Scottish golf pros praised for role in search for colleague as he went missing

Stuart Kerr, a well-known figure in PGA circles through serving as the head pro at both Fereneze and Strathaven and also in a consultancy role with Foremost Golf, was reported missing by Police Scotland Lanarkshire early on Wednesday morning after not being seen since 7pm on Tuesday.

The 53-year-old was eventually “traced” on Thursday morning, with his safe return home having been met with a huge sigh of relief by lots of people, including a group of fellow PGA professionals who not only got involved in the search for Kerr but alerted others about his sudden disappearance in Lanarkshire.

“People from all over Scotland and the north of England as well were willing to close their shops, give up their time, cancel lessons and get in their cars and come and help us search,” said Derek Watters, the head PGA professional at Gourock Golf Club and one of Kerr’s closest friends.

“Whether it was someone who had known Stuart for a very long time or had maybe only known him for a couple of years, it was down to the pride we have as PGA members but, on top of that, I think our network in Scotland is pretty unique. That will be humbling to the family once they sit down and reflect on it. But, in the immediate term, it is humbling to me and our closest group.”

That also includes Andy Carlton, who works as an area sales manager for TaylorMade, Ewan Grimes, the head professional at Hilton Park, and Iain Colquhoun, who owns Lomond Golf Tours Scotland, as well as Kerr's best friend, Kenny Steele.

“I suppose the four of us were the group that got together right away and got things moving and the support we then received from Calum Lawson, the pro at Strathaven, and the Strathaven members and the local community really was amazing,” added Watters.

Led by Police Scotland Lanarkshire, the search centred around Strathaven, Chapleton and East Kilbride, with social media being flooded with messages hoping for the best at an awful time for Kerr’s wife, Carol, and other family members in particular.

After searching from 6.30am on Wednesday through until 2am on Thursday, Watters returned to his home in Greenock for a couple of hours sleep before heading back to Lanarkshire with his son Callum, who’d travelled all the way down from Skibo Castle in the Highlands, and Carlton to start looking for Kerr again at 7am.

“We basically started searching on foot again in fields, outhouses, bothies - just everywhere you would go and look for your friend, I suppose, is the best way you could put it. It’s nothing that Stuart wouldn’t do for us,” he said.

With Kerr, who is currently attached to Strathclyde Park Family Golf Centre, back surrounded by his family and friends, Watters said The PGA will provide whatever professional help is required.

“I talk to Stuart pretty much every day, as do Andy Carlton and Ewan Grimes,” he said. “I suppose we’ll now talk to him even more than we did before. I don’t want to use the word mental health, but I suppose we’ve got to.

“The PGA will support in that respect. The PGA has a fantastic network of professionals who will help that side of someone’s life if they ask for help. I suppose we’ll start from a PGA Committee standpoint led by Jason Boyd and Kieron Stevenson and we’ll be asking ‘how do we help?’”