Thursday, March 12, 2009

Padraig Harrington back in form with a six-under 66

Tiger Woods trails with uninspired

71 in WGC-CA Championship

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Oliver Wilson missed a chance for a share of the lead at Doral with a disappointing final hole as Padraig Harrington made a welcome return to form at the WGC-CA Championship.
England's Wilson held a share of the opening round lead at seven under par as he played the par-4 443-yard 18th hole but landed his second shot in water short of the green on the way to a double-bogey six.
That left the 2008 Ryder Cup player with a first round 67 on day one of this 80-player, no-cut event, two shots back of the four clubhouse leaders Jeev Milka Singh of India, Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng, South African Retief Goosen and, late in the day left-hander Phil Mickelson, who each carded 65s on the par-72, 7,266-yard Blue Monster course at the Doral Resort & Country Club, Miami, Florida.
Mickelson had an early double bogey which seemed to confirm his early-season form. Then he caught fire with a bag of nine birdies, including one at the 18th to grab a share of the lead ... not only that, but he's six shots ahead of Tiger Woods after only 18 holes. Tiger's caddie Steve Williams had not liked that!
Mickelson still has his driving problems. He hit only 50 per cent of the fairways and he hit only 11 of the 18 greens in regulation. But his putting was out of this world ... only 20 of them which averages out at 16 single-putt greens and two putts each on the remaining two greens.
Ireland's Harrington, the Open and US PGA champion, bounced back from a first round WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship exit to Pat Perez two weeks ago and two missed cuts in his first four starts of the year prior to that.
The Irishman birdied three holes on his front nine and three more at the start of his inward nine to leave him at six under after 15 holes in a share of second place with American Nick Watney and Australia's Rod Pampling, who both posted 66s. Harrington duly finished on the 66 mark to be joint fifth, one shot off the pace.
Joining Wilson in the clubhouse on five under were Louis Oosthuizen and James Kingston of South Africa, American Sean O'Hair and Colombia's Camilo Villegas, who had begun his day in the worst possible way.
Villegas, a big crowd favourite in Miami, gave his Latin American fans palpitations with an awful start to his round at the par-five 10th, four-putting from the fringe of the green for a bogey 6 before making amends over the next 17 holes.
Rory McIlroy got off to a great start but saw his round unravel slightly on the back nine. The Northern Ireland 19-year-old, a quarter-finalist at the WGC-Accenture in his first Stateside tournament as a professional and tied for 13th place in last week's Honda Classic, eagled the first hole and was five under after 12 holes before bogeying the 13th and 14th. McIlroy hit back with a birdie 2 at the 16th and was four under with one to play.
Rory maintained that position, finishing with a 68.
World number one Tiger Woods continued his comeback from knee surgery but was not firing on all cylinders in a solid if unspectacular opening round. Woods, playing in his first stroke-play event in nine months, carded a two-bogey, three-birdie round of 71.
Luke Donald carded a three-under 69 to make light of his wrist injury scare at the WGC-Accenture Match Play two weeks ago and that score was matched by fellow-Englishman Ian Poulter. Paul Casey recovered from three over par after six holes to finish with a one-under round of 71, the same score as Ross Fisher.
Lee Westwood had started well, three under after 13 holes before being pegged back to one under for the round after bogeys at the 14th and 15th on his way to a 71, while fellow Englishman Richard Finch was in the clubhouse on level par.
When Henrik Stenson's tee ball found the mud on the par-4 third hole, his options were limited since he didn't pack any rain gear and didn't want to make a big number.
What option did Stenson choose? Stripping down to his underwear so as not to get his clothes full of mud. "I believe a photographer might have got some good shots," Stenson, who shot a 3-under 69, said. "Because of the mud, I couldn't really afford to play in any of my clothes as they would have been a real mess down the last six or so holes."
As for how he and caddie Fanny Sunesson came to the decision on how to hit the shot, the decision was all Stenson's.
"It wasn't quite like a club selection discussion," he said. "She didn't say 'I think you should take your shirt off' or anything like that or I should go for the Full Monty."
Stenson managed to get the shot out and eventually made a bogey, but not before providing a memorable photo op.
"I was only wearing two things when I hit the shot, my jocks and my golf glove, just the way God created me," he said. "After this I might have a new endorsement with PlayGirl or something."
Tiger Woods thought his 71 could have been a lot better, but he didn't seem too upset with it. He has had a similar start and gone on to win the event in the past.
"It wasn't like I hit bad putts," Woods said. "If I was struggling on the greens I would be a lot more frustrated. I hit good putts, they just didn't go in."
Woods missed four putts from inside 15 feet on the day.
"I need to be just a touch sharper," Woods added. "I hit the ball well all day today. If a few putts went in the score would be totally different.
"The [Accenture] Match Play [Championship] helped a lot to get into the competitive environment, to feel that again. Now playing stroke play, it really does feel like we just took three or four weeks off and here we are again."
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72. 7,266yd
Players from US unless stated

65 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Prayad Marksaeng (Tha).
66 Nick Watney, Rodney Pampling (Aus), James Kingston (Rsa), Padraig Harrington (Irl).
67 Sean O'Hair, Andres Romero (Arg), Oliver Wilson (Eng), Camilo Villegas (Col), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa).
68 Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Charley Hoffman, Jim Furyk
69 Steve Stricker, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Vijay Singh (Fij), Justin Leonard, Robert Allenby (Aus), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Boo Weekley, Ian Poulter (Eng), Luke Donald (Eng), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
70 Pat Perez, Garth Mulroy (Rsa), Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, Soren Kjeldsen (Swe), Peter Hanson (Swe), Kenny Perry, Dustin Johnson, Ernie Els (Rsa), Ryuji Imada (Jpn), Briny Baird, Shingo Katayama (Jpn), Richard Sterne (Rsa)
71 Dudley Hart, Tiger Woods, Ross Fisher (Eng), Adam Scott (Aus), Ben Curtis, Hunter Mahan, Paul Casey (Eng), Robert Karlsson (Swe), Anthony Kim, Mike Weir (Can), Ken Duke, Tim Clark (Rsa), Lee Westwood (Eng), Stuart Appleby (Aus)
72 Chad Campbell, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Richard Finch (Eng), Bubba Watson, Stephen Ames (Can), Alvaro Quiros (Spa)
73 Y E Yang (Kor), Justin Rose (Eng), Graeme McDowell (NIrl), K J Choi (Kor), Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Stewart Cink, Mark Brown
74 Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Soren Hansen (Den), Kevin Sutherland, Darren Clarke (NIrl), Carl Pettersson (Swe)
75 Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Billy Mayfair, Wen-Tang Lin (Tai)
76 John Rollins, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa).
77 Azuma Yano (Jap), D J Trahan.

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PAUL DOHERTY TOP SCOT IN SPAIN
AS LLOYD SALTMAN FINISHES jt 17th

Top Scot in the Spanish Hi5 Pro Tour's Villaitana Open was former Scottish boys' match-play champion Paul Doherty. He finished joint sixth with scores of 70, 72 and 71 for a three-under-par total of 213 over the Jack Nicklaus-designed course near Benidorm today.
Paul is pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency.
Craigielaw's Lloyd Saltman finished joint 17th on 217 with scores of 76, 68 and 73 while older brother Elliot had rounds of 78, 72 and 75 for a share of 34th place on 225.
Paul Doherty's older brother Jack, also based in South Wales, came 39th qual with scores of 74, 72 and 81 for 227.
Spaniard Carlos Garcia won by a yawning seven shots with scores of 68,63 and 72 for 13-under-par 203.
Sweden's Klas Hallgren was runner-up on 210.
Leading final totals
Par 216 (3 x 72)
203 Carlos Garcia (Spa) 68 63 72.
210 Klas Hallgren (Swe3) 71 69 70.
211 Joonas Granberg (Fin) 75 68 68.
212 Kalle Edberg (Swe) 71 73 68, Gonzalo Vincente Elena (Spa) 65 77 70.
213 Harry Proos (Eng) 75 71 67, Paul O'Hanlon (Ire) 71 71 71, Max Kramer (Ger) 72 72 69, David Horsey (Eng) 71 71 71, Paul Doherty (Sco) 70 72 71.
Selected scores:
217
Lloyd Saltman (Sco) 76 68 73 (jt 17th).
225 Elliot Saltman (Sco) 78 72 75 (jt 34th).
227 Jack Doherty (Sco) 74 72 81 (jt 39th).

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McNicoll, McEwan, O'Hara and


Yates defend Euro Nations Cup

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Keir McNicoll will front the four-strong team selected to defend Scotland’s title at the European Nations Cup at the end of this month, at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande in Spain's sunny Costa del Sol.
McNicoll, winner of the St Andrews Links Trophy last year, is the sole survivor of last year’s winning side which included world amateur team champions Callum Macaulay and Wallace Booth, along with Scott Henry.
Macaulay and Henry have since turned professional.
The Carnoustie player, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, will be joined by three other Scots, who like McNicoll were named in the 28-strong Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad last month, comprising
+SGU Order of Merit 2008 winner Steven McEwan (Caprington) and finalist at the Allied Surveyors Scottish Amateur Championship.
+Scottish international Paul O’Hara (Colville Park) who finished third at the 2008 Mexican Amateur.
+Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) who finished tied for second place in the Mission Hills Asia Pacific Open Amateur Championship in China earlier this year.
McNicoll said, “We played a few practice rounds at the tournament venue a few weeks ago just after the Spanish amateur championship and the greens and course overall were in fantastic condition.
“We have a great team this year who are more than capable of defending this title, so with all these factors considered, it should make for a great tournament.“
The Scots will face an experienced field contesting this year’s title formerly known as the Grey Goose Cup, Sherry Cup and Sotogrande Cup, which takes place from March 25 to 28.
Scotland’s winning performance in the 72-hole event last year was a marked improvement from previous years when they finished tied for eighth place in 2007 and ninth place in 2006. Prior to that, Scotland’s best result was in 2005 – the year they claimed the team runner-up prize - former US Amateur Champion Richie Ramsay finished tied for second place alongside fellow Scot Andrew McArthur in the individual event.
The best three carded scores each day contribute to the team result in the four-day event, while the individual championship runs simultaneously with the winner receiving a trophy and an Amateur Masters Jacket.

Kate Weldon
SGU Communications Manager

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The Great Hazlehead Controversy ....

Comment from reader Brian Ewen:

It always puzzles me how people that quote about Hazlehead and its designer Dr Alister Macenzie, never read his book .
Haven't got it to hand , but I am sure he said his vision was to turf over the stones , making a sort of inland links.
The Aberdeen City Council didn't like this , and dynamited the course after he left , which left the course with little stone shards over it , for years later.
There was also a mention of a mild winter , which didn't help.
He finished the chapter with a rant and jokes about mean Aberdonians.
I am sure the Good Doctor is having a right good chuckle at how his name is being used by the developers (and the Club Shop!).
Brian Ewen

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Michael Sim down the field with 74

in New Zealand Open

FROM THE US PGA NATIONWIDE TOUR WEBSITE
ARROWTOWN, New Zealand -- Americans Todd Demsey and Josh Teater took advantage of early morning tee times to post seven-under-par 65s and share the first-round lead in the Michael Hill New Zealand Open, the third and final stop on the Nationwide Tour's three-tournament swing Down Under.
Alex Prugh of Washington did the unthinkable, equalling the leaders with his own bogey-free 65 amid gusting winds in the afternoon to make it a three-way Yankee deadlock for first place.
Texas A&M grad Martin Pillar carded a 67 and is tied for third with Australia's Stephen Dartnall and Korean-born Seung-su Han.
Thirteen more players are knotted at 68, including Steve Alker, winner of last week's HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship in Christchurch.
Sixteen of the top 19 players benefited from early tee starts at The Hills Golf Club, where calm conditions prevailed before afternoon winds picked up and held steady at 15-20 mph with some higher gusts.
"The only other time I played the course was Monday morning when it was cold and windy and I thought even-par would be a good score for the week," said Demsey, who was in the third group off the tee.
"I hadn't played it in good conditions and I'm surprised I was able to score out there. When the wind blows it's a tough course."
The par-72 course played to a scoring average of 72.99, though the average was only 72.12 by the time the first wave had finished. The best scores of the afternoon group belonged to Prugh, Michigan's Justin Hicks (68) and Australian Matthew Millar (68).
Of the 55 players who broke par, 42 came from the morning wave, while only 13 managed to better 72 in the afternoon winds.
Demsey and Teater have converged to share lead but the two have taken widely divergent paths to get there. Demsey, a veteran on Tour since turning pro in 1995, skipped the first stop in Australia, arrived in New Zealand last Monday with his wife and two children, struggled to overcome jet lag and promptly missed the cut.
Teater, a 29-year-old rookie, was one shot off the 36-hole lead in Australia and held the 36-hole lead outright last week before settling in for a T7 finish.
"With my family here, I wanted to make sure I don't leave them in the hotel room all day," said Demsey, who didn't play the course on Tuesday or Wednesday. "I practised for a couple hours. I'm just trying to spend as much time with them because who knows when we'll be back here."
Sightseeing trips have been a regular part of Demsey's routine in Queenstown, a winter ski destination that features jet boating, bungy jumping and an abundance of tourist activities.
"It's hard to tell how my game is because we've played so little," said Demsey, who tied for 47th in the season-opening Panama Digicel Championship last month. "I just haven't played enough to really know how I'm playing but I think it's pretty close."
Close is a good way to describe Teater's start in 2009. Weekend rounds of 76-76 dropped him back in the pack two weeks ago and a third-round 75 last week also pushed him off the leaderboard. Teater did rally on Sunday with a 5-under 67 that resulted in his first top-10 finish.
Veteran left-hander and former (British) Open champion Bob Charles finished with a 73 after being one under on his round on the back nine before fading.
Charles (72 years, 11 months & 28 days to be precise) became the oldest player ever to play in a Nationwide Tour event, topping Gary Player's record of 71 years, six months and 16 days in a South Carolina pro-am in 2007.
"Maybe I'll finish this one off," Teater said afterwards. "I've learned a lot in these few weeks. It's not really that much different today, it's the same as any other round. They all count the same. Hopefully I'll be in that situation again and I'll do much better."
Teater had distanced himself from the field with nine birdies through 17 holes when an errant tee shot found a fairway bunker. His second also found a bunker, his third went over the green, where he bladed his fourth shot back across the front and into the fairway.
"I had a great up-and-down for 6," he joked. "Today was totally different than the first few days we've been here. Yesterday morning in the Pro-Am I thought I played pretty well and shot close to even. Steve (Wheatcroft) was making some putts early and I think I just fed off of that. I realised I was going to have to make some birdies today."
Prugh came to the party late in the windy day, weaving his way to the top with five birdies on his final six holes. The second-year pro hit only six of 14 fairways but missed just four greens during his round and needed only 25 putts, the lowest of the opening round by any player in the field of 156.
"The wind is tough but it's obviously playable," said Prugh, whose T60 finish last week bettered only two others who made the 36-hole cut. "It was pretty brutal. Shockingly, the times when it wasn't windy, I wasn't playing my best. I just made some good putts."
Prugh's best came on the course's toughest. The 24-year old former All-American college golfer birdied Nos. 16 and 18 by cashing in from 25 feet both times. Those two holes ranked as the two most difficult on the initial day.
"I just got the putter a little hot," he said. "I'm looking forward to playing tomorrow morning when hopefully there won't be any wind and I can take advantage of that."
Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee (New Zealand) carded a one-under 71. Lee was four-under after a birdie on his 13th hole of the day but bogeyed three of his final four. Lee hit only six of 14 fairways, 12 of 18 greens and had 31 puttsrow (Nos. 13-16).
Thursday's weather: Cloudy. Calm early then winds SW 15-20 mph with gusts to 25 mph. High of 56 degrees.
SCOTSWATCH: Aberdeen-born Australian Michael Sim, who finished high up in the Moonah Classic near Melbourne and then the NZ PGA championship, will be fighting to beat the cut in the NZ Open after an opening round of 74 left him in a tie for 92nd place.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
65 T Demsey, J Teater, A Prugh.
67 S Dartnall, M Piller, Seung-su Han.
68 J Herman, J McGovern, P Senior, D McKenzie, C Collins, A Bland, S Alker, V Veazey, J Blixt, R Haller, M A Carballo, M Millar, J Hicks.
Selected scores:
70 R Johnson (Wal) (jt 28th).
71 D Lee (NZ) (am) (jt 43rd).
72 K Nolan (Ire) (jt 56th).
73 R J Charles (NZ) (jt 75th).
74 D Smail (NZ), M Sim (Sco) (jt 92nd).

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Short-listed six have high hopes

for DBS Junior Club Award

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Six Scottish clubs have made the cut as finalists for the prestigious Dunfermline Building Society Junior Club of the Year Award for 2009, which will be announced at the ninth Scottish Golf Dinner later this month.
The successful clubs that made the short-list include two clubs from Dumfries and Galloway, Powfoot GC and Stranraer GC, along with three clubs providing strong representation from the West, comprising Kirkintilloch GC, Palacerigg and Ranfurly Golf Clubs. Duns GC in Berwickshire concludes the final line-up, from 29 clubs who entered this year’s Award.
Andy Salmon, Scottish Golf Development Manager and a member of the SGU judging panel said, “Last year’s inaugural award set a very high benchmark and as a result all of the clubs from across the country nominated this year have had to demonstrate a great commitment to the growth of the junior game.
“It has been extremely encouraging to see the fantastic results achieved by these pro-active clubs who have embraced a positive and inclusive culture for juniors – who are the future of the game - and we now have the very difficult task over the next two weeks of selecting the winner for 2009.”
All the finalists have been invited to the showcase dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow on Friday, March 27. The winners of the title will be awarded a cheque for a £1,000 from the Scottish Golf Union and clubgolf, the national junior golf programme, to be invested in the club’s junior programme.
The winners' prize also includes two spots in a European Tour pro-am, playing alongside a leading professional golfer. The five runners-up will each receive £300 to help develop their junior golf programmes.
+++Tickets are still available for the ninth Scottish Golf Dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. To book your seat at the showcase event, contact Audrey or Janette at the Scottish Golf Union on 01334 466 477 or visit the website www.scottishgolf.org to download a booking form. Individual tickets cost £47.50 with a table of ten costing £450.

Kate Weldon
Communications Manager
Scottish Golf Union

+To read the full Press Release, log on to www.scottishgolf.org

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Oldcorn wins with a 64
at breezy Mortonhall

By KEITH LITTLE
Secretary, Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance.
Eighty-eight members participated in breezy conditions at Mortonhall Golf Club.
Winner of the Paterson Medal, on the better back nine, was Andrew Oldcorn (King's Acre), pictured above, with a four-under-par score of 68.
In the handicap section, in first place was Robert Denholm (Duddingston) 73 - 5 = 68.
John Kerr (Deer Park) kept up his run of recent good form to shoot 73 - 4 = 69 for second spot. Derek Fish (Glenbervie) and Glyn Stevens (King's Acre) were third equal with net 71s and Grant Skinner (Glencorse) was fifth with a net 72.
Colin Rae (Pumpherston) was the top senior with net 72.
John Kerr has won the 'Handicap Order of Merit' with 144.5 pts. In second place was long-time leader Derek Fish with 136.5 pts. Peter Sewell (West Linton) was third with 121 pts.
Andrew Oldcorn's scratch 68 contained four birdies (third, eighth, 13th and 18th) and no dropped shots.
David Patrick (Elie) was second with a 69. David dropped shots at the first and 17th, but birdied the fourth, eigHth, ninth, 12th and 14th. Third equal on 71 were Scott Grieve (Turnhouse), Andrew Marshall (Houston GR) and Michael McAllan (Murrayfield).
Terry Mathieson (King's Acre) was the leading trainee with a 72.
I would like to thank Mortonhall Golf Club for the preparation of the course and looking after us so well in the clubhouse.
The top 60 in the 'Scratch Order of Merit' qualify for next week's Championship (March 18) over Gullane's No 2 and No 3 courses.
If you have qualified, but now can't make it, could you let me know as soon as possible please, so that I can ask one of the reserves to take your place? If a place becomes available, I'll contact the reserves in the order that they appear on the spreadsheet.
I will email a copy of the draw for the championship on Friday evening (March 13).
Please note the fee to play in the Championship is £25 (no discount for Trainees unfortunately).

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