Thomson and Stewart share honours at
Grantown on Spey Alliance meeting

Blustery, strong to gale-force winds challenged the competitors in the North Scottish Golf Alliance fixture at Grantown on Spey on Saturday with many failing to complete the course.
Top honours were shared between Kevin Thomson (Moray) and Duncan Stewart (Grantown) with one-under-par scores of 69.
A double bogey 5 at the short 16th cost Kevin the outright top place while Duncan completed his round with three birdies in the last four holes.
John Milne (Rothes), playing off eight, took top spot in the Handicap Class I section with an outstanding net 66, best of the day by three clear shots.
Stuart Taylor (Boat of Garten), playing off 11, carded a nett 71 to win Handicap Class 2 section.
LEADING SCRATCH
Par 70
69 K Thomson (Moray), D Stewart (Grantown on Spey) p.
71 C Campbell (Grantown on Spey) p, M. Macdonald (Fortrose & Rosemarkie).
72 S Wilson (Inverness), K Stables (Elgin) p.
73 D Hexley (Inverness).
74 J R Ingram (Boat of Garten), J C Milne (Rothes), R A Cameron (Inverness)
75 R Stewart (Grantown on Spey).
76 D Hector (Elgin), K. Godsman (Moray).
77 D F Sharp (Boat of Garten).
79 D R McKellar (Grantown on Spey), J A G Innes (Elgin).
LEADING HANDICAP
Class 1 (eight & under)
66 J C Milne (Rothes) (8).
69 J R Ingram (Boat of Garten) (5).
70 R Stewart (Grantown on Spey) (5), S Wilson (Inverness) (2).
71 D F Sharp (Boat of Garten) (6).
Class 2 (nine to 14).
71 S Taylor (Boat of Garten) (11).
72 R G Macpherson (Moray) (9).
73 T Loynes (Boat of Garten) (13).
74 J MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) (14), D Macleod (Loch Ness) (13).

+The next NSGA fixture is at Nairn Dunbar on Saturday, November 8.

Sergio Garcia wins Castellon Masters
over his boyhood course

Sergio Garcia claimed his first European Tour win since 2005 when he triumphed at the Castellon Masters on the course he played as a boy.
The 28-year-old, hosting the inaugural event at the Club de Campo del Mediterraneo where his father is still the host professional, closed with a four-under-par 67 to finish three shots ahead of Sweden's Peter Hedblom, who signed for a 66.
Having taken a four-shot lead into the final round after scores of 66, 65 and 66, Garcia held off the strong charge of Hedblom, the only player who threatened to spoil the fairytale story when he opened his round with four successive birdies.
But Hedblom never got ahead of Garcia, who used his knowledge of every nook and cranny of the course to complete a memorable victory and move to third in the world rankings.
The other players who were tied for second in Garcia's shadow overnight, including Englishmen David Lynn and Simon Dyson, failed to close the gap and ultimately tied for fourth after rounds of 69.
There was drama as two players battled for 118th place on the Order of Merit which meant retaining their card for next season.
With 118th-placed Patrick Sjoland failing to make the cut, Garry Houston needed just under 11,000 euros to keep his card but finishing two under overall left him short.
Francois Delamontagne was eventually the lucky man, scraping in by about 300 euros despite carding a three-over 74.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4 x 71)
264 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 66 65 66 67 (333,330 Euros).
267 Peter Hedblom (Swe) 68 65 68 66 (222,220 Euros).
269 Alexander Noren (Swe) 68 68 68 65
270 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 64 67 70 69, David Lynn 67 66 68 69, Simon Dyson 66 67 68 69
271 Peter Hanson (Swe) 65 73 67 66, Richard Finch 65 66 71 69
272 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 67 68 68 69, Paul Casey 69 67 69 67, Rory McIlroy 68 67 69 68, Stephen Gallacher 67 70 65 70 (39,000 Euros each).
273 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 71 66 69 67, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 67 66 76 64
274 Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa) 66 72 67 69, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 66 71 69 68, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 65 70 69 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 65 72 69 68, Sam Little 72 69 66 67
275 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 69 67 67 72, Phillip Archer 67 68 70 70, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 70 66 69 70, Thomas Levet (Fra) 66 68 73 68
276 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 71 67 68 70, Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa) 70 68 67 71, Gary Orr 70 67 69 70, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 69 68 68 71, Camilo Villegas (Col) 70 66 71 69 (20,200 Euros each).
277 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 70 70 67 70, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 72 65 70 70, Chris Wood 68 72 69 68, Nick Dougherty 68 69 72 68, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 69 68 68 72
278 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 71 69 67 71, Justin Rose 67 70 70 71, Jean Van de velde (Fra) 68 70 68 72, John Bickerton 66 70 73 69, Mark Foster 72 70 68 68, Bradley Dredge 71 68 68 71
279 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 72 68 69 70, David Griffiths 67 71 70 71, Paul Lawrie 71 70 71 67, Alastair Forsyth 68 70 73 68, Markus Brier (Aut) 74 67 76 62, Stuart Manley 69 68 73 69, Ross McGowan 72 69 70 68 (11,800 Euros each).
280 Anthony Wall 71 69 67 73, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 66 67 73 74, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 71 69 71 69, Barry Lane 71 69 72 68
281 Pedro Linhart (Spa) 68 72 70 71, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 68 70 67 76, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 71 68 71 71
282 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 71 68 70 73, Garry Houston 67 71 71 73, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 73 69 71 69, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 67 71 73 71
283 David Howell 69 73 72 69, Benn Barham 68 72 75 68, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 69 73 71 70, Simon Wakefield 72 68 73 70, Johan Edfors (Swe) 70 71 72 70
285 Lee Slattery 71 71 69 74, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 72 70 73 70
287 Peter O'Malley (Aus) 72 70 75 70
293 Pelle Edberg (Swe) 70 72 74 77

James drops back - but he still fancies
chance of winning US seniors' event

Former Ryder Cup skipper Mark James, after a 63 on the opening day, dropped back with a 69 into a tie with defending champion John Cook for second place, one shot behind new leader Jeff Sluman, with one round to go in the United States Champions (Seniors) Tour's AT&T Championship at Oak Hills Country Club, San Antonio, Texas.
Sluman, 51, chasing his third over-50s win of the season shot a seven-under-par 64 in the second round. He is on 11-under-par 131.
James, on 132, has not thrown in the towel yet, by any means.
"I'm right where I want to be going to the final round, unless I had a seven-shot lead, of course," he said.
After a slow start James birdie the eighth, 10th and 11th before finishing with seven straight pars.
HOW THEY STAND
Par 142 (2 x 71)
131 Jeff Sluman 67 64.
132 Mark James (Eng) 63 69, John Cook 69 63.
133 Jim Thorpe 70 63, Bruce Fleisher 68 65, Tom Purtzer 67 66, Dan Forsman 64 69.

David Gleeson is all-the-way
winner of Macau Open

Australia’s David Gleeson ended his six-year title drought with a wire-to-wire success at the Macau Open today.
The Taipei-based winner nailed his second straight two-under-par 69 in the final round for a tournament record total of 18-under-par 266 and a three-shot victory at the Macau Golf and Country Club.
Gleeson, who won the 2002 Volvo China Open, bettered the previous total of 268 set by American Jason Knutzon in 2004.
Gleeson walked away with the top prize of US$79,250 and rises to 21st spot on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.
“I told my caddie (Sanker Ganesan) at the start of the tournament that I wanted to win this week by as many shots as possible. I also told myself that if I don’t go for it, I won’t have a chance so I’m happy that I went for it this week,” said Gleeson who, several years ago, played at Newmachar as one of Australia's representatives in the Doug Sanders world boys championship.
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang produced a 66 to claim second place while compatriot Kao Bo-song was even-par for the day and finished in lone third spot. Filipino Mars Pucay shot a 65 and ended his week in joint fourth spot together with England’s Yasin Ali who posted a 68 for a 271 total.
But it was Gleeson who fended off a strong charge from the Chinese Taipei duo of Kao and Lin to nail his second success on the Asian Tour.
He started the day with a drop shot on the opening hole and was level with Kao who had birdied the second hole. But Gleeson bounced back with five birdies against two bogeys before leaving the ball within a foot away from the cup for the win.
“I reached the little goals that I had set all day which proved to be the key. On the 18th hole, I just had to avoid the water and I knew I had it once the ball landed on the green,” said Gleeson, who two-putted for par and the win.
“I remember the time with my coach (Ken Berndt) who asked me how I am going to react after finishing a hole well. I replied that I wasn’t sure. I was more worried about what my friends would do to me in celebration and that’s exactly what happened today,” added the champion.
Prior to his success, Gleeson had chalked up top-10 finishes at the Singha Thailand PGA Championship, the Brunei Open and the Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational this season. In 2007, Gleeson enjoyed three top-10 finishes and competed in his maiden Major championship at the British Open.
Chinese Taipei’s Lin, who won the Asian Tour International in March, was pleased with his runner-up performance this week.
“I have one win, and two runner-up finishes now. This is shaping up to be a very good season for me. I am very pleased. I’ve always put myself in contention and I hope to keep the momentum going into the remaining events,” said Lin.
Kao, who chased down the champion in the early stages of the final round, was satisfied with his final day efforts of 71.
“I played my best, but Gleeson played better. I gave it my all out there so I am happy as this is my best finish on the Asian Tour. I hope for better things to come from now on,” admitted Kao.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
266 - David Gleeson (AUS) 64-64-69-69
269 - Lin Wen-tang (TPE) 65-68-70-66
270 - Kao Bo-song (TPE) 66-68-65-71
271 - Mars Pucay (PHI) 67-70-69-65, Yasin Ali (ENG) 69-64-70-68
272 - Lu Wei-chih (TPE) 68-70-69-65, Somkiat Srisanga (THA) 69-68-69-66, Adam Blyth (AUS) 68-65-71-68
273 - Wisut Artjanawat (THA) 65-69-68-71, Steven Tiley (ENG) 70-67-65-71
274 - Wu Ashun (CHN) 70-68-69-67, Chan Yih-shin (TPE) 69-67-67-71
275 - Danny Chia (MAS) 67-68-72-68, Chris Rodgers (ENG) 72-65-70-68, Unho Park (AUS) 67-72-68-68, Tony Carolan (AUS) 67-69-67-72
276 - Zhang Lian-wei (CHN) 72-67-68-69, Wang Ter-chang (TPE) 66-69-69-72
277 - Udorn Duangdecha (THA) 65-72-73-67, Neven Basic (AUS) 70-67-70-70, Lin Wen-hong (TPE) 65-69-72-71
278 - Darren Beck (AUS) 66-69-77-66, Mitchell Brown (AUS) 70-66-71-71, Richard Moir (AUS) 67-71-71-69, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 68-65-73-72

Michael Stewart lying joint

4th in Tennessee ... but

Jordan Findlay is still

suffering in last place

Scots Michael Stewart from Irvine and Fraserburgh's Jordan Findlay are at opposite ends of the leaderboard after two rounds of the Bank of Tennessee @ The Ridges college tournament at The Ridges Golf & Country Club, Jonesborough, Tennessee.

Winner of the Scottish boys' match-play championship this year before he started a four-year golf scholarship at East Tennessee State University, Stewart (pictured above) is chasing his highest finish so far in his fledgling career on the American college golf circuit.

He shot four birdies, including three 2s, and only one late bogey in a second-round, three-under-par 69 over the 7147yd course for a 36-hole tally of two-under-par 142 to be sharing fourth place with England's Chris Paisley, a student at Tennessee University. Paisley has scored 72-70.

Darren Blair (North Carolina State) leads with one round to go at four-under-par 140 (71-69).

Meanwhile former British boys' champion Jordan Findlay, in his fourth and final year at East Tennessee State, is languishing in last place in a field of 75.

He had a nightmare 93 in his first round, which included par figures at only three holes, and though he did slash 10 shots off that in the second round for an 83, his 36-hole tally of 176 is a total of 32 over par. Jordan was not selected for the East Tennessee State University team for this tournament. He is playing as an individual.

LEADERBOARD

Par 144 (2 x 72) 7147yd.

140 Darren Blair (North Carolina State) 71 69.

141 Zack Byrd (Coastal Carolina) 71 70, Dan Obremski (Coastal Carolina) 72 69.

142 Chris Paisley (Tennessee) 72 70, Michael Stewart (East Tennessee State) 73 69.

Scores of other British/Irish students:

144 Rhys Enoch (East Tennessee State) 71 73 (jt 8th).

147 Seamus Power (East Tennessee State) 73 74 (jt 24th).

151 Jason Shufflebotham (Alabama-Birmingham) 74 77 (jt 48th).

156 Garrick Porteous (Tennessee) 82 74 (jt 65th).

176 Jordan Findlay (East Tennessee State) 93 83 (75th).

Field of 75.

TEAM LEADERBOARD

576 Wake Forest.

578 East Tennessee State, Coastal Carolina.

580 Mississippi.

585 North Carolina State.

Field of 14 teams

Michael Sim joint 24th, Martin Laird jt
54th at Scottsdale, Arizona

Aberdeen-born Michael Sim, making only his seventh appearance on the US PGA Tour this season, is lying joint 24th after three rounds of the Frys.com Open at Grayhawk Golf Club, Scottsdale in Arizona.
Sim, brought up in Australia and a former world No 1 amateur, has had rounds of 72, 63 and 68 for 203 to be seven shots behind the leader, American Kevin Sutherland.
Sim, whose rapid rise in pro golf in America came to a shuddering halt when he suffered a stress fracture in his lower back, lost his US Tour playing rights last season and has had limited playing opportunities this year on the No 1 Tour and also the Nationwide Tour through which he originally qualified for the US Tour through finishing among the top 20 moneywinners.
Martin Laird is back in a share of 54th place with a 54-hole total of 206.
The former Scottish youths champion is on the wrong side of the top 125 money-winners who will keep their playing privileges on the 2009 US Tour.
We'll be back with the full third-round scoreboard from Arizona later today but here it is in brief:
THIRD ROUND LEADERS
196 Kevin Sutherland (US) 67 66 63.
197 George McNeill (US) 68 63 66.
Selected scores:
203 Michael Sim (Sco) 72 63 68 (jt 24th).
206 Brian Davis (Eng) 72 63 71, Martin Laird (Sco) 73 66 67 (jt 54th).