Martin Laird has a 71 in The Players' Championship

Ian Poulter (67) top Brit in

first round at Sawgrass

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
American Ben Crane took the overnight lead on the opening day of The Players Championship with a first round seven-under-par 65 at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida.
Germany's Alex Cejka, Richard S Johnson of Sweden and American John Mallinger sit tied for second a shot back on six under.
Fresh from a tie for fifth place at last week's Quail Hollow Championship, England's Ian Poulter, pictured, was part of an eight-man group on five under and in a tie for fifth place alongside Retief Goosen of South Africa, Camilo Villegas of Colombia and Americans Brad Adamonis, Scott Verplank, David Toms, Bubba Watson and Jonathan Byrd.
"I've played one week on, one week off until just after the Masters, so it's been hard to get into a routine," Poulter said, "But my game's been in shape since then and I felt it was only a matter of time.
==============================================
PGA Tour's official website
==============================================
"This is my third week in a row and it's nice that I've only had seven tournaments going into this week and I feel fresh."
India's Jeev Milkha Singh, Australian Nick O'Hern, American Jim Furyk and Henrik Stenson of Sweden formed part of a large group on four under.
Justin Rose, Paul Casey and Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark shot two-under-par 70s, while defending champion Sergio Garcia struggled to a one under 71 alongside world number one Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh.
Woods was again striving to find his complete game, this time striking the ball to his liking -he hit 10 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation - but failing to get his putter going, missing eight birdie putts inside 15 feet.
"I didn't hit good putts," Woods said. "My speed was off early, then I got my speed down at the end and I kept lipping out putts.
"I just need to obviously read them better or hit better putts, one of the two."
Toms had been in line to beat the course record of nine-under 63 set by Fred Couples in 1992 and matched by Greg Norman in 1994, but negotiated the final four holes at four over par, double-bogeying the 18th.
Glasgow's Martin Laird hit the 71 mark as he maintains his recovery from a slow start to the 2009 season.
Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Ross Fisher all started their campaigns with two-over-par 74s.
New Zealander Michael Campbell pulled out of the opening round with a shoulder injury.
Campbell, who has been dealing with shoulder problems for the past six months, withdrew after shooting nine over par on the opening nine holes at Sawgrass, including a quadruple bogey on the seventh hole.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
Players from US unless stated
65 Ben Crane
66 Richard S Johnson (Swe), John Mallinger, Alex Cejka (Ger)
67 Brad Adamonis, Jason Dufner, Retief Goosen (Rsa), David Toms, Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter (Eng), Camilo Villegas (Col), Jonathan Byrd, Scott Verplank
68 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Nick Watney, John Rollins, Jim Furyk, Tim Petrovic, Nick O'Hern (Aus), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
69 Johnson Wagner, Mark Wilson
70 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Rodney Pampling (Aus), Charley Hoffman, John Merrick, Billy Mayfair, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Stewart Cink, Chez Reavie, Paul Casey (Eng), Justin Leonard, George McNeill, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Justin Rose (Eng), Ken Duke, Stephen Ames (Can)
71 Michael Letzig, Tiger Woods, Jeff Overton, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Martin Kaymer (Ger), Ben Curtis, Jeff Klauk, Vijay Singh (Fij), Bo Van Pelt, Martin Laird (Sco), Stuart Appleby (Aus), Brian Davis (Eng), Steve Stricker, Graeme McDowell (NIrl), Adam Scott (Aus), Scott Piercy, Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Kevin Na, Michael Allen, Ryan Moore
72 Vaughn Taylor, Woody Austin, Steve Marino, Brett Quigley, Mike Weir (Can), Ryuji Imada (Jpn), Briny Baird, Jason Bohn, Pat Perez, Zach Johnson, Eric Axley, Joe Ogilvie, John Senden (Aus), Matt Kuchar, Angel Cabrera (Arg), Cliff Kresge, Dustin Johnson, J.B. Holmes, Cameron Beckman, Tim Clark (Rsa), Padraig Harrington (Irl)
73 Jeff Quinney, Kevin Sutherland, Charles Howell III, Will MacKenzie, Sean O'Hair, Ernie Els (Rsa), Boo Weekley, Nicholas Thompson, Y.E. Yang (Kor), Jerry Kelly, Dudley Hart, Lucas Glover, Davis Love III, Fred Funk, Steve Elkington (Aus), Kenny Perry, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, J J Henry, Robert Allenby (Aus), Trevor Immelman (Rsa), K J Choi (Kor), Rocco Mediate, Troy Matteson
74 Ross Fisher (Eng), Bart Bryant, Greg Kraft, Todd Hamilton, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Tommy Armour III, Robert Karlsson (Swe), Nathan Green (Aus), Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Bill Haas, Scott McCarron, Tom Pernice Jnr., Kevin Streelman, Charlie Wi (Kor), Andres Romero (Arg), Corey Pavin, Luke Donald (Eng), Carl Pettersson (Swe), D.J. Trahan
75 Tim Herron, Steve Flesch, Heath Slocum, Parker McLachlin, Daniel Chopra (Swe), Bob Estes, Chad Campbell, Ryan Palmer
76 Mathew Goggin (Aus), Marc Turnesa, Matt Bettencourt, Webb Simpson
77 Dean Wilson, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl), Peter Lonard (Aus)
78 Paul Goydos
80 Michael Bradley, Brian Gay, Fred Couples
81 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Steve Lowery
Retired: Michael Campbell (New Zealand).

Maybin's record relegates

Ramsay to joint 2nd

in BMW Italian Open

Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay got his good round in early at the BMW Italian Open championship which began in Turin today.
Despite bogeying the 17th and 18th, Ramsay (pictured right) set the clubhouse target of 67 which was eventually relegated by a course record effort of 64 - seven-under-par by the 28-year-old former US college circuit player from Belfast, Gareth Maybin.
Maybin, you may recall, came so close to winning on only his seventh European Tour appearance back in December.
Alongside Ramsay in second place are the French pair, Raphael Jacquelin and Christian Cevaer, and England's Marcus Higley, while American John Daly would have been joint second as well but for two closing bogeys.
After Ramsay had posted his 67, Maybin was still two behind when he turned in 34.
But he then followed birdies on the 10th and 12th with a 116-yard wedge straight into the hole for an eagle 2 at the next and another birdie came on the short 15th.
Even when the Ulsterman bogeyed two holes later he came straight back, hitting a five-iron to six feet on the demanding 507-yard par 4 last. Maybin had only 23 putts in all.
Maybin played the Royal Park lay-out on the Challenge Tour last season, but that was hardly a confidence-booster for him on his return. He missed the cut then.
Daly was annoyed at his bogey-bogey finish, but after finishing last week's Spanish Open with a 69, the 43-year-old, banned by the US Tour for six months in November after being thrown in jail to sober up, drew positives from starting his second event back with the same score.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71
64 Gareth Maybin
67 Christian Cevaer (Fra), Richie Ramsay, Marcus Higley, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra)
68 Francesco Molinari (Ita), Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Garry Houston, Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa), Ake Nilsson (Rsa), Shiv Kapur (Ind), Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Brett Rumford (Aus), Anthony Wall, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Matteo Delpodio (Ita)
69 John Mellor, Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Branden Grace (Rsa), Marc Cayeux (Zim), John Daly (USA), Alexandre Rocha (Bra), Gary Lockerbie, Gregory Molteni (Ita), David Drysdale, Inder Van Weerelt (Ned), Gregory Havret (Fra)
70 Andrew Tampion (Aus), Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice), Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha), Simon Khan, Gary Murphy, Gareth Paddison (Nzl), Stephen Dodd, Julien Clement (Swi), Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Wade Ormsby (Aus), Michael Curtain (Aus), Mark Foster, Edoardo Molinari (Ita), Bradley Dredge
71 Jonathan Caldwell, Chris Gane, Roope Kakko (Fin), Hennie Otto (Rsa), Michael McGeady, Alan McLean, Metteo Manassero (Ita), David Lynn, Carlos Rodiles (Spa), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Scott Barr (Aus), Thomas Bjorn (Den), Phillip Archer
72 Simon Robinson, Joakim Haeggman (Swe), Marco Soffietti (Ita), Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Gary Orr, Niccolo Quintarelli (Ita), Robert Dinwiddie, Steven O'Hara, Wil Besseling (Ned), Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Robert Rock, Lee Slattery, John E Morgan, Alessandro Tadini (Ita), Miles Tunnicliff, Richard Bland, Colin Montgomerie, Gary Clark, Mark Haastrup (Den), Stephen Gallacher, Taco Remkes (Ned), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe), Barry Lane
73 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned), Anders Hansen (Den), Benn Barham, Sion Bebb, Klas Eriksson (Swe), Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa), Simon Wakefield, Oliver Fisher, Anthony Kang (USA), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por), Matthew Millar (Aus), Alastair Forsyth, Pablo Martin (Spa), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Marcus Fraser (Aus), Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), Christian Nilsson (Swe), Jan Are Larsen (Nor), Richard McEvoy, Stuart Manley, Seve Benson, Paul Broadhurst, Sam Walker, Thomas Levet (Fra)
74 Stuart Davis, Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Soren Hansen (Den), Mathias Gronberg (Swe), Darren Clarke, Kane Webber (USA), Andrew McLardy (Rsa), Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Costantino Rocca (Ita), Marc Warren, Marco Bernardini (Ita), Alan Wagner (USA), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Emanuele Canonica (Ita), Peter O'Malley (Aus)
75 Leonardo Motta (Ita), Mattia Miloro (Ita), Andrew Coltart, Andrea Signor (Ita), Andrea Zanini (Ita), Kenneth Ferrie, Peter Hedblom (Swe), Anthony Snobeck (Fra), Alexander Noren (Swe), Antti Ahokas (Fin), Niclas Fasth (Swe)
76 Alvaro Velasco (Spa), Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Rafael Echenique (Arg), David Frost (Rsa), Callum Macaulay, Iain Pyman, Sven Struver (Ger), Andrea Zani (Ita), Paul Lawrie, Nino Bertasio (Ita), Chris Doak
77 Martin Wiegele (Aut), Federico Colombo (Ita), Tino Schuster (Ger), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Markus Brier (Aut), Nunzio Lombardi (Ita), Sam Little
78 Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor), Peter Baker, Santiago Luna (Spa), Michele Reale (Ita)
79 Raphael De Sousa (Swi), Peter Whiteford, Emmanuele Lattanzi (Ita)

North men miss cut in PGA EuroPro

Tour opener at Collingtree Park

Grantown on Spey's Duncan Stewart and Christopher Campbell both missed the second-round cut in the opening event of the PGA EuroPro Tour at Collingtree Park, Northampton.
Stewart had rounds of 76 and 74 and Campbell 78 and 72 for 150 to miss the safety mark by just one shot.
Aberdonian Graham Gordon, a former Scottish amateur champion, was another who missed the cut with 74 and 79 for 153, the same as Montrose player Graeme Brown who scored 76 and 77.
Scots' scores after two rounds:
144 Jack Doherty 72 72.
148 Elliot Saltman 74 74, John Gallagher 72 76.
149 Chris Kelly 71 78.
Scots who missed the cut:
150 Duncan Stewart 76 74, Christopher Campbell 78 72.
152 Paul Doherty 73 79.
153 Steven Hume 80 73, Graham Gordon 74 79, Graeme Brown 76 77, Shaun McAllister 76 77.
157 Barry Hume 84 73.
158 Kenneth Glen 77 81.
162 Zack Saltman 86 76.

Huddersfield's Hanson leads by five strokes

ANTHONY LEAVER REPORTS:
Chris Hanson holds a commanding five-shot lead at the Collingtree Park Masters in Northampton following a fine second round 67.
Hanson (Crosland Heath) was in a pack of six players at two under par after the opening round of the first tournament of the 2009 Tour, but he instantly improved that with a birdie on his first hole – the tenth – with two further birdies seeing him go out at three under.
The Huddersfield man avoided dropping a shot on the first seven holes of his back nine before birdies on the eighth and ninth holes ended his round in style – and gave him vital breathing space at seven under for the tournament (137).
“It’s a little extra cushion going in to the final day which gives me a boost and it’s a wake up for the others to get good scores, which puts them under pressure,” said Hanson of his birdie-birdie finish.
“My confidence is high going into the final round – I’ve played two good days of golf and I’ve had a fantastic caddy too. The fitness work I’ve put in over the winter is paying off as well so I’m really pleased.”
Hanson is chasing his second EuroPro Tour victory – his first came in 2006 at Bovey Castle – with three players five shots behind him on two under par (142).
Two of them – George Woolgar (Capitalservices.com) and Kevin Harper (East Devon) – started the day at level par, with Woolgar producing four birdies in his move up the leaderboard and Harper one fewer in his.
They are joined by Paul Streeter (Belton Woods) who produced his second round of 71 with three birdies and an eagle. Woolgar will tee-off with Hanson in Friday’s final pairing at 12.21pm.
A clutch of players are one shot behind that trio at one under (143). Steven Tiley (Club ISM) will count himself in the reckoning after shooting 70 to follow an opening 73 – although he will rue not pressing home a blistering start where he posted four birdies in five holes.
Overnight leader Cian McNamara (Limerick) had a frustrating day and was unable to build on his opening round of 69, with two bogeys and a double bogey in his 74. Steve Surry (Cumberwell Park) fell from two under to one under with a 73, while Mark Ramsdale (Formby GC) consolidated his position with a solid level par round. Daniel Brooks (Mill Hill) makes up the quintet with a birdie on his final hole making the difference.
Nine players sit on level par ahead of the final day, which sees the 56 players at five over or better taking part in Friday’s final round.
Full scores for The Collingtree Park Masters are available at www.europrotour.com by clicking on the Score Updates tab, where you will find live scoring when the final round begins at 8am.

George Gardiner (74) beats his age by

five shots in Stonehaven Medal

Stonehaven golfer George Gardiner has achieved the unusual feat of beating his age by five strokes in a Wednesday Medal competition at his home club.
George, who is 74 years old, went round Stonehaven (par 66) in 69 shots for the best round of his life. His handicap has been cut from 12 to 11.
George, who started playing golf in 1966 when he was 31, had never broken 70 before but he was still irritated when he came off the course after missing a 3ft putt on the 17th green.

Home county win at Barassie for

Irvine pro James McKinnon

Ayrshire man James McKinnon provided a home county winner of the Scottish PGA’s Wateraid 36-hole Order of Merit pro-am tournament at Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club today.
McKinnon, pro at Irvine Golf, not all that many miles away from Barassie, shot 72 in Wednesday’s rain and a second-round of one-under-par 71 in the wind to win the £2,600 first prize with an aggregate of one-under 143.
McKinnon was 19th with total earnings of £11,112 on the Tartan Tour last year this should set him up for a return to the form which saw him help Scotland to win the PGAs of Europe international team title in Spain three years ago.
He birdied the first, bogeyed the fifth and then birdied the short sixth in his second round before stringing together 12 successive pars – no mean feat in the testing conditions – for his sub-par round.
Joint runners-up on 145 were Mark King (Kingsfield) and Ken Campbell (Machrihanish) who each earned £1,850. King scored 73 and 72 , bogeying the 10th and 17th when pars would have got him into a play-off. Campbell, was two over par after six holes, but birdies at the 10th and 12th helped him salvage a 73 after his first-round 72.
Former British amateur champion Gordon Sherry, playing over his home course, should be most encouraged that his second-round, two-under-par 70 was the best of the tournament and enabled him to finish sixth on 147, for which he received £800.
Overnight leader by one with a 71, Hamish Kemp (Bishopbriggs Golf Range) finished joint 10th on 149 after a second-round 78.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
143 James McKinnon (Irvine) 72 71 (£2,600).
145 Mark King (Kingsfield) 72 73, Ken Campbell (Machrihanish) 72 73 (£1,650 each).
146 Gareth Wright (West Linton) 72 74, Stewart Savage (Dalmuir) 72 74 (£1,070 each).
147 Gordon Sherry (Kilmarnock Barassie) 77 70 (£800).
148 Fraser Mann (Musselburgh) 75 73, Callum Nicoll (Prestwick) 75 73, David Orr (East Renfrewshire) 73 75 (£586.65 each).
149 Graham Fox (East Kilbride) 78 71, Jonathan Lomas (unatt) 75 74, David Patrick (Elie) 75 74, Ian Taylor (Drumpellier) 73 76, Mark Loftus (Cowglen) 72 77, Hamish Kemp (Bishopbriggs GR) 71 7 (£361.83 each).
150 Murray Urquhart (Spey Valley) 77 73, Steven Duncan Balbirnie Park) 75 75, Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) 74 76 (£238.66 each).
151 Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) 75 76, Alan E Reid (West Lothian) 75 76 (£179 each).
153 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) 79 74, Stephen Gray (Hayston) 77 76, Athony Mackrell (East Kilbride) 75 78, Scott Herald (Mearns Castle) 75 78 (£138.75).
154 Andrew Oldcorn (Kings Acre) 80 74, Scott Henderson (Kings Links) 78 76, Greig McSporran (Kinross) 77 77 (£116 each).
155 Lee Vannet (Carnoustie GL) 80 75, Gordon Law (Uphall) 80 75, Scott Catlin (Greenburn) 77 78, Ross Cameron (McDonald Ellon) 77 78, Colin Gillies (Perry Golf) 77 78 (£62.40 each).
156 Craig Ronald (Carluke) 81 75, Gavin Cook (Prestonfield) 80 76, Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) 78 78.
157 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) 81 76, Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 76 81.
158 Christopher Russell (RAW Golf Course Design) 85 73.
159 Kenneth Monaghan (Bothwell Castle) 79 80.
160 Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foudnation) 80 80, Jamie Stevenson (Braehead) 79 81.
161 Greg McBain (Royal Dornoch) 81 80.
163 Edward Thomson (Senit Associates) 86 77, Greg Paxton (Ralston) 85 78, Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs GR) 81 82, Mark Barnard (Inchmarlo) 76 87.
164 Stuart Morrison (Tain) 78 86.
166 Garry Forrestern (St Andrews Golf School) 81 85.
168 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 84 84.
NR Samuel Cairns (Colville Park) 82 NR.

St Andrews Links Trophy handicap maximum is +2.4

FROM THE IRISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Five of Ireland's leading amateurs have made the cut for the prestigious St Andrews Links Trophy which takes place at the home of golf from June 5 to 7.
Cian Curley (Newlands), Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin), Shane Lowry (Esker Hills), Seamus Power (West Waterford) and Simon Ward - pictured (Co. Louth) all made the (handicap) cut which fell at +2.4.
Competitors will play one round over the New Course on Friday, June 5 and one round over the Old Course on Saturday, June 6. The 40 lowest scores over these 36 holes, and any tying for 40th place, will qualify for the final 36 holes to be played over the Old Course on Sunday, June 7.

Brabazon Trophy repeat win odds are

stacked against Steven Uzzell

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Steven Uzzell can rewrite the record books when he defends the Brabazon Trophy, this year supported by SkyCaddie at Moortown Golf Club, Leeds from May 15 to 17.
No one has won successive Brabazon titles outright for over half a century. It has been shared in successive years by the likes of Sir Michael Bonallack (1968 & ‘69), Rodney Foster (1969 & ‘70) and Gary Evans (1990 & ‘91). But no one since Philip Scrutton in 1954 and ’55 has completed successive individual victories so the Yorkshireman has the chance to join an elite band if he can come out on top again.
England International Uzzell became the English open amateur stroke-play champion of 2008 with a superb display at Trevose in Cornwall and while he is not looking for records a successful defence would boost his chances of Walker Cup selection.
“It would be nice to create a record but I won’t be thinking about that when I tee off,” he says. Uzzell is also happy that the championship is being played in his home county and on a course he knows well.
“Moortown is a cracking test of golf,” he adds. “You have got to play well there to be successful. If you don’t it can punish you. You can also get a fair amount of breeze and the wind can swirl around the trees.
“The last time I played there was in 2007 when I lost in the semi-finals of the Yorkshire championship to Danny Willett. It was the start of his fantastic run when he went on to win the South of England and the English Amateur in successive weeks and then play in the Walker Cup.
“It will be interesting to see how the scoring goes on the qualifying days. But you are not going to get an unknown winning; it will be someone with quality.”
That is borne out by the calibre of winners in the four previous Brabazons at Moortown. Doug Sewell won in 1957, Bonallack and Foster tied in 1969, South African Nevil Sundelson in 1974 and Mark Side from Surrey in 1999.
Home advantage will also allow Uzzell to commute each day from his home near Hull but the 25 year old left-hander will face a quality international field in the first English Golf Union (EGU) ‘major’ of the season. Not only will he face the challenge of his England team-mates but also players from 16 other countries not to mention those from the other Home nations.
The field includes 20 members of the Walker Cup squad including Uzzell, English champion Todd Adcock, who is in the same three-ball as Uzzell, seasoned campaigner Nigel Edwards from Wales, Wallace Booth, Keir McNicoll and Paul O’Hara from Scotland, Ireland’s Niall Kearney and Paul Cutler as well as other England caps Tommy Fleetwood, Charlie Ford, Luke Goddard and Dale Whitnell.
There is also a strong Continental challenge from the likes of Rainer Saxton, the Amateur champion from the Netherlands, and Henri Pyykola from Finland.
The title has gone overseas several times in recent years with the likes of Ignacio Garrido from Spain (1992), Peter Hanson from Sweden (1998), Germany’s Jochen Lupprian (2000), Charl Schwartzel from South Africa (2002) and Frenchman Romain Bechu, joint winner with England’s Jamie Moul in 2007.
Once again, there will be two days of qualifying with 120 players competing on Wednesday 13th May and another 120 on Thursday the 14th, the leading 30 from each day plus ties joining the 77 exempt players for the competition proper.
Among those having to qualify are a string of boy internationals including Jonathan Bell, Tom Boys, Tom Lewis and Oscar Sharpe plus Adam Carson, recent winner of the Fairhaven Trophy.
Play starts at 7am each day including the qualifying rounds and admission is free.
For those unable to attend, live scoring and news updates will available on the Championships Section of the EGU website, www.englishgolfunion.org.

Tartan Army in Royal Dublin

field for Irish open stroke-play

Nineteen Scots are in the field - and another is on the waiting list - for this weekend's major men's amateur golf event, the Irish open amateur stroke-play-championship over 72 holes, teeing off at Royal Dublin Golf Club on Friday.
If you want to see the complete field, waiting list and the tee times, cut and paste this website address
http://www.gui.ie/uploads/docs/1093_GUI_Draw&WaitingList_Irish_Am_Open_09.pdf

The Scots who are playing are:
Chris Robb, Ross Kellett, Philip McLean, Stephen Clark, Steven McEwan, Gordon Yates, Wallace Booth, Keir McNicoll, Gavin Dear, Paul Shields, James Hendrick, Myles Cunningham, Colin Thomson, Mark Bookless, Kris Nicol, Greg Paterson, Scott Borrowman, Sam Binning and Paul Betty.
On waiting list _ James Ross (No 6)
Nothing significant in the order we have listed the names - straight off the draw sheet on the ILGU website, i.e. Chris Robb (Inchmarlo), recent semi-finalist in the Scottish boys championship at Royal Aberdeen, is the first Scot in action.
Seventeen-year-old Portuguese prospect Pedro Figueiredo is defending the title he won by seven strokes last year from Keir McNicoll, Ireland's Connor Doran and Billy Hemstock with a 10-under-par total of 278.
Paul O'Hara was joint eighth on 288, Wallace Booth tied 11th on 289, Callum Macaulay joint 15th on 290 and Gavin Dear and Ross Kellett shared 18th place on 291.
It's been a good tournament for Scots in recent years. Lloyd Saltman won it in 2007 and Richie Ramsay in 2005.
Prior to Ramsay's victory, the last Scot to win it was Hector Thomson (Williamwood) in 1934 and 1935.
Jack McLean (Hayston), who was runner-up to Hector in 1935, had himself won the Irish open title in 1932 and 1933.
The leading 40 and ties after 36 holes will contest Sunday's final two rounds.
++New Scottish boys' match-play champion David Law (Hazlehead) has informed Scottishgolfview.com of his reasons for not making the trip to Dublin:
"I was intending playing the 'Irish' this week and the 'Welsh' the week after next but decided against it as I quite simply don't play well when I overplay and the past month has been pretty hectic. I feel I needed a break. I'm going to play the fourth SGU Junior Tour the weekend before the Scottish stroke-play at Murcar Links, then the St Andrews Links Trophy, then the British Amatuer.
"So I'm just spending three weeks working on my short game and getting out to see coach Neil Marr."

Seve says he 'suffered like a dog'

during post-operation period

FROM THE PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE
MADRID (AP) -- Seve Ballesteros says he feels fine but "suffered like a dog" while recovering from four surgeries to remove a cancerous brain tumor.
"I feel perfect," Ballesteros said in an interview with the Cadena SER radio. "I can do any kind of sport. I can row, I can run, I can swim, I can cycle. I am even playing a bit of golf, some short shots."
Ballesteros, a five-time major winner, said he was optimistic during his 72 days in a hospital late last year. But he worried during the post-operation period that he might be permanently disabled.
"I suffered like a dog, but maybe the fact that I am a professional sportsman and used to competing and fighting helped me," he said.
The interview came two days after the 52-year-old made his first public appearance Sunday at a Spanish soccer league match at Racing Santander's El Sardinero stadium near his home in northern Spain. He received a standing ovation from the fans.
Ballesteros underwent four operations on a malignant brain tumor between October 6 and late December, when he was released from Madrid's La Paz hospital. He is undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Sounding confident and in good spirits, Ballesteros said his brain and memory were fine and even joked that "for a brainless guy like me, you can see I'm explaining myself pretty well."
The golfer said he appreciates the smaller things in life, and he's convinced that good health is the most important.
For other people in similar situations, he said his message was to realise that "there is only one way forward, to keep on fighting."
Ballesteros won three Opens and two Masters, and had 50 victories on the European Tour. He captained Europe's Ryder Cup team to victory against the United States in 1997.

US smoking ban on public golf

courses upsets weekend puffers

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
SPOKANE, Washington State — For the cigar-smoking golfer, 18 holes and a stogie rank with peanut butter and jelly or gin and tonic among life's ideal combinations.
That's why recent efforts across the country (United States) to ban smoking on public golf courses are being greeted by those players like a triple bogey. In the balance between individual rights and public health, weekend duffers feel authorities have become unreasonable.
The city of Spokane just tried to ban smoking on its four public golf courses, only to be stymied by an outcry from players and smoking rights advocates.
``Golf and cigars go together like a hand in a glove,'' said Dale Taylor of Tacoma, president of the Cigar Association of Washington, a smokers' rights groups. ``That may be the only time some people smoke.''
Washington State is among the least hospitable places for smokers, with no smoking allowed in any public indoor space, or outside within 25 feet of a door or window. But the proposed smoking ban on public links has struck a nerve, in part because of the vastness of golf courses. Playing a typical 18-hole course, such as Downriver in Spokane, means traveling easily more than three miles.
``If I was just walking and somebody was 300 feet away, I'm bothering them?'' avid smoker and golfer Greg Presley told the Spokane parks board during a public hearing. ``We've got to have some common sense.''
Evidence of the illnesses caused by second-hand smoke has led to widespread bans on indoor smoking nationwide in recent decades. The great outdoors is now at the forefront of campaigns led by smoking opponents, and hundreds of places ban it in outdoor restaurants, parks and beaches, said Annie Tegan, of the Seattle office of Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, which seeks to limit smoking.
Because bans are enacted at the local and state levels, it is difficult to determine their exact number of them. Tegan knew of about a dozen communities that have banned smoking on public golf courses, including San Francisco, Glendale and Pasadena in California; Hawaii County, Hawaii; Bloomington, Minn.; Goshen, Ind.; Abilene, Texas; and Arvada, Colo.
The Hilo Municipal Golf Course is the only public course on the big island of Hawaii, and last year's ban on smoking in all public parks, beaches and other recreation facilities has not been popular, said assistant pro Sharol Ayai.
``There's big-time complaining,'' Ayai said. ``The golfers will still smoke because most feel it is unfair. We all pay taxes.''
Ayai said the ban, which does not apply to private golf clubs, has not had much impact on the number of rounds played at the course, in part because it is ignored.
Some communities that tried to ban smoking on golf courses, like Thousand Oaks, California, relented after complaints by golfers, whose fees support the facilities.
``You really have to stretch things to imagine you are offending anybody when you are outside smoking cigars,'' said Gordon Mott, executive editor of Cigar Aficionado magazine, which includes a monthly feature on smoking and golf.
Some non-smokers oppose outdoor smoking bans as intrusive government.
``It's a disgusting habit, but people have a right to make choices,'' Spokane resident Joel Bark told the local Parks Board during the public hearing.
Patrick Reynolds of the Foundation for a Smokefree America acknowledged that moving the anti-smoking fight from indoors to outdoors was ``cutting edge.''
``But these are in fact reasonable laws,'' Reynolds, grandson of tobacco pioneer R.J. Reynolds, said. ``Second-hand smoke causes lung cancer.''
The bans also are aimed at reducing litter, he said.
Smoking bans also have been imposed on spectators at pro golf tournaments. Last month, there was a no-smoking zone for the first time at the Masters. The U.S. Open in 2008 at Torrey Pines banned smoking by spectators because San Diego had banned smoking in its parks, beaches and public golf courses. But players were allowed to smoke.
With little advance notice, the Spokane parks board voted in March to ban smoking in all city parks, including golf courses. An existing law already prevented people from smoking near playgrounds, swimming pools or other parks facilities, so the board didn't think many would care when it decided to ban smoking entirely, parks spokeswoman Nancy Goodspeed said.
They were wrong.
The outcry from smokers and libertarians was swift, and prompted the board in April to stay the ban on golf courses while it studies the issue further.
``We heard from everyone and their brother, on both sides,'' Goodspeed said.
The board will wait for people to calm down before taking up the issue of smoking on golf courses again, she said, adding that may be a year or more.
Presley, who said he has smoked and played golf for five decades, hopes it never comes up again.
``There's plenty of fresh air out there to share,'' Presley said.

Ally Phillips was "Doctor Golf"

for Cruden Bay juniors

From Ian Bratton

PGA Professional

Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club
Firstly, I would like to congratulate Stewart McCulloch on winning the Phillips Trophy.
I would also like to add to what Stewart had to say about Ally Phillips. Ally was known as "Doctor Golf" at Cruden Bay. If we wanted an injection of confidence we just called upon Ally.
He was especially good at teaching the short game. He would make me and all the juniors play bunker shots with five-irons, and then play chip-and-runs with our sand wedges. Simple coaching that got all of us using our imagination around the greens.

On top of Ally helping the Cruden Bay juniors, we had Harry Bannerman, backed up by about six low-handicap members who coached us every Saturday morning.
I played No. 7 or 8 on our junior pennant team with a handicap of three. Strength and depth was not a problem for any of the pennant teams around in those days. It’s a bit of shame now when most junior pennant teams struggle to get 12 players for their matches.

The positive thing for clubs like Newburgh is that the young golfers coming through are needed for the team and quite often get good results in the matches, whilst gaining valuable experience of competition.
We need to get the kids on the courses and off the Play Stations.
Finally I would like to comment on what Stuart was saying about the fact that a lot of golfers use powered trolleys. It's a simple fact that when playing tournament golf with the aid of a powered trolley you will preserve energy for the end of your round and even more so over the course of 36 holes.

Add to this the fact we should all drink 1.5 litres of water per round and eat some sort of snack whilst also carrying waterproofs, balls and an umbrella. I also believe that using a powered trolley helps prevent back problems as well.

Many golfers carry poorly balanced golf bags and pull manual pull carts behind them, causing undue strain on there bodies. Powered trolleys get you walking in an upright fashion, keeping your spine in an upright position, thus helping the golfer avoid backache.
Ian Bratton
Tel 01358 789058

pro@newburghgolfclub.co.uk