GOLF-LOVING Stuart Hutchison's funeral takes place tomorrow following his death in a car crash last week, writes Bob Burgess.
And his family want his golfing pals to wear their sport’s clothes for the service at Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh. They said the service will be his last round – and want mourners to dress accordingly. His parents have asked people not to wea
r black.
The 22-year-old lived at the family home in Clovenfords and was killed in a two-vehicle crash on the A7 near Stow last Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Hutchison worked at the Scottish golf Centre shop in Edinburgh’s Seafield Road and was about to begin a second year as a Professional Golf Association (PGA) assistant. He was also taking a three-year PGA correspondence degree course.
Mum and dad – retired school teacher Isobel, 50, and retired taxi driver David, 51 – moved to Clovenfords about two years ago.
Mrs Hutchison said her son had enjoyed golf since he was eight. She added: “Stuart was always in golf clothes. We want people to come dressed for golf because it’s Stuart’s final round of golf.
“He was a natural. His dad used to take him out on the golf course and try to show him how to play golf, but it was actually the other way round.
“Stuart was a very bright boy who didn’t apply himself at school because all he wanted to do was play golf. We knew he had the potential, but like all teenagers he had a bit of a temperament problem, but in the last three years he settled down and got himself together and last year he managed to achieve the standard required to become professional.”
Mrs Hutchison continued: “He spent as much time as he could on the golf course – when he wasn’t working, he was golfing. That was his one real passion – and his family and friends. At the weekend he would always go up to Edinburgh to his friends.
“In the long term he didn’t want to be a Tiger Woods and play on the circuit, he really just wanted to be a golf club pro and play.”
Stuart began passing on his skills to his sister Lorna’s young son Callum when he was just three.
The young golfer was a former pupil of Gracemount High School in the capital and tributes from former classmates have appeared on social networking website Facebook.
An on-line obituary stated: “The family would be grateful if no black clothes were worn at the funeral as this is a celebration of Stuart’s life. His golfing pals are requested to come dressed for the last round with Stuart.”
Last Wednesday’s crash happened at around 3.30pm three miles north of Stow.
A statement from Lothian and Borders police said: “Mr Hutchison was travelling southwards in his black Renault Clio when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a black Land Rover Freelander before the Clio travelled down an embankment and came to rest.
“Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Mr Hutchison succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
