Gleneagles greens are the European Tour's

worst of the season - says leader Hedblom

The putting surfaces on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles Hotel came in for more fierce crticism today - even from the Swede, Peter Hedblom, who has displaced Paul Lawrie at the leader with one round to go in the Johnnie Walker Championships at the Perthshire venue.
Hedblom said that in his opinion they were the worst greens the European Tour players have had to suffer this season.
Hedblom, who lost a play-off in Holland last week, fired a third-round 68 to overtake Lawrie, whose bogeys at the 15th and 16th holes led to a one-over 73.
They are eight under par and seven under respectively with 18 holes to play, and Hedblom said: "The scoring would be much lower if the greens were better. You know you're going to miss some short ones and you just need to keep cool - but it's tough."
His only dropped shot came on the 13th when he failed to hole from under three feet.
An hour later Northern Ireland's Jonathan Caldwell, two off the lead at the time, four-putted there from even closer range for a triple-bogey 7
Hedblom has recently started a practice putting routine of holing eight three-foot putts in a row and then eight from four feet, but he added: "I haven't managed it once this week.
"I was there almost two hours the other day and was pulling my hair out. I'm supposed to keep going until I do it, but I just had to stop."
Last year Lee Westwood called for the Gleneagles greens on the PGA Centenary Course to be ripped up and relaid before the 2014 Ryder Cup is played there.
Next August the controversial course will again be staging the final counting event for Europe's side and captain Colin Montgomerie - also this week's tournament chairman - admits the problem will not be solved by then.
Montgomerie, who returned a 72 to remain level par, stated: "They have a five-year (improvement) plan and this is the second year. There is obviously work to do. By definition, a five-year plan takes five years. The greens won't improve tomorrow, but there is nothing to worry about for the Ryder Cup – they will be fantastic by then.
"They weren't so good at the K Club about five or six years before the Ryder Cup was played there and they were fine come the championship, so I think the same goes for these."

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