Terry Mathieson wins

Berwickshire Trophy

at Craigielaw Alliance


Some 103 Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance members played today at Craigielaw in sunny, calm and mild conditions.
Overall winner of the Berwickshire Trophy was trainee professional Terry Mathieson (King's Acre), pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, with a score of 67, winning on the better back nine.
In the scratch section, Mathieson's 67 was bogey-free. He had birdies at the first, second, 11th and 18th. His score was matched by Andrew Oldcorn (also King's Acre).
Andrew birdied the first, third, seventh, eighth and 14th, his only dropped shot coming at the 13th.
In third place was Peter Mitchell (Hermitage) with a two under par 69. A shot further back was Kenny Glen (Royal Musselburgh).
Making his first competitive appearance as a professional, Zack Saltman's level par round of 71 was good enough for fifth place. David Patrick (Elie) won the trainee prize with a 72.
There was a tie for first place in the handicap section. Graeme Johnston (Glenbervie) and Robert Marshall (Greenburn) returned net 69s.
Ian Fyfe (Musselburgh) shot 70 for third place. Wilson Morton (Dunbar), Graham Roberts (Liberton) and Gerry Wilson (Musselburgh) tied for fourth place with net 71s. Willie Marr (West Lothian) picked up the senior prize with 71
The next outing is at Dunfermline (Pitfirrane) Golf Club on February 11 where we will be playing for the Tom Galloway Trophy.
Keith Liddle
Secretary
EESGA

PRIZE LIST AT CRAIGIELAW
SCRATCH
1st equal (£90) Terry Mathieson King's Acre 67
1st equal (£90) Andrew Oldcorn King's Acre 67
3rd (£60) Peter Mitchell Hermitage 69
4th (£40) Kenneth Glen Royal Musselburgh 70
5th (£20) Zack Saltman Craigielaw 71
HANDICAP
1st equal (£90 voucher) Graeme Johnston Glenbervie 69
1st equal (£90 voucher) Robert Marshall Greenburn 69
3rd (£60 voucher) Ian Fyfe Musselburgh 70
4th equal (£20 voucher) Wilson Morton Dunbar 71
4th equal (£20 voucher) Graham Roberts Liberton 71
4th equal (£20 voucher) Gerry Wilson Musselburgh 71

TRAINEEE PROFESSIONAL - £20 - David Patrick (Elie) 72
SENIOR - £20 voucher - Willie Marr (West Linton) 71.

Greg Norman will warm up for Masters

by playing in Shell Houston Open

FROM THE GOLFWEEK.COM WEBSITE
Greg Norman has added another stop on his road back to Augusta.Norman, whose T-3 finish at the 2008 British Open earned him an exemption to this year’s Masters, has accepted a sponsor’s invitation to play the Shell Houston Open, one week before Augusta’s annual spring event.
Business interests have overtaken Norman’s competition schedule in recent years. However, his run at Royal Birkdale, where he held the lead through 63 holes before fading in the final round, rekindled his desire to compete.
“I knew I wanted to play some golf leading into Augusta,” Norman told the Houston Chronicle. Redstone Golf Club Tournament Course will host the Houston event from April 2 to 5.
Norman, who turns 54 on February 10, is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and a former No 1-ranked player in the world.
At Augusta, where he has never won, he is known more perhaps for a 1996 collapse, when he lost a six-stroke lead to Nick Faldo in the final round.
“I’ve had a great love affair with Augusta, even though I’ve never won there,” Norman said. “I still think it’s one of my favourite tournaments I’ve ever played.
“Whenever I go back there and see my friends, it has always been a wonderful feeling. I’m sure it’s going to be the same.”
Norman has won 20 US PGA Tour titles, and the 1986 and 1993 British Opens, but rarely has played on the US Tour or Champions (Seniors) Tour in recent years. He is scheduled to play in the Johnnie Walker Classic next month in his native Australia and has said that he hopes to add a few more events leading up to the Masters.
Norman married tennis great Chris Evert last June, then nearly won the Open title at Royal Birkdale a month later.
Norman will have son Gregory as his caddie at Augusta, and Evert is expected to be in the gallery as she was at Royal Birkdale.
“I won’t have any expectations going in there,” Norman said. “I earned my way in there – I wasn’t given an exemption. I think that’s a tremendous positive for me. I’ll just go enjoy the week, enjoy every step I take, and play the best golf I can possibly play. I would love to get to the weekend. That would be a great goal to have.”

Knox needs to pull his socks up

to beat the cut in Florida

Inverness exile Russell Knox was in danger of one of his rare "missed cut" appearances on the NGA Hooters Tour after a first-round, three-over-par 75 in the Winter Series event at Deer Island Country Club, Tavares in Florida.
Knox had a double bogey 6 on his card and not enough birdies to compensate as he went into the second round, knowing he needed to beat par to have the remotest chance of surviving in a highly competitive field of 129.
English-born Paul Curry, a winner on the Hooters Tour this year, was in even bigger trouble than the Scot who has lived at Jacksonville Beach, Florida since his four years at Jacksonville University.
Curry could do no better than a first-round 77.
The early leader after 36 holes was Joshua Wooding from California with 70 and 68 for 138.
Patrick Nagle from Indiana was onf 140 with scores of 69 and 71.

Elsewhere on the mini-tour scene in the United States:

JIMMY GUNN BEATS THE ARIZONA CUT

Former Royal Dornoch amateur Jimmy Gunn survived the 36-hole cut in the Gateway Tour's Desert Series event at Trilogy Golf Club, Arizona with scores of 71 and 70 for a three-under-par tally of 141. Players had to total 144 or better to make the last round.
Gunn, playing in temperatures in the mid-70s, birdied the first, 13th and 15th before dropping his only shot of the day at the 16th. He is 11 shots behind the new leader, American Ben Kern, with a pair of 65s for 130. Demoted from the pole position, Kevin Stadler is in second place on 133 with scores of 63 and 70.

ends.

PHILIP McLEAN WINS AGAIN ON

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE CIRCUIT

Scotland youth cap Philip McLean made it two wins in a row on the North-east Alliance circuit with a six-under-par round of 64 to head a field of 79 at the Buckpool links on the Moray coast today.
McLean had seven birdies - at the third, fifth, eighth, 10th, 12th, 13th and 16th - and one bogey, at the short sixth, in halves of 33 and 31 over the winter course.
Another Paul Lawrie protege, teenager David Law (Hazlehead) tied for second place with Brian Nicolson (Auchmill) on 65. Law had a memorable inward half of 29, including seven 3s after an outward half of nine straight 4s.

LEADING SCRATCH
Par 70
64 P McLean (Peterhead).
65 D Law (Hazlehead), B Nicolson (Auchmill).
67 F Bisset (Banchory).
68 D H Clark (Duff House Royal), G Paterson (Northern), D Nelson (Aboyne).
69 I Bratton (Newburgh), C Stephen (Meldrum House), W S Urquhart (Murcar Links).
70 S Pert (Huntly), B Brooks (Meldrum House), C Nelson (Mackenzie Club), M Jenkins (Duff House Royal).
71 L Prouse (Hazlehead), M Lawrie (Kemnay), S Finnie (Caledonian).
72 B Harper (Newburgh), J Dalgarno (Hazlehead), R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), B Ritchie (Inverallochy), R Pirie (Caledonian), I D Smith (Hazlehead), C Law (Hazlehead), C Duffus (Kemnay).
LEADING HANDICAP
Class 1 - B Nicolson (Auchmill) (2), D Nelson (Aboyne) (5) 63; F Bisset (Banchory) (2), M Lawrie (Kemnay) (6), J Dalgarno (Hazlehead) (7) 65; L Prouse (Hazlehead) (5), B Harper (Newburgh) (6), I D Smith (Hazlehead) (6), C Duffus (Kemnay) (6) 66.
Class 2 - R Brown (Craibstone) (14), D Randall (Banchory) (15) 60; D Bisset (Banchory) (9), M Brown (Craibstone) (18) 64. M Rodgers (Kemnay) (12), M Booth (Kemnay) (12), D Lawrie (Inchmarlo) (14) 65; R Alison (Deeside) (14) 66.

BUCKPOOL SCORECARD
OUT: 4-4-5-4-4-3-4-3-4--35. IN: 4-4-4-3-4-3-5-4-4--35

PHIL McLEAN 64 (-6)
OUT: 4-4-4-4-3-4-4-2-4--33. IN: 3-4-3-2-4-3-4-4--4--31.

DAVID LAW 65 (-5)
OUT: 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4--36. IN: 3-3-3-3-3-4-4-3-3--29

Boo Weekley (above) and Sergio Garcia (right), two world-ranked stars in Doha field.

Qatar Masters' field European strongest

outside of Open and PGA Championship

PRESS RELEASE
Doha (QATAR): The 2009 Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy, which gets underway at Doha Golf Club tomorrow boasts the strongest field in the history of golf in the Middle East, as determined by the World Ranking Field Rating.
Organised by the Qatar Golf Association (QGA), the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Commercialbank, the US$ 2.5 million tournament also features the strongest field of any European Tour event outside of the Open Championship and BMW PGA Championship since records began.
It marks a remarkable rise to prominence by an event that launches its twelfth edition with eighteen of the world’s top 50 players in the 120-man field.
With so many big name players competing, the event offers players a higher number of world ranking points than any golf event ever staged in the Middle East – and firmly places the Doha event at the forefront of golf in the region.
Sergio Garcia, Robert Karlsson, Henrik Stenson, Lee Westwood, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Boo Weekley, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Casey and Justin Rose are all in the hunt making the line-up for the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy, read like a Who’s Who of the world game.
For US Ryder Cup star Weekley, it’s his first trip to the 7,388-yard Doha Golf Club and the popular American is ready to hit the ground running after a 22-hour flight from Hawaii.
“I'm curious to see everything,” said Weekley just minutes after arriving at the course. “I’m ready to get out there and see it. I heard to bring a pair of sunglasses in case the wind picks up and starts blowing some dust around!
“First thing I did this morning when I got up, I opened my curtains just to see what view I have, because when I got there it was dark and you really couldn't see what was outside. I got to watch the sun come up over the horizon there, so that was pretty - kind of like being at the beach.”
Weekley sprang to global prominence with his exuberant nature at the Ryder Cup last year and the 35 year-old is well aware of his appeal. “I reach out to common people,” he smiled. “I’m more common than anyone. It’s who I am. I remember when I was a hydroblaster – I worked for two and a half years earning around $8-9 an hour. Those times taught me how to respect what I have now.”
While Weekley – who openly admitted to bursting into tears after that Ryder Cup win – is a newcomer to the tournament, world No 2 Sergio Garcia returns to Doha as the highest ranked player in the field.
“I think it shows the strength in depth of the Tour and our players,” said the Spanish star when told of the world ranking status of the tournament. “This is a good, solid event to test us early in the season. It’s tougher to win here than in Abu Dhabi – the course is in better shape than any I’ve seen this year and has grown up over the years. It’s an event where you have to be patient and is usually windier than the others.”
Play is scheduled to get underway at Doha Golf Club at 6.45am (local time), while Weekley will start his Qatar campaign at 11.55am in the company of Englishmen Paul Casey and Justin Rose. Garcia tees it up at 7.25am with former champion Henrik Stenson and Australia’s Aaron Baddeley.

You can get more information by logging on to: http://www.qatar-masters.com/

Royal Musselburgh get Edinburgh Summer

League invite ... but not until 2010

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
Royal Musselburgh Golf Club is to be invited to join the Applecross Edinburgh Summer League – but not until next year.
At the moment, there are 23 clubs in the league, meaning that one division has a club sitting idle each week. That situation was brought about when Harburn withdrew from the League. It has now been agreed that it would be better if a replacement were found.
"I have been asked to contact Royal Musselburgh to invite them to join the league," said secretary Graeme Wallace. "But we will continue to operate with 23 clubs in the coming season.
"The draw for that campaign has been made and Royal Burgess, the defending champions, are in the same division as Kingsknowe, last year's beaten finalists, as well as Turnhouse.
Duddingston's main rivals in another division are likely to be Silverknowes and Bruntsfield, though the presence of Newbattle and Glencorse as well will make that particular section of the round-robin phase very tasty indeed.
Full draw:
Division 1: Torphin Hill, Ratho Park, Swanston, Craigmillar Park, Prestonfield.
Division 2: Murrayfield, Newbattle, Silverknowes, Duddingston, Glencorse, Bruntsfield.
Division 3: Musselburgh, West Linton, Dalmahoy, Broomieknowe, Baberton, Liberton.
Division 4: Turnhouse, Kingsknowe, Lothianburn, Mortonhall, Merchants, Royal Burgess.

US Rookie of Year Snedeker expected to

take up European Tour membership

FROM THE GUARDIAN.CO.UK WEBSITE
US PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Brandt Snedeker is set to become the latest American player to join the European Tour following the introduction of the lucrative Race to Dubai.
Anthony Kim joined the tour before last November's HSBC Champions, while fellow Ryder Cup winner Boo Weekley will play at this week's Qatar Masters after taking up membership last week.
Snedeker is now expected to sign before tee-off in Doha tomorrow.
Snedeker, 28, finished third at the Masters and ninth at the US Open last year after winning his maiden Tour title at the Wyndham Championship in 2007.
The American influx has been welcomed by world No 11 Henrik Stenson. "It was definitely one of the thoughts when they launched the Race to Dubai, to try to attract stronger fields to tournaments and to the Tour in general," said Stenson.
"Obviously the Race to Dubai has done that and I am delighted to see more of the American tour players coming over to play in Europe. I see them on a regular basis when I'm competing in America but it's developing perfectly for everyone to play against the best fields now on a weekly basis."
The Race to Dubai and season-ending Dubai World Championship, which have a total prize pool of $20m (£11.25m), are designed to rival the FedEx Cup Series in America. Players must take part in 12 tournaments to qualify, although that breaks down to five regular events as the four majors and three World Golf Championship events count towards the total.
Last year Stenson finished seventh on the Order of Merit, which was replaced by the Race to Dubai, after recording nine top-10 finishes, including a share of third at The Open at Royal Birkdale. The Swede is 14th in the Race to Dubai, which is led by world number two Sergio García.
This week's Qatar Masters will have 18 players from the world's top 50 teeing off at Doha Golf Club, including defending champion Adam Scott, García, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood and Justin Rose.
"The biggest benefit as players is that we get to play against stronger fields in Europe and on the Race to Dubai schedule," added Stenson, who missed the cut at last week's Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
"It's going to mean not only more world ranking points but bigger interest around the world in our events and that can only be good for the European Tour."
Meanwhile, Oliver Wilson is confident of overcoming the star-studded field to claim a maiden European Tour victory. The 28-year-old was disappointed with his 37th-place finish at last week's Abu Dhabi Championship, which followed an agonising second in a high-class field at the HSBC Champions and sixth at the Hong Kong Open at the end of 2008.
"The field is one of the strongest ever assembled on the European Tour and one which would be great to play well at," said Wilson. "I am feeling good physically and hopefully after a couple of good practice days I will be back to business, trying to win that elusive maiden victory."

England send six to Spain in bid

to recapture Costa Ballena title

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Having been pipped at the post for the past two years, England is sending six members of its talented ‘A’ Squad to Spain at the end of January in a bid to recapture the annual Costa Ballena Quadrangular Tournament title.
The skilful six are:
Jonathan Gidney (Church Stretton)
Miles Mackman (Broome Manor)
Matt Nixon (Ashton-under-Lyne)
James Robinson (Southport & Ainsdale)
Tom Shadbolt (Mid Herts)
Michael Swan (Stoke-by-Nayland).
They will take on teams from Finland, Germany, and hosts Spain at Costa Ballena from January 28th - 30th.
Having won the title in 2005 and 2006, the England team have been denied on the final day for the past two years, both times by Spain, after having the title in their grasp. This time they are determined to go one better and will give a first overseas opportunity to Jonathan Gidney, 21, from Shropshire & Herefordshire. Gidney has been the Midland Youths Champion for the past three years and also holds the Welsh Youths Championship.
Miles Mackman, 22, from Wiltshire, is the only member of the squad to play in last year’s match. A former winner of the Lagonda Trophy, last year he won the West of England Match Play Championship and the South West Youths Championship.
Matt Nixon, 19, was the British Boys Champion in 2006, the year he also finished runner-up in the Lancashire County and Boys Championships. He finished second again in the Lancashire Championship last year, tied third in the North of England Youths and helped Lancashire win the County Championship.
James Robinson, 20, from Lancashire, was a semi-finalist in the 2007 English Amateur and last year enjoyed a string of high finishes, winning the Formby Hare and Pines Trophy, finishing second in the S&A Bowl and the Scottish Youths and was another member of Lancashire’s victorious County Championship team.
Tom Shadbolt, 20, is a former Hertfordshire County and Boys Champion who finished second in the Lagonda Trophy and fourth in the Lee Westwood Trophy, both in 2007. Last year, he was a member of the Under 21 Squad and this will be his maiden foreign assignment with the English Golf Union (EGU).
Michael Swan, 19, another talent to emerge from the Stoke-by-Nayland club, will also be enjoying his first EGU overseas trip. Fourth in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters and the Suffolk Championship in 2007, he was also in last year’s Under 21 Squad. As in previous years, the Costa Ballena competition will be played on a round robin basis, each match comprising three foursomes and six singles.
More information available by logging on to www.englishgolfunion.org

Justin Rose makes debut in

next week's Qatar Masters

PRESS RELEASE
Doha (QATAR): England’s Justin Rose will make his long-awaited Doha debut when he joins a powerful field for next week's Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy.
The world No 19 is just one of a catalogue of big name players to sign up for a US$ 2.5 million tournament that has made rapid strides over the past three years to become a major player on the European Tour international calendar.
Rose, pictured right, joins a field that includes world No 2 Sergio Garcia, two-time and defending champion Adam Scott, former winners Henrik Stenson, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, European No. 1 Robert Karlsson and the newly-crowned Abu Dhabi champion Paul Casey.
Add in American stars Boo Weekley and Brandt Snedeker – both of whom will make their Middle East debuts in Doha – and it’s easy to see why Qatar Golf Association President Hassan Al Nuami is expecting a closely fought fight over the 7,388yd course carved out of the desert.
“We have been excited by the quality of players looking to play in Doha over recent years and the news that Justin Rose will now play in Qatar for the first time confirms the international reputation of the event,” said a delighted Al Nuami.
“He has been playing quite heavily in the US so we are naturally delighted that he will make his first appearance of 2009 here at Doha Golf Club.”
Organised by the QGA in association with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and Commercialbank, the twelfth Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy will see 28 year-old Rose return to action for the first time since competing in the South African Open last month.
The winner of the European Tour Order of Merit in 2007, Rose made a superb Ryder Cup debut last year playing alongside friend Ian Poulter in foursome and fourballs and defeating Phil Mickelson 3 and 2 in the singles, a month after finishing tied ninth US PGA Championship.
He first burst to prominence at The Open in 1998 when, as a seventeen year-old amateur, he finished tied for fourth. Since then he has gone on to win four times on the European Tour as well as collect wins on the Sunshine and Japan Tours.
Big names like Rose are just part of the golfing jigsaw at Doha Golf Club this week. Purpose built hospitality chalets, extra spectator grandstands and an exhibition village will all combine to make this week’s event the biggest in its twelve-year history.
“We’ve been planning for this week ever since the last putt fell twelve months ago,” said Commercialbank Group CEO Andrew Stevens. “It’s been a long journey but once again we are nearly there and ready to welcome the cream of the European Tour to Doha. Whether they are regular visitors or first timers like Justin Rose every member of the international golfing community is guaranteed a warm welcome in Qatar.”

For further information log on to: http://www.qatar-masters.com/