Associate Athletic Director Kevin Blue ('05) is traveling with the men's golf team on their foreign tour to Scotland. Blue was an Academic All-American and men's golf team captain during his playing career at Stanford, and will be providing updates to GoStanford.com throughout the tour. Previous updates can be found here.

TURNBERRY, Scotland - Slightly jet-lagged from the transatlantic flight and adrenaline-filled first round at Turnberry, Day Two started with a slow morning that allowed for a casual breakfast and some practice, capped by a few holes on the pitch and putt course on the front lawn of the Turnberry hotel. The pitch and putt is a fantastic miniature sized replica of the Ailsa course, complete with mini pot bunkers similar to those found on the championship venue across the street.

Later in the morning the team visited Culzean Castle (pronounced "cul-EEN") a few miles up the Ayrshire coast. Initially built in 1777, the castle was completed in the early 19th century and regularly would host Dwight Eisenhower when he travelled to Scotland. Eisenhower visited twice as a general after World War Two and twice more as president.

After lunch, it was time for the first competitive golf of the trip. Stanford (and a few "ringers" needed to fill out the roster) played an 18-hole match against the 32 Club, a collection of some of the best amateur players in Scotland.

The match was contested at Western Gailes, a club founded in 1897 that has played host to a number of prestigious events. On occasions when the Open Championship is played at Turnberry or Troon, Western Gailes is used as the site for final qualifying.

The format of today's competition was "foursomes", more commonly known by Americans as alternate shot. The match ended up halved, with Stanford winning three matches and 32 Club winning the other three.

Match 1: Patrick Rodgers & Steve Kearney (Stanford) def. J. King & S. Macintosh (32 Club) 2 up
Match 2: P. McKellar & D. Brown (32 Club) def. Shane Lebow & Wilson Bowen (Stanford) 1 up
Match 3: P. Jamieson & M. Stewart (32 Club) def. Patrick Grimes & Andre DeDecker (Stanford) 1 up
Match 4: David Boote & Kevin Blue (Stanford) def. T. Brown & D. Harvey (32 Club) 5 & 4
Match 5: G. Johnston & K. Reid (32 Club) def. Philip Rowe & Dominick Francks (Stanford) 2 & 1
Match 6: Conrad Ray & J. Sloan (Stanford) def. G. Baird & G. Dickie (32 Club) 5 & 4

Freshman Boote looks to make immediate impact
David Boote, a Welshman who most recently resided in Kingswood, Surrey, UK () is one of the two new members of the team this year. Boote arrives at Stanford with a sterling junior golf record and is expected to be a strong contributor. He met the team yesterday at Heathrow airport and will be flying back to Stanford with the group at the conclusion of the trip.

David is the 2011 Welsh Junior Champion and recently captained the Great Britain and Ireland side at the Jacques Leglise trophy, a junior "Ryder Cup style" contest between GBI and continental Europe. This summer he won the St. David's Gold Cross Medal and finished runner up for the Tillman Trophy. Boote is also a rugby player and field hockey player, baritone saxophonist and student of drama.

He makes his way around the golf course thoughtfully and in great control of himself, showing the maturity of a player much older. I was Boote's alternate shot teammate today for the exhibition match at Western Gailes, and was impressed by his game and demeanor throughout. He converted putts at key times to maintain momentum for our side.

Here are some insights from Boote:

You had several options for college, including ASU, Virginia, and some other schools. Why did you choose Stanford?
Boote: "Mainly because of the academics. Everyone knows that the golf is superb, but what really separated Stanford from my other options is that I can take advantage of a great Stanford education while also working toward my goals as a competitive player".

What are your expectations for your freshman season?
Boote: "I'm looking to settle in for the first few months and get accustomed to the rigors of school. I also hope to contribute to our team's success this fall and I'm excited to get started."

How would you describe your style of play?
Boote: "I try my best to be a well-rounded player. I try to keep the ball in play consistently off the tee, and I take a lot of pride in my short game and being as free from mistakes as possible."

Where are you living during your freshman year and what are you most looking forward to about Stanford?
Boote: "I'll be living in Otero in Wilbur Hall. I don't really know what to expect, but I've heard from my teammates that freshman year is a great opportunity to make good friends in the dorms. I'm just looking forward to getting to Stanford and getting to work in golf and school."

Stay tuned for more updates from Scotland. Tomorrow the team will travel to Prestwick to face a formidable opponent in the reigning European collegiate champions from the University of Stirling.