has given Local Heroes his full attention and has worked with four companies. Guy follows a strict criterion for what makes a 'local hero'. He explained: 'It is founder owned, it is committed to the local community, it wants to do things better and it wants to take on the big boys. 'My first client was the Centre of Golf Excellence St Andrews, which I helped rebrand. 'Since then, I have worked with a private jet broker in Scotland and a bungee jump company from New Zealand. 'My current client is a mineral water firm from St Monans called Vivimus Water who are currently launching a new product. 'The marketing strategy for SMEs is similar to corporates, you just have to shorten the process and keep things simple. 'Generally I have found that my clients have the answers inside them and it's my job to help them articulate the ideas.' Guy's long-term goal is to grow Local Heroes into a multi-site operation. He envisions a small team based in St Monans, with satellite partners across the UK and beyond. He's also developing what he calls the 'Local Heroes Ignition Fund', a micro-finance initiative to help small businesses afford their first serious marketing campaigns. He said: 'Most banks won't lend you money for marketing. But without that initial investment, many great businesses struggle to grow. 'Even a £10k investment in marketing can make a huge difference for a company.' After years working with global brands, Guy says the biggest difference now is the emotional reward. He admits the decision to pivot from CEO to local consultant surprised some of his friends. 'Some people ask why I don't just get another big job. Others tell me I look so happy and I really am. 'I'm far more invested in these companies. These are people with missions. 'They want to do something meaningful, not just boost profits.'
The Herald Scotland
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Some of the world's best bands play Scotland in June: Here's our pick
But can we point you in the direction of this Glasgow gig by our favourite Fifer Jacob Alon? The singer-songwriter has often been called Scotland's next big thing (we said it ourselves in The Herald Magazine back in January), a debut album, the sublime In Limerence, out May 30, is the next step on the journey. Alon's delicate vocals and searingly honest lyrics have drawn comparisons to Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley. Heady company, but Alon doesn't sound out of place. This will probably be one of the quieter gigs this month, but it will possibly resonate the longest. Iggy Pop 02 Academy, Glasgow, June 3 Iggy Pop (Image: PA) Maybe the drugs do work. Or maybe he's indestructible. So many of his contemporaries are no longer with us, but Jim Osterberg's still around, still singing Lust for Life and The Passenger and showing off his aged torso as he reaches the fag end of his seventies. It really is quite something. Still a street-walking cheetah with a heart full of napalm, in other words. Spectacular Shostakovich: Royal Scottish National Orchestra Usher Hall, June 6; Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, June 7 Marking the 50th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich's death, the RSNO performs his epic 11th Symphony, inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1905. Thomas Sondergard conducts and cellist Daniel Muller-Schott is the soloist. Pulp OVO Hydro, Glasgow, June 7 Getting the jump on Oasis, Britpop's finest (well, it's them or Suede) mark their first album - entitled More - in 24 years with another round of live gigs. Last seen in these parts ushering in 2024 at Edinburgh's Hogmanay, the band have had a new lease of life whilst mourning the loss of bass player Steve Mackey. Will the new album live up to its predecessors? That remains to be seen (the precursor single, Spike Island, is OK but maybe not much more). Still, any excuse to sing along to Do You Remember the First Time and Babies is always to be welcomed. Abbie Gordon The Poetry Club, Glasgow, June 19 New blood. Abbie Gordon is a teenage singer-songwriter from Irvine who was named Young Live Artist of the Year in December after headlining King Tut's. The future starts here. And while you're at it, maybe check out Theo Bleak (Canvas, Dundee, June 20), another fresh singer-songwriter with an ear for a tune. Diana Ross OVO Hydro, Glasgow, June 25 Diana Ross (Image: Newsquest) Yes, that Diana Ross. Now in the foothills of her ninth decade on the planet, Ross has a back catalogue that stretches back to her Motown pomp in The Supremes, and takes in her imperious disco era working with Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, her Bee Gees-fuelled Chain Reaction chart ascendancy and even collaborating with the name producer of the moment, Jack Antonoff, on 2021 album Thank You. Not sure she'll have any time for deep cuts. The question is, which of her 100 plus singles will she leave out? Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band Mono, Glasgow, June 25 The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band (Image: free) In the mood for some country blues? This might be the gig for you. Big voice, big beard and guitar picking. The good Reverend, who hails from Indiana, leads a trio including his wife Washboard Breezy (on washboard, you might not be surprised to hear) and Jacob Powell on percussion. Can't deny, they make a noise. Lana Del Rey Hampden Park, Glasgow, June 26 Lana Del Rey (Image: free) Gone are the days Lana used to hang out in Glasgow's south side, but she is back in the city for this arena gig towards the end of the month. Del Rey's shtick - established as early as her first single Video Games - is the society girl with an eye for bad boys, as played out in a Mogadon haze. On paper that doesn't sound like a recipe for filling arenas but it's turned out to be surprisingly moreish. Del Rey is currently the 25th most streamed artist in the world. Hopefully she will turn up on time this evening and not risk getting the power turned off as happened to her at Glastonbury in 2023. Simple Minds Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, June 27 Part of this year's Summer Sessions programme (preceded by the Sex Pistols and Sting on June 21 and June 25 respectively), Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill return for a hometown gig. We can argue over their back catalogue (my cut-off point is 1982; given the commercial success of what was to follow clearly few agree), but the truth is they remain a formidable live act. As frontman, Kerr both looks his age and acts like he's still in his twenties. It's quite the combination. Macy Gray Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, June 27 Macy Gray (Image: Newsquest) Want to feel old? It's now been 26 years - yes, 26 - since Macy Gray's breakthrough single, I Try, which introduced us to the gorgeous rasp of her voice. It remains her best known song, but she has never stopped making records. Quick question. Is her cover of Radiohead's Creep better than Billie Eilish's? Discuss. Kid Creole and the Coconuts Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, June 28; Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, June 29 To be honest, there is a corner of my head where it's always 1982. The year I left home, the year I started fending for myself, the year I fell in love. Kid Creole and the Coconuts were part of that year's soundtrack, a heady mix of disco, Latin rhythms and New Pop, amped up by August Darnell's larger-than-life ego and Zoot suits, and gilded by the Coconuts themselves, all backcombed blonde attitude and harmonies. It was pop panto back then, probably more so now, but, admit it, you're humming 'Ona-Ona-Onamatopea' even as you read this. (Who cares if that's not the real lyric? It's a better one.) Lucy Dacus Usher Hall, Edinburgh, June 30; Barrowland Ballroom, July 1 Fresh from her time as a member of Boygenius and being namechecked by Taylor Swift in her song The Tortured Poets Department, the American singer-songwriter is touring in support of her latest album Forever is a Feeling. It contains a track called Limerence, by the way, which takes us back to Jacob Alon and where we came in.
