Mickelson not ready to join European
Tour - but he does not rule it out

FROM THE BBC GOLF NEWS WEBSITE:
World number two Phil Mickelson is not yet ready to join the European Tour but expects to do so in the future.
The 38-year-old American said he could not guarantee playing in the 12 tournaments required for membership.
"When I commit to the European Tour, I expect to play not just the minimum but to really be a part of it," he said.
But US-based stars such as Anthony Kim have signed up for the season, which starts in Shanghai on Thursday and ends with the new $10m Dubai World Championship.
Starting this season, the European Tour will require members to play 12 events, up from 11, but the increased prize-money on offer in the inaugural 'Race to Dubai' has tempted several leading players from around the world to join up.
Mickelson's Ryder Cup team-mate Kim, who is ranked eighth in the world, and Colombia's Camilo Villegas, who is seventh, recently announced their intentions to play on the European Tour as well as the USPGA Tour.
It seems as though wealth is being created on an international basis and golf is growing internationally
Phil Mickelson, Australian stars Adam Scott and Robert Allenby as well as South Africa's Masters champion Trevor Immelman have also come back into the fold.
The four majors and three World Golf Championships - six of which are held in the United States - count toward the 12 events.
Mickelson said he would focus his attention on the USPGA Tour for the time being but wanted to increase the number of tournaments he played outside the United States.
"I want to experience different cultures, I want my family to experience different cultures," he said.
"But I also want to take advantage of the global opportunities that are there for a professional golfer.
"It seems as though wealth is being created on an international basis and golf is growing internationally. I'd like to help with the growth as well as partake in its success.
"I think the European Tour has made great strides."
Mickelson is the defending champion at this week's season-opening HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, which brings together tournament winners and money-list leaders from across the world.
Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, who finished second behind Robert Karlsson in the race for the Order of Merit, is also among the star-studded field in Shanghai.
Despite only finishing a lengthy season on Sunday, the Irishman is relishing the chance to contest the elite 60-man season-ending showdown in Dubai.
"As a professional it is all about winning majors, but to be the first person to win the new Order of Merit, the Race to Dubai, would be something special," said the world number five.
"It wouldn't be the same as a major, but it would be just behind it."
In addition to the $10m prize money, the top 15 players ranked by earnings will also share a bonus pool of an additional $10m.
Karlsson, Sergio Garcia, Immelman and Kim are also playing in China as the season gets off to a start on Thursday, just four days after the end of the 2007-2008 campaign.

A bottle of water at each hole!

It ain't half hot in Brazil, Mum

Calum Stewart's mother Fiona has written the following report on her son's experience in the Faldo Series Grand Final in Brazil:

Calum Stewart has just returned from a great golfing adventure, competing in the Faldo Series Finals in Brazil, finding the experience enjoyable but very challenging.

It took three flights and around 33 hours door to door to reach the Costa do Sauipe resort in the Bahia region of Brazil, arriving there early evening on Saturday 25th October local time.

There was just time to meet his new room-mates and get a meal before heading to bed.

The next two days were practice rounds, with very few of the players managing 18 holes on the first day due to the heat.

It was clear this was going to be a test of stamina as well as golfing skill. With temperatures consistantly over 30 degrees, the players quickly learned that they needed to drink virtually a bottle of water at every hole to maintain some concentration,

It wasn't just the heat that was a new experience for Calum, his strugglewith the tricky Bermuda grass greens reflected in his scores of 80, 81 and 79, the course par being 72.

His total of 240 was 16 shots behind the winner, Thomas Clements from Norwich, and ninth in the Under-15s section.

Players and parents were very well looked after at the Costa do Sauipe Resort. It's a relatively new development right on the beach where the competitors could unwind after a hard day on the course. There was also the opportunity to meet Nick Faldo and play night golf with him.

This involved chipping and putting with luminous golf balls which was a new experience and turned out to be a lot of fun.

Calum really enjoyed the opportunity to meet golfers from different countries, in particular the Welsh, Irish and Brazilians. They all got together and organised a mini-football competition one evening on the floodlit pitches at the resort.

Scotland managed to beat Brazil, not a headline that you will read every day!

Calum said: 'The trip was a fantastic experience on and off the golf course, one which I'd love to get the chance to repeat to see if I can get the hang of those greens! I'd like to say thank you for all the support and good wishes I received from friends and family and particularly Highland Council and Jim MacGilp of Fire Safety Services Scotland Ltd for their financial help.

"I am now looking forward to my winter coaching and practising hard, especially on my putting to see if I can qualify again next year!"

Alliance competitors can use caddie
cars at Deeside on Wednesday

Nick Reid, the assistant professional at Deeside Golf Club, this afternoon clarified the situation with regard to the use of trolleys at Wednesday's North-east Alliance competition over the Bieldside course.
"The Deeside club ban on the use of caddie cars does not come into effect until DECEMBER 1, not November 1, so there is no reason why competitors in the Alliance cannot use them this week," he said.

NO CHANGE IN PRICE AS OPEN 2009
TICKETS FOR TURNBERRY GO ON SALE

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R&A
The R&A has announced that ticket prices for next year’s Open Championship at Turnberry will be maintained at their current level, as advance tickets go on sale.
The Championship will see Padraig Harrington attempting to become the first player to win three consecutive Open Championships since Peter Thomson in 1956.
Season tickets purchased before the end of January 2009 will be available at a heavily discounted rate of £180.
“We are awaiting what I’m sure will be an excellent Championship at Turnberry,” said David Hill, The R&A’s Director of Championships.
“Given the current economic climate, The R&A has elected to maintain ticket prices at this year’s rates for 2009 and we look forward to welcoming a large and enthusiastic crowd to one of The Open’s most iconic venues.”
A daily ticket on the four Championship days (16-19 July 2009) costs £55. Under-16’s will continue to be admitted free of charge and concessions are available.
Ticket enquiries should be directed through www.opengolf.com or +44 (0) 1334 460010.
Further information:

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 - ADMISSION CHARGES

COMPOSITE TICKETS
Including Car Parking - £550
Excluding Car Parking - £510
18th green reserved grandstand seats - £230
(Does not include course access)

SEASON TICKETS
Payment before 31 January - £180
Payment before 30 April - £200.
Payment from 1 May - £220.

DAILY ADMISSION TICKETS
Adults
Sunday 12 - £10
Monday 13 - £25
Tuesday 14 - £30
Wednesday 15 - £30
Thursday 16 - £55
Friday 17 - £55
Saturday 18 - £55
Sunday 19 -£55
Concessions (65 years and over)
Sunday 12 - £5
Monday 13 - £15
Tuesday 14 - £25
Wednesday 15 - £25
Thursday 16 - £40
Friday 17 - £40
Saturday 18 - £40
Sunday 19 - £40
Concessions (16 – 21 years)
Sunday 12 - £5
Monday 13 - £15
Tuesday 14 - £15
Wednesday 15 - £15
Thursday 16 - £25
Friday 17 - £25
Saturday 18 - £25
Sunday 19 -£25
RESERVED CAR PARKING
Weekly - £45

Second North Alliance win of season for
Tain's Munro Ferries at sunny Invergordon

By ROBIN WILSON
In a complete contrast of weather conditions endured the previous weekend at Golspie which prevented Tain's Munro Ferries returning a card the Tain scratch player went out at the end of the field in tee shirt weather at Invergordon last Sunday to record his second Alliance scratch win of the season.
The attendance has still not picked up and Ferries with a three over par card of 72 had only a field of 45 to beat. His score was three better than his two Tain club mates Steve Holmes and Mike Sangster, and Thurso's Bryan Ronald.. Following up on his Tarbat success Ferries's card featured one birdie and three bogies in halves of 35 and 37 over the Invergordon course.
Thurso's Ronald made the return to his previous club hoping to go one better than the second place he filled at the Thurso fixture but after leading the returns for most of the day he had again to settle for a second after a card play off with Holmes and Sangster.

All three in their returns of 75 had similar outward and inward halves of 37 and 38 and the decider for second place came down to the last three holes. Holmes finished the last three,5,5,4 against a par of 4,4,4, Sangster with three par figures while Ronald, on his old stamping ground, finished par, birdie, par, for second place.

The Tain pair figured in the handicap section, Holmes, nett 70, to second place and Sangster , nett 71 to fourth with Bonar – Bridge/Ardgay's Seann Sutherland, who has been rarely out of the prizes in the previous five fixtures and has sett the pace on the way to the MacKintosh Salver, bagged his second first place of the season with a gross 76, nett 69. Third place went to Reay's Grant Maxwell also with a nett 71,off 7, on the count back over Sangster.

Class 1 winner Sutherland made a remarkable recovery from a lack lustre outward half of 42 covering the next nine holes in level par 34, one bogey at the 14th cancelled out by birdie at the 17 penultimate hole.

Local members, Charlie Gallacher and Andy Low were separated by a couple of shots in the Class 2 handicap section, Gallagher winning with a nett 70, off 12, and Low a nett 72, off 21. Brora's Mr. Consistent Peter Etheridge, yet to miss the prize list at any of the four fixtures he has attended, was listed again. On Sunday his nett 72, off 12, brought him a third place.

No Fixture this weekend because of the Armistices Day services but fixtures will resume at either Reay or Tain on Sunday November 16. Please check with Alliance Secretary Tony Gill (Brora Golf Club) which venue will be used.

Results.
Scratch
72 M. Ferries (Tain).
75 B. Ronald (Thurso), S. Holmes (Tain), M. Sangster (Tain).
76 S. Sutherland (Bonar-Bridge/Ardgay), A. J. Gill (Brora)
78 G. Maxwell (Reay) J. Sangster (Thurso)
79 A. Watt (Tain), C. Burness (Thurso)
80 L. Parnell (Reay).
Handicap
Class 1- S. R. Sutherland (Bonar-Bridge/Ardgay) (7) 69; S. Holmes (Tain) (5) 70; G. Maxwell (Reay) (7) 71. M. Sangster (Tain) (4) 71.
Class 2 – C. Gallacher (Invergordon) (12) 70. A. Low (Invergordon) (21) 72. P. Etheridge (Brora) (12) 72.

Brotherston & Rodaks early leaders in
Seniors' Spanish Festival at Hacienda

The inaugural Scottish Seniors Golfing Society's Spanish Festival got under way in cool conditions at the five-star Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort in the Murcia region today.
It was the first round of the "doubles competition," played under a four-ball, better-ball format with 52 pairs taking part over the Dave Thomas-designed course.
LEADING SCORES
SCRATCH
68 Ian Brotherston & George Rodaks
69 Derek Murphy & Bob Stewart
70 Brian Smith & Ian Jeen, David Smith & Alan Macnaught
71 John McDonald & Richard Gray
72 Ian Taylor & Keith Howie, Ian Hutcheon & Fred Hutcheon, Gordon MacDonald & Sandy Pirie,
Dougal Chalmers & Ronald Macdonald, William Grant & Sven Oestergaard
HANDICAP
67 Smith & Jeen, Grant & Oestergaard
68 Basil Griffiths & Peter Barnett, Murphy & Stewart, Brotherston & Rodaks, Smith & Macnaught, McDonald & Gray
69 Taylor & HowieChalmers & Macdonald, Ken Lumsden & Alan Williamson

Holtgrieve will captain US Walker Cup
team for Royal Aberdeen match 2011

Jim Holtgrieve, whose amateur career includes a winning record as a player on three victorious USA Walker Cup teams and an individual triumph at the inaugural 1981 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, has been chosen by the United States Golf Association to be the captain of the 2011 USA Walker Cup squad for the biennial match against Great Britain & Ireland at Royal Aberdeen..
"I’m elated to be given this honour by the USGA and to have the chance to captain 10 outstanding men from the United States of America," said Holtgrieve, 60.
"The USGA has always been very special to me and this is something that my father always hoped I would be able to do. This would have made him very proud."
Holtgrieve will captain the United States of America team that travels to Royal Aberdeen Golf Club for the 42nd Walker Cup Match, to be held Sept. 10-11, 2011.
The Walker Cup Match is a 10-man biennial amateur team competition between the USA and a team
The 2009 match will be played Sept. 12-13 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Current USGA Senior Amateur champion George "Buddy" Marucci will be the USA captain for the upcoming Walker Cup Match.
Holtgrieve was one of the country’s top amateur players during the 1970s and ’80s and earned a spot on winning Walker Cup teams in 1979, 1981 and 1983, where he had a combined record of 6-4. He also represented the USA on two victorious World Amateur Championship squads, in 1980 and 1982. A semi-finalist at the 1980 U.S. Amateur and runner-up at the 1983 British Amateur, Holtgrieve won numerous state and district amateur titles in Missouri.
Holtgrieve played in five Masters Tournaments as an amateur - making the cut three times - and also qualified for the 1978 U.S. Open.
Holtgrieve turned professional in 1998 and played on the Champions Tour from 1999 to 2005, where his top finish was a tie for second at the 1999 Home Depot Invitational. In all, he has played in four U.S. Senior Opens and a total of 42 USGA championships.
The USGA reinstated Holtgrieve’s amateur status in 2007 after he played in 122 professional events. He also serves the USGA as a member of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship committee. Holtgrieve resides in St. Louis, Mo.