Harrington owns up to being a practice

and swing-tinkering junkie

FROM THE IRISH GOLFDESK.WEBSITE
Padraig Harrington has confessed that he is addicted to practice and swing tinkering.
The good news is that he is starting to listen to the members of his inner circle, who are clearly fed up with his obsession to fix something that clearly isn't broken.
His wife Caroline started the ball rolling on Monday, followed by his caddie Ronan Flood on Tuesday and mental coach Bob Rotella on Wednesday.
In drug treatment parlance, it's called intervention and Harrington confessed that it could make a huge difference to him in the long term.
"It might prove significant in the context of my career," he conceded after carding a second successive 72 in The Players Championship at Sawgrass.
"I do have a problem in that I get totally addicted at times with my swing and in recent weeks it has become an obsession.
"I had a long chat with Bob Rotella and my caddie Ronan last night, it was like an intervention. Things are definitely turning the corner.
"I've gone down this road before, I will go down it again, that's the nature of the game. I kind of get stuck into things and then get very obsessive about it.
"I'm happy that I've done it but it's time to get back to playing golf. I have definitely become addicted to my golf swing over the last couple of months and I definitely need to get rid of that."
Harrington admitted he was still a little way off ending his latest swing experiment but said he recognised the need to do so.
"There's two things (needed to do that). The first is to realise it, the second is to commit to it. I'm not committed to it fully as of yet because I do want to finish off what I'm doing, but I'm fully committed to a time frame.
"It would take a few weeks to turn it around but, yes, in four weeks' time, I intend to be fully finished with the game of swing."
Harrington's coach, Bob Torrance, explained recently that his star pupil is trying to achieve a more penetrating ball flight.
Torrance said: “He is trying to keep the ball down a bit. His launch angle is too high and he tends to hit underneath it a wee bit. The trajectory is too high after impact. We are getting steep on the ball to improve his strike so that he can compress the ball more, the way Jimmy Bruen used to do back in the 30s and 40s.
“He is trying to come at the ball steeper to get more penetration in his flight. It is the launch angle of the ball leaving the club. It will come in high but it will still be going forward when it is landing, instead of dropping straight down.
“There will be more backspin on the ball. A ball that drops straight down from the sky is not going to come back. But a ball that comes in lower with spin is going to go forward and then screw back."
According to David Dusek at Golf.com, Harrington's search for a driver is becoming almost as obsessive as his search for his swing.
So far this season, Padraig Harrington has not played like a guy who has won three of the last seven major championships.
"When you win something, especially when you have success, I see that as a reason to stop and start changing things to get better," Harrington said in a press conference earlier this week. "I'm not trying to play as well as I played last year to win the two majors. I'm trying to play better than that."
To that end, Harrington is not just tinkering with his game; he's also continuing his search for a new driver.
During much of 2008, Harrington used a Wilson Dd6+. In January and February, he was swinging a Wilson Smooth. But as we reported, he switched to a TaylorMade R9 with a Grafalloy ProLite 35 shaft at the Shell Houston Open.
That club was pulled out of the bag in Augusta the following week, when Harrington put a Titleist 909D3 (9.5°) into play. Last week at Quail Hollow, he used a Titleist 905TR (9.5°), and in a practice round this week he tried a Callaway FT-9.
When it came time to tee it up on Thursday, the Wilson Smooth Harrington used through much of 2008—including at Royal Birkdale and Oakland Hills—was once again in his bag.
Harrington went into detail about his mind set just a few weeks before the Masters, explaining: "There’s no doubt when I was playing a couple of events, all the events up to the Match Play, I was more focussed on how I’d play the following week rather than how I was playing in that week’s event.
"It’s a distraction and I just let it run into too many tournaments and got caught out. I’d usually get away with it but my short game wasn’t 100 per cent sharp; I didn’t putt as well as I would and normally I can hide a bit but I got caught out this time around.
"There’s no doubt in my mind got too far ahead of itself and I wasn’t competing at the time. But I’ve done that every year, that’s me. I’ll always be fighting that battle of playing tournaments or wanting to go and practice like mad to get better.
"It’s only now I realise there’s so many events I was leading or was in contention to win over the years that I spent Saturday evening changing my swing so I’d play better the following week. In many ways I’ve let that work … like when I stop during the winter, nobody looks forward to their winter break more than me because I’d have gathered up so much information during the year that I want to change thing
"I’m so enthusiastic during the winter working on things and changing them but I let that drag into the season this year and that’s eh … it could be the extra emphasis on the Masters but I’ve done it many times. I probably do it every year it’s just I got caught out this year by the fact that some of the other parts of my game, my bunker play or something like that, weren’t quite right. Maybe I was pushing for results as well and just got at bit hard on myself on the golf course. There are a num ber of elements where I just didn’t get away with it this year, early-season.
"Actually, the season feels a lot worse than it sounds. I’ve just missed two cuts like. I’ve done worse, let’s say but, definitely, I know why and what was happening and the attraction of trying to change and improve things always draws you in. I’ll never get away from it to be honest. I like working on my swing to get better."
After three missed cuts from nine starts in the US, Harrington made the cut on the level par mark as did Graeme McDowell, who made a fantastic birdie 3 at the last to sneak in for the weekend.
The Ulsterman hit a 313 yard drive over the water and a 140 approach to 11 feet for the bravest of birdies as Rory McIlroy missed the cut.
McIlroy, 20, was two under playing the 17th on Thursday but took 6 there and bogeyed the last to card a 74.
On Friday he bogeyed the 11th and 15th and then birdied the 16th to leave himself needing a three under par homeward nine to make the level par cut.
Bogeys at the third and sixth ended that dream and he eventually trudged home in 40 blows for a 77 that saw him miss the by seven shots on seven over - his first failure on the US PGA Tour.

Chapman bidding for debut victory

on European Seniors Tour

By STEVE TODD, European Seniors Tour Press Officer
Roger Chapman’s dream start to life on the European Senior Tour continued with a second round 70 in the Son Gual Mallorca Senior Open to set up a mouth-watering final day battle with former Ryder Cup captains Mark James and Ian Woosnam.
Former European Tour winner Chapman, who only turned 50 on May 1, will take a two stroke lead over James and Bobby Lincoln into the final round as he bids to become the joint youngest winner in European Senior Tour history, equalling John Bland’s 14-year-old record of 50 years and nine days set in the 1995 London Masters.
The Englishman, who defeated Padraig Harrington in a play-off to win the Brazil Rio de Janeiro 500 Years Open in 2000, fired four birdies and two bogeys to move to six under par, with compatriot James and South African Lincoln on four under par after both signed for rounds of 70.
Reigning Order of Merit winner Woosnam is amongst a group of players a shot further back after a superb round of 68 at Son Gual Golf but it is rookie Chapman who is the man to catch as he maintained his seamless return to competitive golf after two years as a Rules Official on the Senior Tour.
“I’m more than delighted with the way I have played so far,” said the Senior Tour debutant. “I was just dipping my toe in the water of Senior Tour golf this week so to be leading by two going into the final day is beyond my expectations.
“Yesterday I kept hitting the ball below the hole but today I was on the wrong side of it but I’ve been striking some beautiful shots.
“I hit one bad shot on the 11th when I hooked it left but I’m playing well and it’s nice to be competitive again and hitting some really quality shots.
“I’m just going to go out there and enjoy it tomorrow. It’s a great last group with Mark and Bobby, Lincoln who I played with as an amateur in The 1981 Open Championship. Woosie won the Order of Merit last year too so will be looking to win.
“I’ve already exceeded my expectations so if it goes wrong tomorrow it’s still been a good week but I’d like to win. I’m absolutely delighted to be in this position.”
James, who led Europe in The 1999 Ryder Cup, goes into the final round looking for his second Senior Tour win after the European Senior Masters in 2005.
He said: “I played really well but I holed almost nothing. It was one of those days. There are a lot of people snapping at Roger’s heels – myself and Ian included – and I’m swinging it a lot better than last year.
“If I can go out and shoot 68 or 69 it could win it.”
Meanwhile Woosnam, the 2006 Ryder Cup winning Captain, defied a long standing back problem to eagle the par five fourth hole and carded five birdies – including on the closing 17th and 18th holes.
“I played really well today,” he said. “My back has been hurting all week but I seemed to be swinging better today. Hopefully I can go out and shoot the same tomorrow.”
The Welshman is in a group of eight players on three under par, where he is joined by former Ryder Cup player Eamonn Darcy, five time European Tour winner Mike Harwood and all time leading Senior Tour money winner Carl Mason.
LEADING SECOND ROUND TOTALS
138 R Chapman (Eng) 68 70.
140 M James (Eng) 70 70, B Lincoln (RSA) 70 70.
141 K Spurgeon (Eng) 70 71, T Giedeon (Ger) 71 70, E Darcy (Irl) 71 70, C Mason (Eng) 71 70, I Woosnam (Wal) 73 68, H Carbonetti (Arg) 71 70, M Harwood (Aus) 72 69, J Bruner (USA) 69 72.
142 D Cambridge (Jam) 67 75, T Johnstone (Zim) 73 69, J Sallat (Fra) 74 68.
143 A Franco (Par) 71 72, R Drummond (Sco) 71 72, J Quiros (Esp) 75 68, P Mitchell (Eng) 72 71.
144 B Cameron (Eng) 72 72, G Brand jun (Sco) 74 70, D Smyth (Irl) 73 71, J Chillas (Sco) 70 74, T Allen (Eng) 70 74, A Tapie (USA) 73 71, G Encina (Chi) 72 72
145 M Cunning (USA) 73 72, S Torrance (Sco) 74 71, E Rodriguez (Esp) 75 70, P Oakley (USA) 73 72
146 L Carbonetti (Arg) 78 68, D Merriman (Aus) 75 71, G Brand (Eng) 72 74, P Brostedt (Swe) 74 72, J Rhodes (Eng) 73 73, T Charnley (Eng) 75 71, S Ginn (Aus) 75 71
147 J Hoskison (Eng) 74 73, J Rivero (Esp) 79 68, J Hall (Eng) 74 73, B Longmuir (Sco) 74 73, J Cañizares (Esp) 72 75, G Ralph (Eng) 73 74
148 D Russell (Eng) 75 73, B Boyd (USA) 75 73, G Cali (Ita) 77 71
149 B Smit (RSA) 77 72, J Heggarty (Nir) 73 76, M Williams (Zim) 75 74, A Fernandez (Chi) 72 77, A Murray (Eng) 74 75, N Job (Eng) 74 75
150 K Tomori (Jpn) 73 77, J Bland (RSA) 74 76, E Polland (Nir) 71 79, D Johnson (USA) 79 71, D Good (Aus) 75 75
151 M Piñero (Esp) 74 77
152 G Watine (Fra) 76 76, I Mosey (Eng) 78 74, A Barrera (Arg) 74 78
154 M Miller (Sco) 79 75, D Durnian (Eng) 81 73, D Hospital (Esp) 79 75
157 V Garcia (Esp) 81 76
158 S Bennett (Eng) 76 82, A Garrido (Esp) 78 80, F Chaves (Esp) 81 77
159 M Poxon (Eng) 81 78
161 M Bembridge (Eng) 82 79
162 F Fuentes (Esp) 80 82
168 B Stevens (Eng) 85 83
Retired: O'Sullivan (Irl)

.....................................................FINLAY S MORRIS (1945-1967)

Finlay Morris, the boy

wonder, whose career

was cut short at 22

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
The tragic death of Welsh Walker Cup team candidate Ben Enoch in a car accident on his way to last weekend's Lytham Trophy brought back memories of Finlay Morris, the rising young Scottish professional star, whose life was cut short in similar circumstances, at the age of 22, in November 1967.
Former Ryder Cup player Harry Bannerman was himself coming up to his peak as a player round about that time.
Harry recalls that it was the saddest funeral he had ever attended. Finlay had not only been a very fine young golfer but also a very popular young sportsman.
It is difficult to convey to the modern generation just what Finlay Morris's place was in golf when his career was so abruptly ended.
In my opinion, Finlay was the "Rory McIlroy" of his time, arguably an even better, more successful boy golfer than Rory was.
As Harry Bannerman's wife Hazel sums it up so well:
"Finlay was the reigning Scottish 'wunderkind' in that he had already won the Scottish boys' match-play championship at North Berwick, aged only 14, and then followed that up by winning the British boys’ championship, aged 16, in 1963 (picture above of Finlay with the trophy and also the larger image above, by courtesy of Cawder Golf Club).
"Finlay was certainly runner-up in the Scottish professional championship at Montrose in 1967 to none other than Harry Bannerman, shooting 281 to Harry's 279.
"Harry recollects that Finlay was tragically killed on the Beattock Summit, having played in a winter league competition at Mere, Cheshire, in November 1967.
"His father was driving them home in thick fog and smashed into a stationary lorry. Finlay was the front-seat passenger. His caddy was very lucky in that he was in the rear seat sleeping but was lying in such a position that he had severe leg injuries rather than head injuries."
So if the caddy had been the front-seat passenger and Finlay sleeping in the backseat ...
OK, you might say, but Rory McIlroy played in a Walker Cup match which Finlay Morris didn't. But Walker Cup selectors did not pick teenagers in the GB&I teams of the 1960s and Morris could not hang around. Having become the youngest ever player - at that time - to be capped for Scotland in the men's home internationals, later that month turned professional after his 18th birthday in September 1963.
Cawder Golf Club’s general manager and secretary Fraser Gemmell has very kindly co-operated in my desire to recall the highlights of the short life of Finlay Morris. He sent me the above picture of Finlay from the Cawder Golf Club collection and also an extract about Finlay from the “History of Cawder Golf Club,” compiled by John Cubbage, past club captain and champion.
Here it is:

Brilliant career as a boy golfer from 1960 to 1963

Finlay S Morris, son of Cawder clubmaster Finlay Morris, had a brilliant career as a boy golfer when, between 1960 and 1963, he won practically all the available major boy golf competitions plus several major adult stroke competitions, which culminated in a men’s international cap for Scotland at 18 years of age in the Home Internationals.
He turned professional after this but his professional golfing career tragically came to an end in November 1967 as a result of a car accident. His achievements as a professional did not reach the same heights as his amateur successes but those Cawder members who were privileged to watch and play with Finlay had no doubt that, given time, he would have become one of the leading golfers in Britain.
In 1958, when Finlay senior forsook his ordinary membership for the onerous duties of clubmaster at Cawder Golf Club, his strapping 12-year-old son was already showing great potential as a future first-class golfer. He was coached as a junior member by our professional, Ken Pate, and it was obvious from an early age that golf would become his profession.
An ideal golfing physique of broad shoulders, powerful arms and wrists with the height to match guaranteed length to his game and this, coupled with his unerring accuracy, enabled him at 14 years of age to hit the ball with the precision and length of top-class amateurs and professionals many years his senior.
In 1960, still 14 years old, he won for the second time the Glasgow boys’ championship for his age group, the West of Scotland boys’ championship and reached the semi-final of the British boys’ championship.
At an early age he was also competing successfully with the adults in the 36-hole open stroke-play tournaments and in 1961 he won the Richmond Cup at Dalmahoy against many prominent East of Scotland amateurs.
Dalmahoy was to prove his happy hunting round for it was there that in the same year he also reached the final of the 1961 British boys’ championship and beat C A Clark (Clive Clark who became a Walker Cup player and later a Ryder Cup team member).
Finlay’s selection for the boys international, Scotland v England, and Great Britain v Europe (Jacques Leglise Trophy) matches were automatic and he won all his games. The highly successful year of 1961 culminated in the presentation to Finlay of a watch by Cawder Golf Club in recognition of his tremendous golfing performances to date.
By comparison to the previous year, 1962 was a quiet one with only one major victory, in the Carris Trophy at Moor Park, which he won with an aggregate of 145. Again he performed with credit in the boys’ international against England.
1963 was Finlay’s last year as a junior and his most successful todate. After several years of comparative failure in the tournament, the Scottish boys’ championship finally came his way when he defeated Iain Clark by 9 and 8 in the final at North Berwick. He was honoured by being chosen to captain Scotland against England in the boys’ international (in those days Scotland boys did not play Wales or Ireland).
In men’s golf, Finlay won the Scottish Alliance championship, the Edward Trophy at Glasgow Gailes and the West of Scotland close amateur championship which was played in a gale at Bogside and Morris won with a total of 299, which fully reflected the conditions. He left a strong field of prominent West amateurs trailing by 10 shots or more.
These excellent performances in 1963 earned Finlay a deserved cap in the Scotland team for the men’s home internationals in the distinguished company of Charlie Green, Ronnie Shade and Sandy Saddler. At that time, he was 17, the youngest player to have represented Scotland at this level.
Morris’s departure to the professional ranks after his 18th birthday in September 1963 was marked by Cawder Golf Club with the presentation of a set of golf cuff links.
Finlay’s professional career began as an assistant at Crews Hill Golf Club, London, but he stayed there only four months before returning to take up a post at Littlehill, the Glasgow municipal course.
In his first year as a professional, Finlay’s victories were confined to Alliance events, the Alliance pro-am tournament in partnership with M McIntosh (Cawder) and the Scottish Alliance professional title.
The next two years (1964-65) were distinctly quiet and lacking in success. Although full-time on the British Tour, Finlay, like so many amateurs before him, was finding his transgression from full-time amateur to full-time professional golf not particularly easy. His survival to the last days of tournaments was occurring infrequently until 1967 when the tide appeared to have started to turn in the 21-year-old’s favour.
Finlay was runner-up to Harry Bannerman in the Scottish professional championship at Montrose and produced his best pro performance in winning the Coca-Cola professional tournament at Haggs Castle. His first round 66 was followed by a course record of 63 for a 129 total which left trailing the established stars of David Huish (140), Eric Brown (141) and John Panotn (142).
Morris continued his relentless sub-par golf with rounds of 67, then 66 which gave him an almost unbelievable record low total of 262. Huish was second, 15 strokes behind on 277, with Brown on 278 and Panton 283.
Atlhough this took place on the shorter Haggs Castle course prior to its reconstruction and lengthening, his total of 262 was quoted by the Press at the time as beating the previous British professional record for 72 holes by four shots.
Irrespective of where it sands in the aggregate charts and even although it was not a major British tournament, Finlay’s performances in that tournament were magnificent for a 21-year-old and could have represented the turning point in his professional career towards greater goals.
Towards the end of the 1967 golfing calendar, he had started to qualify regularly for the final day in events on the British Tour. His first final day appearance for a year was the Gallagher Ulster tournament at Shandon Park where he finished 10 shots behind the winner, Bernard Hunt (267).
In the Carrols International Tournament at Woodbrook, Morris’s rounds of 71, 72, 72 and 72 for a total of 287 was 11 shots behind the winner, Christy O’Connor.
I appeared at last as if Finlay, still only just turned 22, was starting to fulfil his early promise.
Then the golf world was shattered by the news of his death in a car accident in fog on the notorious A74 when returning from a tournament in England.
A fitting conclusion to this article are the following extracts from an obituary article written by Raymond Jacobs, golf correspondent of the Glasgow Herald.
“Finlay Morris – 22 last September – was almost unbelievably young for he had been prominent in golf for so long. He first came to national attention in 1960 when, at the age of 14, he was a semi-finalist in the British boys’; championship. From then until 1963 when he turned professional he compiled a magnificent record.”
After listing Finlay’s achievements, Raymond Jacobs wrote:
“Finlay did not produce all that was expected of him as a professional. He hit the ball as instinctively as others wield a knife and fork yet, as a professional he was less consistently successful than players with half his aptitude.
“Much was expected of him and so his comparative failures were the more striking. But he suffered his disappointments cheerfully and perhaps the years would have matured and hardened his approach to a demanding game. It is sad to realise that we shall never know that now.”
In memory of Finlay, his family very generously presented to Cawder Golf Club the putter with which he had achieved his record 262 total at Haggs Castle. On the occasion of the McKinnon Wood competition, it is presented to the Cawder member returning the lowest gross aggregate.

FOOTNOTE BY COLIN FARQUHARSON. There will be some readers who might ask why I have bothered in writing an article about a person who died more than 41 years ago. But I feel that we should remember a Scottish golfer who, but for a tragic accident, would surely have gone on to gain Ryder Cup honours and, who knows, might have won an Open or two. I am shocked that so few people younger than I am remember Finlay Morris. I have been unable to find a golf reference book that gives him even the smallest of mentions ... even "Google" comes up with nothing when you key in his name. Well, it may well do so now on the strength of this article. Here's hoping.

Lest we forget.

Six Scots beat halfway cut in Irish stroke-play at Royal Dublin

Murrayshall's Gavin Dear action image by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography. Click on it to enlarge.

Gavin Dear leads and Wallace

Booth still has double vision

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Scotland's top player in the R&A's world amateur golf rankings, Gavin Dear from Murrayshall, Perth, showed his class to lead at halfway in the AIB-sponsored Irish men's amateur stroke-play championship over Royal Dublin's testing links.
Dear, a member of Scotland's 2008 World Cup winning team in Adelaide, fired a superb round of 69 to add to his opening 76 and his two-over-par tally of 146 leads by a single stroke from Nicky Grant (Knock) who matched the Scot's second round - the pair being the only players to break 70 over the opening two days in which the wind has varied between a 30mph gale and a 20mph "breeze" for the second round. Germany's Philipp Westermann lies a stroke further back on 148, one ahead of Walker Cup squad members Wallace Booth, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, the reigning Scottish stroke-play champion from Comrie, and Niall Kearney (The Royal Dublin).
Booth shot a one-over-par 73 today in slightly improved weather conditions and that Scottish-Irish double, last achieved by Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay is definitely still in his sights.

WIND, WIND AND MORE WIND

After the 30mph gale that ruined so many cards on Friday, several tees on the back nine were moved forward for the second round when the wind had dropped to a more manageable 25mph … but Royal Dublin’s links, with or without a wind, is a tough test if you are not hitting the ball.
Grant, a 22-year-old past Irish boys and youths cap from Knock, has not played for Ireland since 2006 when he was suspended for six months for unspecified “disciplinary reasons.”
He put together a fine round of 69 to add to his opening 78 to lead at three-over-par 147 until late starter Gavin Dear came in to grab the pole position.
Westermann, a 20-year-old from Hamburg, had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in returning a 70 for 148.
Only the leading 39 players qualified for Sunday's final two rounds. Which meant that only six Scots of the starting Tartan Army of 19 survived the cut.

Apart from Dear and Booth, there were Ross Kellett (Colville Park), Scott Borrowman (Dollar) and Paul Betty (Hayston), all tied 18th on 155. James Ross (Royal Burgess), little known outwith the Edinburgh area - for the moment, completed the Scots qualifiers on 157, the limit mark.

Betty, level with Booth at the start of the day, sagged from a praiseworthy 76 in the gale on Friday, to a 79 for 145 – eight shots off the lead and the same mark as Kellett who improved by five shots to a 75 today. Borrowman duplicated Kellett's 80-75 rounds. Ross scored 80-78.

Among the non-qualifiers was 17-year-old Pedro Figueiredo from Portugal with scores of 80 and 74 for 10-over-par 154. Last year he won the Irish title by seven strokes with a 10-under-par total. Sic transit gloria.

QUALIFIERS FOR SUNDAY'S
FINAL TWO ROUNDS
Par 144 (2x72)
146 G Dear (Scotland) 77 69.
147 N Grant (Knock) 78 69.
148 P Westermann (Germany) 78 70.
149 W Booth (Scotland) 76 73, N Kearney (The Royal Dublin) 75 74.
151 T Hakula (Finland) 77 74, R McCarthy (The Island) 77 74, F Keenan (England) 74 77.
152 M Thistleton (England) 79 73, P Cutler (Portstewart) 78 74, R Leonard (Banbridge) 77 75.
153 D Lernihan (Castle) 78 75, S Hutsby (England) 78 75, D Whitnell (England) 78 75.
154 L Goddard (England) 81 73, P Purdy (Shandon Park) 79 75, A Runcie (Wales) 78 76.
155 C Curley (Newlands) 81 74, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 81 74, R Kellett (Scotland) 80 75, S Borrowman (Scotland) 80 75, S Lowry (Esker Hills) 79 76, P Betty (Scotland) 76 79.
156 S Einhaus (Germany) 82 74, S Hodgson (England) 80 76, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 80 76, H Satama (Finland) 80 76, J Fox (Portmarnock) 75 81.
157 D Coyle (Co. Louth) 83 74, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 82 75, A Dunbar (Rathmore) 80 77, R Prophet (England) 79 78, B Walton (The Island) 79 78, J Monaghan (The Island) 78 79158: L Lennox (Moyola Park) 82 76, G McGrane (The Royal Dublin) 82 76, M Glauert (Germany) 82 76, J Ross (Scotland) 80 78, A Hogan (Newlands) 80 78
MISSED THE CUT
158 S Moloney (Castletroy) 78 80, M Veijalainen (Finland) 75 83.
159 M Violas (Portugal) 85 74, P O'Hara (Scotland) 85 74, P Figueiredo (Portugal) 85 74, P McLean (Scotland) 82 77, S Brown (England) 82 77, C Doran (Banbridge) 81 78, M Rivard (Canada) 81 78, G Paterson (Scotland) 80 79, D Ruddy (Thurles) 79 80, K McNicoll (Scotland) 79 80, R Laino (England) 78 81.
160 G Yates (Scotland) 84 76, C Robb (Scotland) 83 77, J Carlota (Portugal) 82 78, J Morris (Rosslare) 82 78, C Durnian (England) 82 78, I Brennan (Greenore) 82 78, C Drumm (Rosslare) 82 78, R McNamara (Headfort) 79 81, M Bookless (Scotland) 79 81, R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown) 79 81, B Anderson (Co. Sligo) 78 82.
161 T McGowan (Strandhill) 84 77, D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 83 78, G McGee (Malone) 82 79, L Brady (The Royal Dublin) 79 82.
162 K McDonagh (Athlone) 84 78, P Murray (Limerick) 84 78, S Binning (Scotland) 84 78, C O'Malley (Westport) 83 79, S McEwan (Scotland) 81 81, M Buggy (Castlecomer) 81 81, R Cannon (Laytown & Bettystown) 80 82.
163 T Rodrigues (Portugal) 86 77, M Brett (Portmarnock) 85 78, T Fay (Rush) 84 79, D Murphy (Portarlington) 82 81.
164 J Jóia (Portugal) 87 77, M Downes (England) 85 79, B Reiter (Austria) 82 82, T Dogil (Germany) 82 82, G Dillon (The Heath) 80 84, T Pulkkanen (Finland) 79 85.
165 P Dunne (Greystones) 84 81, G Lawlor (Newbridge) 82 83, T O' Flynn (Fota Island) 81 84, J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown) 80 85, M Cunningham (Scotland) 79 86.
166 C Schroder (Germany) 90 76, R Cronheim (USA) 88 78, H Bacher (Austria) 84 82, C Wilson (USA) 82 84, P Shields (Scotland) 82 84, T Beaumont (England) 80 86.
167 O Sharpe (England) 86 81, S Wolters (Germany) 86 81, O Mikkola (Finland) 83 84, M Hammond (Moyola Park) 82 85.

168 A Dooley (Glasson) 88 80, R McGee (Ireland) 86 82.
169 K Nicol (Scotland) 89 80, G Dunne (Seapoint) 88 81, C Thomson (Scotland) 83 86, R Bridges (Stackstown) 83 86.
170 J Hendrick (Scotland) 88 82, A Kirstein (Germany) 83 87, P Croonquist (USA) 81 89.

171 N Woods (East Clare) 91 80, K Samooja (Finland) 87 84173: F Illouz (France) 89 84, G O'Connor-Brooks (USA) 86 87.

174 M Reardon (USA) 86 88.

175 M Aurnhammer (Germany) 89 86, A Llorente (Colombia) 88 87, B Campbell (Malone) 86 89.

178 G Perne (Slovenia) 90 88.

Disqualified - E Kennedy (England) 85 DQ, D Morgan (Mullingar) 82 DQ.

Withdrew: J Haglund (Finland) 83 WD

BMW ITALIAN OPEN IN TURIN REPORT

Vancsik still leads but 4hr hold-up

leads to two late bogeys

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE

After the best part of a four-hour suspension of play for bad weather, leader Argentina's Daniel Vancsik returned to the course at nearly 8pm this evening ... and bogeyed two of the last three holes to throw the BMW Italian Open in Turin wide open again.
Vancsik, chasing his second European Tour victory, had been two strokes in front when a thunderstorm halted play at 4.10pm.
But when play resumed he failed to get up and down from a bunker at the 16th and three-putted the 17th.
He was in severe danger of dropping another stroke at the last after pulling his drive into thick rough, but got down in a pitch-and-pitch for par.
As a result the 32-year-old Argentine, winner of the 2007 Madeira Island Open, goes into the final round 11 under par, one in front of Finland's Roope Kakko.
The pair ranked 420th and 472nd in the world scored 69 and 68 respectively, little-known Challenge Tour player Kakko also bogeying the 17th on the resumption.
Two behind in joint third are Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin and South African Thomas Aiken, Maybin making a remarkable birdie on the 17th after double-bogeying the 16th.
From the left-hand rough the Belfast golfer's approach with a fairway wood skipped the bunker in front of the green and rolled up to 15 feet, from where he sank the putt.
Vancsik late this evening: "I was really unlucky with the timing of the break. I was feeling very confident, but lost concentration when we went back. But, having said that, I'm still happy to be leading and confident about tomorrow."

Aberdonian Richie Ramsay, joint 11th after three rounds, is in line for highest European Tour finish. He's scored 67, 70 and 70 for six-under-par 207, the same total as Glasgow-born Canadian Alan McLean. Gary Orr, the only other Scot to make the cut, is a shot behind on 208 after successive rounds of 68.

THIRD ROUND TOTALS

Par 213 (3 x 71)

202 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 68 65 69
203 Roope Kakko (Fin) 71 64 68
204 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 68 70 66, Gareth Maybin 64 70 70
205 Robert Rock 72 65 68, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 70 68
206 Ake Nilsson (Rsa) 68 69 69, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71 67 68, Julien Clement (Swi) 70 67 69, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 74 68 64
207 John Daly (USA) 69 69 69, Richie Ramsay 67 70 70, Andrew Tampion (Aus) 70 67 70, Michael McGeady 71 68 68, Robert Dinwiddie 72 67 68, Alan McLean 71 69 67, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 74 64 69
208 Gary Orr 72 68 68, Marco Soffietti (Ita) 72 69 67, Anders Hansen (Den) 73 65 70, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 70 69 69, Alastair Forsyth 73 68 67, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 70 69 69, Gregory Havret (Fra) 69 70 69
209 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 67 72 70, Chris Gane 71 70 68, Marcus Higley 67 70 72, David Lynn 71 68 70, Mark Foster 70 71 68, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 71 69 69
210 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 69 73, Gary Lockerbie 69 69 72, Gary Clark 72 70 68, Inder Van Weerelt (Ned) 69 69 72, Matteo Delpodio (Ita) 68 72 70, David Frost (Rsa) 76 66 68
211 Shiv Kapur (Ind) 68 73 70, Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice) 70 65 76, Branden Grace (Rsa) 69 70 72, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 71 69 71, Brett Rumford (Aus) 68 69 74, Gareth Paddison (Nzl) 70 72 69, Phillip Archer 71 70 70, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 68 70 73
212 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 73 66 73, Garry Houston 68 73 71, John Mellor 69 73 70, Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa) 68 74 70, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 72 70, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 74 68 70, Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha) 70 69 73, Anthony Wall 68 67 77, Gary Murphy 70 72 70, Lee Slattery 72 69 71, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 73 67 72
213 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 72 65 76, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 72 68 73, Soren Hansen (Den) 74 67 72, Metteo Manassero (Ita) 71 70 72, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 70 71
214 Jonathan Caldwell 71 68 75, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 73 69 72, Sion Bebb 73 68 73, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 69 69 76
215 Wil Besseling (Ned) 72 69 74, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 69 71 75, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 70 71 74
216 Marc Warren 74 67 75, Stephen Dodd 70 71 75
218 Benn Barham 73 67 78

The Players' Championship

Poulter and Cejka in all-European final

pairing for third day at TPC Sawgrass

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Ian Poulter goes into today's third round at The Players Championship in the lead group but not afraid of the pressure following his Ryder Cup heroics last September.
Poulter will start the day at TPC Sawgrass in Florida at nine under par, two strokes back on halfway leader Germany's Alex Cejka and in an all-European final pairing at the US PGA Tour's flagship event.
"I don't think I could probably play under as much pressure (as I did at the Ryder Cup), to be honest with you," Poulter said. "Everything from now on in, hopefully I can enjoy playing golf."
With Masters champion Angel Cabrera two shots behind him at seven under and world number one Tiger Woods at four under, Poulter, who finished tied for fifth at last week's Quail Hollow Championship, is also determined not to worry about the golfing big guns lining up behind him and Cejka as the weekend's play gets under way.
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Official website of the The Players Championship
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"I think if you go about your job properly, look at the board when you need to look at the board, whether Tiger is on the board or Camilo (Villegas) or Phil (Mickelson) or whoever, when you're playing good golf, you just need to keep making birdies.
"If guys are going to come from behind and try and make a challenge, then that's what they have to do.
"I'm not going to really be focusing on who's behind me and who could potentially come up behind me. I just want to keep doing what I'm doing and keep making birdies."
Poulter will also be trying to emulate fellow Englishman Paul Casey, who landed his first US victory last month at the Shell Houston Open.
"I think with how strong the European Tour golf is and the Europeans that play over here a lot, it's no surprise to me to see guys like Paul Casey winning golf tournaments," he said. "He came close at the match play. It wasn't going to be long before he knocked one off.
"Luke finishing second a few weeks ago, you know, he's won here before. I think European golf is strong."
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
133 Alex Cejka (Ger) 66 67
135 Ian Poulter (Eng) 67 68
137 Kevin Na 71 66, Jason Dufner 67 70, David Toms 67 70, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 72 65, John Mallinger 66 71, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 68 69
138 Richard S Johnson (Swe) 66 72, Ben Crane 65 73, Jeff Overton 71 67, Tim Petrovic 68 70
139 Michael Letzig 71 68, Charley Hoffman 70 69, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 67 72, Paul Casey (Eng) 70 69, Justin Leonard 70 69, Robert Allenby (Aus) 73 66, Camilo Villegas (Col) 67 72, Jonathan Byrd 67 72, Ryan Moore 71 68
140 Brian Davis (Eng) 71 69, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 75 65, Tiger Woods 71 69, Boo Weekley 73 67, Kevin Sutherland 73 67
141 Michael Allen 71 70, Justin Rose (Eng) 70 71, John Senden (Aus) 72 69, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 68 73, Scott Verplank 67 74, Tim Clark (Rsa) 72 69, Stephen Ames (Can) 70 71, Mark Wilson 69 72
142 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68 74, Steve Stricker 71 71, John Merrick 70 72, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 70 72, Bubba Watson 67 75, Chez Reavie 70 72, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 71 71, Jim Furyk 68 74, K J Choi (Kor) 73 69, Ernie Els (Rsa) 73 69, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 72 70, Johnson Wagner 69 73
143 Brad Adamonis 67 76, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 73, Zach Johnson 72 71, Jeff Quinney 73 70, Stewart Cink 70 73, Ben Curtis 71 72, Scott Piercy 71 72, Jeff Klauk 71 72, Vijay Singh (Fij) 71 72, Nathan Green (Aus) 74 69, Bob Estes 75 68, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 70 73, Martin Laird (Sco) 71 72, Jason Bohn 72 71
144 Billy Mayfair 70 74, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 71 73, Woody Austin 72 72, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 73, Heath Slocum 75 69, Tommy Armour III 74 70, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 74 70, Steve Marino 72 72, Mike Weir (Can) 72 72, Pat Perez 72 72, Graeme McDowell (NIrl) 71 73, Steve Flesch 75 69, Matt Kuchar 72 72, Fred Funk 73 71, Phil Mickelson 73 71, Dustin Johnson 72 72, Kenny Perry 73 71, Hunter Mahan 73 71, John Rollins 68 76, Cameron Beckman 72 72, Luke Donald (Eng) 74 70, Rocco Mediate 73 71, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 72 72
MISSED THE CUT
145 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 70 75, Jerry Kelly 73 72, Bart Bryant 74 71, Adam Scott (Aus) 71 74, Joe Ogilvie 72 73, Will MacKenzie 73 72, George McNeill 70 75, Andres Romero (Arg) 74 71, Ken Duke 70 75, Troy Matteson 73 72
146 Nick Watney 68 78, Chad Campbell 75 71, Scott McCarron 74 72, Todd Hamilton 74 72, Charles Howell III 73 73, Nicholas Thompson 73 73, Steve Elkington (Aus) 73 73
147 Bill Haas 74 73, Davis Love III 73 74, Eric Axley 72 75, Bo Van Pelt 71 76, Greg Kraft 74 73, Cliff Kresge 72 75, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 71 76, D.J. Trahan 74 73
148 Vaughn Taylor 72 76, Ross Fisher (Eng) 74 74, Lucas Glover 73 75, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 74 74, Kevin Streelman 74 74, Charlie Wi (Kor) 74 74, J B Holmes 72 76, Paul Goydos 78 70, Brett Quigley 72 76, Sean O'Hair 73 75, Briny Baird 72 76
149 J J Henry 73 76, Dean Wilson 77 72, Parker McLachlin 75 74
150 Tim Herron 75 75, Ryan Palmer 75 75, Y E Yang (Kor) 73 77, Peter Lonard (Aus) 77 73
151 Rory McIlroy (NIre) 74 77, Corey Pavin 74 77, Marc Turnesa 76 75, Fred Couples 80 71
153 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 81 72, Mathew Goggin (Aus) 76 77, Tom Pernice jun 74 79, Webb Simpson 76 77
154 Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 77 77
155 Anthony Kim 73 82, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 73 82, Matt Bettencourt 76 79
158 Michael Bradley 80 78
159 Steve Lowery 81 78
Withdrew: Dudley Hart 73, Brian Gay 80, Carl Pettersson 74

Mid-amateur golf more

popular on Continent

Mid-amateur golf has never really caught on in Britain (mainly because the minimum age limit is 25 and it should be 35: The Editor). A year or two ago, the R&A did away with the British mid-amateur championship.
But there is an entry of 144, including three Scots (Paul Moultrie, Colin Matthews and James Deas) for the European mid-amateur championship at Marbella on Spain's Costa del Sol from June 4 to 6. They also have a waiting list of 41 players, including another Scot, Gordon Walker.
It should be added that the European Golf Association do have a 35 years minimum age requirement. Good for them!
Entries close next week (Thursday, May 14) for the D M Hall Scottish mid-amateur championship at Royal Burgess GC, Edinburgh from June 13 to 15. Around 34 entries on the SGU website at the last check.
Ross Coull (Edzell), pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, will be defending the title.
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Deeside League Results

WEEK ONE
Aboyne 3½, Banchory 2½
Ballater 5, Tarland 1
Braemar 3, Torphins 3
Inchmarlo 4½ Lumphanan 1½
Stonehaven 5½, Peterculter ½

WEEK TWO FIXTURES
May 14
Banchory v Ballater
Lumphanan v Torphins
Peterculter v Aboyne
Tarland v Inchmarlo
May 17
Braemar v Stonehaven