Phil Mickelson's brother has words of

encouragement for Euan Brown

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

It's not widely known by boys - and girls - who want to go to the States and play on the college golf circuit over there that selection for the team of five (usually) for any particular event is not a foregone conclusion. Most of the colleges have in-house qualifying events to see who is in good enough form to be selected for the next tournament.

Take the case of Euan Brown from Troon, pictured right. He plays Division 1 college golf with Saint Mary's College of California - when he is selected.

Euan has just played in the Bay Area shoot-out event, where all players from the six schools involved played as individuals only, to start the spring college golf season.

I'm sure Euan won't mind me saying so - from a distance of several thousand miles - that he has struggled a bit with his form recently but he did show some signs of improvement - tied 18th in a field of 41 with rounds of 73 (which was only one off the first-round lead) and 81 for 154 - in the shoot-out as he tries to make the Saint Mary's team for the next event in San Diego.

Euan had only one Saint Mary's player ahead of him in the final standings so that must count for something.

By the way, Euan played with the winning boy from San Diego University, Alex Ching with a pair of 72s, and enjoyed the company of the SDU coach Tim Mickelson, Phil's brother.

Euan says that Tim Mickelson was very encouraging towards him throughout and a really 'cool guy' which is nice to hear about an opponent's coach.
Just returning to that theme about having to earn a place in a college golf team, that is one of the things to be considered by young men and girls if they are lucky or good enough to have a choice.

Do they go to the "biggest" college golf team that wants them and face strong opposition for places in the tournament line-up?

Or do they go to a "lesser" college team where the general standard of player might not be so high and, therefore, it would be easier to gain a regular place the line-up?