Saltmans not in the hunt

on Spanish Tour debuts

The Saltman brothers did not take the Hi5 Pro Tour by storm on their debuts in the Spanish mini-pro tour event, the Villaitana Open, at a course near Benidorm today.

Lloyd Saltman, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had a four-over-par 76 to be tied for 38th position ... Elliot Saltman had a 78 for a share of 50th position ... and young Zack Saltman was joint 61st ina field of 74 players after a round of 81.

The field will be cut to the top 40 and ties after 36 holes.

Entry to each event on the Hi5 Pro Touor costs 350 Euros for members and 400 Euros for non-members.

Spaniard Gonzalo Vincente Elena is setting the pace with a seven-under-par 67.

He leads by two shots from Finland's Tuomas Touvinen.

The leading Scot is former Scottish boys match-play champion Paul Doherty, a campaigner on the PGA EuroPro tour along with brother Jack. Paul had a one-under-par 71. Jack returned a 74.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD

Par 72

65 Gonzalo Vincente Elena.

67 Tuomas Tuovinen.

68 Carlos Garcia.

69 Birgir Hafthorson.

70 Rob Harris, Ben Schlichting, Rikard Karlberg, Paul Doherty.

71 Paul O'Hanlon, Kalle Edberg, Kenneth Mortensen, David Horsey, Carlos Aguilar, Simon Gundorph, Klas Haligren.

Selected scores:

72 Peter Finch.

73 James Housby.

74 Jack Doherty.

76 Lloyd Saltman.

78 Elliot Saltman.

81 Zack Saltman.

Jack Nicklaus course at Stonehaven


waiting for new investor to be found

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
The Jack Nicklaus course and the rest of the Ury Estate, Stonehaven development plan is dead as far as FM Developments are concerned - but the scheme is certainly not buried.
FM Developments, which went into administration near the end of last month, was owned by two of the wealthiest farming families in Scotland, the Milnes and the Forbes. Both farm in the Mearns and are substantial owners.
John Milne is the head of the Milne "clan" but it is his son Jonathon, who was the boss of FM Developments, which were handling the Ury Estate development. It is believed that Jonathon Milne is also involved with Jack Nicklaus in a course project in the Cape Verde Islands, south of the Canaries.
John Milne, the father, is a farmer in the Stonehaven area - a daffodil farmer, to boot, so he is coming up to a very busy time - and is a keen member of Edzell Golf Club.
When I asked John tonight for an update on the Ury Estate situation, he told me:
"The situation is that the land is there, the plans were approved and are there and we know that Jack Nicklaus is very keen to see it through. So everything is on hold until a major investor can be found."
It was in late February that the £40million scheme to have a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course and a luxury hotel on the 1500 acre Ury Castle Estate near Stonehaven was struck a hammer blow when the company behind the ambitious plans - F M Developments - went into administration, yet another victim of the Credit Crunch Crisis.
Joint administrator Fraser Gray said at the time: "We're firmly committed to exploring the future options available for the group's developments and, in particular, the ambitious plans for the Ury Estate and its proposed Jack Nickluas signature golf course.
"This development has received strong support from local stakeholders and, with this in mind, we will be assessing the best way forward over the coming weeks."
Mr Gray has made no further announcement in the media since then.
The Ury Estate was bought by the FM Group in 2001.

The Elmwood College, Cupar team who finished third in the British Colleges' open championship at Fairmont St Andrews. Names at the bottom of the following report
Ryan Campbell set men's

course record at Kittocks

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

In our report on last week's British Colleges golf championship over the Kittocks course, Fairmont St Andrews (switch over to http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/), we credited - accurately - the girls' title winner, Holly Clyburn (Grimsby Institute & Woodhall Spa) with setting a women's record of 72 in her first round over the course.

It now transpires that the men's winner, Ryan Campbell (Elmwood College, Cupar), also set a Kittocks course record with his first-round 71. He followed that up with a 74 for 145.

Ryan is pictured with his trophies.

The Elmwood College team who finished third in the British Colleges open championship are pictured above at Fairmont St Andrews.

Left to right: James Ramage, Ryan Campbell,Grant Downie and Mark Thompson.

Elmwood College team win Walter Woods Trophy

The Elmwood College, Cupar team who won the Walter Woods Trophy in the annual four-cornered match against Abertay University, Dundee University and St Andrews University at Elmwood (image by courtesy of Neil Pirie, Abertay).
Back row (left to right): Craig Goodwin, Mark Smith, Andrew Fieldsend, Ben Lindsay, Vincent Kabaso.
Front row (left to right): Craig Armstrong, Kenny Crawford and Gary Page.
Dundee finished second and St Andrews third.

Will Padraig Harrington play Royal Dornoch

after receiving Ryle Medal a second time?

By ROBIN WILSON
Since the formation of the present club in 1877 the fame of Royal Dornoch's links golf course, (the Royal Charter was granted in 1906) has grown, and now ranks in the world top 20. Its name spread quickly and soon it became a Mecca for Open golf champions to play and marvel its quality.
The Triumvirate of the early 20th century, Braid, Vardon and Taylor were the first to arrive, quickly followed by their equals of this period, John Ball and Harold Hilton. In recent memory Peter Thomson, Bob Charles, Greg Norman, Tom Watson, Ian Baker Finch and Paul Lawrie, all revelled in the majesty of Royal Dornoch. After a recent link to the club, will the name of Padraig Harrington be added to the list?
The Triumvirate arrived in Dornoch in 1906 on the invitation of the Arthur Ryle, a well known early 20th century artist who had a holiday house close to the present first fairway. A year earlier he had been elected club captain and remained as captain until his untimely death in 1915 in Felixstowe while on war service with the RMCA.
After his death the Ryle family, in memory of their father's golfing enthusiasm, donated a medal to the Professional Golfers Association to be awarded to the Open Championship winner along with the Claret Jug - if the winner was a member of the PGA. In 2008 that was, of course, Irishman Padraig Harrington who retained the Open at Royal Birkdale last July.
The medal presentation took place at a private ceremony in Dublin two weeks ago by PGA captain, Parnell Reilly who indicated that the Ryle Memorial Medal has only been awarded twice since the new Millennium with Harrington the recipient both times.
As a two-time winner he joins a distinguished group of multiple winners that include Seve Ballesteros, Gary Player, Peter Thomson, Bobby Locke, Henry Cotton and Nick Faldo, the latter can be added to the list of Open Champions to have visited Royal Dornoch.
On receiving the medal Harrington said; “ It is a great honour to receive the Ryle Memorial Medal once but to get it twice is an incredible achievement. To be in the same company of some of golf's greatest players is something I am truly in awe of”.
If Harrington were to add his name to the Royal Dornoch Visitors' Book for certain he would have the same acknowledgement of the course as his predecessors and learn the club's connection with the Ryle family who donated the Ryle Jug to Royal Dornoch for annual competition on the gentlemen's fixture card.
Colin Farquharson post script: There is just a chance that Padraig Harrington has already played the Royal Dornoch links - before he became famous by winning three majors. I watched the then young Irishman play in the 1992 Scottish youths championship over Nairn and Nairn Dunbar. The title was won by Scotland's Raymond Russell. It's just a short hop, comparatively speaking from Nairn to Dornoch, and Harrington would not be the first visitor who has played both on the same trip to the North of Scotland.

Independent Schools Internationals on Kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

For the results from the two-day Independent Schools Golf Association's home internationals at Renaissance, Archerfield Links and Craigielaw, please switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk
We can tell you that Loretto School, Musselburgh were pipped by a single shot for the title by England's Millfield School.

Stackstown Golf Club open a "Harrington Room"

FROM THE IRISHTIMES.COM WEBSITE
By SHAY KEENAN
A new “Harrington Room” is to open at Stackstown Golf Club, the Dublin club where the three-time major champion Pádraig Harrington honed his early golfing skills.
The “Harrington Room” will house items outlining the career success to date of Harrington and the special relationship between the Harrington family and Stackstown. The “Harrington Room” will comprise a gallery and library which will include memorabilia donated by Pádraig and the Harrington family.

Russell Knox coming home


March 17 for eight-day break



Russell Knox from Inverness, the most successful Scottish professional golfer in the United States this year - better results than Martin Laird on the US PGA Tour and Jimmy Gunn on the Gateway Tour - is taking a holiday home to Inverness on March 17 for eight days.
"Can't wait even though the temperature for the latest NGA Hooters Tour event at the weekend was 80 degees and sunny!" said Russell in an E-mail to Scottishgolfview.com
"I feel my game is improving steadily and I can't wait to step it up a level either to the Nationwide Tour of the US PGA Tour.
"Have not really thought about coming back to play in Europe. Tough to leave a climate like this where it is this warm in early March. Love it over here."
+Russell sent the above picture from his mobile phone on Sunday at the conclusion of the latest Hooters Tour event in which he achieved another top-10 finish and pocketed over $5,000.