Maitland Shield results this evening

Aberdeen City Foursomes for the Maitland Shield:

Nigg Bay bt Royal Aberdeen at 22nd
I Welsh & D Yeats 0, A Reith & M Halliday 4.
G Grimmer & N Slater 4, S Buchan & F Clark 40.
Nigg Bay won at fourth extra hole.

Hazlehead bt Bon Accord at 21st.
K Duthie & C Law 2, B Edmond & A Shand 0.
G Kennedy & A Strachan 0, M Greig & G Somers 2.
Hazelehead won at third extra hole.

Murcar Links bt Stonehaven by eight holes.
A Styles & I Galbraith 7, E Kennedy & B Ferguson 0.
A Bews & N Mckinnon 1, N Irvine & G Adamson 0

Peterculter bt Northern by one hole.
P Robb & G Meade 3, G Paterson & C McBain 0.
G Watson & D MacDonald 0, I Watt & T Robertson 2.

Pumped up Peter earns place in US

Open with 206yd hole in one

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Swede Peter Hanson secured a place in next month's US Open with a spectacular play-off hole-in-one after making a late change about which club to hit.
Hanson was left battling with Scot Stephen Gallacher and England's Richard Bland for the last of the 11 spots up for grabs in the 36-hole European qualifier at Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey today.
The 17th hole on the Old Course measures 206 yards and Hanson said: "I was pumped up so switched from a five iron to a six and knew I had to hit it really well to land it on the front of the green. It was just a perfect shot."
The seventh ace of his career came just two weeks after his sixth during the Irish Open at County Louth.
The play-off on five under par had started with seven players competing for five places and Italian Francesco Molinari, France's Jean-Francois Lucquin and Hanson's fellow countryman Johan Edfors went through with birdie threes on the first hole of sudden-death.
Molinari thought his chance of playing at Bethpage Black next month might have gone when he was disqualified from the Irish Open after taking the first round lead.
He was hoping to climb into the world's top 50 and earn a spot that way, but was disqualified for signing for a wrong score on a card marked incorrectly by playing partner Hanson.
First place in the qualifier was shared by England's Simon Khan and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin on nine under.
Simon Dyson was third one behind and said of the challenge that now awaits him: "I just hope it's not as hard as Pinehurst was four years ago.
"That was too hard, the most difficult course I've ever played. You were hitting four-irons into greens that were designed for wedges.
"You could be stood in the middle of a fairway with like a six iron in your hands thinking 'How do I hit this on the green?'
"I didn't play that great to be fair, but I've never seen anything like it." Dyson shot 79, 78 to miss the cut by nine shots.
With Colin Montgomerie among those to withdraw before the start today, four Ryder Cup stars were in the field, but while Paul McGinley, David Howell and Niclas Fasth missed out, recent Spanish Open winner Thomas Levet made it through on seven under.
Joint fifth, meanwhile, were South African Andrew McLardy and another Tour rookie, last year's Challenge Tour No 1, David Horsey, the 24-year-old who led the BMW PGA Championship after the opening round last Thursday.

NEW DATE FOR STONEHAVEN OPEN DAY

Sunday, June 7 is the rearranged date for Stonehaven Golf Club's Open Day.

All golfers will be welcome to play at Stonehaven that day – and a round will cost only £5.

And anyone who decides to become a member of the club on the day can do so for a special discount price of £300.

Club manager Morag Duncan said: "We tried to hold an Open Day earlier this month but unfortunately it was washed out by rain. So we have re-arranged it for June 7 as part of our drive to attract more members."

Aberdeen Links Championship First Qualifying Round Draw

Competitors will tee off mainly in threes at 10min intervals in the first qualifying round of the Aberdeen Links championship on Saturday, May 30.

Abbreviations: BA, Bon Accord; C, Caledonian; N, Northern.

5am D Gallaway (N), C McBain (N).

6.30 K Ross (BA), A Stewart (C), A Paterson (N); P McIntosh (BA), A Styles (C), G Bond (N); W J Smith (BA), D Mullen, A Mitchell (N).

7.0 J Kilman (BA), G Meade (C), M Burnett (N); M Dunn (BA), I Watt (N), R Evett (N); Matt Greig (BA), G Grimmer (C), S Davidson (N); I Welsh (BA), A Sherriffs (N); B Edmond (BA), A Cruickshank (C), R Stewart (N); D S S Smith (BA), A Doig (C), S Muir (N).

8.0 P Coutts (BA), G Allan (C), W Rae (N); Mark Greig (BA), S Rinnie (CA), A Fiddes (N); M Smith (BA), R Rimmer (C), D Nicholson (N); R Allerton (BA), W Murphy (N); K Ironside (BA), D Coull (N).

9.0 S Murray (BA), G H Paterson (N); G Campbell (BA), S Slessor (N); S Murphy (BA), S Slessor (N); S Murphy (BA), Ken Milne (N); G Reid (BA), Keith Smith (C), Ogston (N).

10.0 A Pirie (NP), R Morrison (N); G V Somers, P Cheyne; S Garden, D Leslie (B), 10.40 G Forbes (C), J Ritchie (N).

11.0 D Forbes (C), J Inglis (N), L Morrice (C), C Cross (F); A Divers (C), J Duff (N).

11.50 G Henderson (C), R Neilson (Northern).

12.0 S J Laing (BA), W Ross (Caledonain), R Sinclair (C); D Gardiner (C), T Robertson (N); N Gray (BA), R Pirie (C); C Hay (C), W West (N); D Grieve (BA), A Sheldrick (C), G Geddes (N).

MURRAY CUP - First Qualifying Round.

(Sunday, May 31)

7.30 I Stewart (BA), A G A Forbes (C), G Fiddes (N); R Campblel (BA)P D McPherson (C) I Petrie; W Guyan (BA), A G Forbes (C), J Muir (Northern),

8.0 D Stewart (C), J Skinner (N); S Moir (C), A Handesley (N); M Flanagan (BA), C Taylor (N); S Beattie (N), R Buchan (N); D Armour (BA), J L Gall (C), J Watt (N); J Craig ((BA), K G Robertson (C), J Clark (N).

9.0 F G Kennedy (BA), S Kemp (BA); G Gauld (Bon Accord, M Thompson (C), D Gill (N); A Urquhart (BA), R Moir (C), S Kennedy (D); J Urquhart (BA), J Hosie (N), G McDonald (N); R Urquhart (BA), G F Webster (N), D Barclay (BA), G Mackie (C), A Buchan (N).

10.0 K Harper (BA), C Carson (C), R Jones (N).

10.40 M Emslie (BA), R McCulloch (C), S Wright (N); G Martin (BA), M Hay (C), J Maybury (N).

11.0 C Murphy (BA), R Anderson (C) G Adams (N); Cal Murphy (BA), R Davison (C), B Lumdsen (N); R Grieve (BA), G Milne (C), B Lumsden jun (N); M Winton (C), R Lumsden (C; R Lumsden (P), L Robson (N).

SENIORS

(Friday, May 29)

8.10 E Morrison (BA), E Yeats (C), J Hepburn (N); D Ross (BA), S Robertson (C), J Murphy (N); J L Duncan (BA), J McBeath (C), S Duthie (N); S Kemp (BA), D Yeats (C), A Stephen (N); E Leigh (BA), R Green (C), A Slessor (N).

9.0 R Stuart (BA), C Carson (C), G Adams (N); D J Duncan (BA), R L Watt (C), R Jones N); D Fowler (BA), G Allan (C), D Young (BA); A W Mathieson (BA), R O'Rawe (C), I Morrice (BA); G Hunter (BA), D J Hampton (C), J Gray (C); W Bensie (BA), A W Brown (C), S Law (N).

10.0 D Forsyth (BA), G Forbes (C), N West (N); F Watson (BA), A R Meanrs (C), A Hendeerson (N); R Campbell (BA), G Mackie (C), G Webster (N); B Wiffen (BA), W Sutherland (C), R Ludlam (BA); C L Forbes (BA), I McLaughlan (C), L Begg (BA); C W E Hay (BA), A J Reid (BA), A Low (BA).

11.0 J A Christie (BA), P Reid (BA), N Stewart (N); L Thomson (BA), R MGrant (C), A Fiddes (N); J Duff (N), D Coull (N), J Forrest (N); A K Pirie (N), J F Hardie (N), G H Paterson (N).

Hugh Hunter's Clackmannan County news

MORE SUCCESS FOR SCOTT

Dollar’s Scott Borrowman continues to make his presence felt at elite level in Scottish Amateur Golf. In the weekend Welsh Open Stroke play, he finished the top Scot with a four-round total of 285 (73, 73, 70, 69) nine shots behind the winner.
Form like this will keep him in the frame for International Honours in 2009 , and he has a further chance in the Scottish Stroke play also over 72 holes this weekend at Murcar Links. The competition will be keen--- there are 143 entrants with a good number from outwith Scotland, a handicap limit of plus 0.2 and a cut after two rounds.
Scott is moving up the World Amateur Golf rankings ---from rankings in the 500’s last year he has moved to the 300’s so far but still a good way from Callum Macaulay’s achievements in recent years.

CALLUM BACK IN ACTION

After his disappointment at missing entries for the recent European Tour events in Ireland and Wentworth, Tulliallan’s Callum Macaulay must be delighted to be in the field for the European Open at the London Golf Club from the 28th – 31st May 28 to 31, and, a week later, the Welsh Open at Celtic Manor.
Both courses are well over 7,200 yards (that’s over four miles!) so four rounds over each (if you make the cut) plus practice rounds and pro-Ams totals up to a fair bit of walking, both for the golfer and the caddy. Not courses for handicap golfers!
Callum will be hoping for some good form again to move further up the rankings and bring him closer to retain his European card for next year. County golfers will again be wishing him the best of luck and following his progress closely.

CHARLIE COULL
Many older County golfers will be saddened to learn of the death of Charlie Coull from Tillicoultry last week at the age of 92. Charlie was a stalwart of the local golf scene over many years starting with County Boys Championships in the early 1930’s , followed by honours at Alva and Dollar Golf Clubs . On the County Golf scene, he represented Clackmannanshire on many occasions, demonstrating a great deal of passion for the game of golf in his team appearances, along with fine golfing skills.
On a personal note, he partnered me in my first County Fours event representing Dollar golf club over Braehead. At the first hole he put me behind the tree in the hollow, and watching me study the shot said “that’s easy—just hit it low” I looked again to see that the golf ball had to go down then up, but as Charlie (the senior partner) had said so, the ball would do it and I had to try it….. didn’t work of course.
Our sympathies go to his wife Kath and son Gordon

So it was not the unkindest cut for

David Toms - he's into two majors

David Toms missed the cut at the Byron Nelson Championship but made it into the next two majors.
The top 50 in the world ranking after this week are exempt from qualifying for the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black and the Open at Turnberry. Toms slipped only three spots to finish at No. 50, by three-hundredths of a point over Aaron Baddeley, who chose not to play the Nelson and fell two spots to No. 51.
Toms will get to skip 36-hole qualifying June 8 for the US Open.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain birdied the 18th hole at Wentworth for a 68 to tie for 11th at the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour, earning enough points to move up 11 spots to No. 49. It will be his first U.S. Open.
Other players exempt from the world ranking are Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Alvaro Quiros, Adam Scott and Justin Rose.The U.S. Open also exempts the top 10 from the US PGA Tour money list through the Byron Nelson Championship. That group includes Sean O’Hair, Nick Watney, Rory Sabbatini, Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson. They also would have been eligible through the top 50 in the world.A 36-hole British Open qualifier for PGA Tour players will be held Monday near Dallas.