A grand performance by Lockhart, Walker

Ladybank's Alan Lockhart and Thailand-based Kenny Walker (Castle Park) each pocketed £1,030.65 after sharing first place on the two-under-par 68 mark in today's £8,000 Stena Line Stranraer Pro-am.
There was a field of 40 professionals.
Lockhart and Walker finished a shot ahead of Ian Graham (Crow Wood) and James McKinnon (Irvine) who each won £601.21.
SCOREBOARD
Par 70
68 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Kenny Walker (Castle Park) £1,030.65 each.
69 Ian Graham (Crow Wood), James McKinnon (Irvine) £601.21 each.
70 Tom Buchanan (Duddingston), Edward Thomson (Senit Associates), John McTear (Mar Hall Hotel), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs), Mark King (Kingsfield) £304.66 each.
71 Stephen Gray (Hayston), Andrew Marshall (Houston GR), Christopher Russell (RAW Golf Course Design) £175.44 each.
72 Colin Gillies (Perry Golf), Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) £143.26 each.
73 Jonathan Lomas (unatt), Euan Cameron (Hamilton), Derek Watters (Gourock), Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) £108.73 each.
75 Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) £80.39.
76 Alastair MacKenzie (Duddingston), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) £61.23 each.
77 Anthony Mackrell (Est Kilbride), James Erskine (Portpatrick Dunskey), Chris McCalman (unatt), Owen Leslie (Prestonfield) £53.76 each.
78 John Ruth (Gary Mitchelll Golf), Nick Walton (Glasgow) £57.76 each.
79 James Mooney (unatt) £53.76.
80 Fraser McLaughlan (Bothwell Castle), Ross Murdoch (Dumfries & Galloway), Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park) £56.76 each.
83 James Clive (Carrick) £57.76.
86 Graeme Stewart (Gleddoch), Paul Wilson (World of Golf) £53.76 each.
87 Christopher Robinson (Dumfries & Galloway) £53.76.
Retired Stephen McNally (Scottish Inst of Sport) £53.76.
Disqualified Graham Fox (East Kilbride), Colin Farr (Whitehead), David MacMullen(Aberdour), Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Stuart Williamson (Kirkhill) £53.76 each.

United States name strong team for PGA

Cup match at Carrick on Loch Lomond

Mike Small will spearhead a strong-looking American team to defend the PGA Cup against Great Britain & Ireland in Scotland later in the summer.
The University of Illinois coach will be joined in the 10-man US team by fellow members of the victorious 2007 side, Ryan Benzel and Lee Rinker, who will be attempting to retain the Llandudno Trophy at The Carrick on Loch Lomond from September 18-20.
Small earned his third successive appearance for his country with his second US PGA Professional National Championship title at the Twin Warriors Golf Club in New Mexico on Friday.
Benzel, meanwhile, who fought back from three down with three to play in a titantic tussle with Paul Wesselingh two years ago at Reynolds Plantation, Georgia, summed up the signifcance of the contest by calling his PGA Cup appearance the "highlight of his career" even though he made the cut at the 2007 US PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
"Something about having a red, white and blue golf bag and knowing you're playing for your country just puts it above all else," says Benzel
The US team, captained by Brian Whitcomb - the Honorary President of The PGA of America - also includes 2008 PGA Professional National Champion Scott Hebert, who makes his first PGA Cup appearance, and 1995 National Champion Steve Schneiter.
Hebert, the PGA head professional at Grand Traverse Resort in Michigan, clinched a berth by his victory a year ago, and Schneiter, a PGA assistant professional Schneiter's Pebblebrook Links in Utah, earned his second-career berth by finishing tied for second in the National Championship.
They will be joined by Mark Sheftic (Merion Golf Club, Pennsylvania), Sonny Skinner (River Pointe Golf Club, Georgia), Kyle Flinton (Quail Creek Golf and Country Club, Oklahoma), Eric Lippert (Del Monte Golf Course, California), and Craig Thomas (Metropolis Country Club, New York).
"When I look at the 10 players we have on this team, one couldn't ask for more," said Whitcomb. "We have a good mix of youth, veterans with major championship experience and two great Champions [Hebert and Small].
"We have six rookies, but I think back to the six rookies that competed on the 2008 Ryder Cup Team, and we all know how they performed. I think our young players will do very well. One of the 'rookies' is Craig Thomas, but that is misleading. He has always been around the lead, is a great player for many years and though he has yet to play in a PGA Cup, I believe that he will be a leader.
"I look forward to (meeting) the team that Great Britain & Ireland will bring. [Captain] Gary Alliss, a true professional, is someone I very much respect and he will again be leading a very talented group of players. It's going to be a great event and I will do my best to uphold the tradition of serving as Captain."

Mark Bookless (67) sharing 11th place

with one round to go in Chiberta GP

England's Billy Hemstock and Mark Bookless (Sandyhills), last year's Scottish boys' stroke-play champion, have moved into the leading 15 of the Chiberta Grand Prix tournament at Biarritz in southwest France with one round to go in the 72-hole event.
Hemstock had a six-under-par 64 today for a running total of five-under 205 and a share of seventh place behind the French leader, Romain Schneider who had a 69 for nine-under-par 201 and a two-shot lead from two other French players. Schneider, by the way, has a +3 handicap.
Bookless had a 67 for 206 and is sharing 11th place.
Fraserburgh's Kriss Nicol scored a 73 for 215 and is lying joint 33rd.
Greg Paterson (St Andrews New), who had scored pair of 70s, was disqualified. There is no indication of the tournament website why he was disqualified. In some events, "disqualified" some times means they did not turn up for their tee time. Disqualified also covers a multitude of infringements of the rules, including a mistake on a scored so there is no point in speculating when we are so far away from the tournament and have no direct link with the organisers.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 210 (3x70)
Players from France unless stated
201 Romain Schneider 71 61 69.
203 Clement Batut 70 67 66, Antoine Schwartz 66 69 68.
204 Clement Lemaire 67 71 66, J Pierre Verselin 69 67 68, Amboise Fourquet 66 67 71.
Selected scores:
205 Billy Hemstock (England) 68 73 64 (jt 7th).
206 Mark Bookless (Scotland) 66 73 67 (jt 11th).
213 Liam O'Neil (England) 69 69 75 (jt 28th).
215 Kris Nicol (Scotland) 72 70 73 (jt 33rd).
217 Adam Keogh (England) 70 74 73 (jt 43rd).
Disqualified Greg Paterson (Scotland) 70 70 disq.

SGU 72-hole ORDER OF MERIT EVENT

LOCAL HERO GRUNWELL LEADS BY THREE IN

SUTHERLAND CHALICE AT DUMFRIES

Powfoot's Michael Grunwell is shaping to be the "Local Hero" of this year's Sutherland Chalice golf tournament, this weekend's Scottish Golf Union 72-hole Order of Merit event at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club.
The uncapped Grunwell has upstaged the "hot shots" by jumping into a three-stroke halfway lead with rounds of 68 and 64 for an excellent 36-hole tally of eight-under-par 132, 10 under the combined CSS of twice 71.
Grunwell's great second score which kicked him clear of the field included seven birdies and a single bogey.
Leading the pursuit on 135 are Colin Thomson from East Renfrewshire and Colville Park's Paul O'Hara, winner of the Edward Trophy Order of Merit event at Glasgow Gailes in April and a member of the European title-winning Scotland team in Wales the week before last.
Both Thomson and O'Hara shot 69 and 66 to be five under par at the end of the first day.
Matching Grunwell's 64 as the best score of the day was Banchory's James Byrne, winner of the Tennant Trophy and East of Scotland Open in successive weekends and the leader of the SGU Order of Merit table.
Byrne's 6-8 start to his first round 72 meant he shed five shots to par over the first two holes. Fast forward to the second round and the Arizona State University student birdied the first four holes and he is on the 136 mark alongside former British amateur champion Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) and Mathew Clark (Kilmacolm), who lost a Craigmillar Park Open play-off to Gavin Dear, and Kevin McAlpine (Alyth), the former Scottish amateur stroke and match-play champion who has only recently returned to golf after having a knee cruciate ligament operation in February.
Ross Kellett (Colville Park), like O'Hara a member of the winning Scotland team in the European championship, withdrew after returning a first-round 74.
A total of 41 players with total of 144 or better qualified for Sunday's last two rounds.

SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70). CSS 71 71
132 M Grunwell (Powfoot) 68 64.
135 C Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 69 66, P O'Hara (Colville Park) 69 66.
136 J Byrne (Banchory) 72 64, C Watson (East Renfrewshire) 69 67, M Clark (Kilmacolm) 68 68, K McAlpine (Alyth) 66 70.
137 S Crichton (Aberdour) 72 65, M Daily (Erskine) 71 66, D Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie) 70 67, P Ferrier (Baberton) 68 69.
138 J White (Lundin) 68 70, R Crowe (Westerhope) 68 70.
139 S Pinckney (Arizona State University) 72 67, S McEwan (Caprington) 69 70, S Rennie (Drumpellier) 69 70, A Dick (Kingsknowe) 69 70, G Campbell (Blairgowrie) 68 71.
140 G Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 72 68, R Graham (Hayston) 72 69, P Latimer (St Andrews New) 71 69, S Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 70 70, C Hamilton (NZ) 70 70, M Main (Thornton) 69 71, G Yates (Hilton Park).
141 L Kirton (Newmachar) 71 70, S Maxwell (Windyhill) 71 70, G Robertson (Glenbervie) 71 70, M Smyth (Royal Troon) 69 72.
142 L Johnston (Dumfries & Co) 73 69, N Hamilton (Dumfries & Galloway) 72 70.
143 F McKenna (Balmore) 76 67, W Bremner (Edzell) 74 69, B Sloan (Cathkin Braes) 74 69, C Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 73 70, J Ross (Royal Burgess) 72 71, M McNae (Dumfries & Galloway) 72 71, S Gibson (Southerness) 72 71, G Campbell (Clober) 69 74.
144 B Rushford (Grangemouth) 74 70, C Riddick (Southerness) 70 74.
MISSED THE CUT
145 J Ferrier (Dumfries & Galloway) 71 74, F Fotheringham (Nairn) 76 69, P McLean (Peterhead) 69 76, R Bell (Downfield) 76 69, S Keane (Cathkin Braes) 70 75.
146 C Simpson (Bruntsfield) 74 72, F Moore (Glenbervie) 73 73.
147 M Pennycott (Whiting Bay) 76 71, I Winstanley (Formby) 71 76, J Henry (Clydebank) 77 70, M Gray (Lanark) 75 72.
148 C Peddie (Kirkintilloch) 77 71, K McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 71 77, S Borrowman (Dollar) 73 75.
149 A Cappi (Carnoustie) 76 73, C Trahan (Murcar Linkis) 76 73, S Lockhart (Bathgate) 71 78, J Sloan (Doon Valley) 71 78, A Wallace (Glenbervie) 74 75.
150 J Neilson (Dunbar) 74 76, B Irving (Dumfries & Co) 77 73, R Jzck (Dumfries & Galloway) 77 73.
151 D Willacy (Powfoot) 75 76, J Shanks (Irvine Bogside) 77 74.
153 C Corbett (Dumfries & Galloway) 76 77, A Abercrombie (Oklahoma) 76 77.
154 G Robertson (Irvine Ravenspark) 75 78, S Mann (Carnoustie) 73 81, J Hendrick (Pollok) 74 80.
158 A Weir (Motnrose Mercantile) 78 80, S Younger (Hirsel) 80 78.
No show: J Barrett (Muckhart).
NRs: A Main (Thornton) 71 NR, C Baird (Bothwell Castle NR 73, S Neilson (Dunbar) NR 75, I Thomson (Powfoot) 76 NR.
Withdrew: R Kellett (Colville Park) 74 WD, S Robertson (Sandyhills) 74 WD, C Gray (West Kilbride) 79 WD, J Findlay (Fraserburgh) 85 WD.

Kevin McAlpine leads Sutherland Chalice

field by two at Dumfries & Galloway

Alyth's Kevin McAlpine, a former winner of both the Scottish amateur match-play and stroke-play titles, continues to get fitter and better every week following a cruciate ligament knee operation in February which kept him out of golf until only two or three weeks ago.
In today's first round of the Sutherland Chalice, sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club, this weekend's Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit 72-holer, Kevin set the pace with a four-under-par 66 (five under the CSS) which contained only two 4s!
He went two shots clear of Michael Grunwell (Powfoot), Paul Ferrier (Baberton), Mathew Clark (Kilmacolm), Ross Crowe (Westerhope), Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) and James White (Lundin).
Banchory's James Byrne, winner of the Tennant Cup and the East of Scotland Open in successive weeks, had a disastrous start in which he dropped five shots to par over the first two holes. He finished with a two-over-par 72.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 70. CSS 71
66 K McAlpine (Alyth).
68 M Grunwell (Powfoot), P Ferrier (Baberton), M Clark (Kilmacolm), R Crowe (Westerhope), G Campbell (Blairgowrie), J White (Lundin).
69 F Campbell (Clober), M Smyth (Royal Troon), A Dick (Kingsknowe), P O'Hara (Colville Park), S Rennie (Drumpellier), S McEwan (Caprington), C Thomson (East Renfrewshire), G Yates (Hilton Park), M Main (Thornton), P McLean Peterhead), C Watson (East Renfresire).
70 C Hamilton (NZ), D Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie), S Keane (Cathkin Braes), S Binning (Ranfurly Castle), C Riddick (Southerness).
71 M Daily (Erskine), K McClung (Wigtownshire Co), G Robertson (Glenbervie), P Latimer (St Andrews New), S Lockhart (Bathgate), S Maxwell (Windyhill), L Kirton (Newamchar), J Sloan (Doon Valley), A Main (Thornton), I Winstanley (Formby), J Ferrier (Dumfries & Galloway).
72 S Crichton (Abeerdour), R Graham (Hayston), S Pinckney (Arizona State University), J Byrne (Banchroy), S Gibson (Southerness), G Stevenson (Whitecraigs), M McNae (Dumfries & GHalloway), J Ross (Royal Burgess).

Sandy Jones awarded honorary degree

at Birmingham University

PGA chief executive Scots-born Sandy Jones has been awarded an honorary degree by Birmingham University in recognition of his services to golf.
The degree comes almost four decades after he left Coatbridge High School with nine O' and three A'levels and then turned down the offers of places at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities.
Jones received the honour today at the same time as the latest crop of the University's Applied Golf Management Studies undergraduates - many of whom will go onto become PGA professionals.
Also celebrating were PGA Academy duo David Colclough and Jonathan Wright who were awarded Masters Degrees.
"I was mindful of the financial sacrifices my parents would have to make if I spent another three years in full-time education and decided to earn a living," explained Jones.
"To be awarded a degree now is great honour, especially as its for my work in golf and from Birmingham University, which has close links with the PGA."
Instead of going to university, Jones opted to train as a structural engineer and also became a member of the nearby Mount Ellen Golf Club, a membership he maintains to this day, albeit in an honorary capacity.
It was his work there as a committee member, which began during his twenties, that helped him make a rapid ascent of the golfing ladder; a rise that saw him appointed president of the Lanarkshire Golf Association in 1978 at the age of 32, the youngest ever to hold such a position in Scotland.
His burgeoning reputation for excellence off the course as well as on it (thanks to a handicap of two) was matched by his progress at work, especially in the brave new world of computers as a systems analyst.
All of which made him perfect to assume the role of The Professional Golfers' Association's Scottish region secretary in 1980. The region was one of the seven in Great Britain and Ireland under the auspices of the PGA.
Fast forward 11 years and Jones was given responsibility for all seven of them as chief executive, a job that includes looking after the business interests and training of The Association's 7,500-plus professionals who coach the sport, as well as playing a large part in the running of one of the world's biggest sporting events, The Ryder Cup.
His influence and responsibilities did not stop there, however. In 1994 Jones was appointed chairman of The PGA of Europe, the organisation that comprises the PGAs of 30 European countries.

Harrington coasts home - but will history repeat?

Padraig Harrington coasted to a third successive Irish PGA title today in what he hopes proves a lucky omen yet again.
For the past two years the Dubliner has gone on from the European Club to The Open and won that as well, but the big difference this time is that he has missed his last five halfway cuts on the European and American tours.
One behind after the first round, Harrington took over at the top with a second round 70 and finished up a seven-stroke winner over the 2005 British amateur champion Brian McElhinney who also won the European amateur title at Nairn before he turned pro.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
283 Padraig Harrington (unatt) 68 70 73 72 (£4,000).
290 Brian McElhinney (Team Ireland 70 76 72 72 (£2,800).
291 Richard Noel Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70 70 77 74 (£900).
292 Brendan McGovern (Headfort) 72 71 77 72, Simon Thornton (Royal Co Down) 75 67 73 67 (£1,200 each).
294 Mark Staunton (foreireland.com) 76 73 73 72 (£700).
296 Gavin Lunny (Naas) 70 73 74 79 (£650).
297 John Kelly (St Margaret's) 75 71 72 79 (£625).
298 Cian McNamara (unatt) 75 78 72 73 (£600).

THE BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, to name

but one Spaniard - leader of the pack

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Sick on Thursday, better on Friday, flying on Saturday - this has been some week for Lee Westwood.
And next week might be even more memorable. Perhaps only Tiger Woods will go into The Open at Turnberry with more confidence.
Doubtful before the start of the Barclays Scottish Open and wishing after two holes he had pulled out - "I was stupid to play," he said - Westwood added a third-round 64 today to his second round 66.
And he admitted afterwards that thoughts of the European Tour's first-ever 59 entered his mind when he birdied nine of the first 12 holes and had two more clear chances coming straight up.
"I was just unfortunate," said the Ryder Cup star, who last Sunday was in a play-off for the French Open after a superb closing 65.
"I had to wait on the 13th tee and on the next and those sort of things just break your rhythm occasionally."
A chest infection that kept him awake all night had been the reason he came so close to withdrawing.
"It just goes to show I'm a man who needs his sleep. It just felt like somebody's else head on my shoulders - I was dizzy and I couldn't focus.
"It felt almost like I was hung over, if any of you have ever been hung over." To a group of journalists that raised a laugh.
"I was given anti-biotics, slept for three hours after I played Friday and then for another 12 hours."
But the man Westwood and the rest have to catch over Sunday's final 18 holes is the Spaniard with the name that is the bane of scoreboard operators all over Europe - Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, so much so that the "F" word is often abbreviated to save spae.
Fernandez-Castaño produced a seven-under-par 64 today for a 54-hole tally of 14-under-par 199 over the par-71 track. He described it as "the best round of my life."
But much though he wants to win the €579,340 first prize, there is something he wants more - his dog Petra to be found on the Costa del Sol.
The three year old shar pei has been lost since Thursday night after being frightened by fireworks outside his mother-in-law's home in Marbella.
Asked if he would rather take his fifth European Tour title or be told the dog had been found the 28 year old said: "Believe it or not, I am going to say find the dog - anything to see my wife happy."
He is prepared to offer a reward, but hastened to add: "Not tomorrow's cheque, that's for sure."
The Spaniard's closest rivals are Friday night leader Retief Goosen from South Africaand Germany's Martin Kaymer.
About to become a father for the first time in eight weeks' time, Gonzalo, from Madrid, "only" equalled the lowest round of his European Tour career.
But the British Masters champion stated: "That's the best ever - I've never struck the ball like that. Unfortunately my putting was not as good, but after a 64 I am not going to complain.
"It's funny. On the range I couldn't hit a shot. I hooked one five iron 80 yards left of my target."
On the course, though, he started with three birdies, converted another chance on the driveable ninth and posted three more birdies coming home.
Kaymer is looking for back-to-back wins following his Open de France ALSTOM play-off success over Lee Westwood last Sunday - and he did not drop a stroke either in a 66.
Goosen had been two in front of Adam Scott overnight, but after a smooth start bogeyed the tenth and 13th.
A 69 was still better than the Australian managed, however. Scott, watched again by tennis star Ana Ivanovic, mixed five birdies with five bogeys and a double bogey at the 415 yard 12th.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson moved up to joint fourth with Dane Søren Kjeldsen on 11 under, three behind, after a 65 - and is in position to claim the one Open Championship spot on offer.
Donaldson's only top ten finish this season was a fourth in Portugal over two months ago, but the 33 year old has stayed positive waiting for the next chance to come along.
"What are you going to do - sulk like a baby or get on with it?" the former amateur star told himself. Donaldson partnered Luke Donald and Paul Casey to help Britain and Ireland to second place in the 2000 world amateur team championship (the Eisenhower Trophy).
While they became instant stars on turning professional, Donaldson had serious back problems and lost his European Tour card three years ago before regaining it through the Challenge Tour circuit.
"There's loads at stake, but I'm trying not to think about anything. One shot at a time, stay in the present."
Glasgow's Martin Laird, who has made his pro career in the United States where he spent four years at college, is still riding high on his "Homecoming."

European Tour Scoreboard
THE BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN
Loch Lomond Golf Club
THIRD ROUND
Par 213 (3x71)
199 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 65 70 64
200 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 68 63 69, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 69 65 66
202 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 67 68 67, Jamie Donaldson 69 68 65
203 Marcus Fraser (Aus) 68 66 69, Lee Westwood 73 66 64
204 Brian Gay (USA) 70 69 65, Martin Laird 65 70 69
205 Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 69 67, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 70 66, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 72 66
206 Nick Watney (USA) 67 68 71, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 68 71 67, Adam Scott (Aus) 66 67 73, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 69 70 67, Darren Clarke 69 69 68, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 70 69 67
207 Ross Fisher 69 67 71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 70 71 66, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 69 67 71, David Lynn 70 72 65
208 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 67 73 68, Steve Webster 71 70 67, James Kingston (Rsa) 69 72 67, Soren Hansen (Den) 67 68 73, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 69 70 69, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 70 69, Anthony Wall 70 69 69, Paul Lawrie 68 72 68, Mark Foster 68 68 72
209 Gary Orr 70 68 71, Oliver Wilson 74 65 70, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 69 70, Kenneth Ferrie 67 68 74, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 71 69 69, Richard Green (Aus) 64 72 73, Ian Poulter 69 72 68, Camilo Villegas (Col) 69 67 73, Chris Doak 72 68 69, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 74 66 69, Gregory Havret (Fra) 67 70 72
210 Brett Rumford (Aus) 68 69 73, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 68 72, Thomas Levet (Fra) 70 71 69
211 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 69 66 76, Jason McCreadie 70 67 74, Colin Montgomerie 73 69 69, Seve Benson 70 72 69, Rory McIlroy 68 71 72, Shane Lowry 69 71 71, Markus Brier (Aut) 69 69 73, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 72 70 69, Paul McGinley 65 71 75
212 Damien McGrane 71 68 73, David Drysdale 67 73 72, John Bickerton 72 69 71, Pablo Martin (Spa) 69 72 71, Graeme Storm 65 76 71
213 Graeme McDowell 70 72 71, Boo Weekley (USA) 71 70 72, Scott Drummond 70 71 72, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 68 72 73, Oliver Fisher 73 68 72
214 Lee Slattery 71 70 73, Miles Tunnicliff 70 72 72, Sam Little 70 72 72, Ross McGowan 67 72 75
215 Gary Lockerbie 69 73 73, Alexander Noren (Swe) 70 71 74, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 70 69 76
216 Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 71 70 75, Nick Dougherty 71 71 74, Scott Strange (Aus) 70 72 74, Paul Broadhurst 71 71 74
217 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 72 75, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 73 69 75

Fife Golf Association Men's Match-play Scoreboard

FIRST ROUND
C Martin bt I McDonald 4 and 3.
R Wallace bt G Wilson 1 hole.
S Michie bt D Fotheringham at 21st.
B Erskine w.o. J Anderson scr.
G Fotheringham bt G Ballantyne 3 and 1.
G Page bt J McColl 2 and 1.
D Gould bt C Steffen 2 and 1.
A Moir bt G Sharp at 21st.
QUARTER-FINALS
Martin bt Wallace 1 hole.
Michie bt Erskine 2 and 1.
Page bt G Fotheringham 1 hole.
A Moir bt D Gould 1 hole.
SUNDAY'S SEMI-FINALS
Martin v Michie at 9am.
Page v Moir at 9.15am.

FIFE YOUTHS CHAMPIONSHIP
SEMI-FINALS
Scott Crichton bt Euan Crawford 3 and 2.
David Mitchell bt Josh Anderson at 24th.
FINAL
Mitchell bt Crichton at 22nd.

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

McArthur's putter cold as he finishes

third day five behind leader Kaleka

From: Press Officer Roddy Williams
Scot Andrew McArthur was left to rue another bad day with the putter as he finished the third round of the European Challenge Tour's ALLIANZ EurOpen de Lyon five strokes adrift of the leaders.
McArthur, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, posted a one under par 70 to lie at eight under 205 and has plenty of work to do to catch the leading pair of Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka and Dane Anders Schmidt Hansen on Sunday at Golf du Gouverneur in Monthieux.
Kaleka, who has led from the start on his professional debut, shot a 70 while Hansen drew level at 13 under par 200 with a 69.
“I have just holed nothing for the past two days,” said McArthur. “I gave myself chances but the putts have not dropped, although the most disappointing thing was the double bogey at the end of the second round. I was trying to give myself a chance at birdie and ended up with a double. But tomorrow I have to just keep firing at the pins and hopefully make a few putts.”
Peter Whiteford, the only other Scot to survive the halfway cut in Lyon, shot a one under par 70 to finish on four under par 209.
French amateur international star Kaleka, who only turned professional on Monday, can expect plenty of home support as he attempts to win on his Challenge Tour debut while Hansen is hoping for a win to catapult him towards The European Tour. England’s Marcus Higley their closest challenger at nine under par 204.
The pressure of leading since day one looked to finally be taking its toll on 22 year old Kaleka as he dropped three strokes in his opening six holes, but he dug deep and hit back with five birdies in his next eight holes to post a 70 and draw level with Hansen.
Hansen made the perfect start by birdieing his first two holes to put the pressure firmly on the inexperienced Kaleka but could not press on from there and finished with a two under par 69 to match Kaleka’s 13 under total.
“I struggled in the first few holes,” said Kaleka. “I hit bad shots and didn’t have my head on my shoulders. But then I hit two or three good shots and I was still in contention. It will be an exciting day tomorrow. We will see what position we are in after the first nine as it may become match play after that. It’s been a great week and hope it will continue.”
Hansen, a good friend of Celtic Manor Wales Open winner Jeppe Huldahl, hopes to draw inspiration from Huldahl’s win last month. He said: “I have played so many practice rounds with Jeppe, know his game so well, and to see him win on The European Tour gives you the belief that you can also do it.
“I got off to the perfect start with two good putts but couldn’t hole any after that,” he said. “I was playing good golf and had some chances but couldn’t take them. Alex was impressive with how he came back after his start. He is a good player.”
THIRD-ROUND LEADERS
Par 213 (3x71)
200 A Hansen (Den) 64 67 69, A Kaleka (Fra) 63 67 70
204 M Higley (Eng) 71 68 65
205 T Carolan (Aus) 65 70 70, F Calmels (Fra) 68 68 69, A McArthur (Sco) 63 72 70
206 C Günther (Ger) 67 69 70, C Russo (Fra) 69 69 68, A Willey (Eng) 70 69 67, A Butterfield (Eng) 72 69 65, G Houston (Wal) 66 73 67, V Dubuisson (am) (Fra) 67 70 69
207 C Brazillier (Fra) 69 67 71, J Parry (Eng) 69 68 70, A Grenier (Fra) 65 71 71, C Rodiles (Esp) 70 65 72, S Bebb (Wal) 70 70 67, P Golding (Eng) 67 68 72, F Praegant (Aut) 67 68 72
208 J Quesne (Fra) 71 66 71, B Mason (Eng) 66 70 72, R Karlberg (Swe) 71 68 69, J Arruti (Esp) 68 69 71, P Rowe (Eng) 71 68 69, J Grillon (Fra) 67 73 68
209 S Davis (Eng) 69 73 67, P Whiteford (Sco) 71 68 70, J Guerrier (Fra) 73 68 68, R Santos (Por) 67 75 67, R Muntz (Ned) 67 70 72, A Gee (Eng) 67 72 70, J Heath (Eng) 69 71 69

210 C Suneson (Esp) 70 71 69, G Paddison (Nzl) 66 73 71, R McEvoy (Eng) 69 70 71, M Villegas (Col) 70 66 74, M Zions (Aus) 70 70 70
211 A Högberg (Swe) 71 70 70, L Bond (Wal) 70 66 75, E Molinari (Ita) 68 71 72, A Wagner (Arg) 71 71 69, A Snobeck (Fra) 66 72 73, J Bjerhag (Swe) 71 68 72, B Lecuona (Fra) 68 68 75, J Lima (Por) 68 67 76, B Hebert (Fra) 68 70 73, R Coles (Eng) 72 65 74, J Lando-Casanova (am) (Fra) 71 70 70
212 S Manley (Wal) 67 71 74, J Billot (Fra) 73 69 70, C Moriarty (Irl) 71 71 70, D Küpper (Ger) 74 66 72, S Juul (Den) 70 70 72, P Niederdrenk (Ger) 75 66 71, R Thuillier (Fra) 71 70 71, D Nouailhac (Fra) 69 69 74
213 N Fox (Irl) 77 65 71, J Sjöholm (Swe) 72 70 71, B Pettersson (Swe) 73 69 71,
214 M Mills (Eng) 72 68 74, F Cupillard (Fra) 72 70 72, R Steele (Eng) 70 71 73, A Bernadet (Fra) 69 73 72, D Griffiths (Eng) 70 70 74
215 M Cort (Eng) 70 71 74, L Gagli (Ita) 70 71 74, Z Scotland (Eng) 69 70 76, S Luna (Esp) 73 69 73, L Westerberg (Swe) 71 70 74, M McGeady (Irl) 65 77 73
216 N Meitinger (Ger) 69 73 74, A Zanini (Ita) 67 74 75
217 B Miarka (Ger) 70 71 76
219 L James (Eng) 71 71 77

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R&A

Withdrawn Competitors
The following competitors have withdrawn from The Open Championship.

Hart, Dudley, USA 29.06.09 No replacement
Karlsson, Robert, Sweden 07.07.09 No replacement
Wilkinson, Tim, New Zealand 07.07.09 No replacement
Immelman, Trevor, South Africa 08.07.09 Replaced by Mathew Goggin (Australia)
Mickelson, Phil, USA 11.07.09 Replaced by Ben Crane (USA)

Reserves:
Steve Marino (USA) is now Reserve 1 and will be in attendance.
Rod Pampling (Australia) is Reserve 2.
Thomas Levet (France) is Reserve 3.
John Senden (Australia) is Reserve 4.

The Open Championship will take place next week from 16-19 July.

More from Gary McFarlane
Clober GC's PGA professional

(scroll down to find the messages about low scoring at different clubs):

Just when I thought we had one member in my midst who had shot 59, I find another.
Tom McKeown, who joined our course a couple of years ago, shot a 59 at Milngavie Golf Club, (right next door to us), which was nine-under-the-par of 68 for the course. A superb effort!

Gary McFarlane

Bean and Price share lead

in United States seniors' event

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
Andy Bean and Nick Price each shot a seven-under-par 65 to share the first-round lead in the US Champions (Seniors) Tour's 3M Championship at Blaine, Minnesota.
It was the best opening round this year for both players.
Using a new driver that he first hit during Thursday's pro-am, Bean birdied five of six holes on the front side, and birdied three of his last four holes. He said he'd hit "a lot" of different drivers this year so far.
"I made nine birdies yesterday and eight today. I just put myself in very good position," he said. "It feels so solid. In the wind, you want to hit something that's very penetrating and I picked out my line and hit it pretty much every time. ... It feels like I'm hitting dead centre of the club every time. I cleared 300 (yards) a number of times."
Bean, who entered the tournament ranked fifth in tour scoring average at 69.74, has two second-place finishes this year. He believes this could be his breakthrough week now that he is finding success off the tee.
"It's a different attitude when you're driving well, and driving in the fairway," he said. "I'm a good iron player and I'm putting well. It's a good combination."
Price shot a 30 on the back nine, including four straight birdies.
He said he was just trying to keep pace with his playing partners, Bernhard Langer and Ben Crenshaw.
Langer parred the last seven holes and was one of four players at 5 under.
Crenshaw was tied for the lead heading to the final hole, but put two shots in the water en route to a triple bogey. He is one of four players at 4 under.
"It's strange that I'm the one that ended up with the best score after lagging behind the whole day," Price said. "That's golf."
After a frustrating 1 under on the front side, Price hooked his drive across a cart path on No. 10, missing a hazard by about 1 yard. Despite a limited backswing, his wedge shot landed within 2 feet of the cup.
"I'd been hitting the ball pretty well all day. To hit the one poor tee shot and walk off with birdie pumped me up a little bit," he said. "As soon as I broke the ice with that birdie it settled me a little bit and I got a little more aggressive with some of my swings."
After a par at No. 11, Price birdied Nos. 12, 13, 14 and 15 to get to 6 under, rimmed out a birdie putt on 16 and birdied the final hole.
Gene Jones, who finished fourth last year, had nine birdies in shooting a 66. He is one shot back.
Starting on the back side, Jones birdied four of his first six holes, and added birdies on his first three holes on the back side to get to 7 under. He double-bogeyed the par-3 eighth, and nearly holed out his approach on the final hole for eagle.
"I'd like everyday to be like this, except No. 8," Jones said.
Forty-five of the 79 players broke par on the fast and firm TPC Twin Cities.
"We're in for a lot of birdies if conditions stay this way," Jones said. "It'll be a birdie-fest for sure."
Defending champion R.W. Eaks was among a group of a dozen players that shot a 2-under 70. No champion has defended his title in the event's 17-year history.
SCROLL DOWN FOR SCOREBOARD

United States Nationwide Tour Scoreboard
Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic Presented by Samsung
The Georgian Bay Club & Raven Golf Club
Lora Bay, Clarksburg, Ontario, Canada
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 143 (1x72, 1x71).
130 Roger Tambellini 64 66
133 David Branshaw 67 66, Paul Claxton 67 66, Jason Enloe 64 69, Garth Mulroy 67 66, Kyle Reifers 61 72
134 Justin Bolli 66 68, John Ellis 69 65, JJ Killeen 65 69
135 Chris M. Anderson 67 68, Christopher Baryla 66 69, Todd Fischer 69 66, Martin Piller 68 67, Matthew Richardson 68 67, Brian Smock 66 69
136 Blake Adams 68 68, Michael Arnaud 67 69, Craig Barlow 67 69, Craig Bowden 65 71, D.J. Brigman 66 70, Josh Broadaway 67 69, Gary Christian 69 67, Chad Collins 68 68, Bubba Dickerson 67 69, Dennis Paulson 70 66, Byron Smith 70 66, Brian Stuard 68 68, Joseph Sykora 69 67
137 Ben Bates 68 69, John Kimbell 69 68, Derek Lamely 69 68, Brenden Pappas 65 72, Alex Prugh 70 67, Fran Quinn 68 69, Dustin Risdon 68 69, Michael Sims 68 69, Jhonattan Vegas 67 70, Dan Wax 67 70
138 Ryan Armour 67 71, Gavin Coles 70 68, Bret Guetz 68 70, David McKenzie 67 71, Jin Park 68 70, Cameron Percy 69 69, Dustin White 72 66
139 Andrew Buckle 70 69, Scott Gardiner 70 69, Troy Merritt 72 67, Jon Mills 70 69, Ron Whittaker 67 72
140 Bryan DeCorso 69 71, Graham Delaet 73 67, Todd Demsey 68 72, Matthew Every 72 68, Martin Flores 71 69, Steve Friesen 69 71, Brad Fritsch 70 70, Jeff Gallagher 68 72, Tom Gillis 70 70, Jeff Gove 68 72, Seung Su Han 70 70, Bob May 71 69, Mauricio Molina 67 73, Chris Nallen 67 73, Michael Putnam 70 70, Kyle Thompson 71 69, Tjaart Van Der Walt 71 69
MISSED THE CUT
141 Ian Leggatt 71 70, Grant Waite 72 69, Tripp Isenhour 73 68, Jim Carter 74 67, Chip Sullivan 69 72, John Riegger 71 70, Adam Short 73 68, Stuart Deane 72 69, Erick Justesen 70 71, Andrew Parr 71 70, Josh Teater 70 71, Chad Ginn 74 67
142 Paul Gow 74 68, Jason Caron 71 71, Hunter Haas 69 73, Phil Tataurangi 70 72, David Morland IV 71 71, Dong Yi 69 73, Ryan Cobb 72 70, Andrew Svoboda 69 73, Andrew Dresser 73 69, Ryan Hietala 73 69, Camilo Benedetti 70 72, Willie Wood 73 69, Mike Grob 69 73, Bob Sowards 73 69, Scott Parel 72 70, Tommy Tolles 72 70
143 Doug Labelle 68 75, Rafael Gomez 74 69, Kent Eger 73 70, Jim Herman 72 71, Patton Kizzire 69 74, Steven Alker 71 72, Justin Walters 71 72, Sal Spallone 71 72, Steven Bowditch 73 70, David Gossett 71 72, Keoke Cotner 68 75, Rich Barcelo 72 71
144 Jason Schultz 74 70, Jim Rutledge 73 71, Andrew Bonhomme 72 72, Fabian Gomez 70 74, Jason Knutzon 73 71, Andre Stolz 69 75, Tom Carter 69 75, Jeff Brehaut 69 75, Chris Tidland 71 73, Vance Veazey 69 75, Skip Kendall 72 72, Dave Schultz 71 73, Garrett Osborn 73 71, Major Manning 71 73, Robert Damron 75 69, Justin Hicks 75 69
145 Jim McGovern 70 75, Tee McCabe 74 71, Chris Kirk 77 68, Won Joon Lee 74 71, David Robinson 72 73, Keith Nolan 72 73, Steve Wheatcroft 73 72
146 David Hearn 74 72, Brad Golden 71 75, Brendan Steele 74 72, Brennan Webb 73 73, Joey Lamielle 77 69, B.J. Staten 74 72, Dustin Bray 75 71, Andrew Johnson 73 73, Kris Cox 74 72
147 Lee Williamson 78 69, Drew Laning 68 79
148 Zoran Zorkic 77 71, Len Mattiace 73 75, Kevin Johnson 72 76, Steven Taylor 73 75, Jonathan Fricke 75 73, Geoffrey Sisk 74 74
149 Scott Fawcett 80 69, Richard Lee 70 79, Scott Brown 73 76
150 Jeff Curl 73 77, Daniel Summerhays 81 69
151 Sonny Skinner 74 77, Derek Gillespie 71 80, Craig Kanada 76 75
152 Bob Burns 73 79
153 Daniel Licursi 75 78
155 Alex Aragon 73 82, Grant Fuhr 73 82
156 Jim Nelford 80 76

US Champions' Tour Scoreboard
3M Championship
TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minneapolis
FIRST ROUND
Par 72
65 Andy Bean, Nick Price (Zim)
66 Gene Jones
67 Bernhard Langer (Ger), Dan Forsman, Scott Hoch, Ronnie Black
68 Gary Hallberg, Fulton Allem (Rsa), Ben Crenshaw, Mike Goodes
69 Robert L Thompson, Bruce Fleisher, Joey Sindelar, Tom Kite
70 R.W. Eaks, Keith Fergus, Mike Hulbert, Fred Funk, Wayne Levi, Jerry Pate, David Edwards, Brad Bryant, John Morse, Fuzzy Zoeller, Mark McNulty (Irl), John Jacobs
71 Gil Morgan, Mike McCullough, Denis Watson (Zim), Morris Hatalsky, Lanny Wadkins, Lonnie Nielsen, Don Pooley, Mark O'Meara, Chip Beck, John Harris, Larry Mize, Mark James (Eng), John Cook, Bruce Vaughan, Graham Marsh (Aus), Dana Quigley, Olin Browne, Jay Haas
72 Phil Blackmar, Jeff Sluman, David Eger, Hale Irwin, Bob Gilder, Hal Sutton, Tom McKnight
73 Tom Jenkins, Mike Reid, Gary McCord, Leonard Thompson, Steve Thomas, Bruce Lietzke, Mark W Johnson, Jim Dent, Ron Streck, Tim Simpson, Bobby Wadkins
74 James Mason, Blaine McCallister
75 Tom Herzan, Peter Jacobsen, Tom Purtzer, Mark Wiebe, Jim Colbert, Scott Simpson, Larry Nelson, Mitch Adams, Dave Stockton
77 Bruce Summerhays, Dave Eichelberger
78 Jim Thorpe, Allen Doyle
79 Jay Sigel

US PGA Tour event washed out in Illinois

The second round of the John Deere Classic was postponed due to heavy rain.
Scheduled to start at 7 a.m. on Friday, tournament officials at the Silvis, Illinois venue were hoping to begin play at 4 p.m. (local time) after several delays. They called the round off entirely about 20 minutes before the first groups were scheduled to tee off.
By then, the sun was out and most of the clouds had disappeared. But the course was simply too wet, so officials moved the round back a day and scheduled 36 holes for Sunday.
Twice US Open champion Lee Janzen and Darron Stiles are tied for the lead after shooting 7-under 64 on Thursday.

Birdie-less Harrington goes four

clear in Irish PGA championship

Padraig Harrington did not have a single birdie in a third-round 73 - but still ended the day with a four-shot lead on two-under-par 211 in the PGA Irish championship at the European Club.
Nobody broke 71, which indicates that the weather was not helpful.
SCOREBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
211 Padraig Harrington (unatt) 68 70 73.
215 Simon Thornton (Royal Co down) 75 67 73.
217 Gavin Lunny (Naas) 70 73 74, Richard Noel Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70 7 77.
218 John Kelly (St Margaret's) 75 71 72, Brian McElhinney (Team Ireland) 70 76 72, Glen Robinson (St Helen's Bay) 70 74 74.
219 Seamus McMonagle (unatt) 69 75 75.
220 Brendan McGovern (Headfort) 72 71 77.
222 Denis O'Sullivan (Club La Playa) 75 76 71, Mark Staunton (www.foreirreland.com/) 76 73 73.
224 Michael Collins (www.foreireland.com/) 73 78 73, Padraic O'Rourke (Green 18) 71 76 77, Tim Rice (unatt) 70 76 78.
225 Cian McNamara (unatt) 75 78 72.
226 Wayne O'Callaghan (Wayne O'Callaghan Golf.com) 76 72 78, Damian Mooney (unatt) 70 77 79.
227 Jimmy Bolger (Kilkenny) 76 74 77, Ian Kerr (Bunclody) 75 74 78.
228 Michael Allan (Leopardstown) 80 75 73, Donal Gleeson (McGuirks Golf) 77 74 77.
229 Gary Cullen (Beaverstown) 78 76 75, Stephen Fitzpatrick (Powerscourt) 80 73 76, John Dignam (Slade Valley) 77 76 76.

Sir Nick misses the cut at Loch Lomond

Having started the Scottish Open as plain Nick Faldo the six-time major winner ended it today as Sir Nick.
Between the first and second rounds the European Tour established there was no need to wait for Faldo's investiture to acknowledge the knighthood he received last month.
Last year's Ryder Cup captain was playing his first event since the Hong Kong Open eight months ago and missed the halfway cut on two over par following rounds of 71 and 73.
Faldo is also in the field for The Open at Turnberry next week.

Mickelson confirms he's not coming over for Open

Phil Mickelson has confirmed he will not take part in The Open which begins in Turnberry on Thursday.
The American, who has been replaced in the starting field by fellow American Ben Crane, has pulled out so he can be with his wife and mother who are both battling cancer.
Mickelson, who had contested every Open since he turned professional in 1994 but only finished in the top 10 once when he was third at Royal Troon in 2004, confirmed his decision with an announcement on his website, www.philmickelson.com.
He said: "As a professional golfer, competing in major championships, and winning them, is my main objective.
"But I've always said family is my number one priority. For that reason I won't be playing the British Open at Turnberry next week.
"It's a trying time for us as we await more test results but we have excellent medical attention and care, we've received wonderful support from so many people, many of whom have gone through the same battle, and we're optimistic, as always."

BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

'I do like Loch Lomond,' says Goosen

- and no wonder as he leads by two

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Retief Goosen is not known as a comic, but he is sure he gave his playing partners a laugh at Loch Lomond today by making a total mess of his opening shot.
"A low, thinny one going right - probably not even 180 yards off the tee," said Goosen of his three-wood down the 10th.
However, the South African was the one smiling the most at the end of the Barclays Scottish Open second round, however, after an eight-under-par 63 catapulted him from four behind into a two-stroke lead.
Goosen, now 11 under, missed out on the course record by only one stroke - as he did not need telling because he was the one to achieve it back in 1997.
"I've shot 62 around here twice, once with placing (in 2001 en route to taking the title) and once without. I do like it here. The golf course is fairly generous off the tee and I'm not one of the straightest hitters."
The double US Open champion, who rescued his par-4 on the 10th with a 30-foot putt, has a particular fondness for the 518-yard third hole now.
As on the opening day, he sank a 20-footer for eagle, making him four under there already this week.
Goosen - a winner in Asia, Africa and America in the last nine months, but not in Europe since the 2005 German Masters - has Australian Adam Scott as his closest challenger. Scott was off at 7.40am, but did not prevent former tennis world number one Ana Ivanovic from being there to support him as he added a 67 to his opening 66.
"All areas of my life are in a good place right now," said the 28-year-old when asked if it helped to have a partner who was also a professional sports star.
His compatriot Marcus Fraser and German Martin Kaymer, winner of the French Open on Sunday, are three behind in joint third, while Lee Westwood, the player Kaymer beat in a play-off in Paris, was much improved both in his golf as well as his health.
For the second week running Colin Montgomerie ended up making a halfway cut he firmly expected to miss on Friday night.
Europe's Ryder Cup captain will now try to force his way into contention in the Barclays Scottish Open just as he did at the French Open last weekend.
Despite making birdies at the last four holes for a second-round 69, Montgomerie assumed his level-par aggregate would see him crashing out of his national championship for the third year running.
But six-and-a-half hours later the 46-year-old's place in the final two rounds was confirmed when Martin Erlandsson, playing in the last group, lost a ball and triple-bogeyed his final hole.
A birdie there from the Swede would have knocked out not only Montgomerie, but also defending champion Graeme McDowell. Erlandsson was actually two under with three to play, but dropped five shots in the last three.
Montgomerie had been full of doom and gloom after his round.
"I'm not playing very well at all," he sighed.
"My game has gone back to where it's been for the last one-and-a-half years - disappointing.
"But never mind - we'll keep going. Turn up next Thursday (the start of the Open at Turnberry) and give it a run - that might be the answer."
If Monty's not happy with his game what about New Zealand's Michael Campbell? The former US Open has now missed 11 cuts in a row.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE END-OF-PLAY SCOREBOARD AT LOCH LOMOND

Nick Dougherty named European Tour

Player of the Month for June

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
England’s Nick Dougherty has been named The Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month for June after his memorable, emotionally-charged victory at the BMW International Open.
Dougherty, who will receive a jeroboam of Moët & Chandon champagne along with an engraved alms dish in recognition of his achievement, secured his third European Tour victory at the Golfclub München Eichenried with a brilliant final round of eight under par 64 to win by a stroke from Argentina’s Rafa Echenique, who scored an unbelievable albatross 2 on the par-5 72nd hole to push Dougherty all the way.
But the Englishman retained his nerve to finish one clear of Echenique and three ahead of Retief Goosen as he took the €333,330 first prize and moved into the top 20 in The Race to Dubai.
Dougherty’s win in Germany was hugely poignant because it was his first win since his mother, Ennis, passed away last year, and the emotive element to his win made it all the more remarkable.
“I just collapsed after my Mum died,” Dougherty said of his form and confidence. “Up until that point I was playing pretty well. I was going to make The Ryder Cup Team, I had just started to break into the Majors, led the US Open and finished seventh having played with Tiger Woods – everything felt very comfortable.
“Then my world turned upside down in 2008. Having been blessed to not having anything really significant in a bad way happen to me, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I wasn't prepared for it, and it was horrible.
“But I sat down and, in time, started to heal and I collected myself and I realised that I
I have potential to be a great player. There are things I have to work on, but days like I had in Munich are not a coincidence. It was a long time coming, but it came at the right time and to be recognised as the Golfer of the Month just tops it off nicely.”

LLOYD SALTMAN MISSES ANOTHER CUT

Rookie Alexandre Kaleka leads, just five

days after turning professional

REPORT FROM PRESS OFFICER RODDY WILLIAMS
Alexandre Kaleka belied his inexperience as he took a one stroke lead into the weekend of the ALLIANZ EurOpen de Lyon in France, just five days after turning professional.
The 22 year old Frenchman birdied his penultimate hole, the eighth at Golf du Gouverneur, for a four under par 67 and 12 under total of 130, one ahead of Denmark’s Anders Schmidt Hansen and four clear of the chasing pack.
Kaleka, who only turned professional on Monday after representing France in last week’s European amateur team championship in Wales where they finished fifth, might have been expected to buckle after finding himself in a share of the first round lead.
But a birdie on the 12th and eagle on the 15th kept him in front and, despite dropping a shot on the first and not hitting a fairway on his back nine, he conjured up two more birdies to take the outright lead.
“I am staying calm and it was nice to have a few people behind me today,” he said. “The score was okay but I found it difficult to hit the fairways and that was a big difference. I just need to try and find the fairways tomorrow and if I drive well I will be okay. I am pretty confident with the putter so just need to try and get the ball in position.”
Hansen is hoping to join the growing band of Danish golfers on The European Tour and take his place alongside his namesakes, Anders and Søren. Like all Danish golfers, he has been inspired by Thomas Björn and all he has achieved, but it was seeing his old travelling companion on the Challenge Tour and amateur teammate Jeppe Huldahl win the Celtic Manor Wales Open last month which opened his eyes to what is possible.
“Thomas Björn has been huge for Danish golf and inspired every golfer,” explained Hansen. “He broke the boundaries and now golf is the second most popular sport in Denmark. There are a lot of very good Danish golfers on The European Tour now, but seeing that Jeppe could go out and win was fantastic. Now I know what is possible.”
Hansen birdied two of his three opening holes and holed a five metre putt on the ninth to go out in 33. Two more birdies and a solitary bogey coming in gave the 31 year old a four under 67 and 11 under par total of 131.
Glasgow's Andrew McArthur slipped back into the pack with a costly double bogey on his final hole. He trails leader Alexandre Kaleka by five strokes going into the weekend.
McArthur was right in the mix after a birdie on his penultimate hole, the eighth at Golf du Gouverneur, moved him within three of the lead, but found trouble on the last to fall back into a six-way tie for third.
McArthur was unable to match his stunning opening 63 as he mixed birdies and bogeys in equal measure through the first 16 holes, before getting himself under par with his birdie on eight. But that good work was undone on the last.
Of the other Scots in the field in France, Peter Whiteford climbed 36 places to a share of 27th with a three under par 68 to lie on three under 139, but Lloyd Saltman couldn’t rekindle his Open Qualifying heroics as he missed the cut and can now turn this attentions to Turnberry where he will tee it up alongside his brother Eliot.
Eric Ramsay, Scott Henry and George Murray also missed the cut.
Spain’s Carlos Rodiles eagled the 15th on his way to a 65 to join the group on seven under that included Australian Tony Carolan (70), Portugal’s José-Felipe Lima (67), England’s Philip Golding (68) and last week’s runner-up Florian Praegant (68).
Among the players a further shot back and very much in the mix is Colombian Manny Villegas, the younger brother of World Number 11 Camilo.
Villegas, three years the junior of his more famous brother who is competing this week in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, is playing only his third Challenge Tour event as he looks to establish himself on the golfing stage.
His five under par round, which included an eagle three on the third where he chipped in, took the 24 year old to six under par and within striking distance of the leaders.
Having turned professional last year after finishing at the University of Florida, Villegas won only his second event as a professional when he captured the 2008 Colombia Open. Since then he has been competing around the world in Canada, Japan, Australia and on the American mini Tours, and he now hopes to use the Challenge Tour as his route to The European Tour.
“Things are going well and I am having a lot of fun,” he said. “Hopefully I can get it going this weekend and then play more over here. It depends on how well I do over here but I would love to come and play on The European Tour.”
ROUND 2 SCOREBOARD
Par 142 (2x71)
130 A Kaleka (Fra) 63 67,
131 A Hansen (Den) 64 67,
135 P Golding (Eng) 67 68, C Rodiles (Esp) 70 65, J Lima (Por) 68 67, F Praegant (Aut) 67 68, T Carolan (Aus) 65 70, A McArthur (Sco) 63 72,
136 A Grenier (Fra) 65 71, B Mason (Eng) 66 70, C Günther (Ger) 67 69, F Calmels (Fra) 68 68, M Villegas (Col) 70 66, C Brazillier (Fra) 69 67, L Bond (Wal) 70 66, B Lecuona (Fra) 68 68,
137 R Muntz (Ned) 67 70, J Arruti (Esp) 68 69, R Coles (Eng) 72 65, J Quesne (Fra) 71 66, J Parry (Eng) 69 68, V Dubuisson (am) (Fra) 67 70,
138 S Manley (Wal) 67 71, A Snobeck (Fra) 66 72, D Nouailhac (Fra) 69 69, C Russo (Fra) 69 69, B Hebert (Fra) 68 70,
139 G Paddison (Nzl) 66 73, R Karlberg (Swe) 71 68, J Bjerhag (Swe) 71 68, R McEvoy (Eng) 69 70, A Gee (Eng) 67 72, P Rowe (Eng) 71 68, E Molinari (Ita) 68 71, G Houston (Wal) 66 73, Z Scotland (Eng) 69 70, P Whiteford (Sco) 71 68, M Higley (Eng) 71 68, A Willey (Eng) 70 69,
140 M Mills (Eng) 72 68, D Küpper (Ger) 74 66, D Griffiths (Eng) 70 70, M Zions (Aus) 70 70, S Bebb (Wal) 70 70, J Heath (Eng) 69 71, S Juul (Den) 70 70, J Grillon (Fra) 67 73,
141 R Steele (Eng) 70 71, B Miarka (Ger) 70 71, P Niederdrenk (Ger) 75 66, C Suneson (Esp) 70 71, L Gagli (Ita) 70 71, J Guerrier (Fra) 73 68, R Thuillier (Fra) 71 70, M Cort (Eng) 70 71, A Zanini (Ita) 67 74, L Westerberg (Swe) 71 70, A Högberg (Swe) 71 70, A Butterfield (Eng) 72 69, J Lando-Casanova (am) (Fra) 71 70
MISSED THE CUT
142 F Cupillard (Fra) 72 70, S Davis (Eng) 69 73, N Fox (Irl) 77 65, A Wagner (Arg) 71 71, C Moriarty (Irl) 71 71, L James (Eng) 71 71, A Bernadet (Fra) 69 73, J Billot (Fra) 73 69, B Pettersson (Swe) 73 69, J Sjöholm (Swe) 72 70, R Santos (Por) 67 75, N Meitinger (Ger) 69 73, M McGeady (Irl) 65 77, S Luna (Esp) 73 69,
143 M Quiros (Esp) 70 73, R Harris (Eng) 69 74, M Mauret (Fra) 73 70, G Boyd (Eng) 72 71, V Riu (Fra) 74 69, J McLeary (Sco) 70 73, P Relecom (Bel) 72 71, G Rosier (Fra) 70 73, T Feyrsinger (Aut) 71 72, J Moul (Eng) 68 75, L Saltman (Sco) 70 73, F Fritsch (Ger) 73 70,
144 N Pamard (Fra) 71 73, D Denison (Eng) 72 72, A Bruschi (Ita) 71 73, J Colomo (Esp) 70 74, S Delagrange (Fra) 74 70, M Tullo (Chi) 74 70, M Curtain (Aus) 70 74, G Molteni (Ita) 71 73, A Mörk (Fra) 74 70,
145 P Del Grosso (Arg) 72 73, E Ramsay (Sco) 72 73, M Kramer (Ger) 68 77, T Cruz (Por) 70 75, J Campillo (Esp) 71 74, J Van Hauwe (Fra) 73 72, J Clément (Sui) 72 73, J Zapata (Arg) 73 72,
146 O Suhr (Den) 75 71, M Montgaillard (Fra) 75 71, R Treis (Ger) 74 72, L Kennedy (Eng) 74 72, N Vanhootegem (Bel) 74 72, B Evans (Eng) 70 76, J Burnier (Sui) 73 73, R De Sousa (Sui) 72 74, R Swane (Ned) 72 74, M Crespi (Ita) 74 72,
147 A Summers (Aus) 74 73, J Boerdonk (Ned) 74 73, F Schoettel (Fra) 76 71, R Guillard (Fra) 72 75, J Ruth (Eng) 75 72, J Garcia Fernandez (Esp) 73 74, R Hie (Ina) 69 78, D Perrier (Fra) 79 68,
148 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 77, D Froreich (Ger) 74 74, D Marmion (Eng) 73 75, E Moreul (Fra) 76 72, O David (Fra) 71 77, L Alexandre (Fra) 71 77,
149 S Saavedra (Arg) 72 77, J Morrison (Eng) 72 77, R Zwahlen (Fra) 74 75, D Antonelli (am) (Fra) 73 76, A Malinvaud (am) (Fra) 74 75,
150 I Pyman (Eng) 76 74, M Reale (Ita) 76 74,
151 T Lopez (Fra) 74 77, S Henry (Sco) 80 71, N Colsaerts (Bel) 76 75, N Beaufils (Fra) 73 78,
152 T Ferreira (RSA) 78 74, M Hill (Fra) 77 75, G Murray (Sco) 74 78,
153 F Colombo (Ita) 75 78,
154 M Saluda (Pol) 78 76, F Cabrera (Arg) 74 80, T Schuster (Ger) 75 79,
155 A Haindl (RSA) 79 76, R Eyraud (Fra) 77 78,
156 J Sallat (Fra) 75 81, G Ruste (Fra) 83 73,
158 M Pilkington (Wal) 83 75,
165 M Stelmasiak (Pol) 79 86,

Scots boys beat Portugal

Saturday's European boys' team championship final at Golf Club de Pan, Utrecht in the Netherlands will be contested by Denmark and Germany.
Denmark beat the host nation 4-3 in today's first semi-final while the Germans "walloped" Spain 5-2 in the other.
Scotland, competing in Flight B, had a good 3-2 win over Portugal. Having shared the foursomes, thanks to a 20th hole win by Jack McDonald and Daniel Young, the Scots got the necessary two further points from Paul Shields (3 and 2) and David Law (one hole).
Results:
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
SEMI-FINALS
Denmark 4, Netherlands 3.
Spain 2, Germany 5.
Also:
Czech Republic 1 1/2, Sweden 3 1/2
Belgium 1, England 4.
FLIGHT B
SCOTLAND 3, PORTUGAL 2
Foursome
Jack McDonald & Danield Young bt Tomas Silva & Goncalo Pinto at 20th.
Singles
Sandy Bolton lost to Pedro Figueiredo 4 and 3.
Paul Shields bt Miguel Gaspar 3 and 2.
David Law bt Jose Maria Joia 1 hole.
Chris Robb lost to Tiago Rodriques 2 and 1.

IRELAND 1, FRANCE 4
ITALY 4, SWITZERLAND 1
NORWAY 3, FINLAND 2

FLIGHT C
Poland 3, Slovenia 2.
Hungary 1, Wales 4.

Bookless in joint 12th place at halfway

in Chiberta Grand Prix at Biarritz

Scottish boys' stroke-play champion Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) had a second-round 73, six shots worse than his opening effort, for a halfway total of one-under-par 139 in the Chiberta Grand Prix golf tournament at Biarritz in Southwest France today.
Bookless is sharing 17th place, seven shots behind the French leader Romain Schneider who had a brilliant nine-under-par round of 61 to take the lead on eight-under-par 132.
Greg Paterson (St Andrews) repeated his par 70 for a 36-hole tally of 140 and joint 22nd place.
Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) also had a 70, an improvement of two shots, for 142 and a share of 33rd place.
All three Scots were among the 71 players with totals of 147 who survived the halfway cut.
SECOND-ROUND LEADERS
Par 140 (2x70)
Players from France unless stated
132 Romain Schneider 71 61.
133 Ambroise Fourquet 66 67.
135 Antoine Schwartx 66 69.
Selected scores:
138 Liam O'Neil (Eng) 69 69 (jt 12th).
139 Mark Bookless (Sco) 66 73 (jt 17th).
140 Greg Paterson (Sco) 70 70 (jt 22nd).
141 Billy Hemstock (Eng) 68 73 9jt 28th).
142 Kris Nicol (Sco) 72 70 (jt 33rd).
144 Adam Keogh (Eng) 70 74 (jt 47th).

European Tour Scoreboard
THE BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN
Loch Lomond.
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2 x 71)
131 Retief Goosen (Rsa) 68 63
133 Adam Scott (Aus) 66 67
134 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 69 65, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 68 66
135 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 67 68, Nick Watney (USA) 67 68, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 69 66, Soren Hansen (Den) 67 68, Martin Laird 65 70, Kenneth Ferrie 67 68, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 65 70
136 Ross Fisher 69 67, Richard Green (Aus) 64 72, Camilo Villegas (Col) 69 67, Mark Foster 68 68, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 69 67, Paul McGinley 65 71
137 Brett Rumford (Aus) 68 69, Jason McCreadie 70 67, Jamie Donaldson 69 68, Gregory Havret (Fra) 67 70
138 Gary Orr 70 68, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 69, Markus Brier (Aut) 69 69, Darren Clarke 69 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 68
139 Damien McGrane 71 68, Brian Gay (USA) 70 69, Oliver Wilson 74 65, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 70, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 69 70, Anthony Wall 70 69, Rory McIlroy 68 71, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 70 69, Lee Westwood 73 66, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 68 71, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 69, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 69 70, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 72, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 69 70, Ross McGowan 67 72, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 70 69
140 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 67 73, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 68 72, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 71 69, David Drysdale 67 73, Paul Lawrie 68 72, Shane Lowry 69 71, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 74 66, Chris Doak 72 68
141 Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 71 70, Steve Webster 71 70, James Kingston (Rsa) 69 72, Scott Drummond 70 71, John Bickerton 72 69, Graeme Storm 65 76, Oliver Fisher 73 68, Lee Slattery 71 70, Alexander Noren (Swe) 70 71, Boo Weekley (USA) 71 70, Ian Poulter 69 72, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 70 71, Pablo Martin (Spa) 69 72, Thomas Levet (Fra) 70 71
142 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 72, Graeme McDowell 70 72, Colin Montgomerie 73 69, Scott Strange (Aus) 70 72, Nick Dougherty 71 71, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 73 69, David Lynn 70 72, Paul Broadhurst 71 71, Seve Benson 70 72, Gary Lockerbie 69 73, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 72 70, Sam Little 70 72, Miles Tunnicliff 70 72
MISSED THE CUT
143 Robert Dinwiddie 68 75, Benn Barham 74 69, Simon Dyson 71 72, Peter Lawrie 73 70, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 74 69, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 70 73, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 73 70, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 71 72, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 67 76, Gareth Maybin 70 73, Simon Khan 71 72, Robert Allenby (Aus) 72 71, Andres Romero (Arg) 72 71, Phillip Archer 71 72, Tano Goya (Arg) 71 72, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 71 72
144 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 73 71, Nick Faldo 71 73, Anton Haig (Rsa) 76 68, Michael Campbell (Nzl) 69 75, Marcel Siem (Ger) 69 75, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 74 70, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 72 72, Peter Hanson (Swe) 73 71, John Daly (USA) 69 75, Callum Macaulay 73 71, Robert Rock 70 74, Gary Murphy 72 72, Marc Warren 76 68, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 69 75, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 72 72
145 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 70 75, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 71 74, Anders Hansen (Den) 69 76, Danny Willett 70 75, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 73 72, Stephen Dodd 73 72, Bradley Dredge 75 70, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 75 70
146 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 74, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 71 75, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 74 72, Phillip Price 72 74, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 69 77, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 76 70, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 79 67, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 76 70, Sandy Lyle 72 74
147 Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 75 72, David Horsey 72 75, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 75 72, Simon Wakefield 72 75, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 74 73, Azuma Yano (Jpn) 77 70, Richard Finch 75 72, Alastair Forsyth 70 77, Tim Clark (Rsa) 72 75
148 Anthony Kang (USA) 74 74, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 74 74, Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 70 78, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 68 80, Michael Hoey 73 75
149 David Dixon 72 77, Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe) 79 70, Mark Brown (Nzl) 70 79, Barry Lane 76 73
150 Stephen Gallacher 72 78, David Howell 73 77, Metteo Manassero (Ita) (am) 74 76, Johan Edfors (Swe) 76 74
151 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 73 78
154 Rafael Echenique (Arg) 82 72
155 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 77 78
156 Wallace Booth (am) 83 73
157 Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 77 80, Taco Remkes (Ned) 78 79, Nick Ludwell 76 81
Retired: Paul Waring 68, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 75

Blairgowrie boy wins Loretto School Scottish U-14s boys' title

Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie) won the Loretto School Scottish Under-14 boys' title at Largs today.
The girls' Under-14 championship was won by a Belgian competitor.
Switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk, for a full report by Ross Duncan and a link to the complete scoreboard.

LOMAS AND GRAY TIE AT NEWMACHAR

WITH TWO-UNDER-PAR 70s

Former European Tour player Jonathan Lomas, who now lives near Alloway, Ayrshire, shared first place with Hayston's Stephen Gray in the £5,500 Fairways Pro-am, supported by Golf Finance, at Newmachar Golf Club today.
Once again the Tartan Tour pros found the Dave Thomas-designed Hawkshill course, with its tree-lined fairways and water hazards, a test for the best.
Gray and Lomas headed the field in the shotgun start event with matching rounds of two-under-par 70. They each earned £818.55.
Gray started his round at the fifth and did well to shake off the potentially demoralising effect of a double bogey at the eighth. He bounced back with birdies at the ninth, 11th, 14th and 16th in halves of 37 and 33.
Lomas started his round at the eighth and his two bogeys came at the 13th and 14th. But he then birdied the 17th and 18th and the fifth and sixth.
Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs) led the Concept Group Ltd trio of amateurs, Neil McLean (handicap 18), Philip Edwards (1) and Kevin Riley (scratch) to victory in the team event with a 13-under-par net score of 131. They won by one shot from the team piloted by Kingsfield pro Mark King.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 72
70 Stephen Gray (Hayston), Jonathan Lomas (unatt) £815.55 each.
71 Edward Thomson (Senit Associates), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs), Craig Ronald (Carluke) £427.46 each.
72 Mark King (Kingsfield), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) £254.57 each.
73 Chris Campbell (Grantown on Spey), Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation), Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) £175.89 each.
74 Callum Nicoll (Prestwick), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Greg McBain (Royal Dornoch) £131.78 each.
75 Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Christopher Russell (RAW Golf Course Design) £109.14 each.
76 Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) £91.13.
77 Andrew Coooper (Newmacharr), David Orr (East Renfrewshire) £77.21 each.]78 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) £63,85.
81 Colin Gillies (Perry Golf) £54.57.
NR Gordon Simpson (Hilton Park) £43.01.

SOUTH OF SCOTLAND SENIOR OPEN

Local hero Ian Brotherston wins by

four strokes at Dumfries & County

Local hero Ian Brotherston (Dumfries & County) won the South of Scotland Seniors Open golf tournament over his home course by four strokes today.
Brotherston had rounds of 66 and 70 for two-under-par total of 136.
Runner-up was Graham Brown (Royal Liverpool with 68 and 72 for 140. Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess) claimed third place with 69 and 72 for 141.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 138 (2x69). CSS 69 69.
136 Ian Brotherston (Dumfries & Co) 66 70.
140 Graham Brown (Royal Liverpool) 68 72.
141 Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess) 69 72.
142 Maitland Pollock (Lochmaben) 72 70, Alistair Harkness (Southerness) 71 71, John W Johnston (Royal Aberdeen) 71 71, John A Fraser (Royal Burgess) 71 71, Anthony Clark (Dumfries & Co) 70 72.
143 Adrian Donkersley (Gerrards Cross) 72 71, David J Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie0 71 72, David Gardner (Broomieknowe) 70 73.
144 Peter Jamieson (Cathkin Braes) 76 68, Bob Stewart (Tulliallan) 71 73, James Kinloch (Cardross) 67 77.
145 John Broadfoot (Turnberry) 78 67, Ronald MacLean (Hamilton) 74 71, Stephen Ellis (Heritage) 72 73, Keith McAllister (South Shields) 72 73, Michael Currie (The Glen) 70 75, David Fulton (Castle Douglas) 69 76.
146 John Johnston (Wishaw) 76 70, Lindsay Blair (Grangemouth) 74 72, Gordon Thomson (Bearsden) 74 72, Norman Cameron (Porters Park) 73 73, John Roberts (Lancaster) 72 74, Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) 72 74, Bob Humble (Kilspindie) 71 75, Gordon MacDonald (Callander) 70 76.

Gary Player takes a trip

down memory lane

at Sunningdale

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR
Gary Player, the most decorated player in the field for The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard, will attempt to roll back the years when he returns to Sunningdale Golf Club, 53 years after capturing his maiden European Tour victory at the Berkshire venue.
The South African won the Dunlop Tournament over 90 holes of the Old and New Course in 1956 at the very start of his glittering career and now, in the twilight of his playing days, he will hope to continue his remarkable relationship with The Senior Open Championship when he returns to the Old Course from July 23-26.
Player, pictured above autographing a cap when the Senior Open was played at Royal Aberdeen GC a few years back, has only missed one of the previous 22 Senior Open Championships, at Royal County Down Golf Club in 2002, and the ‘Black Knight’ remains the joint most successful player in the history of the event with Tom Watson.
Both Player and Watson have won The Senior Open Championship three times, although Player edges the overall Major Championship count with 18 (including nine Senior Majors) compared to the American’s 12 (including five Senior Majors).
Indeed Player’s incredible record of 164 victories spanning five decades means he is the most successful of the 18 Major Champions in the field.
The 73 year old, who won The Senior Open Championship at Turnberry in 1998 and 1990 and Royal Portrush in 1997, has fond recollections of Sunningdale, which he regards as “one of his favourite places on the planet”.
“My memories of Sunningdale are all good,” he said. “The Old Course is a truly classical course where you have to drive well to score well. It’s got everything a classic golf course should have.
“It’s going to be a sentimental journey for me this week. When I was at Sunningdale more than half a century ago I stayed in a bed and breakfast with Mr and Mrs Beattie close to the club and they really looked after me.
“Sunningdale was where I had my first Tour win and I’m looking forward to meeting up with so many old friends again and reminiscing over those great days.”
Also joining Player and Watson among the list of illustrious Major Champions at Sunningdale will be Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam.
Player believes the field is the most impressive he has been part of in the history of The Senior Open Championship.
“I’ve almost been an ever present at The Senior Open and it’s very rewarding for me, and I’m sure for the European Senior Tour, to see how the Championship has grown in stature and popularity over its 23 years,” he said.
“The Senior Open has been a showcase Championship for the European Senior Tour and since being recognised by the Champions Tour as a Major at Turnberry in 2003 the Americans have come over in increasing numbers.
“With 18 Major winners this is the strongest field ever assembled for the Championship and with players like Ben Crenshaw, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara, Larry Mize and three-times Champion Tom Watson among so many leading players it’s going to be an entertaining week. I believe there are also 32 Ryder Cup players competing which adds another interesting dimension to the Championship.
“After 22 years on links I was surprised when I heard it was coming to Sunningdale but it’s a lovely golf course and along with Wentworth is one of my favourites. It’s also got one of my favourite holes – the 10th on the Old Course. It’s a magnificent hole with a wonderful view down the valley and up towards the Halfway Hut. Among all the golf courses I’ve designed around the world I’d have been happy to have created that hole.”
Player’s support of The Senior Open and the European Senior Tour over the past two decades will continue into 2010 when he is part of the field for the inaugural Berenberg Bank Masters from March 26-28 over The Links at Fancourt which he designed. It will be the Senior Tour’s first visit to Player’s native South Africa.

Spectators can buy tickets for The Senior Open Championship by visiting www.europeantourtickets.com or by calling +44 (0) 800 023 2557 or on the gate. One day tickets are £25 and season tickets are £70.

For further information, please contact:-
The European Tour Communications Division
Tel: +44 (0)1344 840400; Fax: +44 (0)1344 840444
Email: http://uk.mc870.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=media@europeantour.com

From Dave Miller:

On the Scottishgolfview.com topic of low scoring rounds (Scroll Down to read original message from Clober pro Gary McFarlane), Alex Cruickshank fired a six-under-par 59 in the first round of the Braemar Open last weekend. See the following link to an article in the Aberdeen Evening Express:

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1294908

Alex shoots 59 at Braemar
By Alan Brown
Published: 07/07/2009

ALEX Cruickshank fired an amazing six-under-par 59 on his way to winning the Braemar Open.
The 51-year-old added a second round 66 for a 125 total and a five-shot win over Deeside’s Andy Campbell.
Cruickshank, who plays off one, said: “I played well, hitting the fairways nicely and did well on the greens.
“But there was nothing spectacular, it was just good steady golf.
“My play was consistent over the whole 36 holes, I didn’t make any real mistakes and that paid off.
“I holed a few putts that I was pleased with but generally my play was steady.”
The Caley member has won the Braemar Open several times before.
“I have won it quite a few times but I didn’t win it last year so I was glad to get my hands back on the trophy,” he said.
“It’s good that I won for the older guys. I’m doing my part to keep the torch burning for the older generations”
Unsurprisingly, given the success he has enjoyed there, Cruickshank is full of affection for Braemar.
“Braemar is my favourite tournament,” he said.
“It’s close to my heart because I’ve won there so many times.
“Also it’s a really enjoyable course to play, I find it very relaxing.”

+++You can E-mail your golf news, views and images to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

It's not a happy Harrington as

he takes lead in Irish PGA

FROM THE IRISH PGA WEBSITE
Pádraig Harrington reclaimed the bragging rights in the Ladbrokes.com PGA Irish Championship, at The European Club, this morning with a second round one-under-par 70 to speed past overnight leader Leslie Walker.
Harrington's 70 leaves him at four-under 138, one stroke ahead of Dundalk club pro Walker who posted a bumpy round of 72 to fall behind the defending champion, bidding for his sixth success in the championship and a three-in-a-row of wins.
The holder, however, was not entirely happy with his day's work but still reckons it's a useful exercise before he battles for that three-in-a-row victories in the Open at Turnberry next week.
"I seemed to have lost a bit of rhythm with the swing throughout," he explained. "It was gradually getting a little bit worse as the round went on but I can't really complain about the score.
"The bad shots are a result of me losing confidence in where I'm going to hit it. There were plenty of shots I hit out there where I was doing something I didn't like and then at times I'd lose focus about it and hit a bad shot, like on four and again on six.
"I've been into my game very well all week, so far, so that's a good thing. Chipping and putting is good. I'm happy on those two things so now I just need to get a little bit more of what I had last week (in France)".
Playing the back nine first, he reached the turn in two-under with birdies at the 10th and 13th holes and made another birdie at the long third before losing strokes at the par four fourth and short sixth where he was in water.
Walker had just seven pars on his card that showed half-a-dozen birdies, three bogeys and two double-bogeys. The doubles were at the second and seventh holes. At No.2 he missed the green and duffed his chip for a five and after driving into rough at long seven he moved the ball and called a penalty shot on himself.
Banbridge man Richard Kilpatrick is not having life easy on tour but reckons the challenge of playing here should be a help. In his second 70 of the tournament he made three birdies and two bogeys to be in third place overnight.
At the third hole he got up and down for birdie four from 10 yards, at the fifth he rolled in a 12-footer for a three and at 18 sank a 10-footer for another birdie three.Simon Thornton equalled the best score of the championship to date - a four-under-67 with seven birdies sprinkled over his card. He was off at the 10th with bogey five but then pencilled in a hat-trick of birdies from the 12th, going 3-4-2 and swapped birdie at 17 for bogey at 18.
On the front nine he birdied the first and sixth, bogeyed the eighth but got that shot back on his last green for a super 67, level par for the tournament and fourth place.
Fifty-one players made the cut at 155 (+13) and missing out by just one shot was Marian Riordan who carded a 76 yesterday after dropping three shots in her last three holes.
LEADERBOARD
Par 142 (2x71)
138 Padraig Harrington (unatt) 68 70.
139 Leslie Walker (Dundalk) 67 72.
140 Richard Noel Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70 70.
142 Simon Thornton (Royal Co Down) 75 67.
143 Gavin Lunny (Naas) 70 73, Brendan McGovern (Headfort) 72 71.
144 Glen Robinson(St Helen's Bay) 70 74, Seamus McMonagle (unatt) 69 75.
146 Brian McElhinney (Team Ireland) 70 76, John Kelly (St Margaret's) 75 71, Tim Rice (unatt) 70 76.
147 Damian Mooney (unatt) 70 77, Padraic O'Rourke (Green 18) 71 76.
148 Wayne O'Callaghan (unatt) 76 72.
149 Ian Kerr (Bunclody) 75 74, Mark Staunton (unatt) 76 73.
Selected scores:
153 Cian McNamara (unatt) 75 78.
+Players on 155 or better qualified for final two rounds.
MISSED CUT
156 Marian Riordan (Leopardstown) 80 76, Gary Howie (Adare Manor) 75 81.

US Women's Open scores on Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

Scores from the United States Women's Open can be found by logging on to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk
Also news that player power has ousted the LPGA Commissioner.

United States PGA Tour Scoreboard
JOHN DEERE CLASSIC
The TPC at Deere Run, Silvis, Illinois
FIRST ROUND
Par 71
64 Darron Stiles, Lee Janzen
65 J J Henry, Dean Wilson, Matt Bettencourt
66 Tim Petrovic, Dicky Pride, Matthew Borchert, Jason Day (Aus)
67 Spencer Levin, Brian Davis (Eng), Chris Stroud, Kirk Triplett, Mathias Gronberg (Swe), J.L. Lewis, Cliff Kresge, Greg Owen (Eng), Peter Lonard (Aus), Richard S Johnson (Swe), Daniel Chopra (Swe), George McNeill, Brandt Snedeker, Jason Bohn
68 Patrick Sheehan, Robert Garrigus, Jeff Quinney, David Berganio jun, Todd Hamilton, Matthew Jones (Aus), Webb Simpson, Jeff Klauk, Chad Campbell, Marc Leishman (Aus), Briny Baird, Scott McCarron, Andrew Ruthkoski, Ted Purdy, Bob Tway, Kenny Perry, Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Mark Calcavecchia
69 Bart Bryant, Kevin Sutherland, Heath Slocum, Charles Howell III, Brett Quigley, Bo Van Pelt, David Mathis, Frank Lickliter II, Jerry Kelly, Bryce Molder, Pat Perez, Zach Johnson, Lucas Glover, Mark Brooks, Garrett Willis, Steve Elkington (Aus), Ricky Barnes, Tommy Gainey
70 Mike Van sickle, Brady Schnell, Danny Lee (Nzl), Nathan Green (Aus), Bob Estes, Ryan Palmer, Roland Thatcher, Marc Turnesa, Peter Tomasulo, Kris Blanks, John Senden (Aus), Davis Love III, Kevin Streelman, Brian Vranesh, Rich Beem, Jay Williamson, Carl Pettersson (Swe), Johnson Wagner, Scott Verplank, Steve Allan (Aus)
71 Charley Hoffman, Chris Riley, Vaughn Taylor, Colt Knost, David Toms, Harrison Frazar, Steve Marino, Jimmy Walker, Ken Duke, Bob Heintz, Brad Adamonis, Steve Stricker, Kyle Stanley, Jason Dufner, Joe Ogilvie, Matt Kuchar, D.A. Points, Jack Newman, Cameron Beckman, Guy Boros, Ryan Moore, D.J. Trahan
72 Michael Bradley, Bill Lunde, Gary Woodland, Wil Collins, Mark Hensby (Aus), Stephen Leaney (Aus), Derek Fathauer, Charles Warren, Casey Wittenberg, Greg Chalmers (Aus), Tom Lehman, Scott Piercy, Brian Bateman, Jeff Maggert, Kevin Stadler, Glen Day
73 Paul Stankowski, Tag Ridings, Eric Axley, Woody Austin, Zack Sucher, Charlie Wi (Kor), Philip Francis, Arjun Atwal (Ind), Notah Begay III, Scott Sterling, Brandt Jobe, Scott Gutschewski, Tyler Aldridge, Matt Weibring
74 Robert Gamez, Aron Price (Aus), J.P. Hayes, Chez Reavie, Leif Olson, Joel Kribel, Troy Matteson, Nicholas Thompson
75 Bill Haas, Shaun Micheel, Troy Kelly, David Duval, James Driscoll, Aaron Krueger, Jason Gore, Mark Wilson
76 Brendon De Jonge, Kent Jones, Jonathan Kaye, Joe Durant
77 Brad Faxon, Brendon Todd, Rick Price, Jesper Parnevik (Swe)
80 James Oh (Kor)

Monster rough at Turnberry for

the Open unless it's cut back

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Turnberry is shaping up to be a brute of a test at next week's Open Championship, according to early player reports.
Colin Montgomerie, who has an academy at the Ayrshire venue, said: "They had a medal there for the members - 150 starters - and they left 480 balls on the course. That's over three a player and it proves that, although the fairways were generous, avoid the rough at all costs.
"It's a shot-maker's golf course, a tremendous course. I didn't lose a ball, which was good, but it can only be worse now than when I played 10 days ago."
Ernie Els, winner at Muirfield in 2002, added: "I was there for two days and that could be quite a beast if the wind comes up.
"They must have had a lot of rain - it's very lush, very green and that's why the rough is so high.
"You're probably going to have to have a good game plan, probably play quite safe off the tees to get it in play.
"The secret to playing good links golf is having a good strategy, sticking with that and having a lot of patience. But, more than anything, really striking the ball solidly.
"If you don't, you'll get found out. You won't have much of a chance."
Graeme McDowell, defending champion at the Scottish Open this week, said: "It's got some of the heaviest links rough I've ever seen. If you miss it in the wrong place you might want to bring a couple of golf balls with you.
"I certainly lost a couple. Right of the 17th green I've never seen rough as thick in all my life. You've got to know which side you can miss it on and which you can't."
The R&A, organisers of the Open, have been known to go over the top as far as rough at the Open championship is concerned, i.e. Carnoustie in 1999 and at one previous Open at Turnberry where it was cut back after complaints from the players that the rough was just too penal at some holes.

Aberdeen & District Pennant League
SPONSORED BY THE CULTS HOTEL

CRAIBSTONE 5 1/2, HAZLEHEAD 1/2

Played at Craibstone Golf Centre.
Craibstone players named first

Paul Reid & B Hardie bt K Duthie & S Priers 4 and 3.

S Rennie & A Carle bt G Kennedy & A K Macgregor 1 hole.

Craig Smith & M Carle bt L Prouse & A Robertson 1 hole.

B Cooper & D Andrew halved with D Elrick & W Rennie.

C Smith & J Tanser bt K Allan & J Spiers 2 holes.

J Thomas & D Low bt R Ross & S Macintosh 4 and 3.

PETERCULTER 3 1/2, NORTHERN 2 1/2

Venue: Peterculter Golf Club
Peterculter players named first

Fraser Donnie & Kenny Alston lost to Andy Cooper & Ian Watt 1 hole.

Murray Bowman & Scott Paterson bt Tony Robertson & Cameron McBain 1 hole.

Donald Macdonald & Gary Watson bt William West & John Inglis 3 & 2.

Brian Taylor & Donald Munro lost to Brian Rae & Cameron Johnstone 1 hole.

Gary Lappin & Graeme Meade halved with David Leighton & Alex Sherriffs.

George McAndrew & Alan Brown bt Gary Geddes & M Burnett 2 and 1.

Other result from last night (no details sent by home match secretary):

CALEDONIAN 5, BON ACCORD 1

+Results with details of Aberdeen & Pennant League matches should be E-mailed either on the night of the tie or, at the latest, next day to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Flawless Mark Loftus

leads 25 qualifiers

at West Kilbride

Former Scottish PGA champion Mark Loftus (Cowglen) turned in a flawless round of seven-under-par 64 to head the qualifiers at West Kilbride Golf Club today (Thursday) for the Volvo/Ayrshire Hospice 36-hole pro-am on August 10 and 11.
Loftus, pictured right by Andy Forman, birdied the short fourth, sixth, eighth, short ninth, 11th, 16th and 18th in halves of 32 (four under par) and 32 (three under) to win the £100 prize as leading qualifier by four shots.
Runner-up on 68 was Scott Herald (Mearns Castle) had a bogey either side - at the first and 17th - of a run of five birdies, at the third, seventh, 10th, 11th and 16th in halves of 35 and 33.
With only the leading 25 to qualify for the main event, there was a card countback featuring the nine players on the 73 mark. Only five qualified - Jamie Stevenson (Braehead), Kevin Phillips (Winterfield), Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park), Scott Garrett (Irvine) and Derek Watters (Gourock).
The unlucky ones on 73 who were eliminated were: Graham Fox (East Kilbride), who will be the first reserve in the event of withdrawls, Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), James Clive (Carrick) and Neil Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh).

QUALIFIERS
Par 71
64 Mark Loftus (Cowglen).
68 Scott Herald (Mearns Castle).
69 James McKinnon (Irvine), Paul Wytrazek (Burnti9sland), James Erskine (Portpatrick Dunskey), Hamish Kemp (Bishopbriggs), Gareth Wright (Swanston Golf), Stewart Whiteford (Wellsgreen).
70 Greg Paxton (Ralston), Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre), Mark Kerr (unatt).
71 James McGhee (Turnhouse), Alastair Forrow (Whitecraigs), Alan E Reid (West Lothian), Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle).
72 Paul Brookes (Pitreavie), David Fleming (Prestwick).
73 Jamie Stevenson (Braehead), Kevin Phillips (Winterfield), Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park), Scott Garrett, Derek Watters (Gourock).

NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED
73 Graham Fox (East Kilbride), Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), James Clive (Carrick), Neil Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh).
74 Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon), Stuart Williamson (Kirkhill), Gareth Hardy (Belleisle), David Ross Nicol (Dundonald Links), Chris McCalman (unatt), Scott Gillespie (Burntisland).
75 Euan Cameron (Hamilton), Greig Hutcheon (Peterculter), Alistair Bown (Whitecraigs), Ross Neill (Drumpellier), Duncan Williamson (Kirkhill).
76 Ken Campbell (Machrihanish), Peter Kerr (Hayston), David Broadfoot (Dumfries & Co), Ian Graham (Crow Wood), Henry Wong (Wellsgreen), Paul Jamieson (Dunblane New), Terry Mathieson (Kings Acre), Gary McFarlane (Clober).
77 Ewan Davie (Dunblane New), Alan McCloskey (Bothwell Castle), Stewart Savage (Dalmuir), Anthony Mackrell (East Kilbride), Stephen Forbes (Deaconsbank).
78 Andrew Gibson (North Gailes), James Mooney (Kingscliff Golf Solutions), Steven Duncan (Balbirnie Park), Chris Campbell (Grantown on Spey), Alan Fleming (North Highland College).
79 Graeme Stewart (Gleddoch), Stephen McNally (unatt), Alastair MacKenzie (Duddingston), Paul Wilson (World of Golf), David Snodgrass (Hilton Park).
80 David MacMullen (Aberdour), Iain Donaldson (Meldrum House), Mark Finlayson (Edzell), Murray Urquhart (Spey Valley).]
81 John Ruth (Sandyhills), Gordon Stewart (Cawder), Stuart Morrison (Tain), Kenneth Monaghan (Bothwell Castle).

St Andrews student Gordon

Stevenson wins Boyd

Quaich by four strokes

The 61st Boyd Quaich Memorial students’ international golf tournament at St Andrews was won today by local student Gordon Stevenson, the first home win for a year or two.
Stevenson managed to banish the memory of a potentially-disastrous 79 in his third round to finish on two-under par 286 and win by four strokes from Matthew Williams (Aston University). Stevenson, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, began the tournament with an amateur course record of 64 on the New course on Tuesday before finishing the event with a solid 69 on the Old course today.
The international field of 71 golfers each completed 18 holes on the New course and 18 holes on the Old before the top 30 played a further 36 holes; 18 on each course.
Stevenson’s total score of 284 was just one stroke higher than the tournament record of 283 strokes, set in 1994 by South African C. Sanderson (Stellenbosch) and equalled by G. Duncan (Heriot Watt) in 2002.
The record score looked certain to be smashed until the 9th hole of the third round when Stevenson ran up a quadruple-bogey 7 en route to a round of 79 (+8) over the New Course. As he struggled, several players moved into contention and the joint best score of 70 was recorded by Marco Ciofresse (St Gallen) and Aaron O’Callaghan (Southeastern Louisiana) while Joe Campbell and Will Bowman (both North Carolina), and Daniel Sommerville (Dundee) made similar strides with their 71s.
By the end of the third round the field had become bunched with only five shots separating 15 players.
In a blustery final round it was Will Bowman (North Carolina) who made the first move with a birdie 3 at the opening hole but Stevenson soon took control as he reached the turn in 2 under par 34 with Bowman and Matthew Williams faltering.
Williams eventually claimed second place with a battling 73 and Bowman was one shot further back after his 74.
Stevenson managed the only bogey-free final round and was the deserved winner after a superb 69.
Daragh Coghlan (North Carolina) also finished strongly for 69. Three of the top five finishers were representing universities located in North Carolina.
*The Boyd Quaich is run by the Athletic Union of the University of St Andrews, and receives significant grant aid from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club with support from the St Andrews Links Trust. Without this financial help it would not be possible for many of these young golfers, especially from overseas, to be able to play in this prestigious event.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 286 (2x71, 2x72)
284 Gordon Stevenson (St Andrews) 64 72 79 69.
288 Matthew Williams (Aston) 71 71 73 73.
289 Joe Campbell (North Carolina) 76 72 71 70, Will Bowman (North Carolina) 70 74 71 74.
290 Darragh Coghlan (UNCG Greensboro) 73 73 75 69.
291 Aaron O’Callaghan (Southeastern Louisiana) 77 72 70 72, Joshua Clarke (Abertay)
71 73 73 74, Daniel Sommerville (Dundee) 70 75 72 74.
292 Scott Samuel (Canada) 71 75 76 70, Frazer McKenna (Southeastern Louisiana) 75 73 72 72.
294 Wilson Bowen (Stanford) 72 73 76 73, Christo Harms (Pretoria) 75 70 73 76.
296 Gerard Kelly (University College, Dublin) 73 70 78 75, Philipp Dirkx (ESL Grenoble)
73 74 72 77.
297 Neil McBride (Clayton State, Atlanta) 76 73 75 73, Marco Cioffrese (St Gallen HSG) 76 73 70 78.
298 John Wybar (Aberdeen) 75 72 73 78.
299 John Greene (University College, Dublin) 72 73 77 77, Kevin Duncan (Clayton State, Atlanta) 67 75 77 80, Patrick Brimmer (Loughborough) 73 73 73 80, Kevin Stack (University College, Cork) 73 70 75 81.
300 Stephen Pointon (St Andrews) 74 72 78 76
301 Jack Owens (Ulster) 72 76 80 73
302 Ben Wescoe (Yale) 76 73 74 79
304 Nicholas Powell (Guelph) 74 75 81 74
307 Aaron Taylor (Ulster) 75 74 81 77
309 Christopher Robinson (Cambridge) 75 75 77 82
313 Matthew Fowler (Leeds Metro) 76 74 77 86
314 Nick Clark (Toronto) 78 72 84 80
316 Adam Kyle (Brighton) 71 79 75 91

Mark Bookless lying joint third with

a 66 in Chiberta Grand Prix

Scottish boys stroke-play champion Mark Bookless from the Sandyhills club, Glasgow turned in a great performance in sunny southwest France - Biarritz, to be precise - to be lying joint third in a field of 114 at the end of the first round of the Chiberta Grand Prix tournament.
Bookless, 19, pictured right by Rob Eyton-Jones, returned a four-under-par 66 to be one of four players on that mark, trailing the French leader Lionel Weber by two and the second-placed Jonann Lopez-Lazaro, another Frenchman, by one.
The two other Scottish Golf Union representatives, Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) and Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) didn't do too badly either in an event won by one of their compatriots Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) three or four years ago before he turned pro.
Paterson had a par-matching 70 to be sharing 30th place while Nicol is tied for 51st place with a 72.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 70. Players from France unless stated
64 Lionel Weber.
65 Johann Lopez-Lazaro.
66 Daniel Lokke (Norway), Ambroise Fourquet, Mark Bookless (Scotland), Antoine Schwartz.
Selected scores:
68 Billy Hemstock (England) (jt 14th).
69 Liam O'Neil (England) (jt 20th).
70 Greg Paterson (Scotland), Adam Keogh (England) (jt 30th).
72 Kris Nicol (Scotland) (jt 51st)
Field of 114.

David Law is Scots boys' hero with

win at 22nd to beat Italians

Scotland, having failed to qualify for the Championship Flight, cannot win the title but their target is to top Flight B and be officially ranked No 9 at the conclusion of the European boys' team championship at GC de Pan, Utrecht in the Netherlands.

And the Scots boys took a step nearer that goal by beating Italy 3-2 in their opening match-play tie.

Jack McDonald and Daniel Young won the only foursomes time to give Scotland a 1-0 lead before the four singles.

Sandy Bolton lost 5 and 4 in the lead-off singles but Paul Shields won his tie 5 and 3 and with Chris Robb losing 3 and 2 it was up to Scottish boys champion David Law from Hazlehead, Aberdeen to get the match-winning point.

David, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had to go to the 22nd to get the personal and team victory but he's just the young man to cope with that kind of pressure.

In the Championship Flight, England's title hopes went out the window when they were beaten 4 1/2-2 1/2 by Germany.

Results:

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

Denmark 5, Czech Republic 2.

Netherlands 4, Sweden 3.

Belgium 2, Spain 5.

Germany 4 1/2, England 2 1/2

FLIGHT B

SCOTLAND 3, ITALY 2

Foursome: Jack McDonald & Daniel Young bt Luca Saccerello & Emanuele Sesia 2 and 1 (1-0).

Singles: Sandy Bolton lost to Mattia Miloro 5 and 4, Paul Shields bt Claudio Vigano 5 and 3, David Law bt Andrea Bolognesi at the 22nd, Chris Robb lost to Filippo Bergamaschi 3 and 2 (2-2).

Switzerland 1/2, Portugal 4 1/2.

Ireland 3, Norway 2.

Finland 1 1/2, France 3 1/2.

FLIGHT C

Poland 3, Hungary 2.

Slovenia 4, Wales 1.

BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

The Wizards of Oz in spotlight but

Laird stars on pro home debut

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE

It was a good day for Australia in the golf as well as Test match cricket today.
Left-hander Richard Green leads the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond after a seven under par 64 - and Adam Scott, currently dating tennis star Ana Ivanovic and trying to fight his way out of a slump, is only two behind.
Not so happy, though, was Lee Westwood. His build-up to next week's Open was hit by a chest infection and after struggling to a 73 the former European No 1 said he had been "stupid" to tee off.
Colin Montgomerie could do no better than the same score, but there was still a Scot as well as a Scott on the leaderboard.
=======================
European Tour's official website

=======================
That player was Glasgow-born, but Arizona-based Martin Laird, pictured above, over from the US Tour for his first-ever professional tournament in Europe. Martin stayed on and turned pro in the states after playing the US college circuit for four years as a Colorado State University student.
Laird, watched by proud parents and grandparents, twice chipped in en route to a 65 which put him in joint second place with 42-year-old Irishman Paul McGinley, England's Graeme Storm and Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.
Green first came to global attention back in 1997 when he beat Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam in a play-off in Dubai, but his only European Tour victory since then came in Austria two years ago.
A curling 35-foot putt for eagle on the 13th, his fourth, settled him after he had bogeyed the one before and six birdies followed.
Playing with Westwood were Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter, both wearing tartan trousers. They scored 68 and 69 respectively, while Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and Masters champion Angel Cabrera matched Poulter's round and defending champion Graeme McDowell shot 70.
Sir Nick Faldo, playing his first tournament of the year and also in the coming Open, was two under after seven, but slipped back to a level par 71.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 71

64 Richard Green (Aus)
65 Martin Laird, Paul McGinley, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa), Graeme Storm
66 Adam Scott (Aus)
67 Nick Watney (USA), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Soren Hansen (Den), Kenneth Ferrie, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), David Drysdale, Ross McGowan, Gregory Havret (Fra)
68 Rodney Pampling (Aus), Retief Goosen (Rsa), Robert Dinwiddie, Paul Waring, Andrew McLardy (Rsa), Brett Rumford (Aus), Rory McIlroy, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Paul Lawrie, Mark Foster, Marcus Fraser (Aus)
69 Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Anders Hansen (Den), James Kingston (Rsa), Ross Fisher, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), John Daly (USA), Ernie Els (Rsa), Shane Lowry, Wen-chong Liang (Chn), Markus Brier (Aut), Pablo Martin (Spa), Michael Campbell (Nzl), Marcel Siem (Ger), Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Angel Cabrera (Arg), Darren Clarke, Gary Lockerbie, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Jamie Donaldson, Ian Poulter, Camilo Villegas (Col)
70 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned), Gary Orr, Brian Gay (USA), Danny Willett, Anthony Wall, Robert Rock, Alexander Noren (Swe), Niclas Fasth (Swe), Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Alastair Forsyth, Miles Tunnicliff, Sam Little, Stuart Appleby (Aus), Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), Magnus A Carlsson (Swe), Graeme McDowell, Jason McCreadie, Gareth Maybin, Scott Strange (Aus), Scott Drummond, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), David Lynn, Mark Brown (Nzl), Seve Benson, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Richard Sterne (Rsa), Thomas Levet (Fra)
71 Nick Faldo, Alvaro Velasco (Spa), Damien McGrane, Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Simon Dyson, Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Lee Slattery, Boo Weekley (USA), Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Steve Webster, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Nick Dougherty, Paul Broadhurst, Simon Khan, Phillip Archer, Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Tano Goya (Arg)
72 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), David Horsey, Phillip Price, John Bickerton, Simon Wakefield, Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Gary Murphy, Stephen Gallacher, Robert Allenby (Aus), Andres Romero (Arg), David Dixon, Michael Jonzon (Swe), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Tim Clark (Rsa), Sandy Lyle, Chris Doak
73 Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Christian Nilsson (Swe), Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), David Howell, Colin Montgomerie, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind), Peter Lawrie, Oliver Fisher, Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Peter Hanson (Swe), Callum Macaulay, Stephen Dodd, Michael Hoey, Lee Westwood
74 Hennie Otto (Rsa), Benn Barham, Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Oliver Wilson, Metteo Manassero (Ita), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Anthony Kang (USA), Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Peter O'Malley (Aus)
75 Shiv Kapur (Ind), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Richard Finch, Pelle Edberg (Swe), Bradley Dredge, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind)
76 Anton Haig (Rsa), Marc Warren, Chapchai Nirat (Tha), Terry Pilkadaris (Aus), Nick Ludwell, Johan Edfors (Swe), Barry Lane
77 Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Azuma Yano (Jpn), Jeppe Huldahl (Den)
78 Taco Remkes (Ned)
79 Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe), Peter Hedblom (Swe)
82 Rafael Echenique (Arg)
83 Wallace Booth (am).

Ian Brotherston has his senior moment

over home course at Dumfries & Co

Local knowledge paid off for Ian Brotherston today as he led the field with a three-under-par round of 69 at the halfway stage of the South of Scotland Seniors Open at Dumfries & County Golf Club.
Brotherston goes into the final round with a one-shot advantage over James Kinloch (Cardross) and two shots over Graham Brown (Royal Liverpool).

FIRST ROUND LEADERS
Par 69. CSS 69
66 Ian Brotherston (Dumfries & Co).
67 James Kinloch (Cardross).
68 Graham Brown (Royal Liverpool).
69 Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess), David Fulton (Castle Douglas).
70 Arthur Clark (Dumfries & Co), Michael Currie (The Glen), Dave Gardner (Broomieknowe), Patrick Tomisson (Nairn), Gordon MacDonald (Callander0.
71 David J Miller (Barassie), John Fraser (Royoal Burgess)(, Bob Humble (Kilspindie), Alistair Harkness (Southness), John W Johnston (Royal Aberdeen), Bob Stewart (Tulliallan), Donald McCart (Sherwood Forest), Glen Ballantyne.

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

Andrew McArthur shoots an eight-under

63 to share the lead in France

FROM PRESS OFFICER RODDY WILLIAMS
Glasgow’s Andrew McArthur fired an eight under par 63 to share the first round lead with Frenchman Alexandre Kaleka in the Challenge Tour's ALLIANZ EurOpen de Lyon in France today.
McArthur, a former US college circuit player and past Scottish amateur champion from Windyhill, got his round going with an eagle three on the third at Golf du Gouverneur and thereafter didn’t put a foot wrong as he added a further six birdies to join rookie Kaleka at the top of the leaderboard.
“I just hit it lovely,” said McArthur. “I didn’t hole many long putts, just hit it close all day. The greens are soft so you can fire the ball at the pins. I hit it quite well today so it is a step in the right direction.”
McArthur has made two top tens this season to lie 29th on the Challenge Tour Rankings and is looking to force his way into the top 20 to earn a European Tour card. In summing up his season to date, he said: “I feel I have been playing well and not scoring. It’s hard as you keep coming off with 32 or 33 putts. And when I have got in a decent position I have thrown in a double and couldn’t get it going. But the course was there for the taking today. Conditions were perfect.”
Kaleka made a flying start to his professional career having only joined the paid ranks on Monday after representing France in the European Amateur Team Championships in Wales last week. He wasted no time in making his mark with a stunning 63 which established the course record before being equalled by McArthur.
The 22 year old, from Orleans on the outskirts of Paris, said: “That was quite a start. I hit a lot of fairways and only missed one green, hit all the par fives in two and holed seven or eight very good putts. I didn’t expect to shoot so low in my first round as a professional and I will try and keep it going.”
Kaleka hopes to play a number of events before the European Tour Qualifying School where he will attempt to win his card. Among his amateur highlights was finishing second in the European Team Championships at Western Gailes in Scotland three years ago when France were denied by an Irish team which included Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, both now European Tour Champions.
Denmark’s Anders Schmidt Hansen lies third after a round of 64 with Australian Tony Carolan, Ireland’s Michael McGeady and Frenchman Anthony Grenier a further shot back.

Round One scores
Par 71
63 A Kaleka (Fra) , A McArthur (Sco)
64 A Hansen (Den)
65 M McGeady (Irl) , T Carolan (Aus), A Grenier (Fra)
66 G Houston (Wal) , B Mason (Eng) , A Snobeck (Fra), G Paddison (Nzl)
67 J Little (Eng) , J Grillon (Fra) , R Muntz (Ned) , A Zanini (Ita) , A Gee (Eng) , F Praegant (Aut) , P Golding (Eng) , C Günther (Ger) , S Manley (Wal) , R Santos (Por) , V Dubuisson (am) (Fra)
68 J Moul (Eng) , M Kramer (Ger) , J Arruti (Esp) , E Molinari (Ita) , J Lima (Por) , B Lecuona (Fra) , B Hebert (Fra), F Calmels (Fra)
69 D Nouailhac (Fra) , R McEvoy (Eng) , J Parry (Eng) , Z Scotland (Eng) , C Russo (Fra) , C Brazillier (Fra) , S Davis (Eng) , R Hie (Ina) , N Meitinger (Ger) , R Harris (Eng) , J Heath (Eng) , A Bernadet (Fra)
70 C Suneson (Esp) , S Juul (Den) , T Cruz (Por) , B Evans (Eng) , M Quiros (Esp) , S Bebb (Wal) , L Saltman (Sco) , R Steele (Eng) , A Willey (Eng) , B Miarka (Ger) , M Villegas (Col) , D Griffiths (Eng) , M Curtain (Aus) , C Rodiles (Esp) , M Zions (Aus) , L Bond (Wal) , J McLeary (Sco) , M Cort (Eng) , L Gagli (Ita) , J Colomo (Esp) , G Rosier (Fra) ,
71 T Feyrsinger (Aut) , J Campillo (Esp) , R Thuillier (Fra) , P Rowe (Eng) , O David (Fra) , L Alexandre (Fra) , A Wagner (Arg) , N Pamard (Fra) , A Högberg (Swe) , A Bruschi (Ita) , J Garcia Pinto (Esp) , L James (Eng) , J Bjerhag (Swe) , L Westerberg (Swe) , R Karlberg (Swe) , M Higley (Eng) , G Molteni (Ita) , C Moriarty (Irl) , J Quesne (Fra) , P Whiteford (Sco) , J Lando-Casanova (am) (Fra) ,
72 J Morgan (Eng) , J Morrison (Eng) , S Saavedra (Arg) , M Mills (Eng) , G Boyd (Eng) , P Relecom (Bel) , R De Sousa (Sui) , R Coles (Eng) , A Butterfield (Eng) , E Ramsay (Sco) , R Swane (Ned) , J Sjöholm (Swe) , P Del Grosso (Arg) , D Denison (Eng) , F Cupillard (Fra) , R Guillard (Fra) , J Clément (Sui)
73 D Marmion (Eng) , J Billot (Fra) , M Mauret (Fra) , N Beaufils (Fra) , J Zapata (Arg) , F Fritsch (Ger) , J Garcia Fernandez (Esp) , J Burnier (Sui) , S Luna (Esp) , J Guerrier (Fra) , J Van Hauwe (Fra) , B Pettersson (Swe) , D Antonelli (am) (Fra)
74 J Boerdonk (Ned) , F Cabrera (Arg) , M Tullo (Chi) , R Zwahlen (Fra) , D Küpper (Ger) , D Froreich (Ger) , A Mörk (Fra) , A Summers (Aus) , V Riu (Fra) , G Murray (Sco) , S Delagrange (Fra) , N Vanhootegem (Bel) , L Kennedy (Eng) , R Treis (Ger) , M Crespi (Ita) , T Lopez (Fra) , A Malinvaud (am) (Fra)
75 O Suhr (Den) , T Schuster (Ger) , M Montgaillard (Fra) , P Niederdrenk (Ger) , J Ruth (Eng) , F Colombo (Ita) , J Sallat (Fra)
76 F Schoettel (Fra) , E Moreul (Fra) , M Reale (Ita) , N Colsaerts (Bel) , I Pyman (Eng) ,
77 M Hill (Fra) , R Eyraud (Fra) , N Fox (Irl)
78 G Plumet (Fra), Å Nilsson (Swe) , T Ferreira (RSA) , M Saluda (Pol)
79 D Perrier (Fra), A Haindl (RSA), M Stelmasiak (Pol)
80 S Henry (Sco)
83 M Pilkington (Wal), G Ruste (Fra)

Grant Forrest sits proudly with the Scottish Under-16 boys' championship trophy at Largs today (image by courtesy of Rob Eyton-Jones). Click to enlarge.

Lothians 1-2 and Scotland 1-2-3 in

FirstpointUSA U-16 championship

Lothians lads Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) and West Linton's Fraser Thain finished 1-2 in the FirstpointUSA.com Scottish Under-16 boys' championship at Largs Golf Club today.
Overnight leader Forrest held on to his advantage with a closing round of level par 70 for a one-under-par total of 209. He had enough in hand of the field to be able to afford to bogey the 15th and 18th and still win by two shots from Thain.
Earlier Forrest had birdies the second, third and sixth in reaching the turn in 33. His fourth and last birdie came at the 12th.
Thain ruined his chance with a double bogey at the 15th and a bogey at the 17th, with a birdie at the 16th sandwiched between, as he finished with a 71 for 211.
Nick Ward (Redbourn), one shot off the pace at the start of the day, faded with a 75 to 215.
Despite a strong English "invasion" and several Continental entries, Scotland provided the first three finishers. Eamon Bradley (Mount Ellen) came third on 212 with a final round of 71.
Best last-day effort was a three-under-par 67 by Ben Franklin (Rochford Hundred). He finished on 213 and tied with Ewan Scott (St Andrews) for fourth place.

NEWS RELEASE BY SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Grant Forrest from Craigielaw claimed the First Point USA Scottish U16’s Stroke Play Championship hosted at Largs this afternoon.
After taking the narrowest of leads into the third and final round today on the Ayrshire course, the national U16 squad member held his nerve to win his first national title, and said afterwards that he was ‘absolutely delighted’.
The 16 year old Lothians player added a level par 70 to his earlier rounds of 70 and 69 for a three round total of 209 (1 under) to finish two shots ahead of fellow SGU Academy player Fraser Thain from West Linton.
Commencing his final outing with a one shot margin, Forrest got off to a good start with a brace of birdies at the 2nd and 3rd hole, “I was pretty nervous at the start after finishing yesterday’s round as the leader and I was certainly feeling the pressure today. My early birdies helped settle me down and I just tried to play my own game. “
Two further birdies, one at the 6th and his last at the par 5 12th helped to alleviate his four bogeys and secured the Stewart’s Melville College student his biggest ever individual win.
Forrest added, “I have had a really good season so far, being part of the winning U16 Quadrangular side earlier this year was great but this is definitely the highlight for me and I have waited a while for this.”
Selected to represent Scotland at the European Masters later this month, Forrest concluded, “Being in the SGU national squad and Academy has really helped my golf this last year and I have dropped 2 maybe 3 shots from my handicap, so the support has really helped me improve and I hope this continues.”
15 year old Fraser Thain carded a third round one over par 71 to make it a Lothians 1 – 2 finish. Thain, who is coached by Colin Brooks said, “I played steady golf and was pleased to recover from a bad double bogey at 15th with a birdie three at the next which helped my score today. However it wasn’t quite enough, but fair play to Grant he has played consistently throughout the year and really deserved this win.”
Eamon Bradley from Mount Ellen claimed the bronze medal with a three round aggregate of 212, one shot ahead of England’s Ben Franklin and 13 year old Ewan Scott from St Andrews who finished tied for 4th place.
Current U14 Stroke Play Champion Nick Ward from Redbourn who was just one shot off the lead last night slipped off the pace today to finish in 6th place, whilst former U14 Champion Harry Whittle (Woburn) took a share of 7th place tied with the lowest handicapper in the field, Tanapol Vattanapisit from Thailand.
Brendan Fraser, Sports Consultant with event sponsors First Point USA said after the presentations, “Grant Forrest was a very worthy winner today and there was great scoring from a number of contenders for the title on a course which was in fantastic condition. I would like to pay tribute to the players which demonstrated a great competitive spirit in this 54 hole tournament and as sponsors we are delighted to be associated with the SGU and this championship.”

FINAL TOTALS
Par 210 (3x70). CSS 71 71 71.
209 Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) 70 68 70.
211 Fraser Thain (West Linton) 70 70 71.
212 Eamon Bradley (Mount Ellen) 71 70 71.
213 Ben Franklin (Rochford Hundred) 73 73 67, Ewan Scott (St Andrews) 70 71 72.
215 Nick Ward (Redbourn) 71 69 75.
216 Tanapol Vattanapisit (Thailand) 76 73 67, Harry Whittle (Woburn) 73 73 70.
217 Lee Morgan (Newbattle) 76 73 68, Liam Johnston (Dumfries & Co) 76 70 71, Will Chambers (Mid Herts) 71 70 76.
218 Bertrand Mommaerts (Belgium) 76 73 69, Jamie Bower (Meltham) 71 72 75.
219 Thomas Rowland (Prudhoe) 76 72 71.
220 Jamie Savage (Cawder) 69 77 74.
221 Andrew Whyte (St Andrews New) 75 75 71, Lawrence Allan (Alva) 73 75 73, Tom Harris (Castletown) 75 72 74, Nicholas Smits (Australia) 70 75 76.
223 Moritz Hausweiler (Germany) 76 75 72, Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 73 75 75, Scott Wearing (Bishopbriggs) 74 73 76.
224 Tangi Merckx (Belgium) 76 73 75, Ewen Donaldson (Craigielaw0 70 76 78, Daniel McConnachie (Dumfries & Co) 73 73 78.
225 Greig Stewart (Crieff) 75 75 75, Gary Chalmers (Dollar 78 71 76, Danny Hawksworth (Hollins Hall) 76 72 77.
226 Ross Gillan (Torrance House) 73 78 75, Neil Beattie (St Andrews) 75 75 76, Shaun Connor (Ralston) 76 73 77, Alasdair McDougall (Elderslie) 77 72 77,
227 Blair Dodd (Greenburn) 77 71 79, Tom Bacon (Mellor & Townscliffe) 74 73 80, Thomas Goodair (Woodsome Hall) 70 73 84.
228 Connor Campblel (Inchmarlo) 75 76 77, Jordan Milne (Elg)n 76 74 78, Joshua Jamieson (St Andrews New) 72 75 81.
228 Luca Olivotto (Belgium) 74 76 79, Tom Heggarty (Royal Liverpool) 72 78 79, Gary Daoust (Belgium) 75 74 80.
230 Freddie Brown (Nairn Dunbar).

Dunbar's Montgomery has given lessons to

Gordon Brown and met Neil Armstrong

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
He's given lessons to Gordon Brown and met Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. But, for the time being, Jacky Montgomery is more interested in looking after the interests of some lesser-known individuals.
The club professional at Dunbar is the PGA Scottish Region's new captain, having earned that honour on the back of a career that was shaped in the company of some great golfers."I played in the Junior World Cup with the likes of Jose Maria Olazabal and Jesper Parnevik and maybe that exposure made me realise I wasn't as good a golfer as I thought I was," recalled Montgomery.
"I decided that I needed to have a qualification as a back-up, which is why I did my PGA training."
After starting off at Dunblane, Montgomery had spells at Ladybank, where he played as an amateur, Dunfermline and Burntisland before arriving at the East Links in Dunbar 10 years ago.
"It's been fantastic for me here," he admitted. "For starters, it's a local final qualifying venue for The Open and we are delighted that it's coming back to Muirfield in 2013. Potentially, we can also have people playing golf here 12 months per year, which is a nice situation for a club professional like myself."
So, what about those lessons for the PM and also meeting the first man on the moon?
"Gordon Brown was a member of the Shadow Cabinet when he came to me for some lessons at Burntisland," recalled Montgomery.
"He has the potential to be a decent player, to be honest, but is short on time as far as golf is concerned.
"As for Neil Armstrong, he came to Dunbar last year with one of our overseas members. It was a great thrill to meet one of the most famous men in the world and he was a real golf enthusiast."
In 2002, when we were a final qualifying course for The Open, Steve Elkington qualified at Dunbar before narrowly losing out in a play-off to Ernie Els.
"I joined him for one of his practice rounds at Dunbar and he was an absolute gentlemen, giving me a fascinating insight into a Major champion's approach, both mentally and physically. He also gave some of our lucky juniors an impromptu clinic."
Montgomery, who lives in Haddington with wife Pamela and their three children, Holly, Alice and Campbell, is proud to have seen former assistants like Alasdair Good (Gullane) and Russell Smith (Gleneagles) go on to become successful club pros themselves.
He is also pleased that the Northern Open, one of the top events on the Tartan Tour, will have a sponsor again next year after the prize fund for the 2009 version was vastly reduced.
"We have a nice sponsor – an oil company – coming on board which means that our two flagship events will be in good shape as Gleneagles has become a wonderful home for the Scottish Championship."

ASIAN AND EUROPEAN TOURS FORM NEW ALLIANCE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN TOUR
The Asian Tour and The European Tour are proud to announce today an alliance designed to invigorate the game internationally by fortifying existing co-sanctioned tournaments, generating new competition at all levels and reinforcing relationships with sponsors, tournament promoters, national associations and regional professional bodies.

This alliance will ensure unity and cohesion on the commercial and media fronts. The immediate strategic aim will be to further enhance and develop the media global platform available to all co-sanctioned tournaments by amalgamating the TV/Media production and distribution facilities and networks of both Tours.

Omega Mission Hills World Cup European

Qualifier to be played in Estonia

The Estonian Golf & Country Club will have the honour of hosting the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup European Qualifier from September 24 – 27.
Two-man teams from around the globe are expected to battle it out for the three qualifying spots available and the chance to take part in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup at Mission Hills , China from November 26 – 29.
The PGA European Tour will have responsibility for overseeing the European qualifying tournament and will work closely with the both staff and members of the Estonian Golf & Country Club to deliver a memorable Estonian experience for competing players.
PGA European Tour director of international policy Keith Waters recognised the importance of bringing the Omega Mission Hills World Cup Qualifier to Estonia .
He said: “Staging the Omega Mission Hills World Cup European qualifier in Estonia is very much in keeping with the spirit upon which the World Cup was founded. Bringing a truly international event such as this to an emerging golf market such as Estonia can only serve to further accelerate the growth of the game in this country and also in this part of Europe .”
Estonian Golf & Country Club, which opened in 2005, is one of the finest golf courses in Eastern Europe and one of only eight European Tour courses in Europe .
The president of the Estonian Golf & Country Club, Mait Schmidt, added: “It is a great honour for Estonian Golf & Country Club to be the host venue of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup European qualifier and to be able to showcase golf in Estonia .
“ Golf is growing rapidly in Estonia and we look forward to hosting the best players from Europe and around the globe as they attempt to qualify for a world-class event such as the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.”
Locals say that when God created the coastal land of the Estonian Golf & Country Club, he must have intended it to be a golf course, as it winds its way so harmoniously along the Baltic Coast and the Jägala River delta.
The club boasts not only the beautiful 18-hole Sea Course with its spectacular sea views and signature par four 13th, but also the historic nine-hole Stone Course, which meanders through impressive rock formations and gigantic stones from the ice age.
Situated just half-an-hour from the centre of Estonia’s capital city, Tallinn, and only a 15-minute drive from Tallinn International Airport, the club is ideally situated and can be accessed easily from all major cities in Europe.
The format for the first and third rounds of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup European qualifier will be fourball (betterball), with foursomes (alternate shot) to be used in the second and final rounds.
The Official World Golf Rankings will determine the first 18 nations to qualify for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup itself and the European qualifier will join the Asian and South American qualifiers to determine the balance of the field.
The leading three teams from each qualifier will earn a place in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.
The Omega Mission Hills World Cup was first played in 1953 as the Canada Cup. The event is set to continue through to 2018, and most probably beyond, at Mission Hills, following the signing of an agreement in 2007 which brought the prestige watch manufacturer Omega together with the club which introduced the game of golf to China , by first hosting the World Cup in 1995.
John Jay Hopkins, the noted Canadian industrialist, brought to reality a dream that golf could promote goodwill between nations with the inaugural World Cup played in Montreal in 1953, then called the Canada Cup and re-titled the World Cup in 1967.

Trevor Immelman ruled out of Open field

South African Trevor Immelman, who has been out of action since withdrawing from the Memorial Tournament a month ago with a wrist injury, will be forced to miss the Open Championship, but hopes to return to play the following week at the RBC Canadian Open.
“The Open Championship has always been one of my two favourite tournaments and it has been a thrill for me to compete in the tournament since my first time there in 2002,” said Immelman. “My wrist injury has been responding well to treatment, but at this point, it just isn’t far enough along to allow me to be ready for the Open. As disappointing as it will be to not be there, I have to continue doing what’s right for my long-term health. I’m looking forward to continuing with the rehabilitation and getting back to doing what I love, playing golf.”
Immelman, a former Masters winner, withdrew from the Memorial after experiencing discomfort in his left wrist for a number of months. The injury was diagnosed as severe tendinitis with tears in the cartilage.

Aberdeen & District Pennant League Scoreboard

SPONSORED BY THE CULTS HOTEL


NIGG BAY 4.5, CALEDONIAN 1.5
Venue: Balnagask
Nigg Bay players first

D Yeats & R Young bt R Pirie & D Forbes 7 and 6.
L O'Connor & N Slater bt M Beattie & A Divers 6 and 5.
G Stewart & W Riley bt S Finnie & W Ross 1 hole.
R Bothwell & G Grimmer bt D Gardiner & K Smith 3 and 2.
K Daglish & R Forbes lost to S Allan & B Reid 3 and 2.
I. Welsh & A. Cadman halved with D Mullen & S Smith.

One for the Tain Golf Club scrapbook (left to right) David and Sammy Vass, Sir Bob Charles and Munro Ferries (image by courtesy of Robin Wilson, click to enlarge).

Sir Bob Charles beats his age again with 71 at Tain

By ROBIN WILSON
Every left handed golfers' boyhood idol, New Zealander Sir Bob Charles, ended his two week tour of Scottish links golf courses on his "wish list" of courses to play at Tain on Wednesday where for the first time in his eight course tour that began at North Berwick on June 29 he was partnered by a fellow lefthander.

Sir Bob, now 73, and still the first and only left handed golfer to have won the Open Championship (Royal Lytham 1963), was knighted for his services to golf in 1999 in a career that saw him add the British Senior Championship to his Open title and another eighty professional worldwide tour wins.
Making his Tain visit stand out from from all his others over the past two weeks was having local scratch lefty Munro Ferries with him, and completing the four- ball Tain's first ever father and daughter club champions, David and Sammy Vass.

Tain club captain Rob Hudson welcomed Sir Bob to Tain and before teeing off he was introduced to Scottish Golf Union president, Tain resident Ian H Ross.
The two lefties won the game by 4 and 3, Charles chipping in for an eagle 3 at the 13th and a birdie three on the next hole to come home in 32 for a one over par score of 71, beating his age by two shots.

Tight at the top in Boyd Quaich

students' event at St Andrews

It’s a three-way tie for the lead with one round left to play in the Boyd Quaich Memorial students’ international golf tournament.
Will Bowman (North Carolina), Matthew Williams (Aston University) and Gordon Stevenson (University of St Andrews) lead the field at 215 (one over par) with 18 holes on the Old Course to go.
Two rounds were played on Wednesday and at halfway it was Gordon Stevenson who held a six-shot lead after he added a level par 72 on the Old Course to his blistering first round 64 on the par 71 New Course.
However, things went a little awry for Gordon in the third round as he scored 79 which brought him back to the chasing pack. The main damage was done on the ninth hole where a quadruple bogey 7 undid most of his hard work
Williams and Bowman shot 73 and 71 respectively on the New Course and that means that they will be in the final group on Thursday morning’s final round. Last year’s runner-up, Daniel Sommerville, is just 2 shots back on 217 after a fine 72 on the New. His round could have been much better as it included a lost ball on the par 5 eighth. Daniel managed to make an eagle with his second ball so no momentum was lost but it was a case of ‘what might have been’ at the end of the round.
The best rounds of the day came from Aaron O’Callaghan and Marco Cioffrese who both managed one-under 70. They now find themselves part of a six-strong chasing pack four shots adrift of the leaders.

LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 214 (2x71,1x72)
215 Will Bowman (North Carolina) 70 74 71, Matthew Williams (Aston) 71 71 73, Gordon Stevenson (St Andrews) 64 72 79.
217 Daniel Sommerville (Dundee) 70 75 72, Joshua Clakre (Abertay) 71 73 73.
218 Christo Harms (Pretoria) 75 70 73, Kevin Stack (University College Cork) 73 70 75.
219 Aaron O’Callaghan (Southeastern Louisiana) 77 72 70, Marco Cioffrese (St Gellen) 76 73 70, Joe Campbell (North Carolina) 76 72 71, Philipp Dirkx (Grenoble) 73 74 72, Patrick Brimmer (Loughborough) 73 73 73, Kevin Duncan (Clayton State) 67 75 77.
220 Frazer McKenna (Southeastern Louisiana) 75 73 72, John Wybar (Aberdeen) 75 72 73.
221 Darragh Cochlan (Greensboro) 73 73 75, Wilson Bowen (Stanford) 72 73 76, Gerard Kelly (University College Dublin) 73 70 78.
222 Scott Samuel (Canada) 71 75 76, John Green (University College Dublin) 72 73 77.
223 Ben Wescoe (Yale) 76 73 74.
224 Neil McBride (Clayton State, Georgia) 76 73 75, Stephen Pointon (St Andrews) 74 72 78.

England boys are top seeds for match-play

stages, Scotland (15th) in Second Flight

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
England have won the stroke play section of the European boys team championship at Golf Club de Pan near Utrecht and qualify as the top seeds for the match-play stages. England’s first challenge will be Germany whom they will face in the quarter-final line-up.
The second day of stroke play saw a great team performance from England in tough conditions. Play got off to a wet start and although it looked as though play may have to be suspended, all players made it through without any interruptions.
Max Smith was out on the course first, dropping three shots in 16 holes and finishing off with two birdies. He ended his round on 72, a solid score to start England off.
Jonathan Bell, Eddie Pepperell and Chris Lloyd, who eagled the last, all finished with level par 71s.
Jonathan Bell, England’s leading player in the stroke play, said, “I was lucky as I didn’t get a lot of the rain but it was very windy out there. I think we all played really well as a team and I’m very excited about match play tomorrow”.
Although Jonathan finished in the lead, he felt there was still room for improvement “I haven’t really played the par 5s too well but hopefully I can do better over the next few days”.
Day one of the stroke play was interrupted for nearly two hours by thunder and lightning, but England went on to hold a one stroke lead over Sweden. Max Smith, Tom Lewis and Jonathan Bell all carded one under par 70’s.
In particular Max Smith made his score in very windy conditions being in the first group out at 7.30 am. Tom Lewis had somewhat of an up and down round. His 70 included seven birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey. Jonathan Bell’s 70 was set up with a magnificent three wood at the par five eighteenth and a fine chip and a putt gave Jonathan a well deserved place on the leaderboard.
To follow the progress of our England players as they contest The European Boys Championship please visit the EGU website www.englishgolfunion.org.

England scores:
143 Tom Lewis (Welwyn Garden City) 70 73.
141 Jonathan Bell (Royal Blackheath) 70 71.
142 Max Smith (Newbury Racecourse) 70 72.
144 Eddie Pepperell (Drayton Park) 73 71.
148 Adam Carson (Long Ashton) 73 75.
146 Chris Lloyd (The Kendleshire) 75 71.
Championship matchplay flight
1 England +4
2 Denmark +8
3 Sweden +15
4 Belgium +21
5 Spain +24
6 Netherlands +26
7 Czech Republic +26
8 Germany +27

SECOND FLIGHT
9 FRANCE 738
10 ITALY 739
11 PORTUGAL 740
12 IRELAND 740
13 NORWAY 742
14 SWITZERLAND 743
15 SCOTLAND 747
16 FINLAND 756

THIRD FLIGHT
17 WALES 760
18 POLAND 783
19 HUNGARY 789
20 SLOVENIA 789

Scotland boys' scores over the two rounds.
146 Sandy Bolton 74 72.
147 Paul Shields 72 75.
149 David Law 74 75.
152 Chris Robb 73 79.
155 Jack McDonald 76 79.
158 Daniel Young 81 77.

Savage calms down and Forrest

takes lead after 36 holes at Largs

With overnight leader Jamie Savage (Cawder) drifting from a pacemaking 69 to a second-round 77 for six-over-par 136, Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) stepped into the 36-hole pole position with a 70 and 69 for one-under-par 139 on the second day of the USAfirstpoint Scottish Under-16 boys' open stroke-play golf championship at Largs in Ayrshire.
He leads by one and he will be rueing a double bogey 6 at the 15th even though he did birdie the 18th after that.
Hot on his tail are Nick Ward (Redbourn (69-140) and Fraser Thain (West Linton), a pair of 70s for 140.
Ward finished well today with birdies at the 16th and 17th while Fraser Thain is another who will be looking back in anger .... two double bogeys so far, the 18th in Round 1 and the short eighth in Round 2.
A total of 45 boys with scores of 11 over-par 151 and better qualfied for Thursday's final round.
SCOREBOARD
Par 140 (2x70) CSS 71 71
139 Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) 70 69.
140 Nick Ward (Redbourn) 71 69, Fraser Thain (West Linton) 70 70.
141 Will Chambers (Mid Herts) 71 70, Eamon Bradley (Mount Ellen) 71 70, Ewan Scott (St Andrews) 70 71.
143 Jamie Bower (Meltham) 71 72, Thomas Goodair (Woodsome Hall) 70 73.
145 Nicholas Smits (Australia) 70 75.
146 Daniel McConnachie (Dumfries & Co) 73 73, Liam Johnston (Dumfries & Co) 76 70, Jamie Savage (Cawder) 69 77, Ewen Donaldson (Craigielaw) 70 76, Ben Franklin (Rochford Hundred) 73 73, Harry Whittle (Woburn) 73 73.]147 Tom Harris (Castletown) 75 72, Tom Bacon (Mellor & Townscliffe) 74 73, Joshua Jamieson (St Andrews New) 72 75, Scott Wearing (Bishopbriggs) 74 73.
148 Blair Todd (Greenburn) 77 71, Thomas Rowland (Prudhoe) 76 72, Lawrence Allan (Alva) 73 75, Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 73 75, Danny Hawksworth (Hollins Hall) 76 72.
149 Bertrand Mommaerts (Belgium) 76 73, Michael Younie (Frilford Heath) 77 72, Alasdair McDougall (Elderslie) 77 72, Shaun Connor (Ralston) 76 73, Tangi Merckx (Belgium) 76 73, Lee Morgan (Newbattle) 76 73, Gary Daoust (Belgium) 75 74, Gary Chalmers (Dollar) 78 71, Tanapol Vattanapisit (Thailand) 76 73.
150 Jordan Milne (Elgin) 76 74, Andrew Whyte (St Andrews New) 75 75, Tom Heggarty (Royal Liverpool) 72 78, Greig Stewart (Crieff) 75 75, Neil Beattie (St Andrews) 75 75, Luca Olivotto (Belgium) 74 76.
151 Craig Howie (Peebles) 78 73, Connor Campbell Inchmarlo) 75 76, Sam MacNeil (Aboyne) 76 75, Freddie Brown (Nairn Dunbar) 77 74, Moritz Hausweiler (Germany) 7675, Ross Gillan (Torrance House) 73 78
MISSED THE CUT
Selected scores
152 Robert Burlison (Oxley Park) 80 72, John Scott (East Renfrewshire) 79 73, Iain Watson (St Andrews) 76 76, Anthony Blaney (Liberton) 74 78, Allan Easton (Strathmore) 75 77, Patrick Horsting (Royal St George's) 75 77.
153 Grant Bowman (Monifieth) 77 76, Ross Proctor (Forres) 78 75, Ryan Cardwell (Long Sutton) 74 79.
154 Ross Munro (Monifieth) 76 78, Cameron Mitchell (Leven Th) 79 75, William Aldred (Mid Hewtrs) 78 76, Robbie Gauld (Cruden Bay) 77 77.
155 Calum Stewart (Brora) 75 80, Jimmy Mullen (Royal North Devon) 77 78,
Gregor Mackintosh (Girvan) 78 77, Phillippe Schweizer (Switzerland) 80 75, Daniel Hendry (UAE) 76 79, Greg Dunsmore (Saline) 73 82, Conner Cook (Caird Park) 79 76.

From Gary McFarlane
PGA Professional
Clober Golf Club

Just a little note to say how much I am enjoying the website as usual, been some good little debates started lately because of it.
We had some interesting results at yesterday's medal which I thought would start up some good chat on your site. We had a three-handicapper by the name of Neil Hansen score a 59 scratch, seven under par, an unbelievable score (Clober is a par 66 but with eight tough par 3s).
He had 9 birdies and two bogeys for it and it beat the old record by shot shot but equals the professional record set by PGA pro Euan Cameron in the pro am a few years ago.
Thought it would interesting to see if other courses have such low records.

Gary McFarlane

QUICK RESPONSE FROM IAIN TAYLOR:

In response to Gary's query ... at Stonehaven Golf Club which has the same par as Clober, we've had six-under-par 60 scored three times, twice by same guy whos had quite a few chances to break 60!

AND MORE FROM A STONEHAVEN READER

For your information (see Iain Taylor's note), the gentleman in question is Neil Irvine who, on June 8 this year, shot a tremendous 59. Unfortunately for Neil this was not in an individual stroke play event but in medal match play, but still worthy of some recognition.
As far as his two others are concerned they where shot in Stableford events which has created much debate within the club. I understand that after guidance from the R & A they will not stand. Euan Kennedy shot 60 and took the course record from Bobby Forbes (who scored a 61 in the third round of the club championship some years ago) and Frank McCarron. Euan's score was also in the club championship a couple of years ago. Great round.
Interesting to note that a past captain offered Paul Lawrie the chance to break 60. Paul accepted the challenge and asked for a morning practice round, some lunch, and then.....go for it! Unfortunately Stonehaven's timing was poor as Paul, within a few weeks, went on to win the Open, and due to his obviously increased commitments could not fulfill this earlier obligation.
No doubt there are some pro's out there who might fancy the Stonehaven Challenge.
Are they up for it?

Colin@scottishgolfview.com is the E-mail address for you to send in news, views and images for display on Scottishgolfview.com

Saltman siblings enter Homcoming

Putting Challenge

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY VISITSCOTLAND

The Saltman brothers, Scotland’s first family of the fairways, were at Turnberry earlier this week to be the first to tee up for Homecoming Day at The Open Championship, which will be held next week.

The professional golfing siblings: Lloyd, Elliot and Zack, all from East Lothian, played a family friendly over the Homecoming putting green and were the first scores entered into the Homecoming Putting Challenge.
The family competition, open to budding golfers of all ages, will take place as part of Homecoming Day at The Open on Wednesday July 15th. Homecoming Day is a family day to celebrate Scotland’s year of Homecoming, the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns and The Open Championship returning to Scottish soil, and will also include a rare and unique opportunity for golf enthusiasts to have their picture taken with the coveted Claret Jug.
Middle brother, Lloyd Saltman, 23, is especially familiar with The Open Championship after he finished 15th at St Andrews in 2005 and won the silver medal for best amateur.
He said: “Homecoming Day is all about families coming together to celebrate two of Scotland’s finest exports, Robert Burns and golf. Growing up in a family of golfers there’s always a lot of friendly rivalry and the Homecoming Putting Challenge is a great way to compete with family and friends and show your skills at a truly iconic venue. You might even find yourself putting alongside some of the world’s best golfers, past and present.”
The Open Championship is one of the world’s biggest golf tournaments and this year the line up is as strong as ever. Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington will all be competing against Scotland’s own golfing greats including Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie and the 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie.
Eldest brother, Elliot Saltman, 26, the first of the siblings to step into the limelight as a professional said: “Competitions like the Homecoming Putting Challenge are fantastic because they let golf enthusiasts and novices, young and old, all play together in an atmosphere which will be really buzzing on July 15th. The Open Championship is such an incredible tournament, both to watch and to compete in, and Homecoming Day will be a unique opportunity to see some real legends of golf up close and in action.”
Youngest brother Zack, 20, who turned professional in January this year, continued: “Competing against my brothers is always interesting and earlier this year we competed together at the Villaitana Open in Spain. The Homecoming Putting Challenge is a bit more relaxed though and a great opportunity for families and friends to get into the spirit of the Open before the competition really gets going.”
Activities start from 9am on Homecoming Day with other activities including a chance to win a fantastic Homecoming golf break to Scotland, have your photo taken with the Claret Jug, and watch some classic Open Championship moments from Scotland on the big screens within the tented village.
Marie Christie, Project Director for Homecoming Scotland, said: “People all over the world have a passion for golf, a passion for Scotland and a passion for Robert Burns so The Open returning to Turnberry in Ayrshire, the birth place of Burns, brings all three elements together for Scotland’s year of Homecoming. Homecoming Scotland is a year long celebration of more than 300 events which celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns and The Open is yet another great reason to come to Scotland, enjoy the golf and explore the area which inspired some of the most famous poetry in the world.”
Tickets for Homecoming Day at The Open cost just £30 per adult and children under 16 years old go free when accompanied by an adult.
Tickets are available to purchase now from http://www.opengolf.com/. For more information on The Open Championship and other golfing events taking place in Homecoming Year, visit www.homecomingscotland2009.com/golf

Countdown to Walker Cup team selection

Two Scots within top 10 GB&I players

in new R&A World Amateur Rankings

If the selectors of the GB&I team for September's Walker Cup match at Merion Golf Club were to pick their line-up of 10 for the United States this week and rely solely on the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings then there would be two Scots in it - Murrayshall's Gavin Dear, who is ranked No 16, and Ross Kellett (Colvile Park) who has leaped 25 places up the rankings this week to No 80 and is the 10th player from Scotland, England, Ireland or Wales in the WAGR.

Here are the top GB&I players in the world rankings:

6 Sam Hutsby (England) 1143.84

16 Gavin Dear (Scotland) 1051.28.

17 Luke Goddard (England) 1042.50.

19 Chris Paisley (England) 1026.67.

27 Niall Kearney (Ireland) 970.21.

29 Matt Haines (England) 965.

42 Sam Ward (Ireland) 942.00.

43 Tommy Fleetwood (England) 939.29.

45 Stiggy Hodgson (England) 932.00.

80 Ross Kellett (Scotland) 881.25

Just outside the top 10 GB&I plyers are:

84 Matthew Nixon (England) 875.00.

86 Wallace Booth (Scotland) 873.75.

91 Tom Sherreard (England) 867.31.

97 Todd Adcock (England) 858.00.

101 Dale Whitnell (England) 852.50.

106 Paul Cutler (Ireland) 845.45.

+James Byrne from Banchory is the fourth best Scottish player in the latest R&A WAGR at No 166 with a 791.94 rating.

Scots trio off to play in Chiberta Grand Prix

Three Scots are in southwest France, Biarritz, to be precise for this week's Chiberta Grand Prix - Mark Bookless (Sandyhills), Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) and Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh).
The Grand Prix has been won by a Scot in the past - Duncan Stewart from Grantown on Spey, for one.
Editor's note:
Scottishgolfview.com will attempt to bring you the scores each evening but it is one of the most difficult Continental events from which to get information. The fact that it is being held in France is the biggest obstacle. The French Federation is most unhelpful unless you send E-mails in French and not even very helpful when you get someone like fluent French speaker Susan Simpson of the Ladies Golf Union to send a message on your behalf!
We shall do our best.

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth, Devon) is one of three England A squad players selected to represent the English Golf Union (EGU) in the annual Chiberta Grand Prix in Biarritz, France, from July 9 to 12.
It will be the Devon champion’s second successive visit to the Chiberta event and he will be accompanied by Adam Keogh (Boston West, Lincolnshire) and Ben Martin (Worthing, Sussex).
A year ago, Hemstock finished a creditable sixth in the individual ranking in Biarritz, a performance that underlined his potential during 2008 in which he finished runner-up in the Duncan Putter and Irish Open Amateur and fourth in the Tillman Trophy.
A member of the England A squad for the second successive season, this year the 25 year old won his county title at East Devon, reached the last 16 of the Spanish Amateur and was tied seventh in the Berkshire Trophy.
Keogh, 21, was a semi-finalist in last year’s English Amateur Championship at Woodhall Spa, claiming the scalps of internationals Charlie Ford and Luke Goddard on the way.
Martin, 18, spent most of his formative year in the Caribbean where his family lived. There he gained considerable success, winning the Trinidad & Tobago Amateur Championship this year and matching his previous successes in 2006 & 2008, while he tied for the title in 2007.
He also won the Caribbean Junior Championship in 2007 in Antigua. Last year in Britain, Martin won the Sussex Open and the Worthing match play Championship and finished third in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters and the Sussex Colts Championship.
This year, he represented the EGU in the Peruvian Amateur in Lima.

Paul Shields (72) top scores for Scots

at European boys' team championship

Scotland were lying joint 11th in a field of 20 countries at the end of the first qualifying round before the match-play stages of the European boys' team championship at De Pan in the Netherlands.
England led with 356, a shot ahead of Sweden with Spain (362) in third place.
Scotland had a first-day total of 369 with a 72 from Paul Shields, a 73 from Chris Robb, 74s from Sandy Bolton and David Law, a 76 from Jack McDonald and a non-counting 81 from Daniel Young.
SCOREBOARD
356 ENGLAND (Jonathan Bell 70, Tom Lewis 70, Max Smith 70, Eddie Pepperwell 73, Adam Carson 73. NC: Chris Lloyd 75).
357 SWEDEN.
362 SPAIN.
363 CZECH REPUBLIC.
366 BELGIUM, GERMANY.
367 FRANCE, DENMARK.
368 IRELAND (Michael Durcan 70, Paul Dunne 70, Dermot McElroy 74, Reeve Whitson 76, Garth McGee 78, Chris Selfridge 78 (NC: one of the 78s), NORWAY.
369 PORTUGAL, NETHERLANDS, SWITZERLAND, SCOTLAND (Paul Shields 72, Chris Robb 73, Sandy Bolton 74, David Law 74, Jack McDonald 76. NC: Daniel Young 81).
371 ITALY.
375 WALES (Rhys Pugh 73, Rhodri Harston 74, Matthew Moseley 75, Mark Parry 76, Christopher Nugent 77. NC Luke Jackson 79).
377 FINLAND.
386 SLOVENIA.
389 POLAND.
388 HUMGARY.

Jamie Savage leads Under-16s at Largs

Jamie Savage, a 14-year-old Cawder Golf Club junior member, set the first-round pace in the Scottish Under-16 boys' championship at Largs with a one-under-par 69 in windy conditions.
Savage made his score with three birdies in the first seven holes and he reached the turn in 32. A bogey at the 10th did not upset his momentum and he leads by one shot from six players.
The leading 40 and ties after today's second round will qualify for the closing stages.
LEADERBOARD
Par 70. SSS 71. CSS 71
69 Jamie Savage (Cawder).
70 Thomas Goodair (Woodsome Hall), Fraser Thain (West linton), Ewen Donaldson (Craigielaw), Ewan Scott (St Andrews), Grant Forrest (Craigielaw), Nichols Smits (Australia).
71 Jazmie Bower (Meltham), Will Chambers (Mid Herts), Nick Ward (Redbourn).
72 Tom Heggart (Royal Liverpool), Joshua Jamieson (St Andrews New).
73 Laurence Allan (Alva0, Greg Dunsmore (Saline), Craig Ross (Kirkhill, Ross Gillan (Torrance House), Ben Franklin (Rochford Hundred), Harry Wittle (Woburn), Daniel McConnachie (Dumfries & Co).

Stephen Gallacher seeking medical

exemption to keep Euro Tour card

FROM THE GLASGOW EVENING TIMES WEBSITE

By MATTHEW LINDSAY
Stephen Gallacher, the Bathgate golfer who has been struck down by a rare debilitating disease this season, has spoken to European Tour officials about receiving a medical exemption.
Gallacher, a former Dunhill Links Championship winner, has struggled badly in recent months after contracting sarcoidosis at the Dubai Desert Classic in February.
The 34-year-old has missed the halfway cut in his last seven tournaments and is lying a lowly 187th in the Race to Dubai standings with earnings of under £50,000.
Only the leading 115 or 116 players successfully retain their card at the end of a season and the Scot is in serious danger of losing his playing privileges.

However, Gallacher, pictured above, who is at Loch Lomond to compete in the Barclays Scottish Open this week, this week met David Garland, European Tour director of operations, to discuss his situation.
If officials are sympathetic to his plight they could decide to hand him automatic entry to a number of events once he makes a full recovery.
"I spoke to David about a medical exemption while I have been here at Loch Lomond," confirmed Gallacher.
"I mentioned to him a couple of weeks ago that I had been poorly. Unfortunately, I am struggling a bit healthwise just now. I have sarcoidosis, a disease which affects my immune system. It has attacked my lymph glands, lungs and joints.
"It came on in Dubai back in February. I started the season well and finished 20th and 16th in my first two tournaments. Then I woke up one morning and couldn't move my hand.
"After that I started coughing.
I just thought I had a cold. But it went on for two or three months. It was pretty worrying while I was getting tested for it. I have seen my doctor and a consultant at Bupa Murrayfield, John Wilson, who has been great. I get regular three -week X-rays just to see how I am."
He added: "I get tired easily.
I have no energy at all just now. I am sleeping a lot. I am absolutely knackered. I have been told that nothing can help it because it is a viral infection. My body just needs total rest. It is fighting against itself just now.
"I am on steroids for it. Until I finish taking them I am not going to be anywhere near full fitness. I have got a couple of decisions to make. Rest and risk losing my card or play on and risk not recovering."
Still, Gallacher, who finished sixth last year at Loch Lomond after a seven-under-par final-round 64, is hopeful he can make an impression this week on a course he used to be attached to and knows well.
He added: "I have been told by one of the tour doctors to take it easy, not play practice rounds or hit too many balls. I haven't played any practice rounds for three weeks.
"It isn't a problem this week because I know the course so well. I am hoping to have a good week. Then I can take stock and see if I can go on or not. If I did well I probably wouldn't play for a couple of months.
"If I have a good finish this week then it will allow me to take a few weeks off to rest, finish taking my course of steroids and build my strength back up. It is one of these diseases that just goes away when it goes away.
"If I played well enough to get into the Open I would just turn up at Turnberry on the Thursday. I wouldn't be able to play any practice rounds.
I would love to play. I played it last winter and thought it was one of the best Open venues I had ever played.

+Published by kind permission of The Herald Sports Editor.

Local Final Qualifying ends at three Ayrshire venues

'Mum's over the moon!' - Lloyd and

Elliot Saltman get through to Open

Lloyd and Elliot Saltman on Tuesday became the first pair of brothers to qualify for the Open since Spanish legend Severiano Ballesteros and his sibling Manuel did so in 1983.
The Scottish brothers were two of 12 golfers to qualify for the third of this season’s majors which gets underway on Thursday week at Turnberry.
However, two notable players who failed to book their tickets were Spain’s two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal - whose best placings at the Open was third in 1992 and tied for third in 2005 - and France’s former runner-up (Carnoustie 1999) Jean van de Velde.
The most impressive performance was put up by veteran Austrian Markus Brier who shot 16-under par for the two rounds to secure his place in what will be his sixth Open appearance.
It was the Saltman brothers, though, who produced the headline grabbing story as 27-year-old Elliott won his first ever place to challenge for the ‘Claret Jug’ while for 23-year-old Lloyd it will be his first return to the Open since winning the Silver Medal as leading amateur at St Andrews in 2005.
What made it even more of a family affair was that another brother Zack was caddying for Elliott.
“It’s a dream come true to be in The Open, especially along with my brother, Lloyd,” said Elliot
“Mum’s over the moon. She was on the phone to him while he was here watching me on the 18th.”
South Africa’s Thomas Aiken also booked his place - for his third appearance - posting a four-under-par 67 on Tuesday to lead by two strokes on six under-par.
“I again played very solid, trying to limit the bogeys,” said the 25-year-old who will celebrate his 26th birthday on July 16, the first day of the tournament.
“I stuck to the same game-plan as in the first round and it paid off.”
Among others to qualify were veteran English Ryder Cup competitor, Peter Baker, Ireland’s David Higgins and Australian Daniel Gaunt.
But Banchory's James Byrne's run of fantastic success over recent weeks came to an end. After a good first round, James faded out of contention.

Open Championship Local Final Qualifying Scoreboard

GLASGOW GAILES
Par 142 (2x71)
(x) denotes amateur
136 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 69 67
138 Peter Baker 69 69
139 David Higgins 70 69, Elliot Saltman 67 72
Did not qualify
140 Scott Dunlap (USA) 71 69, Euan Little 69 71, Chris Gaunt (Aus) 69 71, Darryn Lloyd (Rsa) 72 68
141 Craig Matheson 71 70, Craig Corrigan 69 72, Nicholas Redfern (Hkg) 69 72, Luis Claverie (Spa) 71 70, Chris Geraghty 70 71
142 Paul Maddy 69 73, Scott Barr (Aus) 70 72, Ross Bain 71 71
143 John Mellor 70 73, Stuart Archibald 72 71, David Mills 72 71, Mark Davies 70 73, (x) Ross Kellett 74 69
144 Tim Dykes 71 73, Matthew King 72 72, (x) James Atkinson 73 71, (x) Sam Hutsby 75 69, Sebastian Garcia-Grout (Spa) 75 69, Andrew Marshall 73 71, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 71 73, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 74 70, Ian Keenan 72 72, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 73 71, Will Barnes 74 70
145 James Gill (Nzl) 69 76, (x) Jamie Abbott 70 75, John Parry 72 73, (x) Jarred McKnight 72 73, Nick Soto 73 72
146 Craig Lee 71 75, Phil Worthington 76 70, Oliver Whiteley 71 75, Martin Sell 77 69
148 David Kirkpatrick 75 73, Joey Carlisle 73 75, Paul Dwyer 75 73, Scott Jackson 71 77, (x) Pat Murray 75 73, Martin Edge 74 74, David Griffiths 76 72
149 Andrew Barnett 77 72, (x) Ben Westgate 74 75, Ronan Rafferty 72 77, Andrew Johnston 75 74, Barry Taylor 74 75
150 Carl Duke 75 75, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 77 73, Brendan McDermott 72 78, Daniel Casey 75 75, Ben Banks 76 74, Brett Taylor 76 74
151 (x) Graham Povey 77 74, Grant Hamerton 80 71, John Green 78 73, Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 76 75, (x) James Hamilton (Nzl) 79 72, (x) Michael Stewart 75 76, John Gallagher 77 74
152 Kenny Hutton 74 78, Mark Stewart 76 76, (x) Mark Rogers 74 78, (x) Richard Prophet 77 75, Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 71 81, (x) Matt Haines 73 79, (x) Ross Spurgeon 74 78
153 Warren Bladon 72 81
154 (x) James Fox 79 75
155 (x) Ben Stow 79 76, Kieron Gaskell 77 78, Jonathan Lomas 77 78
156 Joe Smith 81 75, Matt Allen 79 77, David Boyce 75 81
157 Simon Stevenson 77 80
158 Scott Marshall 75 83, Jerry Scullion 79 79
159 Kenny Banks 72 87, Christopher Evans 80 79, (x) Neil Hargreaves 78 81
160 Shaun Webster 79 81
163 Sean Owen 83 80, (x) Michael Downes 79 84, Peter Appleyard 83 80
174 (x) Craig Isabel 94 80
NR: Garry Houston, Thomas Crozer, David James
DQ: Chris Doak

KILMARNOCK BARASSIE
Par 146 (2x73)
130 Markus Brier (Aut) 64 66
136 Lloyd Saltman 66 70, Daniel Gaunt (Aus) 69 67, Peter Ellebye (Den) 68 68
Did not qualify
138 Ricky Lee 69 69, Ian Walley 67 71, Manuel Quiros (Spa) 67 71, James Busby 70 68
139 (x) Matthew Nixon 70 69, Kenneth Ferrie 71 68, (x) Gavin Dear 68 71, Gordon J Brand 70 69
140 Chris Kelly 73 67, Paul Wesselingh 71 69, Jon Bevan 70 70, (x) Jonathan Watt 71 69
141 Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 71 70, Steve Lewton 71 70, Gary Wolstenholme 70 71, (x) Chris Paisley 70 71
142 (x) Keir McNicoll 69 73, Richard Golding 70 72, Jamie Elson 69 73, (x) Luke Goddard 70 72
143 Simon Lilly 72 71, Llewellyn Matthews 71 72, George Cowan 71 72, Jamie Moul 74 69, Gareth Davies 72 71, Mark Kerr 71 72, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 70 73, James Wilkinson 72 71, Steven Taylor 75 68
144 (x) Tommy King 70 74, Graeme Bell 72 72, (x) Steven Brown 73 71, Jonathan Caldwell 70 74, Andrea Basciu (Ita) 71 73, Daniel Greenwood 70 74, (x) James Wilson 70 74, Jesper Thuen (Den) 73 71, Barry Lane 72 72
145 James Mason 71 74, Raymond Russell 71 74, Ashley Lucas 73 72, (x) Alex Christie 75 70, Adam Hodkinson 74 71, (x) Duncan Harris 72 73, Ryan Fenwick 72 73, Jamie Howarth 77 68
146 Kieran Staunton 76 70, (x) Farren Keenan 74 72, (x) Scott Pinckney (USA) 72 74, Neil Lythgoe 76 70
147 (x) Daniel Byrne 74 73, (x) Michael Daily 74 73, Barry Hume 72 75, Ian Ridgway 79 68
148 (x) Xavier Feyaerts (Bel) 73 75, (x) James Robinson 75 73, Steve McAnally 76 72
149 StevenParry 74 75, Justin Evans 73 76, Jason Levermore 76 73, (x) Curtis Griffiths 72 77
150 Marcus Armitage 73 77, Craig Ronald 72 78, David Rawluk 77 73, (x) Mark Chamberlain 75 75, (x) Michael Saunders 75 75, Paul Jones 79 71, Matthew Evans 75 75
151 Scott Emery 78 73, (x) Simon Ward 74 77, Duncan Muscroft 76 75, David Shacklady 74 77
152 Jack Wallace 78 74, James Hepworth 81 71, (x) Jonathan Gidney 76 76, (x) Josh Evans 75 77
153 (x) Jake Amos 76 77
154 Craig Smith 80 74, (x) John Chamberlain 75 79, James Jankowski 74 80
155 Jonnie Cliff 78 77, Adam Norman 77 78, Mike Bradley 80 75, Neil Rowlands 76 79, (x) Jack Senior 81 74
156 Alan Tyson 76 80
160 Jon Wetton 78 82
Scratched: Anthony Snobeck (Fra), Lloyd Campbell, (x) Andrew Hogan
DQ: Per-Ulrik Johansson (Swe)
NR: Alex Fuell
WESTERN GAILES
Par 142 (2x71)
137 Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 70 67
138 Steve Surry 72 66
140 Thomas Haylock 73 67, Daniel Wardrop 72 68
Did not qualify
141 Matthew Baldwin 71 70, Iain Steel 71 70, Reinier Saxton (Ned) 71 70, Zane Scotland 70 71
142 Thomas Whitehouse 71 71, (x) Dale Whitnell 70 72, (x) James Byrne 68 74, Peter O'Keefe 70 72
143 Rob Harris 70 73, (x) Tom Hayes 73 70, (x) Amir Habibi 71 72, Andrew Oldcorn 73 70, Greig Hutcheon 72 71, Craig Shave 71 72
144 Daniel Perrett 70 74, Lee Jackson 73 71, Nick Ludwell 74 70, Jason Dransfield 70 74, Johan Axgren (Swe) 72 72
145 Duncan McCarthy 70 75, Michael Curtain (Aus) 71 74, Martyn Thompson 70 75, Raul Quiros (Spa) 71 74, Simon Edwards 74 71, Lee Clarke 73 72, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 73 72
146 Scott Henry 79 67, Carlos Balmaseda (Spa) 69 77, (x) Jonathan Bale 72 74, David Carter 77 69, Jeremy Robinson 76 70
148 Chris Gill 73 75, Ian Ashenden 72 76, David Stanton 75 73, Scott Henderson 73 75
149 Alexander Wrigley 72 77, James Harper 74 75, (x) Sam Matton 73 76, (x) Sean Einhaus (Ger) 76 73, (x) Todd Adcock 74 75, Matthew Griffiths 74 75, Inder Van Weerelt (Ned) 73 76
150 Steve Richardson 71 79, (x) Myles Cunningham 74 76, Kevin Harper 73 77
151 Michiel Bothma (Rsa) 74 77, (x) Tom Sherreard 79 72, James Heath 74 77, (x) Brendan Smith (Aus) 76 75, Luke Eggleston 75 76, Robin Carroll 75 76, Mark Loftus 70 81
152 (x) Andrew Gunson 77 75, Guy Woodman 76 76, (x) Scott Fallon 73 79, Paul Bradshaw 78 74, Craig Bell 79 73, (x) Garrick Porteous 75 77, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 73 79, (x) Patrick Spraggs 79 73
153 Richard Neil-Jones 77 76, Daniel Sugrue 77 76, Benjamin Howlett 77 76, (x) Andy Sullivan 75 78, (x) Adrian Ford 74 79, James Westwood 79 74
154 (x) Peter Latimer 79 75, Ben Scott 79 75
155 Mark Smith 75 80, Steven Tiley 74 81, Davin Knudsen (Aus) 75 80, Jason Patridge 82 73
156 Wilhelm Schauman (Swe) 77 79, Daniel Wood 77 79, (x) Alex Hogben 79 77, Alan Martin 83 73
157 Lloyd Davies 76 81
159 (x) Richard Hooper 73 86, (x) Kevin Garwood 78 81
160 Francisco Lagarto (Spa) 76 84, Emerson Hall 82 78, Richard Summerscales 84 76, Nicolas Morris 76 84
161 Chris Roake 79 82
163 Greg Tucker 83 80
164 Alec Smith 79 85
165 Christopher Gill 84 81, James Smith 81 84
171 Iwan Griffiths 86 85
Scratched: Marcus Maith, Peter Whiteford, Daniel Brooks

Eye problem KOs Robert Karlsson

from Open championship

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Last year's European No 1 Robert Karlsson will miss next week's Open Championship because of his left eye problem.
The 39-year-old Ryder Cup star, joint seventh at Royal Birkdale last summer, has not played since the European Open at the end of May. The injury has been affecting his balance as well as his vision. It was originally thought to be an inner ear infection, but then Karlsson was discovered to have fluid behind his retina.
He has been told it could take four to six months to clear up, but having started to suffer early this year the Swede had been hopeful he might recover in time for The Open at Turnberry. "Apparently it's quite common for men between the ages of 25 and 50 with stressful jobs," said Karlsson..
He added: "There's never a good time for these things to happen, but I'm just looking forward to getting through it and getting back to playing.
"When that is, though, I just don't know. I'm taking it week by week.
"If I had a normal job it would not be a problem - I'd just take things a bit easy.
"I don't feel bad at all, which is a bit annoying and frustrating, and my doctor has said that if I have to play I could, but if I did it would most likely take longer to get through this.
"So for the moment I'm taking a couple of eye drops and some vitamins.
"Light and dark shades of green started to float together if I can put it that way and in the PGA at Wentworth it was bad - everything started to look flat. My depth vision had gone and where I noticed it most was with chip shots and bunker shots. When the ball was up in the air I just couldn't judge how far it was going.
Also out of The Open is New Zealander Tim Wilkinson, who came through the American qualifier but has since needed thumb surgery. No replacements have been called up at this stage since the field is set to be 156-strong even without them.

Michael Williams from St Michaels, NSW not Leuchars

Meet Michael Williams from St Michaels Golf Club, Sydney, New South Wales ... not St Michaels Golf Club, Leuchars as Scottishgolfview mistakenly believed when seeing the club listed opposite his name in the weekend Cameron Corbett Vase scores.
Michael, on a golfing holiday in Scotland, sent the above image and also the following CV:

Michael Williams

D.O.B: 1st February 1991.

Hcap:+1

Golf Club: St Michaels, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Some achievements:

NSW State Junior Boys Team 2008

NSW Open (finished T18- 2nd Amateur) (69,74 ,71,74= level par) 2008

*JNJGF State Age Overall Boys’ Champion (74,71,72,73=+2) 2008 *JNJGF Muswellbrook Overall Boys’ Champion (73,70=-1) 2008
*JNJGF Leader in Scoring Averages NSW 2008
*JNJGF International T3 in 17’s (67,75,76,70= E) 2008
Captain of St Michael's Golf Club winning Junior Pennant Team 2008
Member Junior State of Origin NSW team 2008
T11th Australian Amateur Championships Strokeplay (72, 71, 75, 67=-2) 2009
Member NSW Colts Squad 2009
Undefeated for St Michaels in Metropolitan Major Pennants 2009
Member NSW Colts Team 2009
NSWIS current scholarship holder 2009/10
T7th Keperra Bowl (Aus national trial event) (69,67,65,76= -11) 2009
3rd Cameron Corbett Vase (70,67,70,70=-11) 2009

*denotes- Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation

Coming up Brora's 18th fairway on a not-too-bright day in Northern Scotland. Left to right: Bob Anderson, Sir Bob Charles, Liam MacDonald and Jim Miller (image by courtesy of Robin Wilson).

Sir Bob's ball landed in the burn at the 13th. Here he has it tossed back to him by Jim Miller ... note Sir Bob is ready to catch it with his LEFT hand. Despite the water visit, Sir Bob salvaged a 4 at the hole (image by Robin Wilson).

Sir Bob goes round Brora in 74 to

get a square foursomes game

By ROBIN WILSON
Sir Bob Charles arrived at the furthermost north destination of his Scottish links "Tour of Discovery", the five times Open champion James Braid's links course at Brora today.
He teed off in the company of local professional Brian Anderson, promising junior member Liam MacDonald (18) and the local legend Jim Miller, just eight years younger than Charles, who set the amateur course record of 61, eight under par, as long ago as 1977 (and who, of course, beat US Open champion-to-be Johnny Miller when he was a member of the Brigham Young University team on a tour of Scotland).
The match was accompanied by an appreciative gallery who watched the 1963 Open champion go round in approximately 74 in quite difficult conditions as the summer sun had a day off in the North.
Charles birdied the par-3 ninth hole to turn one up with the local professional but with a short game that matched that of the Open champion's over the remaining nine holes Miller assured a friendly half on the final green with the best score of the four, a three over par 72.
Sir Bob ends his tour tomorrow at Tain where he will play alongside Tain's North District's team player and also a lefty, Munro Ferries, and the club's newly crowned club champions, father and daughter David and Sammy Vass. The lefties v the conventional?

Reference our recent mention of Michael Williams
(St Michaels GC, Australia NOT St Michaels GC, Leuchars).

From Keith Hamilton

I actually played with Michael Williams in the last two rounds of the Cameron Corbett Vase at Haggs Castle on Sunday. Both Michael and his friend Brett are over from Sydney, Australia for a month and are really enjoying their trip.
They have been staying with a family friend's son in the west end of Glasgow and have been temporary members at Balmore Golf Club as well as playing several tournaments while here.
I believe the last of them is the Sutherland Chalice this weekend before they travel home.
Brett finished 11th at the East of Scotland Open but missed the cut on Saturday and was on the bag on Sunday for Michael who played very solid golf.
Neither Michael or Brett is in the Australian National team but I think they have both won the equivalent of our county championship events. Hope this information is of interest.

Keith Hamilton

2009 FIFE ORDER OF MERIT for THE MACKAY BOWL

Positions after 14 events

1 James White (Lundin) 580pt.
2 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 460pt.
3 Colin Martin (Balbirnie Park) 250pt.
4 Alex Main (Thornton) 220pt.
4 Danny Sommerville (St Andrews) 220pt.
6 Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 205pt.
7 Lee Stewart (Canmore) 175pt.
8 Colin Loveday (Scotscraig) 170pt.

The next counting event for the 2009 FIFE ORDER OF MERIT is the Sutherland Chalice at Dumfries & Galloway on 11 & 12 July.

Hugh Hunter's Clackmanan County news

Glenbervie Golf Club's winning team in the Alexander Trophy (image by courtesy of Hugh Hunter). See report below. Left to right: Mark Findlay, Henry Anderson, Derek Fish and Mark Hislop.

Braehead Golf Club boys' team who had a very good win at Alva (image courtesy of Hugh Hunter).

MIXED FOURS TITLE GOES TO ALLOA
Plying over their home course, the Alloa mixed fours team scored an emphatic victory by 12 shots (on a handicap basis) from the Braehead team.

FULL RESULTS
1. ALLOA (I Ross & S McKeracher 70, A Whitelaw & T Whitelaw 66½, J Aitken & J McIntosh 75, D Milloy & I Rhind 77 1/2).
2. BRAEHEAD 224
3. TILLICOULTRY 227
4. DOLLAR 2341/2

GLENBERVIE GLORY IN ALEXANDER TROPHY
First played for in 1917, the Alexander Trophy is an inter-club tournament played for by clubs in Stirling and Clackmannan counties.
The competition is a four-man team event (best three score to count) played over 18 holes, and it was Clackmannanshire’s turn to host the event at Alloa Golf Club.
Competitors from 13 clubs enjoyed fine weather on the testing lay-out which players found to be in very good condition. Glenbervie Golf Club took the trophy thanks to two sub par rounds by Derek Fish (67: best of the day) and Henry Anderson (69), backed up by Mark Hislop (72), giving them a team total of 208, four shots ahead of Clackmannanshire’s Braehead.
FULL RESULTS (Best three scores)
1. Glenbervie 208; 2 Braehead 212; 3Grangemouth 217; 4 Alva 220; 5 Tulliallan 221; 6. Falkirk 223; 7 Stirling 227; 8 Alloa 228; 9 Bonnybridge 229; 10 Dollar 234; 11 Falkirk Tryst 236; 12 Earlsgate 246; 13 Tillicoultry 261

SHOCK DEFEAT FOR ALVA IN BOYS' LEAGUE

The Braehead boys pulled off a surprise win at Alva where they won by 3 matches to 2 with one half, giving them their first win in the league. Meanwhile at Tillicoultry, the home side had a comfortable win over the Alloa boys by 4 matches to 1 with one half. These results put Tillicoultry in a strong position in the League, and their match against Alva this weekend could prove crucial, so both sides will be looking to field their strongest team.

SCOTT IN THE TOP TEN
Dollar’s Scott Borrowman is keeping in touch with the top Scottish Amateurs with his golf. His latest performance in the Cameron Corbett Vase over Haggs Castle Golf Club gave him an 11th placing with a five under par score of 283 (71, 69, 74 and 69) and should keep him well up the rankings.
At present he is the ninth best Scot in the R&A WAGR where his ranking is moving steadily upwards. He is currently at 284th position. The next big event will be the Scottish Amateur at Royal Troon and he will be joined by Alloa golfers Jamie Aitken and Scott Moffat, making three Wee County Golfers in the 256 strong field.
All three County golfers are on action on the first day---- Jamie plays Chris Harkins (Ayr) at 9.53; Scott plays David Brown (Carluke) at 10.33 and Scott plays Kristofer Harper (Carnoustie) at 13.45.
The holder of the Scottish Amateur is of course Callum Macaulay who makes his second appearance in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond this week. Kast year he was an invited amateur, this year he has received an invitation as a professional.

Open Championship Local Final Qualifying

Byrne still burning it up - leader

at Western Gailes with a 68

Banchory amateur James Byrne's fantastic run of form continued at Western Gailes, Ayrshire yesterday in the first round of the 36-hole Open Championship Local Final Qualifying competitions.
With only four players from each of three venues - Glasgow Gailes and Kilmarnock Barassie - are the others - and 90 in each field, the odds against qualifying to join the championship field at Turnberry are very long indeed.
But Byrne, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, is in the pole position at halfway at Western Gailes with a three-under-par round of 68.
A Scot also leads at Glasgow Gailes - Elliot Saltman (Archerfield) on 67 - and it's Markus Brier, the Austrian pro who plays on the European Tour, who leads at Kilmarnock Barassie with a nine-under-par 64.
Elliot Saltman's older brother, Lloyd, winner of the Amateur Silver Medal in the last Open at St Andrews but struggling to make the grade as an amateur, is lying second at Barassie with a 66.
SCOREBOARD
GLASGOW GAILES
Par 71
67 E Saltman.
69 C Corrigan, J Gill, P Maddy, N Redfern, P Baker, E Little, C Gaunt, T Aiken.
70 J Mellor, J Abbot (am), M Davies, C Geraghty, D Higgins, S Barr.
Selected scores:
71 C Matheson, C Lee.
72 R Rafferty.
74 K Hutton, R Kellett (am).
75 D Kirkpatrick.
75 M Stewart (am).
76 C Doak.
77 J Lomas, J Gallagher.
WESTERN GAILES
Par 71
68 J Byrne (am).
69 C Balmaseda.
70 F Andersson Hed, D McCarthy, M Thompson, D Perrett, Z Scotland, D Whitnell (am), P O'Keefe, M Loftus.
Selected scores:
71 P Whiteford.
72 G Hutcheon.
73 A Oldcorn.
74 M Cunningham (am).
79 S Henry.
KILMARNOCK BARASSIE
Par 73
64 M Brier.
66 L Saltman.
67 M Quiros, I Walley.
68 G Dear (am), P Ellebye.
69 K McNicoll (am), J Elson, R Lee, D Gaunt.
70 T King (am), M Nixon (am), R Golding, D Greenwood, J Wilson (am), G Brand, G Wolstenholme, J Bevan, J M Olazabal.
Selected scores:
71 R Russell, M Kerr.
72 C Ronald, B Hume.
73 C Kelly.
74 M Daily (am).
78 J Cliff.

Free golf lesson from PGA professionals

at Open Championship

Youngsters attending the Open Championship at Turnberry will not only have the chance to see stars like Tiger Woods but also grab a free lesson from a PGA professional.
Among the dedicated band of 20 pros dishing out a total of more than 1,000 15min lessons will be newly appointed PGA captain Jim Farmer.
The Scot, who in one of his first duties as captain attended the US Masters at Augusta, is relishing the opportunity to pass on his expertise at grassroots level and help the next generation of golfers improve their games.
“I used to do work with a 100 kids on a Saturday morning at St Andrews,” said Farmer who is also honorary professional for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
“I’m really looking forward to it, the children are really enthusiastic and we might only have 15 minutes but they can pick up a lot. Having taught so many kids one of the secrets is that you need to work on all the basics of grip, posture and stance but also get them up and running quickly so they can hit the ball and enjoy it. Also even if they don’t have the best grips or stance you actually find that kids are great at adapting.”
Other Scottish pros passing on their skills at the R&A Junior Golf Centre, where the Golf Foundation will also be running various activities, will be Bill Lockie, runner up in the 2009 Senior PGA Professional Championship (North Gailes Golf Centre), Andrew Wiley (Ardeer), Andrew Marshall (Houston Golf Range), Alex Knox (King James VI) and Anthony Mackrell (East Kilbride).
One pro deserving special mention is Kirkhill club pro Duncan Williamson who recently took advantage of the longest day in the year on June 21 to play his course as many times as possible throughout the day and evening in aid of charity.
Beginning at 3.05am and carrying his own bag, and accompanied by an assortment of celebrities and club members, he eventually came off the 18th green – for the eighth time – at 10.24pm.
Golf Foundation chief executive Mike Round said: “The Golf Foundation relies on a strong sense of partnership with PGA professionals for the whole year round. “In tandem with our regional development officers, PGA pros work wonders in taking golf into schools and then in turn welcoming youngsters to their golf facilities. This activity is crucial for the growth of the game. “Hopefully Turnberry will help to bring in a new generation of young golfers to all our golf clubs and help the sport to make further strong progress in the years ahead.”
The R&A Junior Golf Centre will be open from Sunday, July 12 to 19. Lessons can be booked on the day only.
The full team of PGA pros at the R&A Junior Centre next week are as follows:
Jim Farmer, Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
Allan Knox, King James VI G.C
Bill Lockie, North Gailes G.C
Anthony Mackrell, East Kilbride G.C
Andrew Marshall, Houston G.R
Simon Payne, Cowglen G.C
Duncan Williamson, Kirkhill G.C
Andrew Wylie, Ardeer G.C
Peter Ball, Birley Wood G.C, South Yorkshire
Joanne Bates, Lancashire
Alan Bradshaw, Bootle G.C, Merseyside
Shay Brennan, John Cook School of Golf, Oxfordshire
Sharon Brookes, Community Golf Coach, Blackpool
Gordon Cattrell, Middlesbrough G.C
Jon Darby, John Cook School of Golf, Oxfordshire
Geraint Dixon, Bedfordshire G.C
Jamie Donaldson, Cambridge G&CC
Kevin Flynn, Tournebury G.C, Hampshire
Ashley Howard, Hovenden Park G.C, Lincs
Stuart Hurstfield, Alyn Waters G.C, Cheshire
Jason Laszkowicz, Owston Hall Hotel & G.C, South Yorkshire
Duncan Moore, Keighley G.C, West Yorkshire
Paul Warner, Portsmouth G.C, Hampshire

Scott Knowles, a quiet man who lets

his achievements do the talking ...

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Scott Knowles, who led Scotland to the European title in his first match in charge, isn't someone who blows his own trumpet, according to the man who knows him best.
Indeed, dad Louis, who introduced Knowles to golf in Edinburgh when he was a young lad, reckons he might not have heard about Scotland's superb win in North Wales if he hadn't been contacted by the Evening News."Unless you actually ask Scott about something, he never really mentions what he's been doing on the golf front," said Knowles senior.
"Indeed, I didn't know that Scotland had made it to the final until I read it in the News on Saturday.
"He's never been someone to shout that he's done this or that. There are no airs or graces with Scott and, importantly from a team captain's point of view, he hasn't got an ego either."
Knowles, a former Scottish Golfer of the Year, was on a hiding to nothing when he took over from George Crawford, his predecessor having led the Scots to the World Championship as they lifted the Eisenhower Trophy for the first time last year.
For the first time in a number of years, Scotland didn't play any friendly internationals in the spring, meaning that Knowles found himself thrown in at the deep end as he led the side into battle at Conwy.
But, after scraping into the top flight by the skin of their teeth, a side comprising of Wallace Booth, Glenn Campbell, Gavin Dear, Paul O'Hara, Ross Kellett and Michael Stewart went from strength in the match-play phase, beating Sweden, Italy and then, in the final, England.
"This is right up there with my top achievements as a player," said Knowles, who, by sheer coincidence, had made his playing debut for Scotland over the same course 19 years ago."My players were fantastic throughout the week, displaying a never-say-die attitude from start to finish, and, what's more, they were easy to look after."
Knowles, a 47-year-old independent financial advisor in Edinburgh, cut his captain's teeth with the Lothians, leading them to three Scottish Area Team Championship triumphs.
Taking notice of those successes, the Scottish Golf Union got him involved with their junior teams and, having benefited from that involvement, he was the natural successor when Crawford's reign ended on such a high note.
"I certainly had a hard act to follow but I'm delighted with my start and now I'm looking forward to our defence of the Eisenhower Trophy next year," he added. "Before then, of course, we've got the Home Internationals at the end of August and I'm delighted that all six members of the team in Wales will be available for that."
It would also be nice to see a Lothians player, someone like Mark Hillson probably, pushing hard for a place in that team."
While he first started to play golf at Carrick Knowe, Knowles has been a member at Kingsknowe for 36 years, winning the club championship five times.
"Scott has been a great stalwart for Kingsknowe and for him to have led Scotland to the European title in his first match in charge is fantastic," said club captain Ian McDonald. "He's been good for the club, good for the Lothians and, now, good for Scotland."
Like Knowles, Graham Ewart, a former Scottish Golf Union president, is an honorary member of Kingsknowe. He said: "Scott has been a great servant, both as a player and, now, as a captain.He won the junior championship at the club and worked his way up from there, really making his mark, I suppose, when he won the Scottish Order of Merit in 1990."
Knowles' CV certainly makes for impressive reading, having won prestigious events such as the Craigmillar Park Open, East of Scotland Open, West of Scotland Open and South East District Open. He's also tasted Dispatch Trophy success with Carrick Knowe.
"My wife and I are very proud of his achievements," said Knowles senior. "He was a bit apprehensive about being Scotland captain for the first time but I told him that he'd done the job well for the Lothians in the past and that he should do things exactly the same way."
According to the man who succeeded him as Lothians captain, one of Knowles' main strengths is being able to create a good team spirit.
"From what I'd heard, that seemed to be something missing in the Scottish set up," said Keith Nicholson. "Along with many others from the Lothians no doubt, I sent Scott a text when I heard Scotland had won the final, asking if he'd be the last man standing at the celebrations on Saturday night and his reply was: 'Of course!'."
+The full article contains 803 words and appears in the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.

St Michaels Golf Club member mystery solved

Thanks to reader Neil Stewart:

"I think you will find that Michael Williams is an Australian - not from St Michaels near Leuchars. He has been over with his pal (Brett?) playing in various events such as the Tennant Cup and the East of Scotland Open championship."

So, there we have it - Michael Williams of St Michaels Golf Club, Australia not St Michaels Golf Club, Leuchars.

LATER: Michael Williams himself has been in touch to confirm that Australia has a St Michaels Golf Club too. We've asked Michael to tell us a little bit about himself. Look out for that.

Fife youths match-play championship Scoreboard
AT PITREAVIE GOLF CLUB

S CRICHTON (Aberdour) bt A PILLANS (Kirkcaldy) 5 and 4.

E CRAWFORD (Aberdour) bt C SWORD (Canmore) 2 holes.

J ANDERSON (Glenrothes) bt J THORBURN (Forrester Park) 2 holes.

D MITCHELL (Leven Th) bt A MOIR (Thornton) 2 and 1.

SEMI FINALS. 09/07/09

S CRICHTON (Aberdour) v E CRAWFORD (Aberdour)

J ANDERSON (Glenrothes) v D MITCHELL (Leven Th)

Families triumph in Ross-

shire club championships

By ROBIN WILSON
The run of North golf club championship fixtures has continued with memorable and history- making results at Fortrose & Rosemarkie and Tain Golf Clubs.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie were first to turn up the eye-catching men's final between former champion Alan Cameron and one of the rising stars from the recent crop of teenage members who are now challenging the adults, in this instance Cameron's 18 year old nephew, Lewis Reid.
Reid immediately made an impression by leading the eight qualifiers into the match-play rounds with scores of 74 and 70.
Then he beat greenkeeper Kevin Fowler in the semi-finals to meet up with his uncle in the final. Cameron beat the holder Michael MacDonald on the last green in his semi-final to take his place in the final.
Cameron held a one-hole lead after nine holes and when his lead increased to two with a birdie from a bunker at the 10th hole it was expected he would dominate the remaining inward holes. But a lost ball and a three-putt over the next two holes gave his young an opening and with a birdie at the 12th Reid seized the lead for the first time.
A par figure win at the 16th hole gave him a dormy two position for the drama to unfold on the penultimate hole. Both drove into the bushes from the 17th tee and took penalty drops.
Cameron holed out first for a bogey 5, leaving Reid a 15ft putt for the title which he safely made to become Fortrose & Rosemarkie's youngest club champion.
The men's handicap championship final was won by Philip Schneir-Macrae who beat Malcolm McArthur by 2 and 1. First time winner of the Fortrose & Rosemarkie women's club championship was Kay Bissett who beat Dorothy Lloyd in the final.
Meanwhile club secretary Mike MacDonald, after losing his club championship, played in the Forres 36 hole open last Saturday and won the Brodie Trophy for the first time with two sub par rounds of 67 and 65 against the par of 70.

Father and daughter win Tain club titles
Tain's club championship week of match-play ties ended with David and Sammy Vass Becoming the club's first father and daughter champions in the same year (pictured above).
David Vass ended a 30-year wait-over since his only men's championship win in 1979. Over the years he married Magi (Russell that was), helped her raise two daughters, and carved a career in the oil industry, which curtailed his own golf.
David could only watch while his wife and sisters-in-law Anne Ryan and Mary Smith gathered the championship titles until his eldest daughter, Sammy (17), won the women's championship for the first time last year.
He had appeared in one other final some years ago but lost to former Tain greenkeeper Jocky Urquhart but on reaching last Saturday's final with a comfortable 15th hole win over Steve Holmes, he then met Billy Ferries who won his way through to the final with a narrow win over his younger brother and defending champion Munro.
From the finalists' first tee shots the final went Vass's way, Billy's drive hitting the face of the fairway bunker and falling back into the sand while the Vass ball landed short of the bunker and skirted past it by a few feet.
The Vass lead increased to two after three holes but was brought brought back to level by a Ferries birdie at the 10th. With sub par golf on the 11th and 15th holes, Vass re-established his two-hole lead but a Ferries birdie 2 on the 16th kept the game alive to the final hole where Vass secured the winning half and title.
David's elder daughter Sammy (17), still in form from the previous weekend at Royal Dornoch and with the winning score in the Northern Counties girls event for the McDiarmid Trophy at Nairn Dunbar earlier in the week, she was certainly up for her defence of the women's championship in a repeat final from last year against her aunt Anne Ryan.
With little to separate them over the first eight holes, Ryan cheaply gave away two holes round the turn and found herself three behind. From this point, unlike last year's final which stretched to the final green, the teenager swept to victory with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 14th holes.
The handicap finals resulted with a wins for Russell Marshall and Lorraine Mackay and earlier in the week James Cunningham won the men's senior championship.
Sammy Vass is also the club junior champion for 2009 and Alisdair MacKintosh the junior handicap champion.

Strathpeffer's Bethune wins Dornoch Seniors.
Strathpeffer's senior member Duncan Bethune said at the presentation that as a boy growing up in Dornoch he had received his first golfing lesson from the Royal Dornoch professional Robbie Grant. Bethune won the medal in memory of Grant, who served the club as professional from 1949 to 1958, in the Royal Dornoch senior open last Saturday.
During his early membership years at Royal Dornoch, Bethune became a scratch golfer, played for the North District and was a member of the Dornoch team who won the Northern Counties Cup in 1967. He also won two club championship titles, 1970 and 1982 before then leaving for a spell in Australia and then a return to settle in Strathpeffer.
Bethune headed the Royal Dornoch seniors field of over 100 with a 74 to win by one from all-day leader local Adrain Bagott whose 75 was one better than past North District champion Bryce Milne (Elgin).
In conjunction with the scratch medal there is also a medal present to the handicap winner in memory of Duncan (Barrel) Murray, greenkeeper on the course for over 50 years . This was won by the relative new settler to Dornoch, Tony Bartlett ex Sunningdale.

Fife Golf Association Stroke-play Scoreboard
CANMORE GOLF CLUB.
1st Colin Martin (Balbirnie Park GC) 68-61=129
1st Gary Sharp (St Andrews GC) 66-63=129
(18-hole play-off on Wednesday (5.45pm) at Canmore).
3rd Scott Crichton (Aberdour GC) 66-64 = 130 BLR
4th Brian Erskine (Ladybank GC) 64-66 = 130
5th Darren Gould (Ladybank GC) 64-68 = 132
6th Lee Stewart (Canmore GC) 66-67 = 133
7th Scott Michie (Thornton GC) 65-69 = 134
8th Gary Page (Balbirnie Park GC) 68-67 = 135 BLR
9th Gavin Wilson (Ladybank GC) 66-69 = 135 BLR
10th Robert Wallace (Canmore GC) 62-73 = 135

Winning Inverness Golf Club team group image from Thurso (left to right): Andrew Kenyon, Jamie Treasurer, Craig Black and Scott Murray (image courtesy of Robin Wilson).

Treasurer wins North District

boys' championship by five

By ROBIN WILSON
Inverness's Jamie Treasurer progressed from being the leading Under-16 years scorer in the 2007 North of Scotland boys' championship to becoming the North District boys' champion at sunny and hot Thurso Golf Club on Sunday.
It was the first time the championship had been staged played so far North and thankfully it attracted an entry of 40+forty. Thurso's parkland course is the most northerly golf course on the Scottish mainland and overlooks the Pentland Firth that seperates the mainland from the Orkney Isles.
It was redesigned to 18 holes several years ago with a par of 69 for its 5,853yd track.
Three handicapper Jamie Treasurer (Inverness) was one of two players to break par in the first round with a 68 that matched the first round CSS. The other was North youth champion Lyle McAlpine (Invergordon).
Chopping three stokes from his first-round card, Treasurer returned a 65 for 138, which gave him a three-stroke victory over Jeff Wright (Forres) who moved ahead of Lyle McAlpine (Invergordon) into second place after a better second round 66 to McAlpine's 71 left them in a tie on 138.
The leading Under-16 scorer was Jordan Shaw who travelled farthest north on the A9 from Kingussie to score 142 (72 + 70).
Treasurer teamed up with Inverness clubmates Andrew Kenyon, Craig Black and Scott Murray to win the Emslie Shield team prize with a total of 449.
LEADING TOTALS
Par 138 (2x69)
133 Jamie Treasurer (Inverness) 68 65.
138 Jeff Wright (Forres) 72 66, Lyle McAlpine (Invergordon) 67 71.
142 Ali Begg (Muir of Ord) 75 67, Jordan Shaw (Kingussie) 72 70.
143 Sean Burgess (Nairn) 71 72.
144 Danny Edwards (Elgin) 74 70.
145 Freddie Brown (Nairn Dunbar) 75 70.
146 Lewis Reid (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 71 75.
147 Philip Green (Forres) 73 74.
148 James Fraser (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 75 73.
150 Dale Wright (Alness) 78 72.
151 Peter Sangster (Thurso) 78 73, Craig Oram (Nairn Dunbar) 77 74, Rodger Clarke (Moray) 75 76.
153 Craig Black (Inverness) 81 72.
154 Andrew Burgess (Nairn) 76 78.
156 Craig McLean (Invergordon) 81 75.
158 Kieran MacKay (Inverness) 79 79, David Rumbles (Nairn Dunbar) 78 80.
163 Alistair Ross (Fort William) 83 78.
163 Craig Brown (Fort William) 87 76, Greg McEwan (Thurso) 84 79, Andrew Kenyon (Inverness) 83 80, Calum Graham (Nairn) 83 80.
164 Scott Murray (Inverness) 83 81, James Asher (Nairn) 83 81, Andrew Young (Garmouth & Kingston) 80 84.
165 Luke Manson (Strathpeffer Spa) 88 77.
169 Alleyn Sutherland (Thurso) 88 81, Rory Asher (Nairn) 87 82, Ian Stewart (Brora) 86 83.
170 David Wickenden (Nairn) 82 88.
173 Philip Schnier-Macrae (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) 83 809.
178 Corey McAlpine (Invergordon) 94 84.
182 Ross Munro (Reay) 95 87.
185 Jordan Youngson (Thurso) 98 87.
190 Jake MacPherson (Kingussie) 97 93, Michael Devine (Nairn) 96 94.
202 Samuel Parkinson (Stromness) 105 97.
208 Shaun Innes (Nairn Dunbar) 107 101.

Mike McDonald wins Brodie Trophy

FORRES OPEN REPORT FROM DAVID MACKINTOSH
Forres Golf Club Manager

Competitors in the Brodie Trophy 36 hole Open at Forres on Saturday had to endure heatwave and monsoon conditions but the heavy downpour in the afternon helped cool the players.
Conditions obviously suited Mike MacDonald from Fortrose & Rosemarkie who had two magnificent rounds of 67 and 65 to take the trophy with a total of 132.
Local Junior Jeff Wright finished second, one stroke behind, on 133 while visitors Kevin Thomson (Moray) and Neil McWilliam (Garmouth) finished third and fourth respectively on 138.
The best net prize went to Alan Bonnyman (Keith) on 132 from Mark Jones on 133. Jordan Milne (Elgin) was third on 134.

Results (Players are from the host Club unless stated - Abbreviations - E, Elgin; F&R, Fortrose & Rosemarkie; G&K, Garmouth & Kingston; K, Keith; M, Moray):

Scratch
132 M MacDonald (F&R) 67, 65.
133 J Wright 66 67.
138 K Thomson (M) 69 69, N McWilliam (G&K) 68 70.
139 R McKerron 66 73.
140 J Milne (E) 72 68.
141 B R Fotheringham 71 70, M Jones 71 70, G Thomson (M) 70 71.
Handicap
132 A Bonnyman (K) (5) 67 65.
133 M Jones (4) 67 66, J Wright (scr) 66 67.
134 J Milne (E) (3) 69 65, M MacDonald (F&R) (+1) 68 66, S Capper (8) 65 69.
135 J Boon (5) 69 66, B Moir (K) (6) 68 67.
137 J Grigor (8) 70 67, R McKerron (1) 65 72.




Regards

David MacKintoshClub ManagerForres Golf ClubMuiryshadeFORRESIV36 2RD

Scotland crowned Champions of Europe

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Scotland were crowned European Amateur Team Champions after claiming an emphatic 5-2 win over auld enemy England at Conwy Golf Club in North Wales on Saturday.
Adding to their World Championship success when Scotland triumphed in Australia at the end of last year to bring home the Eisenhower Trophy, Scotland’s six man team brought home their first European Amateur Team title in eight years to confirm their place as world leaders in the amateur game.
It was a final the Scots dominated throughout, claiming a 2-0 lead in the morning foursomes before going on to win the singles outright.
Gavin Dear and Glenn Campbell gave the team the ideal start by beating Dale Whitnell and Charlie Ford on the final hole of the opening foursomes tie, while Wallace Booth and Michael Stewart were registering a 2&1 victory over Bidwells Scottish Stroke Play Champion Tommy Fleetwood and partner Matt Haines.
SGU National Coach Ian Rae said, “Undoubtedly the double victory in the morning foursomes set us up perfectly for the afternoon singles and afforded us some breathing space. They played exceptionally well which really gave us the upper hand from the outset and we continued to build upon that momentum.”
Throughout the afternoon there was rarely cause for concern because of the dominance
Stewart and Ross Kellett were exerting in their matches against Whitnell and Fleetwood respectively, as they moved into four hole leads early in their matches.
Rae said, “There was no doubt that despite the calibre of their opponents these were matches that we looked set to win and were crucial in securing us points for our victory.”
World Cup winners Dear and Booth were the only players to suffer defeat in the singles campaigns, despite Dear taking his bout to the 19th hole, leaving it to last year’s Scottish Boys Champion Michael Stewart to claim the biggest win of the afternoon by adding a commanding 5&4 victory over Whitnell to the team effort. With Kellett surviving an impressive fightback from Fleetwood the opportunity fell to Edward Trophy winner Paul O’Hara to secure the victory when he sank the winning putt at the 17th.
“Paul sealed the deal but everyone today played their part in secu ring this great win for us, the whole event has been a great experience and a tremendous achievement to hold both world and European titles simultaneously,” said Rae.
“We selected a team which we felt could deliver at the highest level of the game and this victory today has cemented Scotland’s position at the top of the amateur game.”
With England having to settle for the runner up place, whilst Italy beat Norway to claim the bronze medal, the Scots showed that they reign supreme in the team game.

Scotland Team:
Wallace Booth (Comrie)
Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie)
Gavin Dear (Murrayshall)
Ross Kellett (Colville Park)
Paul O’Hara (Colville Park)
Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck)

Sir Bob Charles and retired Moray Golf Club professional Alistair Thomson on the 18th green of the Old Course at Lossiemouth with 18-year-old Kyle Godsman on the extreme left of the line-up, and John Murray, Alistair's successor, on the extreme right. Image courtesy of Moray Golf Club secretary Steve Crane. Sir Bob, incidentally, said he simply "loved Lossiemouth" and thought the course was in excellent condition.

Jim "Mr Fixit" Hardie reports on the Sir Bob Charles' Tour

As promised, here is my final update with regard to Sir Bob Charle's visit to the North-east, as sadly my participation in his "wish list" tour has come to an end. He and Lady Verity are now en route to Castle Stuart, Brora and Tain, while sadly I'm back at work!
It was scorching hot at Lossiemouth on Saturday. Despite that, Sir Bob starts birdie-eagle. The eagle was courtesy of a five-iron second to 4 feet. Despite a triple bogey at the eighth, in jungle country difficulty, he was still out in 36, and to quote Sir Bob, "hit it very well for an inward nine of 33."

So once again he broke his age on this tour, having had a par-matching 71 at Montrose earlier. He tells me he first broke his age at 65, and has done it so many times he has no idea how often!
On Sunday at Nairn, again scorching hot, Sir Bob simply strolled round, even off the Tiger Tees.

He was two under par after 17, then unfortunately took an 8 at the last, courtesy of a lost ball, after his one errant tee shot all day, but still managed to shoot 73!

The pairings were Sir Bob and George Asher, the Nairn club captain, versus myself and Alex Webster, the vice-captain, and while it was a close encounter Alex and I went down 2 and 1.
Sir Bob had ex Ballater member Dave Cargill as a caddy and Sir Bob thought he did a great job, while George Asher had his young son Findlay pulling his cart
My "memories" from an all too brief, yet mega enjoyable week: I will reiterate how Gordon Brand Jnr was quoted after the recent Wales Senior Open as describing Sir Bob: "He is pure class."

As for myself, without a shadow of doubt it has been an absolute pleasure to have been a small part of Sir Bob's mini-tour of the North and North-east.

I shall be on my usual winter sabbatical to New Zealand come December and hopfully will cross swords with Sir Bob again in Christchurch. My one remaining wish would be to claim just ONE victory for my memoirs, as the total so far is ONE square game while accompanied by John Crammond against Sir Bob and Robbie Stewart at Cruden Bay, with the rest defeats, all very close, but defeats nevertheless!
I am off to visit an old recipe, which is called "back to practising," as if you can perform half as well as Sir Bob at 73, it will be well worth the effort.
I think I speak for all the people who have witnessed his talent: Thank you, Sir Bob, and "haste ye back."
Regards
Jim Hardie

REPORT FROM AT&T NATIONAL

Woods' 68th win on US PGA Tour

and his third of the season

FROM THE INDEPENDENT GOLF WEBSITE
By Wyn Griffiths
Tournament host Tiger Woods saw off the defending champion Anthony Kim and held off a last-round charge from Hunter Mahan to win the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club at Bethseda, Maryland last night.
Woods collected his third victory of the year, having won Arnold Palmer's event at Bay Hill in March and Jack Nicklaus's Memorial last month, by winning his own tournament by one stroke from Mahan with a final-round three-under-par 67 for 13-under-par 267 over the par-70 track to collect the $1,080,000 first prize, not that money means anything to multi-millionaire Woods..
It was also his 68th US PGA Tour win and the 79th worldwide victory of his career.
Mahan had earlier shot an eight-under-par 62 that matched Kim's course-record round from Thursday and took the American to 12 under par 268, but Woods moved in front with a birdie at the 16th and held on to his lead down the final stretch.
Tiger's tournament stats:
Average drive: 312.4 yards.
Greens hit in regulation: 76.4 %
Putts per green (hit in regulation): 1.673 average.
It was Tiger's 68th win on the US PGA Tour.
Kim, who started the final day level with Woods, closed with a one-over-par closing round of 71 for 271 to finish in third place.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
267 Tiger Woods 64 66 70 67
268 Hunter Mahan 69 69 68 62
271 Anthony Kim 62 70 68 71
272 Bryce Molder 64 70 70 68
273 Lucas Glover 69 66 68 70, Brandt Snedeker 68 70 68 67
274 Danny Lee (Nzl) 68 67 69 70, Vijay Singh (Fij) 70 68 70 66, Jim Furyk 66 67 69 72, Cameron Beckman 68 67 66 73
275 Michael Allen 67 69 65 74, Matt Bettencourt 70 71 66 68, Ryan Moore 69 66 69 71, Fred Couples 72 67 68 68, Kevin Streelman 70 67 71 67
276 Justin Rose (Eng) 67 71 69 69, Davis Love III 69 67 70 70, Cliff Kresge 70 67 67 72, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 66 69 70 71
277 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 67 64 71 75, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 66 68 72 71
278 Ryan Palmer 69 67 71 71, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 69 69 66 74, Y.E. Yang (Kor) 67 71 70 70
279 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 72 68 69 70, Robert Garrigus 70 68 69 72, Marc Leishman (Aus) 70 71 67 71, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 71 70 71 67, Mark Wilson 70 67 70 72, Steve Elkington (Aus) 65 73 71 70
280 D.A. Points 64 70 72 74, Charles Warren 73 67 69 71, George McNeill 70 66 69 75, Tim Petrovic 68 71 69 72
281 Scott McCarron 72 65 73 71, Sean O'Hair 69 72 68 72, Joe Ogilvie 69 72 73 67, Webb Simpson 74 67 72 68, Nicholas Thompson 71 70 72 68
282 Steve Marino 73 65 68 76, Dean Wilson 69 69 72 72, Steve Flesch 69 72 71 70, James Nitties (Aus) 71 67 70 74
283 J J Henry 76 66 69 72, John Senden (Aus) 71 70 72 70, Chris DiMarco 70 72 74 67, Jason Bohn 72 70 67 74
284 Charley Hoffman 71 69 68 76, Jason Dufner 72 69 71 72, Mike Weir (Can) 71 71 72 70, Boo Weekley 67 69 69 79, Ted Purdy 73 66 69 76, Chez Reavie 70 71 70 73
285 Nathan Green (Aus) 71 71 66 77, Jeff Quinney 69 73 71 72, Bo Van Pelt 69 72 71 73, David Mathis 71 71 74 69, Harrison Frazar 69 70 74 72, Rocco Mediate 70 69 72 74, Peter Lonard (Aus) 70 70 72 73
287 Michael Letzig 68 74 74 71, Bill Lunde 70 68 71 78, Paul Goydos 73 68 74 72
288 Chris Stroud 74 67 75 72, Marc Turnesa 71 69 80 68
289 Nick Watney 70 72 72 75, Ricky Barnes 70 72 75 72, Notah Begay III 70 72 72 75, Troy Matteson 69 71 77 72
290 Kevin Stadler 69 73 75 73, Bart Bryant 68 72 73 77, Matt Hill 71 69 75 75
291 Brian Davis (Eng) 70 72 74 75, Jeff Maggert 72 70 77 72, Martin Laird (Sco) 70 71 76 74
292 James Driscoll 70 70 80 72

Ed Wood sets Cadzow Challenge Cup

two-round record of 133 at Hamilton

By WILLIE SHARPE
The Cadzow Challenge Cup was played today at Hamilton Golf Club in excellent playing conditions with a full field of 83 players.
Ed Wood of Crow Wood matched the excellent conditions with two brilliant scores of 68 and 65 for nine-under-par 133 to win by six shots from Andy Fairbairn from Kirkhill who shot 74 and 65 for 139.
In his winner's speech Lanarkshire player, Ed, commented on the excellent condition of the course, a view shared by all the players in the field.
The score of 133, nine under par, is a two-round record for the extended championship course at Hamilton.

LEADING TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
133 Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 68 65.
139 Andy Fairbairn (Kirkhil) 74 65.
140 Euan Moir (Hamilton) 71 69, Derek Loudon (Hamilton) 69 71.
141 Chris Kelly (Kirkhill) 73 68.
142 David Henderson (Hamilton) 71 71, Stewart Henderson (Hamilton) 71 71.
143 Keith Turnbull (Larkhall) 70 72, Graeme Russell (Hamilton) 69 74.
144 Graham Duncan (Shotts) 77 67.
145 John Whitelaw (Mouse Valley) 75 70, Chris Bell (Greenburn) 71 74.
146 Gordon MacDougall (Bishopbriggs) 73 73.
147 William Ramage (Larkhall) 74 73, Craig Borland (Hamilton) 74 73, John Ralston (Shotts) 71 76.
148 Peter Scanlan (Hamilton) 74 74, Graham Gimson (St Cuthbert) 74 74, Scott Costello (Kirkhill) 71 77.
149 Grant Beaton (Kirkhill) 74 75.

*Entries are still being taken for the Lanarkshire county championship at Colville Park on Sunday, July 12.
Phone Entries to Tom Logan on 01236 428799

Let the children in for nothing at all

pro golf tournaments - Tiger's plea

Noting the new problems the New York Yankees baseball team have had filling the high-priced seats at their new stadium, Tiger Woods is boosting golf's efforts to attract young fans to go see the game in person at the tournament he hosted over the past four days.
"We don't want to have what happened at Yankee Stadium," Woods said at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, site of the AT&T National tournament.
"New York Yankees' tickets are so over-priced you can't bring the family. We want to have everyone come out here and enjoy being in a family atmosphere, walk around, have a good time and not have it cost an arm and a leg."
The AT&T National, which Woods hosts, admitting children under 12 years free, following suit with a growing trend in golf. Last month's U.S. Open at Bethpage Black on Long Island allowed in kids under 12 for free, as well, and provided reduced rates for teenagers.
The British Open long has had a policy of free admission for kids under-16 as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
Woods said letting children on the course for free gives them exposure to the game they might otherwise never enjoy.
"Well, I mean, we want to have kids come out here and enjoy golf," Woods said. "A lot of these kids may not have an opportunity to ever be on a golf course or play golf. This is their introduction to the game, and we want it to be memorable. We want them to come out."

Last-hole eagle wins Cameron

Corbett Vase for Allyn Dick

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Twice winner of the Scottish mid-amateur title (2005-2006), Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) added an SGU 72-hole Order of Merit tournament victory to his golfing CV when, on his first visit to Haggs Castle Golf Club, Glasgow, he came out on top after a last-hole drama decided the destination of the Cameron Corbett Vase.
Stirling University student James White (Lundin), the 2006 Scottish boys' match-play champion, had made most of the running up to the 72nd hole.
The 21-year-old White shared the lead on five-under-par 67 with four other players - Dick himself, Nick Barr (Craigie Hill), Gary Tough (Legham Grange) and Chris Conroy (Paisley) after the Saturday morning first round.
But by the end of the first 36 holes, young James had got his nose in front with a repeat 67 for 1o-under-par 134 at the halfway point. Gary Tough was his nearest challenger on 135 after a second-round 68.
Tough, a former Craigmillar Park Open winner who is the course manager at Letham Grange Hotel & Golf Courses, near Arbroath, blew up on Sunday morning with a third-round 80. Into second place moved Allyn Dick with a 68, the same third-round score as leader White but James was on 202 - four shots ahead of Dick with Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) and Michael Williams (St Michaels) a shot farther back on 207.
White, who tied with Paul O'Hara at the end of the weather-hit Edward Trophy at Glasgow Gailes in late April and then lost a play-off, could not maintain his sub-par pace of five-under, five-under and four-under but Dick could and gradually chipped away at the lead until they were on level pegging on the 72nd tee.
Here it all unravelled for professional's son White. In response to a magnificent last-hole eagle 3 by Dick, James took a bogey 6 which meant there was a three-shot swing in favour of Dick.
He finished with a 67 for 15-under-par 273. White signed off with a 74 for 276. Had the tournament been over 71 holes, there would have been a play-off. But that very last hole put a three-shot gap between the men at the top of the scoreboard.
St Michael's Golf Club, Leuchars is not renowned for producing third-placedfinishers in SGU Order of Merit events but member Michael Williams was always there or thereabouts in the leading half-dozen and he stayed the course splendidly with rounds of 70, 67, 70 and 70 for a creditable total of 277.
(Scottishgolfview.com would like to hear from Michael Williams, find out his golfing CV, etc. If he reads this, he can E-mail Colin Farquharson at Colin@scottishgolfview.com)
Two Perthshire players, Nick Barr (Craigie Hill) and Kevin McAlp;ine (Alyth) tied for fourth place on 279. McAlpine's performance is particularly noteworthy in that last week, in the East of Scotland Open, he made his first tournament appearance since a cruciate knee ligament operation in February - and tired over Sunday's final two rounds at the Lundin venue after being well up in the mix.
Here, at Haggs Castle, McAlpine was obviously that little bit fitter and his rounds of 69, 69, 70 and 71 show that the former Scottish stroke-play and match-play champion is definitely on the way back to the forefront of the game.
Nick Barr scored 67, 71, 74 and 67 for 279.
Banchory's James Byrne, winner of back-to-back SGU Order of Merit events - the Tennant Cup and the East of Scotland Open - did not go for a three-timer. He is in the field for the Open Championship Local Final Qualifying over 36 holes on Monday and Tuesday and obviously decided to conserve his energies for that.
+Image of Allyn Dick with the Cameron Corbett Vase, by courtesy of Haggs Castle Golf Club.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
273 Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) 67 71 68 67.
276 James White (Lundin) 67 67 68 74.
277 Michael Williams (St Michaels) 70 67 70 70.
279 Nick Barr (Craigie Hill) 67 71 74 67, Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 69 69 70 71.
280 Andrew Gunson (Shandy Canyon, US) 72 71 66 71.
281 Paul Ferrier (Baberton) 74 71 68 68, Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 69 69 69 74.
282 Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 70 75 68 69, Paul Betty (Hayston) 70 69 72 71.
283 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 71 69 74 69, Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 71 74 69 70, Steven Robertson (Sandyhills) 69 71 71 72, Alex Main (Thornton) 70 68 71 74.
285 Paul Gault (Kirkhill) 73 73 71 68, Philip McLean (Peterhead) 71 73 70 71, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 70 73 71 71, Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 72 70 70 73.
286 Ian Redford (St Andrews New) 72 72 73 69, Stephen Machin (Cowglen) 74 72 68 72, Chris Harkins (Belleisle) 71 71 70 74.
287 Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) 74 66 78 69.
288 Michael Main (Thornton) 70 76 72 70, Keith Hamilton (Belleisle) 73 65 79 71, Tom Blennerhassett (Dalmahoy) 76 70 70 72.
289 Ross Crowe (Westerhope) 73 70 71 75.
290 Richard Graham (Hayston) 69 73 78 70, Steven McEwan (Caprington) 70 75 71 74, Mark Bookless (Sandyhills) 70 69 73 78.
291 Liam McGowan (St Andrews) 72 73 74 72, Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 72 74 72 73, Gary Tough (Letham Grange) 67 68 80 76, Chris Conroy (Paisley) 67 78 68 78.
292 David Addison (Barassie) 74 71 74 73, John Mathers (Haggs Castle) 71 74 72 75.
293 Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) 68 72 82 71.
295 Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 70 75 75 75.
296 Mathew Clark (Kilmacolm) 72 74 77 73.
298 James Morrison (Stellenbosh) 71 73 76 78.
300 Steven Maxwell (Windyhill) 73 72 73 82.

Peter Baker wins Credit Suisse

Challenge - heads for Scotland

From European Tour Press Officer Roddy Williams
Former Ryder Cup player Peter Baker made history repeat itself when he won the Credit Suisse Challenge for the second time, and now heads for Open Qualifying in a final bid to secure a place at Turnberry.
Two years ago at Wylihof Golf Club in Luterbach, Switzerland, Baker won the title with a final round of 67, and the same score again carried the 41 year old Englishman to a one stroke victory over Austrian Florian Praegant. Baker becomes the first player to win the event twice and the first player over the age of 40 to win on the Challenge Tour since he himself won on his 40th birthday in 2007.
It was a close-run battle with Praegant challenging all the way but Baker managed to keep his nose in front with birdies on the 15th and 17th before holing a crucial 12 foot par putt on the last to deny his playing partner.
Baker’s winning total of 18 under par 274 earned him €22,400 (£18,985) and lifted him from 31st to tenth on the Challenge Tour Rankings.
“It was a tough day and Florian was very strong, especially on the back nine,” said Baker, who played in the 1993 Ryder Cup at The Belfry. “But I hung in there and it came right down to the last shot.”
Baker, a three-time winner on the European Tour, flies straight to Scotland and to Glasgow - Gailes, Ayrshire where he will attempt to win one of the 12 spots available through Local Final Qualifying for a place in the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry.
“I was quite tired coming into the week as this was my fourth week in a row and I just decided to put everything into the week,” he said. “This course seems to suit me. I played fantastic for the first two days but couldn’t hole a putt and but then over the weekend, while the game wasn’t so good, the putts dropped. It’s a strange game sometimes.
“It might not be the best preparation for Open Qualifying but it does mean I go there with a bit of confidence and my record in Qualifying is not bad. So hopefully I will tee up next in The Open.”
Baker’s victory two years ago proved the springboard to a return to The European Tour as he went on to claim a second title and finish 12th in the Rankings. Two years on the goal is exactly the same, to have another crack at the big time and secure his 24th year on Tour.
An eagle 3 on the fourth and birdie on the seventh set Baker on his way but Praegant hit back with birdies at the tenth, 12th and 13th. Both players birdied the 14th before Baker pulled clear with his birdies on the 15th and 17th and ultimately Praegant’s 5ft birdie putt on the last for a final round of 67 and 17 under par total of 275 was not quite enough.
Italy’s Edoardo Molinari also challenged as he too shot a closing 67 to finish in third place, one shot further back on 16 under par 276.
FINAL TOTALS
292 (4x73)
274 P Baker (Eng) 70 71 66 67
275 F Praegant (Aut) 74 68 66 67
276 E Molinari (Ita) 72 69 68 67
279 R Steiner (Aut) 70 70 69 70
280 A Gee (Eng) 73 67 71 69, T Carolan (Aus) 70 69 71 70, J Parry (Eng) 69 67 72 72, J Campillo (Spa) 74 69 67 70
281 G Murray (Sco) 71 69 72 69, A Butterfield (Eng) 73 70 67 71, L Kennedy (Eng) 71 72 66 72, A Hansen (Den) 72 71 67 71, N Smith (USA) 71 68 68 74
282 J Quesne (Fra) 69 69 71 73, L Bond (Wal) 71 72 68 71
283 G Houston (Wal) 71 72 71 69, M Wiegele (Aut) 72 71 70 70, A Marshall (Eng) 72 70 69 72, L James (Eng) 68 75 73 67, J Larsen (Nor) 74 69 72 68, C Suneson (Spa) 69 70 73 71
284 N Lemke (Swe) 73 70 73 68, G Paddison (Nzl) 74 71 70 69, F Calmels (Fra) 72 73 68 71, N Meitinger (Ger) 69 72 72 71, D Denison (Eng) 72 70 70 72
285 J Morgan (Eng) 72 69 73 71, M Villegas (Col) 72 71 72 70, J Sjoholm (Swe) 73 70 70 72, J Bjerhag (Swe) 72 72 71 70, M Zions (Aus) 69 75 71 70
286 R Santos (Por) 72 68 70 76, K Sullivan (Wal) 71 72 71 72, S Davis (Eng) 67 74 77 68, M Tullo (Chi) 73 69 75 69, N Sulzer (Swi) 70 72 72 72, C Gunther (Ger) 74 71 68 73
287 A Mellor (Eng) 72 72 69 74, C Russo (Fra) 69 74 72 72, F Colombo (Ita) 71 73 73 70, J Colomo (Spa) 70 71 73 73
288 J Billot (Fra) 71 72 74 71, M Laskey (Wal) 73 72 73 70, P Kaensche (Nor) 73 72 71 72, G Shaw (NIrl) 74 70 71 73, J Granberg (Fin) 73 71 73 71, J McLeary (Sco) 71 73 72 72, J Grillon (Fra) 72 70 71 75
289 N Maestroni (Ita) 69 74 73 73, P Relecom (Bel) 71 70 71 77, D Wardrop (Eng) 71 74 71 73, T Cruz (Por) 68 75 75 71
290 C Brazillier (Fra) 75 70 72 73, R Karlberg (Swe) 75 70 72 73, C Moriarty (Irl) 74 71 74 71
291 T Whitehouse (Eng) 71 74 76 70, B Pettersson (Swe) 69 68 75 79, S Jeppesen (Swe) 71 70 77 73, F Fritsch (Ger) 71 74 78 68
292 P Del Grosso (Arg) 74 71 75 72, S Saavedra (Arg) 75 70 73 74, G Woodman (Eng) 69 76 78 69, P Purhonen (Fin) 73 72 73 74, J Clement (Swi) 73 72 77 70
293 S Robinson (Eng) 67 76 74 76
296 J Garcia Pinto (Spa) 71 72 74 79

Third-placed Poulter says he won't be back

Kaymer beats Westwood in

French Open play-off

Martin Kaymer of Germany won the 4million euros French Open at Le Golf National today after a dramatic play-off victory over England’s Lee Westwood.
They both finished the regulation 72 holes at 13-under par 271, Westwood closing with a 65 and Kaymer with a 68 to set up the decider which was decided over the spectacular 18th hole..
Both found deep rough left off the tee. Kaymer’s second from 175 yards out just cleared the large lake guarding the green, but Westwood then looked on aghast as his ball plunged in.
The Englishman came up short with his pitch, his fourth shot, and Kaymer clinched the biggest win of his career, worth 666,000 Euros, by sinking a 20ft par putt. He had two for it.
Alone in third place at 10-under was England’s Ian Poulter who carded a 67, with Anders Hansen of Denmark, who closed with a 66, and Peter Hanson of Sweden, who had a 70, tied for fourth a shot further back
It was the third win of 25-year-old Kaymer’s pro career after Abu Dhabi and the BMW International last year as he became the first German since Bernhard Langer 25 years ago to lift the French Open.
With overnight leader Rafa Echenique of Argentina falling away and Poulter’s charge from five strokes off the pace coming to grief at the 15th where he found water, it came down to a two-way battle down the back nine between Westwood and Kaymer.
The Englishman’s tremendous 65, which included seven birdies in the first 13 holes, set the target of 13-under par for Kaymer who had three holes to play at that stage and was also at 13-under.
The European Tour Rookie of the Year in 2007 had real birdie chances at the par-3 16th and par-4 17th, but his putts slid agonisingly past on both occasions.
But he then sank a five-footer for par at the last, setting up the play-off.

PHOTOGRAPHER PUTS POULTER OFF FRENCH OPEN
A fuming Ian Poulter finished the French Open in third place but said he would not be returning to the event next year - all because of the actions of a Press photographer.
Poulter was still challenging for the title when he pushed his approach to the 15th into the water. He blamed that on a camera clicking three times 25 yards away as he was swinging and was still furious when he also bogeyed the last.
"It's frustrating when you get a novice cameraman out here this week," he said. "It spoils the day, spoils the tournament. It's one I want to win and some stupid cameraman makes it difficult for you. It's a good tournament, but I won't be back next year."
He added: "He's trying to mess with our livelihoods. I'm playing for world ranking points and then you get some idiot. I've played here loads of times and I fight with them every year.
"It's so frustrating that they are let in. The spectators were magnificent, awesome and he ruins the whole week.
"What am I going to do about it? I'm going to take the tournament off my schedule. That's what I'm going to do about it."

FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
271 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 62 72 69 68, Lee Westwood 68 68 70 65 (Kaymer beat Westwood at first play-off hole).
274 Ian Poulter 72 69 66 67
275 Peter Hanson (Swe) 65 70 70 70, Anders Hansen (Den) 69 72 68 66
276 Paul Waring 66 70 68 72, Soren Hansen (Den) 68 71 72 65, Richard Green (Aus) 68 67 70 71, Kenneth Ferrie 70 68 71 67
278 Gareth Maybin 69 71 71 67, Scott Strange (Aus) 65 72 71 70, Danny Willett 68 71 70 69
279 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 70 71 69 69, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 67 74 69 69, Damien McGrane 70 72 69 68, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 68 66 72 73, Colin Montgomerie 69 74 65 71, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 67 72 71 69, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 65 67 70 77, Graeme Storm 69 72 67 71
280 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 69 71 71 69, Nick Dougherty 66 76 69 69, Peter Lawrie 71 71 71 67, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 73 70 71 66
281 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 67 70 71 73, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 75 68 70 68, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 67 73 73 68, Phillip Archer 69 73 67 72, Seve Benson 70 67 68 76, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 70 72 71 68
282 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 72 67 72 71, David Horsey 72 71 68 71, Darren Clarke 73 69 68 72, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 70 72 69 71, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 65 75 68 74, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 67 73 74 68
283 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 67 71 68 77, Gary Lockerbie 68 75 70 70, Steve Webster 69 65 74 75, Gary Orr 73 70 67 73, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 70 70 69 74
284 David Lynn 69 74 69 72, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 72 71 65 76, Paul Broadhurst 73 69 71 71, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 72 71 70, Paul Lawrie 67 74 71 72, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 70 72 71 71, Mark Foster 69 74 70 71, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 68 74 72 70
285 David Drysdale 67 76 71 71, Shane Lowry 69 72 71 73, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 74 66 73 72, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 72 70 70 73
286 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 74 69 72 71, Miguel Angel Martin (Spa) 72 71 73 70, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 70 72 69 75, Ross McGowan 69 72 74 71
287 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 70 70 77 70, Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 67 75 71 74
288 Marc Warren 68 72 71 77, James Kingston (Rsa) 71 70 72 75, Benn Barham 68 74 73 73, Jamie Donaldson 69 71 68 80, Alastair Forsyth 72 69 76 71, John Bickerton 65 77 75 71, Barry Lane 70 71 74 73
289 Steven O'Hara 71 72 70 76, Philip Golding 71 72 73 73
290 Thomas Levet (Fra) 67 73 75 75
291 Robert Rock 70 70 76 75, Oliver Wilson 72 69 71 79, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 69 71 71 80
292 Pablo Martin (Spa) 71 72 72 77
293 Hennie Otto (Rsa) 74 67 73 79, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 68 75 75 75
295 Sam Little 67 75 75 78, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 69 73 77 76
296 Paul Nilbrink (Swe) 73 69 79 75

James White goes four shots clear

in hunt for Cameron Corbett Vase

Stirling University student James White is heading for his first SGU 72-hole Order of Merit tournament victory. The 21-year-old Lundin Golf Club member and former Scottish boys' match-play champion has stretched his Cameron Corbett Vase halfway lead of one to four shots with former Scottish mid-amateur champion Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) taking over from Gary Tough (Letham Grange) as the nearest challenger with 18 holes to go.
White lost a play-off to Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) in the Edward Trophy in a weather-shortened event at Glasgow Gailes Golf Club at the end of April.
His rounds so far over the Haggs Castle, which has a par of 72, have been 67, 67 and 68 for a 14-under-par tally of 202, which is quality performance.
Dick has scored 67, 71 and 68 for 206 and is a shot ahead of two players sharing third place, former British amateur champion Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) and the "unknown" St Michaels Golf Club (that's golf course on the right as you are driving from the Tay Bridge to St Andrews and are just coming to Leuchars) member Michael Williams.
Watson has had three 69s for 207, which Williams has scored 70, 67 and 70.
(If Mr Williams reads this, could he E-mail us at Colin@scottishgolfview.com) and give us his golfing CV?)
Former Scottish amateur match-play and stroke-play champion Kevin McAlpine from Alyth is having another good tournament and is in fifth place on 208 with rounds of 69, 69 and 70.
Kevin made his comeback in the East of Scotland Open in his first competitive outing since having a knee cruciate ligament operation in February. Four rounds in two days at the Lundin event last weekend caught up with him in the end but Kevin is here again, making the cut and put his physical fitness to the test again. Interesting to see if he is that bit fitter than he was seven days ago.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
202 James White (Lundin) 67 67 68.
206 Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) 67 71 68.
207 Craig Watson (East Renfre3wshire) 69 69 69, Michael Williams (St Michaels) 70 67 70.
208 Kevin McAlpine (Alyth) 69 69 70.
209 Andrew Gunson (Shady Canyon) 72 71 66, Alex Main (Thornton) 70 68 71.
211 Steven Robertson (Sandyhills) 69 71 71, Paul Betty (Hayston) 70 69 72.
212 Greg Paterson (St Andrews New) 72 70 70, Chris Harkins (Ayr Belleisle) 71 71 70, MJark Bookless (Sandyhills) 70 69 73, Nick Barr (Craigie Hill) 67 71 74.
213 Paul Ferrier (Baberton) 74 71 68, Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 71 74 698, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 70 75 68, Chris Conroy (Paisley) 67 78 68.
214 Stephen Machin (Cowglen) 74 72 68, Philip McLean (Peterhead) 71 73 70, Ross Crowe (Westerhope) 73 70 71, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 70 73 71 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 71 69 74.
215 Gary Tough (Letham Grange) 67 68 80.
216 Tom Blennerhassett (Dalmahoy) 76 70 70, Steven McEwan (Caprington) 70 75 71.
217 Paul Gault (Kirkhill) 73 73 71, John Mathers (Haggs Castle) 71 74 72, Ian Redford (St Andrews New) 72 72 73, Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 73 65 79.
218 Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 72 74 72, Michael Main (Thornton) 70 76 72, Steven Maxwell (Windyhill) 73 72 73, Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) 74 66 78.
219 David Addison (Barassie) 74 71 74, Liam McGowan (St Andrews New) 72 73 74.
229 Colin Thoson (East Renfrewshire) 70 75 75, James Morrison (Stellenbosch) 71 73 76, Richard Graham (Hayston) 69 73 78.
222 Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) 68 72 82
223 Mathew Clark (Kilmacolm) 2 74 77
228 Steve Rennie (Drumpellier) 71 75 82..

Time is right for Saltman as he hits

form in fine time for Open qualifier

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Lloyd Saltman reckons he's running into form at just the right time – and aims to prove it by putting himself back on one of the biggest stages in golf.
Since winning the Silver Medal as leading amateur in the 2005 Open Championship at St Andrews, Saltman has been unable to make the impact on the game that many pundits had predicted. Now in the paid ranks, he'd had a tough time of it on the Europe on the Challenge Tour this season until giving himself a timely confidence boost when finishing just outside the top ten in Sweden last weekend.

Saltman, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, has since moved on to Switzerland for this week's Credit Suisse Challenge but has one eye on his next challenge, the Local Final Qualifying for The Open in Ayrshire on Monday and Tuesday.

The 23-year-old is in the field at Kilmarnock (Barassie) and will be giving it his all to give himself another chance to rub shoulders with Tiger Woods, having stood alongside the world No.1 when he picked up the Claret Jug at St Andrews four years ago.

"It would mean a lot to me if I could get back into The Open, especially in Scotland again, and I'll be going to Barassie to give it a real go," said Saltman, whose big brother, Elliot, will also be among the hopefuls next week.

"It's been a frustrating year for me so far because I know what I am capable of but, unfortunately, have not been able to produce the results I am looking for. However, I'd rather have a fast finish to the season than start well and then fade away and, while it's been a long time coming, I was certainly encouraged by my performance in Sweden.

"I've been working hard with Colin Brooks (his coach) and, hopefully, I can kick on from here. It would be great to play in The Open again and, soon after that, we've got the Scottish Challenge up at Spey Valley, so it's a good time to hit a bit of form."

One obstacle for Saltman as far as trying to qualify for Turnberry is concerned is the fact he'll be playing Barassie 'blind.'

"I've never played there before and won't get a practice round due to the fact I'm in Switzerland," he said. "That's not ideal, I suppose, but the Local Final Qualifying is an event you have to be aggressive in and I'll certainly be giving it a real pop."

For Mark Kerr, the qualifying test will mark the latest challenge in an exhausting few weeks for the Edinburgh man. Since teeing off in the Northern Open in Aviemore, he's been to Kent, Devon and Suffolk to play in EuroPro Tour events, Goswick for Open Regional Qualifying and Gleneagles for the Scottish PGA Championship.

"I don't think I've ever played this much golf in my life and I'd hate to think how many miles I've clocked up over the past few weeks," said Kerr. "But I'm really enjoying myself and, the way I've been playing, I honestly don't think that securing a place in The Open is out of my reach."

Kerr, who narrowly missed out when Troon staged the 2004 Open, is also in the field at Barassie, as are Murrayfield pro Jonnie Cliff and Raymond Russell, who tied for fourth behind Mark O'Meara at Royal Birkdale just over a decade ago.

Elliot Saltman is at Glasgow Gailes along with John Gallagher and David Kirkpatrick, with Andrew Oldcorn and Dunbar's Alan Martin launching their bids at neighbouring Western Gailes.

If any of the Lothians players make it to Turnberry, they'll be guaranteed a minimum of £2,100 after it was announced by the R&A that prize-money for the event will be held at the same level as last year.

The total prize fund will be £4.2million, with the winner picking up a cheque for £750,000.
*The full article contains 667 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.

US PGA TOUR REPORT

Woods and Kim tied for lead with

one round to go in AT&T

Tiger Woods and title-holder Anthony Kim set the stage for some final-day fireworks by sharing the lead after three rounds of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club, Bethesda in the state of Maryland, USA on Saturday.
Tournament host Woods and Kim hold a one-stroke lead over Michael Allen and Cameron Beckman, while Jim Furyk and Australia’s Rod Pampling are one shot further adrift.
Woods and Kim will play together on Sunday.
“There’s not too many chances you get to play with and against the best in the world at his golf tournament,” said Kim, whose last win was here a year ago. “I’ve won this tournament before, and I don’t see why I won’t have a good opportunity tomorrow.”
World number one Woods had a wild round, taking a three-shot lead on a ninth-hole eagle before falling behind by a stroke with a double-bogey two holes later.
“It was a tough day out there,” Woods said. “The wind was all over the place. It was hard to not only figure out the intensity but also the direction.
“It was just one of those things where you had to grind it out and get through it.”
Woods shot an even-par 70 and Kim a 68 to enter Sunday’s final round at 10-under 200.
“As we all know, AK can play, he really can,” said Woods. “As time has gone on, we’ve seen the talent, we’ve seen him grow as a player, and it’s just a matter of time before he starts winning golf tournaments regularly.”
The 24-year-old Kim said he was “excited for the opportunity” to be paired with Woods on the final day of the $6 million event in suburban Washington, D.C.
“I used to practise thinking I was in the final round with Tiger, final putt, had to make a 10-footer to win the golf tournament, he was watching me,” said Kim. “And I was probably nine, ten years old when all that was happening.
“It was almost dark, and I'd be waiting for my dad to pick me up from the golf course.”
Allen, searching for his first victory on the US PGA Tour in his 337th tournament, shot a five-under 65, the lowest score of the day amid unseasonably cool conditions.
The 50-year-old said he was delighted to be in the field, let alone in the hunt for the $1 million first-place cheque.
“It’s what I’ve been trying to do since I was young,” the American said. “And so now I’m just happy to be playing a whole lot better as I’ve gotten older. I’m aging well.”
U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover shot a 68 and was three shots off the pace.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE SCORES