Jamie McLeary feels that the school of hard knocks that is the Challenge Tour is the premium preparation for life in the big time of European golf but his playing partner today in Aviemore may be in more of a hurry on his way to golf’s Premier League, writes Steve Scott. The 29-year-old from Kinross is defending his Scottish Hydro Challenge title this week at the Spey Valley course near Aviemore, still aiming to get himself off the junior tour on to the main circuit. But Matteo Manassero, the youngest ever amateur champion and the already-anointed new star of European golf, plans merely a brief stop on his way to bigger things, having already played in the BMW Championship at Wentworth this year. McLeary was still four places off one of the 20 European Tour cards despite his win at Spey Valley and when he sees the successes of Eduardo Molinari, Rhys Davies and his old Fife team-mate Peter Whiteford (all 2009 Challenge Tour graduates) this year, it underlines his belief that simply getting to the top level is more than half the battle. http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2010/06/10/sportstory15199568t0.asp
