Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Stephen Browne says enough is enough:
He's going back to being a banker

One-time European individual amateur champion, Irishman Stephen Browne has decided he has played his last tournament as a professional. He is to return to his original career in banking and will be seeking reinstatement as an amateur golfer.
Browne, who is 35, won twice on the European Challenge Tour after turning pro in 2002.
This year, he won just 15,150 Euros in 20 tournaments on the Challenge Tour, bringing his prize money for the past seven seasons to €303,071. He held a full European Tour card in 2005 and 2006.
The fact that Browne and his wife Elaine are expecting their first child also played a big part in his decision to walk away from pro golf.

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Fergal Rafferty makes it a double
whammy for Sam Houston
State University

Fergal Rafferty from Carrickmore, Omagh in Northern Ireland - a student at Sam Houston State University - won the UTSA Invitational college tournament at The Club at Comanche Trace, Kerrville in Texas today (Tuesday).
Over a long course of some 7,276yd, with a par of 72, Fergal, pictured above, scored 74, 71 and 75 for a four-over-par total of 220. He won by two shots from Devin Carrey (Louisiana-LaFayette) who scored 75, 74 and 72.
Graham Benson from Leighton Buzzard, a student at Southeastern Louisiana, came joint 15th in a field of 71 players with ever-improving scores of 81, 78 and 69 for 228th. He jumped 20 places with his outstanding last round, the best of the day.
Team-mate Aaron O'Callaghan from Cork just missed a top-20 finish. He tied for 21st place on 231 with scores of 78, 78 and 74.
Sam Houston State scored a double whammy by taking the team title as well as the individual honours. They totalled 904, three shots ahead of Louisiana-LaFayette in a field of 13 teams.
Southeastern Louisiana came seventh with 915.

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Des Smyth to switch focus from US
to European Seniors Tour

FROM THE IRISH INDEPENDENT WEBSITE
By KARL McGINTY
Des Smyth has signed off on a six-year career on the United States Champions (Seniors) Tour which yielded two tournament victories and a whopping $4.4m, made him many new friends and even saved his life.
Fittingly, Smyth's American adventure came to an end in San Antonio on Sunday where he finished in a tie for 60th at the AT&T Championship.
During tournament week in the Texas city three years ago, Smyth decided to fill in some spare time by taking up the offer of a full medical check at the local hospital, and doctors discovered a life-threatening problem with his coronary arteries.
They operated the following day to correct it and Smyth walked away saying: "I feel I'm the luckiest man on earth."
Yet having lost his American Seniors Tour card in 78th place on the money list at the end of a frustrating season, the Drogheda man has decided his future now lies on the European Seniors Tour.
"It's been great but it's also been a tough six years," he said. "When I started, I was full of buzz and I did play awfully well for five years.
"I struggled at the end of last year and knew things were starting to drift on me and I never got it back," Smyth added. "This has been a disappointing year.
"I've lost my edge. I think I just ran out of steam with all the travelling -- eight trips over and back each season, that's 16 times across the Atlantic every year.
"I came over to the States to do three or four years and had five good years and one bad one; winning those two tournaments (in 2005) was a thrill and (my wife) Vicki and I have made new friends.
"The players are great over here, especially guys like myself who have been through the mill on tour and got a second chance," explained Smyth, who plans to make an occasional foray back to the US next year.
Yet his attention will now be focussed on the European seniors circuit and he tees it up in their season-ending Oki-Castellon Tour Championship in Valencia next week.

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Andrew Wallace in action in Brazil on his way to a five-under-par 67 in the opening round of the Nick Faldo Series Grand Final (image by Zeca Resendes).

BRAVEHEART WALLACE IS
THE BOY IN BRAZIL

Glenbervie’s Andrew Wallace spreadeagled the field in the first round of the Nick Faldo Series Grand Final in Brazil today with a brilliant effort of five-under-par 67 at the Cosa do Sauipe Golf Resort.
Wallace, who lives in Falkirk, never looked back after starting with a birdie. He added five more birdies, including one at the 18th, a perfect finish to a near-perfect round.
With only one bogey on his card, the 19-year-old Scot finished the day five shots clear of three English players on level-par 72 - Andrew Palmer (Chorley) and Steven Brown (Wentworth), joint second behind Wallace in the Under 21 category) and Anglo-Scot Alasdair Dalgliesh, the boys’ Under-18 age group leader.
Wallace commented: “I drove the ball really well and missed only one fairway. I stayed focussed and ignored the heat. It’s completely different playing in Brazil but it’s a brilliant experience. Now I just hope to keep it going and stay five shots ahead for the whole week.”
Other age-group leaders after round one of the 54-hole Grand Final include Rhys Pugh of Wales (boys Under-15) on 73, Brazil’s Rafael Becker (boys’ Under-17) on 76 and Koray Varli from Turkey (boys’ Under-16), also on 76.
Turkey’s Elcin Ulu leads the girls’ Under-18 category with a five-over-par 77, one ahead of the English women’s champion Hannah Barwood from Knowle.

SCOREBOARD TO FOLLOW

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Prizewinning group at the Donald Ross Invitational junior tournament at Royal Dornoch (image by courtesy of Robin Wilson).

Editor's Note:
Sorry for the long delay in bringing you the results from this tournament.

DONALD ROSS
INVITATIONAL

By ROBIN WILSON
After holding a second equal place from his first round score, Niall Campbell, 16-year-old son of club captain, Jim Campbell, became only the second local winner of the Donald Ross Junior Invitational tournament, now in its eighth year, at Royal Dornoch.
After two rounds, one each on the Struie and championship courses, to his first round net 65, off 10 of a handicap, Campbell was the only local boy in contention to hold his game together on the championship course with another handicap bettering score of net 70 for 135.
Campbell won by three shots over Rudi Taylor (Fraserburgh) who in turn was a stroke ahead of Cameron Dixon (Hopeman).
William Short, first-round leader with a net 64, crashed to a net 78 in the second round and Cameron Sutherland, net 65 in the first round, slipped back to a net 79. Short had the consolation of winning the Provost's Cup for the best first round net score on the Struie course. Clubmate C Sutherland (7) 65 was runner-up in this category and S Hogg (Alness) (15) 66 placed third.
With a gross 69 Kyle Godsman (Hopeman) broke the par of 70 by one over the championship course to lead the scratch returns and in the girls' event Tara MacTaggart (Minto) topped the table by one with net 146 from Alexis Hutton (Falkirk Tryst).
Meanwhile Moray's Rodger Clarke shot a marvellous best of the tournament three under par 67 on the championship course, despite a triple bogey 7 from a lost ball on the final hole, to win the Dornoch Firth Trophy for the best individual round, under handicap, over the Royal Dornoch championship course. J Wright (Forres) (2) 69) was second and F Platou (Norway) (5) 69 third in this category.

LEADING BOYS’ 36-HOLE SCRATCH TOTALS
141 Kyle Godsman (Hopeman) 72 69 (Royal Dornoch Trophy winner).
143 Ross Proctor (Forres) 70 73, Rodger Clarke (Moray) 75 68.
144 Calum Stewart (Brora) 73 71.
146 Lyle McAlpine (Invergordon).
147 Jeff Wright (Forres).

ALL THE BOYS’ 36-HOLE NET TOTALS
135 Niall Campbell (Royal Dornoch) (10) 65 70 (Donald Ross Trophy winner).
138 Rudi Taylor (Fraserburgh) (6) 68 70.
139 Cameron Dixon (Hopeman) (8) 68 71.
141 Ross Proctor (Forres) (1), Rodger Clarke (Moray) (1) 69 72.
142 William Short (Royal Dornoch) (12), Jordan Milne (Elgin) (5), Calum Stewart (Brora) (1).
147 Jeff Wright (Forres) (2), Kyle Godsman (Hopeman) (1).
144 Cameron Sutherland (Royal Dornoch) (7), Liam Hogg (Alness) (11), Lyle McAlpine (Invergordon) (1).
145 David Rumbles (Garmouth & Kingston) (12), Martin Bell (Muir of Ord) (5), Filip Platou (Norway) (5).
146 Peter Ramsay (Elgin) (2).
147 Andrew Young (Turnhouse) (11).
148 Callum Cromar (Lumphanan) (4), Keiran Mackay (Loch Ness) (18), Cameron Nelson
(Nairn) (5).
149 Freddie Brown (Nairn Dunbar) (5), Michael Manson (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) (5).
150 Daniel McConnachie (Crichton) (4), Iain Stewart (Brora) (18), Lewis Reid (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) (4).
151 Scott Noble (West Linton) (11), Andrew Young (Garmouth & Kingston) (13).
152 Zack Barlow (Clydebank & Dist), Rosmundur Orn Johannsson (Iceland), Peter Sangster (Thurso) (6).
153 Christian MacLeod (Nairn Dunbar) (4), Ruaridh Robertson (St Andrews New) (8).
154 Gustav Kristensen (Muir of Ord) (14), David Bremner (Invergordon) (11), Ross Munro (Liberton) (7), Jordan Shaw (Kingussie) (7), Martin Laing (Inverness) (5).
156 Shaun Hogg (Alness) (15), Scott Jeen (Milngavie) (13).
157 Greg Balfour (Douglas Park) (10).
158 James Cooke (Royal Dornoch) (17), Michael Russell (Newtonmore) (8), Luke Sutherland (Duff House Royal) (9).
150 Frazer Pomfret (Troon St Meddan) (11).
162 Callum Paterson (Dunblane New) (13), Jamie Boon (Forres)(6).
163 Neil Macleod (Royal Dornoch) (18).
165 Jake Scott (Buckpool) (5).
166 Philip Schnier-MacRae (Fortrose & Rosemarkie) (10).
167 Arnthor Hermannsson (Iceland) (8).
168 Alan Millar (Canmore) (11), Charlie Hudson (Tain) (14).

+For the Donald Ross Invitational girls' results, please log on to www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

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Plan for new Royal Aberdeen
practice facilities would cut
Silverburn course to 9 holes

A plan to make ground available for an upgrade of Royal Aberdeen Golf Club’s practice facilities by reducing the club’s secondary Silverburn course from 18 to nine holes will be voted on at an extraordinary general meeting of the members in the New Year.
In a letter to the Royal Aberdeen members, club captain David Davidson states “It is not envisaged that this development, if approved, will be in place until the Walker Cup in 2011 is over.”
Mr Davidson writes:
“It has long been acknowledged that our practice ground is well below the standards of the remainder of the club’s facilities. Council believes that for a practice facility to be viable, it should be situated close to the clubhouse for security purposes and to enable it to be used easily for warming-up and tuition.
“A new practice ground should also possess sufficient width to allow several players to use it simultaneously and sufficient length to allow full shots to be played with all the clubs in the page. The reality is that we do not have sufficient ground available to create such a facility without losing some of the holes on the Silverburn.”
Improving the Balgownie practice facilities been on the agenda of successeive Royal Aberdeen councils for the best part of two decades. Reports on the subject were commissioned from golf course design company Donald Steel & Co in 1993 and again in 2003.
This year, another company, Martin Hawtree & Son, were asked by the club to report on whether it would be possible to construct an appropriate practice facility while retaining 18 holes on the Silverburn. The conclusion of the report was that it was not possible and that if the club wanted to create a modern and useful practice ground, the most logical location would be on the site of the second, third and fourth holes on the Silverburn.
Martin Hawtree’s proposals include:
1 A practice ground 300 metres in length, running from approximately the location of the fifth tee of the Silverburn course towards the present third green on the No 2 course.
2 A four-hole practice course on the ground currently occupied by the first, fifth and sixth holes over the Silverburn.
3 The retention of the short-game practice area.
4 A longer and much improved nine-hole Silverburn course.
5 A practice green and chipping area next to the Aberdeen Ladies clubhouse.
“These proposals,” writes Mr Davidson, “would also free up land capable of increasing the available car parking spaces, which is now becoming a problem at weekends when cars are now resorting to parking on the Silverburn.
“Council recognises that this is an emotive issue which will arouse strong feelings but they consider that, standing the terms of the Hawtree report against the background of the two Steel reports, it is appropriate to bring the proposal to the membership for consideration and ultimately a decision.”
+Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, founded in 1780 as the Society of Aberdeen Golfers, is the sixth oldest golf club in the world. It has no female members but the Aberdeen Ladies Golf Club clubhouse is close to the first tee of the Silverburn course. Aberdeen Ladies’ Silver Division players pay higher subscription fees than the Bronze Division because they are permitted to play over the Balgownie links while the female players with higher handicaps are restricted to the shorter, 4021yd par-64 Silverburn course.

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North of Scotland Alliance

Sangster and
surprise packet
Gordon share
honours at
Golspie

By ROBIN WILSON
A better turn-out from Caithness raised the entry at last Sunday's North of Scotland Alliance competition to 50 at Golspie. Thurso's Jim Sangster, with two birdies and two bogeys for an inward half of 33 and a gross 74, became the fourth different scratch winner of the season.
The weather was typical Alliance, one minute bright and sunny the next a course white with hail, raising the scores and leaving Sangster and surprise package, Tarbat's James Gordon, sharing the scratch honours over a Golspie course that is improving with every visit.
Sangster, picture above by courtesy of Robin Wilson, and his partners were caught in the hail storm at the furthermost point from the clubhouse and a resulting double bogey on the ninth hole raised Sangster's outward card to 41 leaving only an inward nine holes to make amends.
The Thurso one-handicapper had to wait until the 13th to make a birdie which was then discarded three holes later and his birdie 2 on the penultimate hole was given back on the final hole for his inward level par 33 that, on the count back, beat Gordon's inward 35.
Nine-handicapper Gordon found himself an the unfamiliar position among the scratch leaders after his outward 39 but his final 74 for a net 65 topped the Class 1 handicap section by three from Tain's Andrew Watt. Watt had halves of 39 and 36 for 75.
Gordon's clubmate and playing partner, Hamish Skinner, with a net 69, was in third place behind Watt's net 68. With Watt installed in second scratch position, the Tarbat duo finished first and second handicap in Class 1.
At the previous Thurso fixture, scorecards in the Class 2 section from Reay's Davie Gray and Andy Mackay were not discovered until after the results were published.. Their net 71s have been added to the prize list so it was an extra careful Gray who made sure his net card of 70 was placed in the correct box at Golspie. Gray won by one from Tain's Ali Melville who in turn was two ahead of Lachie Ross (Durness). Ross edged third place ahead of Ian Ross (Reay) on a better inward half. Finally, Tarbat handicap winner, Brora's Peter Etheridge was in the prizes again this week but slipping back to fifth place.
The fixtures this week continue at Invergordon.

LEADING SCORES

Scratch
74 J Sangster (Thurso) , J Gordon (Tarbat).
75 A Watt (Tain).
76 M J Sangster (Tain), S Holmes (Tain).
77 H Skinner (Tarbat).
79 S R Sutherland (Bonar-Bridge), E MacKenzie (Thurso), A Gill (Brora).
80 B Ronald (Thurso).
Handicap
Class 1 - J Gordon (Tarbat) (9) 65; H Skinner (Tarbat) (8) 69; S Holmes (Tain) (5) 71; S R Sutherland (Bonar Bridge) (7) 72.
Class 2 – D Gray (Reay) (12) 70; A Melville (Tain) (12) 71; L Ross (Durness) (11), I Ross (Reay) (12) 73; P Etheridge (Brora) (12) 75.

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