McIlroy four putts his way off

the US Masters leaderboard

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE

Just when it seemed he was coping with all that Augusta National could throw at him, Rory McIlroy four-putted and tumbled off The Masters leaderboard on the second day.
The 19-year-old Northern Irishman, having climbed from 39th place to sixth with a run that included a 10ft eagle putt on the 13th, came to grief on the short 16th.
His first putt up the ridge ran eight feet past and by taking three more from there he fell back to two under - suddenly seven strokes adrift of Americans Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry.
Tiger Woods, meanwhile, was three under and up to joint eighth with one hole of his second round to go, but major triple-chasing Padraig Harrington slipped back alongside McIlroy when he bogeyed the seventh.

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The Masters' official website

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In the gusting wind Augusta National showed far more teeth than it had on the opening day, but Campbell was still able to add a two-under-par 70 to his dramatic opening 65.
The 34-year-old Texan even reached 11 under after 10 holes, then bogeyed three of the next seven before closing with a 30ft birdie putt.
Ryder Cup team-mate Perry did supremely well to keep a bogey off his card and with birdies on the first, second, 12th, 15th and then the last from five feet he was round in 67.
They were three clear of 2004 Open champion Todd Hamilton - a long-awaited return to form for a player now ranked 373rd in the world - and Argentina's Angel Cabrera, who still had 10 holes to play.
World number one Woods, resuming his bid for a 15th major on two under, mixed two birdies with two bogeys on the front nine, but made a chip-and-putt birdie at the 15th to climb to joint ninth.
Earlier, Graeme McDowell carded a 73 to be two under par and was left to rue a six on the long 15th, where he went for the green in two and saw his ball sail 40 yards over the green.

The long and the short of it for Jimmy

Gunn as he lets good payday slip

Dornoch's Jimmy Gunn failed to par any of the four short holes as he slipped down the final placings with a closing round of 74 for a total of 215 in the Gateway Tour's Sandbar Classic at McCormick Ranch Golf Club, Arizona today.
Gunn's earlier rounds had been 70 and 71, giving him a chance of a good payday this week. But, after an eagle 3 at the long fourth he bogeyed the short fifth, the short eighth, the par-4 10th, the short 13th and the short 17th, before he birdied the long 18th to salvage a cheque for $1,115 for joint 37th place.
American Ryan Dillon won the $16,000 top prize by a shot with scores of 67, 66 and 67 for 16 under par 200.
Irishman Niall Turner, who played the US college circuit for four years, finished tied fourth on 207 with scores of 68, 70 and 69. He earned $3,923.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
US players where not stated
200 Ryan Dillon 67 66 67 ($16,000).
201 Brady Schnell 67 68 66 ($10,150).
205 Jerry Smith 70 67 68 ($7,000).
Selected scores:
207 Niall Turner (Ire) 68 70 69 (jt 4th) ($3,923).
215 Jimmy Gunn (Sco) 70 71 74 9 (jt 37th) ($1,115).

Look out! Campbell's a-coming again

in US Masters second round

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Chad Campbell produced the best front nine of the morning and did not stop there to open up a commanding five-stroke lead in the second round of The Masters at Augusta today.
The 34-year-old Texan, who teed off the tournament with a 65 which had promised to be so much better before he bogeyed the last two holes, birdied the second with a sublime pitch to three feet.
A 2 at the 240yd par-3 fourth hole for the second day running took him back to nine under and then he birdied the long eighth as well for an outward 33. The 495yd 10th hole held no fears for him either as he birdied that too to improve to 11 under par.
Chasing the first major of his career - he was runner-up to Shaun Micheel in the 2003 US PGA championship and third in the 2006 Masters - Campbell has not had a top-10 finish on the US Tour in his last seven starts.
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The Masters' official website click on it for the best coverage from Augusta National.
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Ryder Cup team-mates Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry and former Open champion Todd Hamilton were his closest challengers on six under, while Tiger Woods remained only two under after four holes of his round.
Padraig Harrington, three under overnight, was among the later starters, but Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell continued his impressive performance when he climbed to five under and joint fourth prior to bogeying the short 12th.
McDowell, whose one previous Masters appearance was four years ago, had reached five under on the opening day before bogeying the 17th and 18th like Campbell.
He came out again just after 8.30am, birdied the long second and then made amends for a bogey on the seventh by picking up more strokes at the ninth and 10th.
After saving par on the next from six feet - his approach finished just above a bunker - he pulled his tee shot to the 12th, sent his chip 10 feet past and missed.
He hit a couple of loose tee shots on the last two holes and paid the price for them but generally hit the ball well and into all the right places.
SCOREBOARD TO COME

David Law v Paul Shields for Scottish boys'

title over 36 holes at Balgownie tomorrow

Aberdeen Hazlehead's David Law, the top seed, will meet Cambuslang's Paul Shields (Kirkhill) in tomorrow's 36-hole final of the Scottish boys' championship over the Royal Aberdeen club's links at Balgownie.
It is Law's first final but for Shields it is a repeat of last year at Southerness so far ... he will be hoping that he does not lose in the final for the second time in a row. Michael Stewart (Troon), now in America at the University of East Tennessee State, was Shields' conqueror 12 months ago.
In this afternoon's semi-finals, Law birdied the 18th hole for a one-hole victory over his arch-rival in the North-east, Chris Robb, from Kincardine O'Neil and a member at Inchmarlo Golf Centre, Banchory.
A big gallery, including David Law's mentor, former Open champion Paul Lawrie, watched the two "local lads" battle it out in an enthralling contest.
Paul Shields was never behind in winning the second semi-final by 2 and 1 over Daniel Kay from Dunbar.
The 36-hole final on Saturday will tee off at 8.30am and 1pm
Admission and car parking is free.

Paul Shields (left) and Daniel Kay before the start of the second semi-final at Royal Aberdeen (Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

SEMI-FINAL REPORT

1st hole. Halved.

2nd hole. Halved.

3rd hole. Halved.

4th hole. Kay conceded hole. Shields +1.

5th hole Halved.

6th hole. Shields wins with birdie. Shields +2.

7th hole Kay wins. Shields +1.

8th hole. Shields wins with birdie. Shields +2.

9th hole Halved.

10th hole Halved.

11th hole. Shields wins with birdie. Shields +3.

12th hole. Kay wins with birdie. Shields +2.

13th hole. Halved.

14th hole. Shields wins. Shields +3.

15th hole. Kay wins. Shields +2

16th hole. Halved in birdies.

17th hole. Halved. Shields wins 2 and 1.

David Law (left) shakes hands with his North-east rival Chris Robb before the start of their semi-final at Royal Aberdeen. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency

SEMI-FINAL REPORT

1st hole. Law won. Law +1

2nd hole Halved in birdies.

3rd hole. Halved.

4th hole. Law won. Law +2

5th hole. Halved.

6th hole. Robb won with birdie. Law +1

7th hole. Robb won. All square.

8th hole. Robb won with birdie. Robb +1

9th hole. Halved.

10th hole. Halved.

11th hole. Law won with birdie 2. All Square.

12th hole. Halved.

13th hole. Halved.

14th hole. Conceded by Robb. Law +1.

15th hole Robb won. All Square.

16th hole. Halved.

17th hole. Halved.

18th hole. Law wins with a birdie. Law wins by one hole.

Last four in Scottish boys' championship

Paul Shields (left) and Daniel Kay with (far right) David Law and Chris Robb.

It's Shields v Kay and Law v Robb

in semi-finals at wet Balgownie

The North-east's "Big Two" of Under-18 golf - David Law (Hazlehead) and Scottish schoolboys title-holder Chris Robb (Inchmarlo Golf Centre, Banchory) - are meeting this afternoon in the semi-finals of the Scottish boys' championship over a rathere wet Royal Aberdeen club's links at Balgownie.
Aberdonian Law, the top seed, won by 3 and 1 over the North's last hope, Danny Edwards (Elgin), in the first of this morning's quarter-finals.

Robb, who lives at the Royal Deeside village of Kincardine O'Neil, beat Perth youngster Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) by 5 and 3.

The second semi-final is featuring last year's beaten finalist, Paul Shields, a member of the Kirkhill club at Cambuslang, near Glasgow, and Daniel Kay from Dunbar.
Shields, three up after 14 holes against Ayrshire's Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) clinched his place in the last four for the second year in a row by a 4 and 3 margin.

Kay, one up on Marc Smith (Troon Welbeck) after 16 holes, won their quarter-final by 2 and 1.

Scottish Seniors Golfing Society captain Gordon MacDonald (left) accepts the new match-play championship trophyt from Michael White, chairman of Abbeyfield.

Abbeyfield provide trophy & sponsorship for Seniors

NEWS RELEASE FROM SCOTTISH SENIORS GOLFING SOCIETY
The SSGS is delighted to announce an agreement whereby Abbeyfield has provided a superb new trophy for the SSGS match-play championship and will offer ongoing sponsorship for that event as well as funding to assist the overall running of the Society.
At a ceremony within their Head Office this week, Abbeyfield chairman Michael White formally handed over the magnificent new trophy and sponsorship cheque to SSGS Captain Gordon MacDonald.

East v West Alliance match ends in 12-12

tie after Neil Fenwick holes 10ft putt

The 63rd annual match between the East Alliance and the West Alliance - hosted by Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society - produced one of the most exciting and tightest finishes in the long series.East team member Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) holed a 10ft putt on the 18th green to get a square match against West's David Rodger (Windyhill) which made the final scoreline: East 12, West 12.

East had won the morning foursomes 6-2 but West came roaring back in the singles with the West pros winning 5 1/2-2 1/2 and the East amateurs 4 1/2-3 1/2 which produce a 10-6 reversal of the morning fortunes and a tied match overall.

Details:
EAST ALLIANCE 12, WEST ALLIANCE 12
FOURSOMES (6-2)
East names first:
Andrew Marshall (Houston GR) & Andrew Rothney (Deer Park) bt Stephen Gray & John Fowler (Hayston) 2 and 1; Terry Mathieson (King's Acre) & Derek Fish (Glenbervie) lost to Chris Currie Caldwell) & James Hendrick Bonnyton) 3 and 2; Stuart Callan (Bathgate) & David Graham (Lochend) lost to Bill Lockie (North Gailes) & David Ferguson (Paisley) 3 and 2; Scott Catlin (Greenburn) & John Kerr (Deer Park) bt Alan McCloskey (Bothwell Castle) & James Kinloch (Cardross) 3 and 2; Chris Morris (Kingsknowe) & George Wither (Lothianburn) bt Barry Campbell (Vale of Leven) & John McDonald (Cowglen) 7 and 6; Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) & Steven Doyle (Gifford) bt David Rodger (Windyhill) & Gordon Cree (Troon Wellbeck) 2 and 1; Stevie Lamb (Broomieknowe) & Andrew Wight (Glencorse) bt Ian Robertson (Dalmilling) & William Clelland (Ballochmyle) 3 and 2; Ryan Buckley (Craigielaw) & Graham Burnett (Swanston) bt Craig Everett (Caldwell) & Peter Kinloch (Cardross) 2 and 1.
SINGLES (6-10)
Professionals: Marshall lost to Gray 8 and 6, Mathieson lost to Currie 2 and 1, Callan bt Lockie 3 and 2, Catlin lost to McCloskey 4 and 3, Morris bt Campbell 2 and 1, Fenwick halved with Rodger, Lamb lost to Robertson 3 and 2, Buckley lost to Everett 6 and 4 (2 1/2-5 1/2).
Amateurs: Rothney halved with Fowler, Fish bt Hendrick 2 and 1, Graham lost to Ferguson 3 and 2, Kerr lost to James Kinloch 4 and 3, Wither lost to McDonald 2 and 1, Doyle lost to Cree 1 hole, Wight bt Clelland 8 and 7, Burnett bt Peter Kinloch 4 and 3 (3 1/2-4 1/2).

Five behind, Tiger's

got Masters field

where he wants it!

FROM KHALEEJ TIMES ONLINE
AUGUSTA, Georgia - Every time Tiger Woods has opened the Masters with a round of 70, he has gone on to win the tournament and the Green Jacket. The first time, a dozen years ago, it was by a mind-blowing 12 strokes. Even though he’s five behind with a 70 in this year's Round One, Tiger says - tongue in cheek - he has the field exactly where he wants it!
On a picture-postcard day when journeymen and even a 50-year-old were part of the crowd going low, low and lower on every side of him, Woods was unusually calm. He closed this round of 2-under with a few uncharacteristic stumbles, but that didn’t seem to fluster him, either.
He missed an 8-footer at No. 16, then a 4-footer at No. 17 for birdies. Next, he deposited an 8-iron from the fairway 50 feet over the 18th green and wound up making bogey. You half expected to see steam blowing out of both ears when he exited the scoring hut. Not a bit of it.
“If I had hit bad putts, it would be a totally different deal, but I hit good putts. It just means,” he said evenly, “I need to read them a little better.”
Why so calm?
Over a golf course where he averages almost 73 on the Thursday of the Masters Weekend, it was his best opening round in a half-dozen years. So when someone pointed out to Woods that he had never broken 70 on the first day at Augusta National, he was rehearsed and ready. His smile widened from ear to ear.
“Yeah,” he said, fixing the questioner. “I also won it four times.”
Moments like that are a reminder that Woods had surgery to rebuild his knee, not his confidence.
“It’s a long week and the weather is going to start changing a little bit here and you’ve just got to keep patient, stay with it,” he added. “It’s not like I haven’t been in this position before.”
Woods says something like that almost every year, but this time there’s a sense he knows more than he’s letting on.
The swing he and coach Hank Haney have been fine-tuning for going on five years now looks better than ever, even better than when Woods finished off his latest sublime run by winning the US Open on the 91st hole before going under the knife.
The left foot that used to lift off the ground to take some of the stress off his knee now stays firmly rooted to the ground. He’s still susceptible to the occasional blocked drive, but he’s also still the best scrambler on the golfing planet.
His drive off No. 2 wound up in a gully, sitting on pine straw, 25 yards right of the fairway. With the TV cameras filling up the bushes behind him, Woods settled into his stance, hit a deft little pitch back to the middle of the fairway and left himself an approach shot of close to 230 yards off a downhill lie.
Anybody who still had questions about whether the knee was strong enough to brace against for a full shot didn’t have to wait long for the answer. Woods threw the iron shot up into the sky and the ball stopped 10 feet past the flag like a Velcro strip was attached.
Then he missed the putt. It went like that the whole day.
He made a birdie at No. 9 from 3 feet, then two more by tapping in at both of the par-5s on the back. The only birdie putt he made outside a few feet all day came at No. 14, where he sank a 20-footer.
“Everyone was making birdies everywhere on that back nine, so I knew it could be had with good shots. Basically,” he said, “I was in a position to shoot 4-under-par and just didn’t get it done.”
Tiger, Tiger burning bright .... by Sunday, you'd better believe it!
SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE FIRST DAY TOTALS

Tiger Woods tees off with a 70, Harrington a 69

The Masters Tournament Scoreboard
AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Augusta, Georgia, United States
ALL THE FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
65 Chad Campbell
66 Hunter Mahan, Jim Furyk
67 Larry Mize, Shingo Katayama (Jpn)
68 John Merrick, Todd Hamilton, Angel Cabrera (Arg), Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Kenny Perry, Sean O'Hair, Mike Weir (Can), Tim Clark (Rsa)
69 Graeme McDowell (NIrl), Ross Fisher (Eng), Andres Romero (Arg), Stewart Cink, Kevin Sutherland, Padraig Harrington (Irl)
70 Bernhard Langer (Ger), Nick Watney, Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Greg Norman (Aus), Lee Westwood (Eng)
71 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Adam Scott (Aus), Steve Flesch, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Jose-Maria Olazabal (Spa), Vijay Singh (Fij), Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Ken Duke, Ian Poulter (Eng), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
72 Steve Stricker, Dudley Hart, Soren Hansen (Den), Bubba Watson, Paul Casey (Eng), Dustin Johnson, Jack Newman, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Sandy Lyle (Sco), Richard Sterne (Rsa), Stuart Appleby (Aus), D.J. Trahan
73 Oliver Wilson (Eng), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Ben Crenshaw, Ben Curtis, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Boo Weekley, Ryuji Imada (Jpn), Briny Baird, Y.E. Yang (Kor), Stephen Ames (Can), Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Fred Couples, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn), Phil Mickelson, Robert Allenby (Aus), Camilo Villegas (Col), Luke Donald (Eng), Rocco Mediate
74 Danny Lee (Nzl), Mathew Goggin (Aus), Justin Rose (Eng), Tom Watson, Ian Woosnam (Wal)
75 Pat Perez, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Chez Reavie, Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard, Mark O'Meara, Ernie Els (Rsa), Reinier Saxton (Ned), Carl Pettersson (Swe)
76 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), K J Choi (Kor), Brandt Snedeker
77 Craig Stadler, Billy Mayfair, Wen-Tang Lin (Tai)
78 Drew Kittleson, Gary Player (Rsa), Alvaro Quiros (Spa)
79 Ray Floyd, Fuzzy Zoeller, Steve Wilson
80 Michael Campbell (Nzl)

Michele Thomson chalks up first win in first pro event

LATE NEWS FROM FLORIDA

Michele Thomson from Ellon has scored her first win as a professional. Read the exclusive story by switching over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

US MASTERS EARLY MORNING UPDATE

Campbell lets chance to score a

record-setting 62 slip away
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
American Chad Campbell felt the heat and missed out on a piece of golfing history when The Masters began at an unusually friendly Augusta National on Thursday.
Campbell was a magical nine under par with three holes to play and one more birdie would have made him the first man ever to score 62 in any of the sport's four biggest events.
Even three pars would have equalled the course record and put him alongside 21 other players who have achieved 63 in majors, but the 34-year-old Texan found sand on the 17th and 18th, bogeyed them both and with a 65 was not even sure to end the day in front.
That was because Ryder Cup team-mate Hunter Mahan was also seven under and still had two to play.
The Masters' official website
Padraig Harrington was happy enough with his 69, but to win a third successive major the Open and US PGA champion will have to come from at least four back.
At Birkdale last July, mind you, he was five behind after an opening 74 and at Oakland Hills left himself with three to make up following a 71.
Tiger Woods looked like being even further adrift, however. The world number one, seeking his fifth green jacket and 15th major, was only one under with six to play.
Phil Mickelson, who could take top spot off him this weekend, managed only a 73, as did world number three Sergio Garcia.
Campbell, halfway leader three years ago, started in remarkable fashion with five successive birdies and he then picked up more four more in a row from the 12th.
Mahan's round even included a double bogey six on the 11th. He had had five birdies to that point, though, and had four more in succession from the 13th. As the opening round drew towards its close Harrington, doing a brilliant job of handling all the pressure on him, was in a share of 14th place.