Eurosport take over TV coverage of

US Tour from bankrupt Setanta

United States PGA Tour television coverage in the United Kingdom will continue under an agreement with Eurosport to broadcast the remaining tournaments on the 2009 schedule.
The agreement came two days after the US PGA Tour said its six-year deal with Setanta was over because the Irish-based broadcaster had filed for bankruptcy protection.
The US PGA Tour events will be shown on Eurosport and Eurosport 2, which are accessible in more than 10 million homes in the U.K.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

US PGA TOUR REPORT

Kenny Perry cruises round in 61

with nine birdies and 25 putts

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Kenny Perry shot a course record-equalling 61 at TPC River Highlands to take the lead in the Travelers Championship at the end of the first round in Connecticut. Perry had his sights set on becoming the fourth player in US PGA Tour history to shoot a 59 after making the turn in 29 on a short, 6,841-yard course softened by the relentless rain in the US north-east and with little wind in Cromwell.
Hopes of matching Al Geiberger in 1977, Chip Beck in 1991 and David Duval 10 years ago faded when Perry missed a short birdie putt on the par-three 16th and, needing a birdie-birdie finish to get to 59, he had to settle for par on both the closing two holes.
Despite a nine-birdie, no-bogey round that needed just 25 putts, Perry downplayed becoming the fifth person to shoot a 61 at TPC River Highlands.
He said: It's good I guess, but it's only Thursday. That's not my ultimate goal. It was an easy round, very relaxed. I hit it where I needed to hit it on every hole, didn't hit it in the rough anywhere, my iron game was really sharp.
"I felt like my game was coming, I knew I didn't play very well last week (at the US Open) in the rain and poor conditions and I felt like my game was changing. I hit some real quality iron shots. It was just a great start, a nice, fun almost magical round. I was hoping to get that number."
The benign conditions made it a day of low scoring and Perry's nine under par lead was kept at two shots by 63s from fellow Americans Paul Goydos and Charles Warren, with Perry's Ryder Cup Valhalla team-mate Boo Weekley, Tag Ridings - who aced the 155-yard par-three 11th, Spencer Levin and Australia's Greg Chalmers lying a further shot back on six under.
US Open champion Lucas Glover and the Bethpage Black joint runner-up Ricky Barnes were among the nine players shooting five-under 65s with 20 players including Vijay Singh of Fiji and US Ryder Cuppers Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim on four under.
World number four Sergio Garcia, the highest ranked player in the field, Sweden's Jesper Parnevik and England's Greg Owen finished the day with 67s. Another Englishman, Justin Rose, and Swede Fredrik Jacobsen were among those shooting 68s while Londoner Brian Davis was at level par following his 70.
While the US heroes from Valhalla enjoyed a good day in Connecticut, their captain from last last September's victory over Europe Paul Azinger had a far less satisfying day. After shooting a 68, Azinger was disqualified for playing a non-conforming ball.
US Open runner-up Ricky Barnes bounced back from his final-day disappointment at Bethpage Black to put himself in contention.
The 28-year-old American, chasing a big pay cheque to get him into next month's Open Championship at Turnberry, shot a five-under-par, first-round 65 in benign conditions at the short, 6,841-yard course.
Barnes led last week's rain-drenched US Open in New York after 36 and 54 holes and was overnight co-leader with Lucas Glover as the second major championship of the year stretched into Monday.
His grip on a maiden professional victory loosened, though, with a closing round of 76 as Glover held his nerve to take the title.
Glover finished on five-under-par 65, a very good score "after the Lord Mayor's Show" as it were!
Needing to finish in the top two money winners in a six-event series that ends with the Travelers and next week's AT&T National to earn an exemption into the Open, Barnes jumped into third place in the series standings with his $559,830 prize money from Bethpage Black with John Mallinger and Kevin Na less than $10,000 ahead of him.
Mallinger is not in the field this week but Na was three under following an opening 67.
SCOREBOARD
The TPC at River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut, United States of America
Par 70
61 Kenny Perry
63 Charles Warren, Paul Goydos
64 Spencer Levin, Tag Ridings, Boo Weekley, Greg Chalmers (Aus)
65 Jerry Kelly, D.A. Points, Ricky Barnes, Aaron Watkins, Mathew Goggin (Aus), John Merrick, Lucas Glover, David Toms, Y.E. Yang (Kor)
66 Robert Garrigus, Colt Knost, Brian Gay, Chez Reavie, Vijay Singh (Fij), Ken Duke, Bo Van Pelt, Nicholas Thompson, Luke List, Kyle Stanley, Lee Janzen, Bubba Watson, Brian Bateman, Hunter Mahan, Billy Andrade, Charlie Wi (Kor), Anthony Kim, J J Henry, Johnson Wagner, D.J. Trahan, Ryan Moore
67 Patrick Sheehan, Chris Riley, Aron Price (Aus), Bill Lunde, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Greg Owen (Eng), Matt Bettencourt, Webb Simpson, Joe Durant, Chad Campbell, Bryce Molder, Briny Baird, Frank Lickliter II, Jason Bohn, Jesper Parnevik (Swe), Zach Johnson, Tim Herron, Mark Brooks, Joe Ogilvie, Casey Wittenberg, Steve Lowery, Cliff Kresge, Peter Lonard (Aus), Kevin Na, Jeff Maggert, Jarrod Lyle (Aus), Kevin Stadler, Jay Williamson, Scott Verplank, Brandt Snedeker, Tommy Gainey
68 Jonathan Kaye, Paul Azinger, Ben Curtis, Heath Slocum, James Driscoll, Nick O'Hern (Aus), Will MacKenzie, Daniel Chopra (Swe), Justin Rose (Eng), Dean Wilson, Tim Petrovic, Bob Heintz, Matt Weibring, Jason Gore, Kent Jones, Kris Blanks, Chris DiMarco, Ted Purdy, Kevin Streelman, Dustin Johnson, Michael Allen, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Rich Beem, Corey Pavin, Glen Day
69 Kirk Triplett, Vaughn Taylor, Gary Woodland, Woody Austin, Kevin Sutherland, Bob Tway, Steve Elkington (Aus), Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Steve Marino, Justin Leonard, Nathan Green (Aus), Ryan Palmer, Tyler Aldridge, Stuart Appleby (Aus)
70 Brendon De Jonge, Michael Letzig, Brian Davis (Eng), Scott McCarron, Billy Mayfair, Jeff Quinney, David Berganio Jnr., Mathias Gronberg (Swe), John Rollins, Roland Thatcher, Ryuji Imada (Jpn), David Mathis, Olin Browne
71 Peter Tomasulo, Chris Stroud, Pat Perez, Steve Flesch, Darron Stiles, Stewart Cink, Harrison Frazar, Derek Fathauer, Brian Vranesh, Ben Crane, Scott Sterling, Marc Leishman (Aus), Leif Olson, Scott Gutschewski, Patton Kizzire
72 Stephen Leaney (Aus), Matthew Borchert, Rickie Fowler
73 Brad Adamonis, Notah Begay III, Brendon Todd, Wil Collins, Jimmy Walker, Marc Turnesa
74 Brad Faxon, Danny Lee (Nzl), Eric Axley, Steve Allan (Aus)
75 John Bushka, Tony Kelley, Rick Price, Brent Geiberger
76 Troy Kelly, Martin Catalioto, James Oh (Kor)
79 Mike Capone

Praise for the surgeons who removed brain tumour from Seve

Call me Seve Mulligan now, says Ballesteros:

'I've been given a second chance'

Seve Ballesteros has made his first official public appearance since undergoing life-saving surgery to remove a brain tumour last December.
The 52-year-old was speaking at the launch of a cancer federation that will bear his name in Spain and admits he has felt like he has been given a second chance at life.
"Nine months ago my life was hanging by a thread. I feel now like I have a mulligan in life," he said in reference to the golf rule which permits a player to retake a shot.
"The first thing that I told the doctors after I woke up from the anaesthetic was that my new name was Seve Mulligan."
The five-time major winner was diagnosed with a brain tumour after losing consciousness at Madrid Airport last October.
He spent the next 66 days in La Paz hospital in Madrid where he underwent four operations before being allowed to return to his home in Bilbao on December 9.
Ballesteros has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment since and took the chance to praise the doctors who performed the operations to remove the tumour, describing their work as "a miracle".
The charismatic Spaniard also likened his fight against the ailment to the birdie putt he sank on the 18th at St Andrews to help win the Open in 1984 - which he believes required a similar amount of willpower.
He added to BBC Sport: "My recovery is like The Open in 1984 when the ball hovered on the lip of the hole. With all my energy I willed the ball to drop in and it did.
"With that ability and the doctors' hands, I am here now."

Gordon Brand junior in four-way tie

for lead in De Vere PGA Seniors event

From Steve Todd, European Senior Tour Press Officer
Gordon Brand junior quickly readjusted to Slaley Hall’s Hunting Course, where he made a memorable European Senior Tour debut last year, as he fired a three under par 69 for a four-way share of the lead in The De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship today.
The former Ryder Cup player finished runner-up to namesake Gordon J Brand after an epic six-hole play-off in 2008, narrowly missing out on becoming the youngest Senior Tour winner just five days after turning 50.
Brand carded four birdies and just the single bogey – on his final hole of the day – to match the clubhouse target set earlier by South African Jeff Hawkes and American John Benda. Paraguay’s Angel Franco then joined the trio at the top of the leaderboard after he three-putted the 18th, also to finish three under par.
Having finished 30th in the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open last week, Brand junior said he was considerably more satisfied with his game following an impressive opening round in Northumberland.
“I played very solidly today but bogeyed my last hole, the ninth, which was a tough hole but I had better control today,” said the 50 year old Scot, originally from Fife.
“It is a course to my liking but there is a long way to go yet. I’ve been struggling with my game and nothing has been consistent. I have a bad round and then finish off quite well but today was as good as it has been for a while so I’m very pleased.
“The ninth is a tough hole – it’s two woods into there - and I was on the front edge so I had a tough putt which I ran by but to just have one bogey and a smattering of birdies was very satisfying.
“It’s playing a lot easier than last year. It is a lot shorter and the rough is not as bad. The course is in great shape and playing a lot easier.
“My real pleasure today was playing with (former Open champion) Bob Charles. He was only 10 yards behind me and he is 73! You don’t often get to play with class people like that and he was class today.”
Franco is chasing his first Senior Tour victory after finishing runner-up on three occasions, including in this year’s DGM Barbados Open.
He said: “I was very happy. I hit the ball very well. I bogeyed the 18th as my first putt was too long but I feel very comfortable on this course and I played well.”
Hawkes posted six birdies in his round of 69 but a double bogey finish cost him the position of outright leader, likewise Benda double bogeyed the seventh hole after six birdies and a bogey.
For Hawkes it was an encouraging opening round as he continues his comeback after missing the whole of last season following surgery on both his shoulder and a long term foot problem.
“It’s been a while since I’ve played well under par but it was a shame about the finish,” said the 55 year old. “It was fun until then.
“It was a good scoring round but I didn’t hit the ball as well as I have been. I like the course. It’s ideal conditions – we’ve played in rain here before so it is good.”
England’s Kevin Spurgeon is a shot behind the leaders on two under par while Order of Merit leader Ian Woosnam, who arrived at Slaley Hall in fine form after winning in Ireland three weeks ago and finishing tied third in Wales last week, signed for an opening round one over par 73.
The 2006 Ryder Cup Captain said: “I was one under for the first nine but I’m just not playing well enough so 73 was about right. I’m just not hitting as well as I would like. I’ve just got to wait for those days when I’m playing well.”
Sam Torrance, another former Ryder Cup Captain, is a shot further back after a two over par 74, while defending champion Gordon J Brand opened with a nine over par 81.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
69 A Franco (Par), G Brand jun (Sco), J Hawkes (RSA), J Benda (USA)
70 K Spurgeon (Eng)
71 G Towne (USA), B Cameron (Eng), B Lincoln (RSA), T Rastall (Eng), J Quiros (Esp), M Briggs (Eng), G Cali (Ita), T Giedeon (Ger)
72 C Williams (RSA), D Russell (Eng) , V Garcia (Esp)
73 I Woosnam (Wal), C Rocca (Ita) , A Barrera (Arg), T Charnley (Eng), M Cunning (USA), B Charles (Nzl), C Mason (Eng) , D Smyth (Irl), E Rodriguez (Esp) , B Boyd (USA)
74 T Allen (Eng), P Oakley (USA) , A Hemsley (Sco), T Johnstone (Zim) , J Heggarty (Nir) , P Mitchell (Eng), M Williams (Zim) , E Darcy (Irl), J Hoskison (Eng) , R Masters (Eng), S Torrance (Sco), M Harwood (Aus) , J Chillas (Sco), M White (Sco), R Chapman (Eng) , G Ryall (Eng)
75 F Kiddie (Eng) , I Palmer (RSA) , T Planchin (Fra) , G Harvey (Sco) , J Bruner (USA) , H Carbonetti (Arg) , M Guttman (USA) , M Clayton (Aus) , A Fernandez (Chi) , P Harrison (Eng) , D Good (Aus) , K Hanefeld (USA) , D O'Sullivan (Irl) , D Johnson (USA) , S Ebihara (Jpn)
76 P Dugeny (Fra) , P Hinton (Eng) , N Job (Eng) , R Drummond (Sco) , K Tomori (Jpn) , A Murray (Eng) , M Kierstenson (Eng) , E Polland (Nir) , B Longmuir (Sco) , A J Webster (Sco) , J Rhodes (Eng) , M Galway (Eng)
77 G Ralph (Eng) , A Johnsson (Swe) , P Hanna (Nir) , G Townhill (Eng) , T Gale (Aus) , D Cambridge (Jam) , D Merriman (Aus) , B Larratt (Eng) , B Smit (RSA) , G Encina (Chi) , D Hospital (Esp) , P Brostedt (Swe) , R Mann (Eng) , P O'Hagan (Irl)
78 G Watine (Fra) , M Foster (Eng) , J Lapsley (Nzl) , J Heggarty (Eng) , T Rouse (Eng) , P Dahlberg (Swe) , I Mosey (Eng) , M Greenough (Eng) , D Allen (Eng) , N Ratcliffe (Aus) , S Martin (Sco) , M Poxon (Eng)
79 K Stevely (Sco) , L Carbonetti (Arg) , G Marsh (Aus)
80 M Piñero (Esp), G Davies (Wal) , G Banister (Aus) , A Bownes (Eng) , S Bennett (Eng)
81 F Hill (Eng), G Brand (Eng) , M McLean (Eng) , M Miller (Sco) , G Krause (Eng) , M Bembridge (Eng)
82 S Marr (Sco), S Bishop (Eng) , J Woof (Eng)
83 S Owen (Nzl), B Stevens (Eng) , G Hopkins (USA) , P Seal (Eng)
84 D Stirling (Eng)
85 G Potter (Eng)
87 R Waugh (Eng)
94 J Hall (Eng)

Butterfield's record 62 leads new Euro Challenge Tour event

Ice-cold putter leaves Andrew McArthur

six shots behind record-breaker

By PAUL SYMES, European Challenge Tour Press Officer
Andrew McArthur bemoaned another poor putting performance after firing a round of 68 which could have been “so much better” on the opening day of The Princess, the new €300,000 Challenge Tour event Henrik Stenson is supporting.
McArthur is six shots off the pace set by runaway leader Andrew Butterfield, who broke the course record at Båstad GK in Båstad, Sweden, with a round of 62.
But with a hot putter the gap would have been considerably less, according to McArthur.
The former Scottish amateur champion from Windyhill said:
“I played really well, just missed chance after chance – which has been the same story all season. My putting’s been particularly poor lately – although I’ve always been a bit streaky on the greens. If I hole some putts then a few more tend to start dropping, but it can just as easily go the other way.
"I actually holed a couple of long ones where I maybe felt I didn’t deserve to. But then I missed about five or six putts from inside eight feet, which was hard to take.
“It’s got to the point now where I’m thinking too much about my technique all the time, instead of just trying to hole the putts. So I’m going to just try to clear my mind and go back to basics, though that might be easier said than done.
"It was the same story last week – it’s so frustrating. But I started to get a better feel for the pace of the greens towards the end of the round, so hopefully I can take that into tomorrow.”
Fellow Scot Lloyd Saltman is a further shot back on two under par, having collected three birdies and a bogey.
Saltman said: “It’s a tough course, particularly in the wind, so I was surprised at some of the scores. But I was still pretty pleased with my own game. It’s a big week with so much money at stake, so I’m grateful to get an invite to play, because my category didn’t get me in.
"If I can have a good week, it’ll hopefully set me on the road to getting my European Tour card, which is the aim I set myself at the start of the season.”
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71
62 A Butterfield (Eng)
65 S Bebb (Wal), F Andersson Hed (Swe)
66 C Rodiles (Spa), T Carolan (Aus), L Bond (Wal), U Van Den Berg (Rsa), R Coles (Eng), P Barth (Swe)
67 Z Scotland (Eng), R Steiner (Aut), C Gunther (Ger), A Sjostrand (Swe), O Suhr (Den), K Webber (Aus)
68 C Suneson (Spa), A Bruschi (Ita), S Surry (Eng), J Wahlqvist (Swe), N Lemke (Swe), S Jeppesen (Swe), M Rodriguez (Arg), J Abbate (Arg), N Bruzelius (Swe), A Ahokas (Fin), J Lima (Por), D Kupper (Ger), A McArthur (Sco)
69 J Sjoholm (Swe), P Gustafsson (Swe), T Whitehouse (Eng), J Clement (Swi), G Paddison (Nzl), L Saltman (Sco), P Bocian (Swe), M Korhonen (Fin), F Calmels (Fra), C Carranza (Arg), A Tampion (Aus), M Wiegele (Aut), B Evans (Eng), M Rominger (Swi), R Hie (Ina), J Guerrier (Fra), G Houston (Wal)
70 L James (Eng), B Akesson (Swe), K Jorgensen (Den), N Meitinger (Ger), J Morrison (Eng), J Grillon (Fra), P Kaensche (Nor), A Hogberg (Swe), J Colomo (Spa), G Boyd (Eng), R McEvoy (Eng), M Cort (Eng), W Schauman (Swe)
71 F Henge (Swe), J Dantorp (Swe), P Whiteford (Sco), A Marshall (Eng), T Karjalainen (Fin), E Molinari (Ita), I Giner (Spa), B Miarka (Ger), A Rocha (Bra), R Kakko (Fin), A Mork (Fra), L Brovold (Nor), S Barr (Aus), J Granberg (Fin), A Gee (Eng), A Willey (Eng), G Murray (Sco), S Tiley (Eng), M Larsson (Swe), C Gane (Eng)
72 A Grenier (Fra), K Edberg (Swe), L Westerberg (Swe), M Laskey (Wal), N Smith (USA), C Moriarty (Irl), J Bjerhag (Swe), J Larsen (Nor), O Floren (Swe), M Tullo (Chi), K Brink (Swe), J Arruti (Spa), S Thornton (Irl), K Sullivan (Wal), B Hebert (Fra), R Muntz (Ned), S Walker (Eng), J Caldwell (NIrl), N Colsaerts (Bel), F Colombo (Ita), R Swane (Ned)
73 A Hansen (Den), L Johansson (Swe), A Haindl (Rsa), R De Sousa (Swi), A Hedlund (Swe), M Jurgensen (Den), J Heath (Eng), S Manley (Wal), B Pettersson (Swe), V Riu (Fra), P Baker (Eng), R Santos (Por)
74 C Monasterio (Arg), J Rask (Swe), F Praegant (Aut), G Adell (Swe), T Ferreira (Rsa), M Reale (Ita), F Svanberg (Swi), J Hedin (Swe), R Russell (Sco), J Ruth (Eng)
75 P Purhonen (Fin), C Brazillier (Fra), T Feyrsinger (Aut), P Niederdrenk (Ger), G Molteni (Ita), J McLean (Aus), G Shaw (NIrl), N Fox (Irl), A Bernadet (Fra), F Qvicker (Swe)
76 J Skold (Swe), R Steele (Eng), D Palm (Swe), E Ramsay (Sco), P Ericsson (Swe), M McGeady (Irl), J McLeary (Sco)
77 M Haastrup (Den), T Norret (Den), J Zapata (Arg), D Marmion (Eng), G Hutcheon (Sco), D Ulrich (Swi), S Robinson (Eng), N Maestroni (Ita), N Floren (Swe)
78 J Moul (Eng), D Nouailhac (Fra), R Treis (Ger), M Griffiths (Wal)
79 A Bossert (Swi), A Wagner (Arg), M Palm (Swe)
81 M Pilkington (Wal)
RTD: J Quesne (Fra)

2009 Fife Order of Merit for the Mackay Bowl

POSITIONS AFTER 10 EVENTS

1 GREG PATERSON (St Andrews New) 300pt
1 JAMES WHITE (Lundin) 300pt.
3 DANNY SOMMERVILLE (St Andrews) 180pt.
4 COLIN LOVEDAY (Scotscraig) 170pt.
5 ALISTER HAIN (Ladybank) 125pt.
5 GEOFF MARSHALL (Kirkcaldy) 125pt.
5 COLIN MARTIN (Balbirnie Park) 125pt.
5 LEE STEWART (Canmore) 125pt.

The next counting events are the SolarSport East of Scotland Championship over 72 holes at Lundin Links on Saturday and Sunday and the Aberdour 36-hole Open on June 28.

Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship

75 - What a blooming

good show by

Heather MacRae!

Didn't she do well! Heather Macrae, probably under more pressure than in any other previous round in her whole golfing life, showed her class with a three-over-par round of 75 over the so-tough PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles Hotel today.
Heather, the first female to play in the Gleneagles Scottish PGA championship since Meg Farquhar at Lossiemouth in 1933, might even now beat the halfway cut, which would be some performance for a rookie pro who was the British women's open amateur stroke-play champion at Nairn in 2005.
The 25-year-old Dunblane player, who is an assistant pro in training at Gullane, is lying joint 35th in the huge field of the great and the good on the Tartan Tour. The leading 50 and ties after 36 holes will qualify for the weekend's 36 holes.
If you miss the fairways at the PGA Centenary Course, you have a job finding your ball, let alone playing it, so Heather was not often in the long grass even though she had a dreadful start that would have demoralised someone of less moral fibre.
She bogeyed the second, double-bogey the par-5 second and dropped another shot at the sixth to be four over par on the seven tee. But that was the low point of her round. She turned in four-over-par 40 but she had put the wheels on her recovery by birdieing the eighth.
She did bogey the ninth, 13th and 14th but cancelled them out with birdies at the 11th, 15th and 17th in a admirable one-under-par inward half of 35.
When one considers that former Northern Open champion David Thomson, now the director of golf at Skibo Castle, took 85 blows and there were three "No Returns," Scottishgolfview has no hesitation in naming Heather MacRae "Player of the Day.
No doubt about who has the bragging rights in the MacRae household until further notice because brother Andrew, an assistant pro on the Gleneagles Hotel staff, returned an 84 to be joint 143rd at the end of the day.
Up at the sharp end of the tournament, four players are locked together in the lead at four-under-par 68 - Mark King (Kingsfield), Northern Open winner Craig Lee, former Walker Cup amateur Lindsay Mann, and one-time European Tour player Jonathan Lomas who now stays near Turnberry.
King had a magnificent start, birdieing the second, third, fourth, fifth and ninth to be out in 33, despite bogeys at the sixth and seventh. He cooled off a bit on the inward half but kept a bogey off his card for the second nine and had a birdie at the 16th.
Craig Lee birdied the second and the fourth but was back to square one when he had double bogey 6 at the fifth. But he did go on to get in the red and stay there with birdies at the seventh, 11th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th in halves of 35 and 33. He did have bogeys at the 10th and 13th.
Lindsay Mann came roaring home in 32 after putting his only bogey of the round - at the first - to the back of his mind with birdies at the eighth, 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th.
Lomas was another who had an awful start - a double bogey 6 at the first. But that was his only slip. He birdied the second and sixth to match the par of 36 to the turn and then motored home in 32, thanks to birdies at the 14th and 16th and then that rare bird at the 553yd 18th - an eagle 3.
ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Par 72
68 M King (Kingsfield) 33-35, C Lee (unatt) 35-33, L Mann (Carnoustie) 36-32, J Lomas (unatt) 36-32.
69 R Cameron (McDonald Ellon), D Orr (East Renfrewshire), J McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), J Sharp (Carrick at Cameron House), S Herald (Mearns Castle).
70 T Buchanan (Duddingston).
71 L Harper (Archerfield Links), R Arnott (Bishopbriggs), P Mitchell (Hermitage), K Walker (Castle Park), G Niven (Stirling Univ), A Oldcorn (Kings Acre), S Gray (Hayston).
72 E Thomson (Senit Associates), C Gillies (Perry Golf), J McGhee (Turnhouse), M Kerr (Bathgate), C Nicoll (Prestwick), T Burgoyne (Gotastroms).
73 C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), P Wilson (World of Golf), S Henderson (Kings Links), A Lockhart (Ladybank), G Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation), G Wright (West Linton), B Wallace (unatt).
74 E Davie (Dunblane New), S Cairns (Colville Park), F Mann (Musselburgh), H Kemp (Bishopbriggs), J McKinnon (Irvine), S Craig (Paragon), S Lamb (Broomieknowe).
75 F McLaughlan (Bothwell Castle), A Gibson (North Gailes), J Porteous (Craigielaw), M Bruce (Gullane), C Cameron (Hamilton), R Smith (Gleneagles Hotel) R Rafferty (unatt), P McKechnie (Braid Hills), N Fenwick (Dunbar), E Hogarth (Peebles), C Boyle (Lanark), D Patrick (Elie), Heather MacRae (Gullane) 40-35, D Park (Wishaw), P Wytrazek (Burntisland), A Cooper (Newmachar), G Fox (East Kilbride), J Stevenson (Braehead).
76 D Fleming (Prestwick), C Robinson (Dumfries & Galloway), S Duncan (Balbirnie Park), S McNally (Scottish Inst of Sport), G Law (Uphall), C Ronald (Carluke), I Taylor (Drumpellier), A Purdie (Kingsbarns), K Cam0pbell (Machrihanish), I Bratton (Newburgh-on-Ythan), P Lovie (P1 Corporate), G Hardy (Ayr Belleisle), B Leishman (Gleneagles Hotel), C Donaldson (C Donaldson Golf Academy).
77 C Elliott (Haggs Castle), C Smith (Royal Musselburgh), P rookes (Pitreavie), I Stoddart (Uphall), I Colquhoun (Dundonald Links), K Campbell (Balmore), D Broadfoot (Dumfries & Co), S Spence (unatt), M Barnard (Inchmarlo), A McDonald (Elie), A E Reid (West Linton), S Rettie (Glenbervie), M Loftus (Cowglen), K Hutton (Downfield), N Scott Smith (Palacerigg), G McInnes (Murcar Links), A Reid (unatt), S Morrison (Tain), A MacKenzie (Duddingston), G Forrester (St Andrews Golf School).
78 A Jowett (Gleneagles Hotel), M Finlayson (Edzell), N Murray (Cruden Bay), R Irvine (Douglas Park), C Mrris (Kingsknowe), S Reekie (Blairgowrie), S Morrison (Acushnet Europe), C Everett (Caldwell), D McKay (Wellsgreen), L Vannet (Carnoustie GL), K Lobban (K Lobban Golf), S Savage (Dalmuir), M Gillingham (Gleneagles Hotel).
79 G Dingwall (Royal Dornoch), D Watters (Gourock), G McFarlane (Clober), J Hedberg (Royal Aberdeen), R Gray (Prodream USA), N Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh), S Taylor (Bothwell Castle), C Kelly (Cawder) K Baxter (Buchanan Castle), M Murray (unatt), A Love (Charleton), R Stewart (Cruden Bay).
80 M Rae (Alyth), P Malone (Braid Hills), S Gillespie (Burntisland), A Fullen (Largs), O Morton (Gullane), B Mason (Callaway Golf), P Wardell (Whitekirk), C Russell (RAW Golf Course Design).
81 Greig McSporran (Kinross), P Hubner (Eastwood), S Brown (Carnoustie GL), N Keast (Duff House Royal), J Kelly (Kames CC).
82 C Lawson (Blairgowrie), G Bruce (Westhill), R Fitzpatrick (Inchmarlo), C MacDonald (Peterculter), A Mackrell (East Kilbride), K Monaghan (Bothwell Castle), S O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park), J Smallwood (Fereneze), S Catlin (Greeburn), A Forrow (Whitecraigs).
83 R Gaden (Gleneagles Hotel), C Donelly (Balbornie Park), I Hanna (Strathclyde Park), J Ruth (Gary Mitchell Golf), David Ross Nicol (Dundonald Links).]
84 A MacRae (Gleneagles Hotel), G Boswell (Mearns Castle), H Wong (Wellsgreen).
85 D Thomson (Carnegie Club), I Graham (Crow Wood)
86 R Neill (Drumpellier), D Snodgrass (Hilton Park), M Lacey (Gleneagles Hotel), R Cartwright (Dunbar).
88 Peter McLachlan (West Kilbride), A Erskine (Ratho Park), D Knapp (North Gailes).
NRs Norman Huguet (Musselburgh), J Clive (Carrick at Loch Lomond), G Robertson (Lanark).
Retired C Cunningham (Westin Turnberry).

BMW INTERNATIONAL OPEN

New putter changes

Goosen's luck on the

greens, leads with 64

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Retief Goosen was left wishing he had changed putters a week ago after he rolled in eight birdies to take the first-round lead at the BMW International Open in Munich today.
"It would have been nice to make them at the US Open - I holed nothing there," said the 40-year-old South African, pictured above, after a 64 put him two in front of England's Richard Finch.
Goosen, 16th at Bethpage Black on Monday, added: "I tested a new putter in the pro-am here and it felt sort of good, so I decided to give it a try."
Two birdies in the first three proved to him it was a good move and after picking up further strokes at the sixth, ninth and 13th he finished with three more.
The last one had a touch of good fortune, though. His approach to the par-5 squirted right and might have gone in water but for clattering into a television tower.
The twice US Open champion is seeking his first European Tour victory for more than two years, but in the past eight months has tasted victory in Asia, Africa and America.
Conditions were as muddy underfoot as they were in New York and one particularly bad shower forced play to be suspended for a while.
As a late starter Goosen avoided that, but being caught in it did not bother Finch - and nor should it have after what happened at the Irish Open last year.
The Hull golfer famously won at Adare Manor after falling in the river playing a shot on the final hole.
This time he returned to eagle the sixth, his 15th, and birdie two of the next three. In the group three behind was Welshman Phillip Price and following David Duval's showing in the US Open perhaps this is going to be the week of the big comebacks in golf at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried. Two months away from his 52nd birthday, Bernhard Langer comfortably got the better of 20-year-old playing partner Rory McIlroy.
Langer, trying again to become the oldest European Tour winner in history, returned a four under par 68 to be four behind pacesetter Retief Goosen.
McIlroy, 10th in the US Open on Monday, was only level par with four to play, birdied the next two, but then closed with a bogey 6 after trying to hit out a fairway bunker with a wood and hitting the lip.
Just ahead of them Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie had a real roller-coaster ride before signing for a 70. Three under after six he fell back to level par, but finished with back-to-back birdies.
Not a good day, though, for American John Daly. He could manage only a two over 74, the same as Irish Open amateur winner Shane Lowry, now in danger of a third successive missed cut as a professional.
FIRST ROUND
Par 72
64 Retief Goosen (Rsa)
66 Richard Finch
67 James Kingston (Rsa), Phillip Price, Andrew Coltart, Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Danny Willett, David Lynn, Niclas Fasth (Swe), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Marcus Fraser (Aus)
68 Bernhard Langer (Ger), Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Alvaro Velasco (Spa), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Rafael Echenique (Arg), Oliver Fisher, Stephen Dodd, Paul McGinley, Barry Lane, Thomas Levet (Fra), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
69 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned), Anders Hansen (Den), Branden Grace (Rsa), Peter Lawrie, Kenneth Ferrie, Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Matthew Millar (Aus), Markus Brier (Aut), Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa), Nick Dougherty, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind), Paul Broadhurst, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Phillip Archer, Inder Van Weerelt (Ned)
70 Carlos Del Moral (Spa), Gary Orr, Klas Eriksson (Swe), Peter Hedblom (Swe), John Bickerton, Graeme Storm, Anthony Snobeck (Fra), Lee Slattery, Michael Jonzon (Swe), Wade Ormsby (Aus), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut), Michael Hoey, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra), Colin Montgomerie, Scott Strange (Aus), Marcel Siem (Ger), Seve Benson, Daniel Vancsik (Arg), Brett Rumford (Aus), David Drysdale, Luke Donald
71 Damien McGrane, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Pelle Edberg (Swe), Steven O'Hara, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Johan Edfors (Swe), Rory McIlroy, Max Kramer (Aut), Chris Wood, Stuart Davis, Jeppe Huldahl (Den), Shiv Kapur (Ind), Gareth Maybin, Scott Drummond, Mark Brown (Nzl), Gary Murphy, Richard Green (Aus), Tano Goya (Arg), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Chris Doak
72 Joakim Haeggman (Swe), Benn Barham, Simon Wakefield, Peter Hanson (Swe), Sven Struver (Ger), Bradley Dredge, Christian Cevaer (Fra), Hennie Otto (Rsa), Alan McLean, David Howell, Paul Waring, Gary Lockerbie, Marcus Higley, Paul Lawrie, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Lorenzo Gagli (Ita), Mark Foster, Richard Sterne (Rsa)
73 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe), David Frost (Rsa), Alex Cejka (Ger), Callum Macaulay, Marco Ruiz (Par), Stephen Gallacher, Jorge Campillo (Spa), Stephan jr. Gross (Ger), Ashun Wu (Chn), Oskar Henningsson (Swe), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind)
74 Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), Federico Cabrera (Arg), Tino Schuster (Ger), Robert Dinwiddie, Florian Fritsch (Ger), Anthony Wall, John Daly (USA), Taco Remkes (Ned), Shane Lowry, Alejandro Canizares (Spa), Marcel Haremza (Ger), Sam Little, Peter Fowler (Aus)
75 Richard Bland, Richie Ramsay, Daniel Froreich (Ger), Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Wil Besseling (Ned), John E Morgan, Marc Warren, Richard Porter (Ger), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Pablo Martin (Spa), Peter O'Malley (Aus)
76 Anthony Kang (USA), Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Alastair Forsyth, Chapchai Nirat (Tha), Miles Tunnicliff, Gregory Havret (Fra)
77 Anton Haig (Rsa), Alessandro Tadini (Ita), Matjaz Gojcic (Slo), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Michael Curtain (Aus), Ben Parker, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den), Jose Manuel Lara (Spa)
79 Ake Nilsson (Rsa)
80 Marc Farry (Fra)
82 Martin Keskari (Ger)
64 Retief Goosen (Rsa)
66 Richard Finch
67 Niclas Fasth (Swe), Phillip Price, Andrew Coltart, Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Danny Willett, Gregory Bourdy (Fra), David Lynn, James Kingston (SAf), Marcus Fraser (Aus).
68 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Alvaro Velasco (Spa), Stephen Dodd, Rafael Echenique (Arg), Paul McGinley, Henrik Stenson (Swe), Oliver Fisher, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Thomas Levet (Fra), Barry Lane, Bernhard Langer (Ger), Paul McGinley.
69 Anders Hansen (Den), Nick Dougherty, Branden Grace (Rsa), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Kenneth Ferrie, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind), Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Paul Broadhurst, Felipe Aguilar (Chi), Matthew Millar (Aus), Markus Brier (Aut), Inder Van Weerelt (Ned), Phillip Archer, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa)
70 Carlos Del Moral (Spa), Gary Orr, Klas Eriksson (Swe), Peter Hedblom (Swe), John Bickerton, Lee Slattery, Michael Jonzon (Swe), Wade Ormsby (Aus), Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa), Michael Hoey, Colin Montgomerie, Marcel Siem (Ger), Scott Strange (Aus), Seve Benson, Daniel Vancsik (Arg), David Drysdale, Luke Donald
71 Jeppe Huldahl (Den), Stuart Davis, Damien McGrane, Chris Wood, Shiv Kapur (Ind), Gareth Maybin, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Pelle Edberg (Swe), Mark Brown (Nzl), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Johan Edfors (Swe), Gary Murphy, Max Kramer (Aut), Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Chris Doak, Scott Drummond, Steven O'Hara.
72 Christian Cevaer (Fra), Paul Waring, David Howell, Alan McLean, Simon Wakefield, Peter Hanson (Swe), Sven Struver (Ger), Marcus Higley, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par), Mark Foster, Lorenzo Gagli (Ita), Richard Sterne (Rsa), Paul Lawrie.
73 Marco Ruiz (Par), Magnus A Carlsson (Swe), Jorge Campillo (Spa), Stephan Gross (Ger) (am), David Frost (Rsa), Alex Cejka (Ger), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind), Stephen Gallacher, Callum Macaulay.
74 Mikael Lundberg (Swe), Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra), Federico Cabrera (Arg), Tino Schuster (Ger), Robert Dinwiddie, Anthony Wall, John Daly (USA), Taco Remkes (Ned), Shane Lowry, Peter Fowler (Aus)
75 Richie Ramsay, Daniel Froreich (Ger), Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Marc Warren, Richard Porter (Ger), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Pablo Martin (Spa), Peter O'Malley (Aus)
76 Anthony Kang (USA), Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Alastair Forsyth, Miles Tunnicliff, Gregory Havret (Fra)
77 Anton Haig (Rsa), Alessandro Tadini (Ita), Matjaz Gojcic (Slo), Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Ben Parker, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den)
79 Ake Nilsson (Rsa)
80 Marc Farry (Fra)

Six European nations ready to bid

to host the 2018 Ryder Cup

Ryder Cup Europe today confirms that six countries – France, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden – have announced their intention to bid for the 2018 Ryder Cup.
All six countries have been advised that the deadline for the submission of bids has been set for April 30, 2010. It is intended that the 2018 Host Nation will be announced in 2011.
Richard Hills, the European Ryder Cup Director, said: “We are delighted with the response and congratulate the six countries involved. We have set the date by which bids must be received in order to provide each country with the optimum opportunity in the current economic climate to present their strongest possible bid.
"In setting the sporting and commercial criteria that will be used to assess bids, we have been quite clear that each country bid must be channelled through its National Golf Federation and that no bids from individual venues will be considered.
“We look forward to working with all six countries over the coming months as they develop their bids and we will shortly be launching an Official Candidate Logo to enable bids to be effectively promoted within each nation. Assuming that all necessary criteria are met, The 2018 Ryder Cup will be played in mainland Europe.”
The 2018 Ryder Cup will be the 42nd edition of the biennial encounter – first played in 1927 – between Europe and the United States. Players from Continental Europe first became eligible for the match in 1979 since when eight matches have been played in the United States, five in England and one each in Ireland and Spain.
The 2010 Ryder Cup will be played at The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales, from October 1-3 next year.
The 2014 matches will be played at Gleneagles Hotel's PGA Centenary course at the Perthshire venue.

Summary of Wednesday's Open

Regional Qualifiers

The 160 qualifiers now progress to Local Final Qualifying on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 July. 288 competitors — 96 at each of Glasgow — Gailes Links, Kilmarnock (Barassie) and Western Gailes — will compete for 12 Open berths, with four Turnberry places available at each venue.
Full scores from each of the 16 Regional Qualifying venues can be found here

Coventry
69 Warren Bladon
70 Duncan Harris, Jonathan Bale, Mark Davies, Mike Bradley, Andy Sullivan, Christopher Evans, Adam Norman, Iwan Griffiths
71 (after play-off) Neil Rowlands
Effingham
67 Justin Evans, Tom Hayes (A)
68 Nicholas Redfern (Hong Kong)
69 Paul Jones
70 Nicholas Morris, Jonas Enander Hedin (Swe), Curtis Griffiths (am), Chris Roake, David Boyce, Matt Allen
Ferndown
66 Simon Stevenson
67 Farren Keenan
69 Kevin Garwood, Ben Stow, Jack Wallace, Craig Bell
70 (after play-off) Martin Sell, Jonathan Watt, Martyn Thompson, Stuart Archibald
Lindrick
67 Robin Carroll
69 Darryn Lloyd (Rsa), Matthew Evans, Nick Ludwell
70 Paul Streeter
71 Scott Emery, Simon Edwards
72 Kieron Gaskell, Adam Hodkinson, Marcus Maith
Old Fold Manor
67 Daniel Brooks
68 Andrew Johnston
69 James Jankowski, Guy Woodman
70 Craig Isabel, Steve McInally, Davin Knudsen (Aus), Carl Duke, Llewllyn Matthews, Lee Jackson
Royal Dublin
72 Jerry Scullion
73 Andrew Hogan, Sean Einhaus (Ger), Brendan McDermott
74 Jesper Thuen (Den), Daniel Sugrue, James Fox, David Rawluk
Enville
68 Lee Clarke
70 David James, Ian Walley, Sam Matton
71 Jarred McKnight, Jonathan Gidney, Alec Smith
72 (after play-off) Jamie Carney, Mark Chamberlain, Richard Hooper
Gog Magog
68 Neil Lythgoe
69 Daniel Wood, Nick Soto
70 Jon Wetton
71 (after play-off) Patrick Spraggs, Paul Maddy, Ricky Lee, Ian Ashenden, Jamie Abbott, Steven Brown
Mere
69 Ian Keenan, James Robinson
70 James Westwood, Scott Jackson, Josh Evans
71 Jason Dransfield, Michael Downes, James Wilson,
Alex Hogben
72 (after play-off) Grant Hamerton
Pleasington
68 Barry Taylor
69 Jack Senior, Ben Scott, Craig Corrigan, Gary Wolstenholme
70 Benjamin Howlett, Alan Crompton, Steven Parry
71 Matthew Baldwin, Sean Owen
72 (after play-off) Harrison Proos
Rochester and Cobham Park
68 Michael Saunders
70 James Smith, Thomas Crozer
71 Daniel Byrne, Chris Gill, Daniel Casey, Lloyd Campbell, Amir Habibi, Joey Carlisle
72 (after play-off) Xavier Feyaerts (Bel)
Abridge
70 Graham Povey
72 Tommy King
73 Thomas Haylock, Kenny Banks, Ashley Lucas, Scott Fallon, James Gill (Nzl)
74 Alex Christie, Emerson Hall (Nzl)
75 (after play-off) Andrea Basciu (Ita)
Alwoodley
66 James Mason
70 Peter Latimer, Kenneth Hutton, Marcus Armitage, Duncan McCarthy
71 (after play-off) Mark Rogers, Richard Golding, Greg Tucker, John Green, Daniel Greenwood
Berwick-upon-Tweed
68 Alexander Wrigley, Craig Matheson
69 Keir McNicoll, Alan Martin
70 James Atkinson, Mark Kerr
71 James Harper, David Kirkpatrick, George Cowan, Garrick Porteous
Some Scottish non-qualifiers at this venue:
72 Alexander Culverwell (am), Jack Doherty.
73 Chris Russell, Daniel, Wood, Paul O'Hara (am), Ian Graham.
74 Gary Wood (am), Iain Colquhoun, Stephen Gray, Graham Fox, Jonathan Sharp, Scott Herald, Euan Cameron.
77 Jamie Stevenson, John Mathers (am).
79 Edward Thomson.
Musselburgh
63 Scott Pinckney
65 James Byrne
66 Michael Stewart
67 Steven Taylor, Mark Loftus
68 Elliot Saltman, Chris Kelly, Andrew Gunson
69 John Gallagher, Jonnie Cliff, Scott Henry
Royal Ashdown Forest
69 Daniel Perrett
70 David Mills
72 Jason Levermore, Francisco Lagarto (Spa)
73 Ben Banks, Ryan Fenwick, Richard Summerscales, Joe Smith
74 (after play-off) Alan Tyson, Jason Partridge

Langer surprised that Nick Price is

not taking up his Turnberry place

FROM THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
Bernhard Langer has expressed his surprise that Nick Price, winner of the last Open to be played at Turnberry, is not returning there next month.
The two are now stars of the Champions (Seniors) Tour in America and Langer, in Munich for the BMW International Open starting today, said: "If I were exempt I would play, especially as it's the week before the Senior British Open."
Price, now 52, won the Open on the Ayrshire links of Turnberry in 1994, earning an exemption that will not run out for another eight years.
But the Zimbabwean has decided not to enter for family reasons and because he would prefer to see the place taken up by a younger player.
"I've not spoken to Nick about it, but your priorities might change at a certain time in your life," added Langer, who cannot now qualify for The Open.
Runner-up to Bill Rogers at Sandwich in 1981 and to Seve Ballesteros at St Andrews in 1984, the German star was third at Lytham only eight years ago, but has not been part of the last two Opens.
He has already earned over a million dollars in seniors golf this season - and last year topped the American over-50s' money list with more than two million dollars. He is earning more money since his 50th birthday than he did before it.
Langer is back now for what is the 446th appearance of a European Tour career which stretches all the way back to 1974.
Last year he was paired in the first two rounds with rising German star Martin Kaymer, who went on to win in a play-off against Dane Anders Hansen, and this time he finds himself alongside Northern Irish wonder kid Rory McIlroy.
The 20-year-old, who was 10th on his US Open debut on Monday, said: "He obviously still has the game to compete and I think it will be a great experience for me.
"Hopefully I might pick up something from him."