Left to right: Kerr Smith, Craig Smith, Fraser Fotheringham, David Joel, Laurie Chancellor and Alan Everett (image by courtesy of Robin Wilson).

Fraser Fotheringham shows his class

to win Tain Open by four strokes

By ROBIN WILSON
For the second weekend running a former North Under-18 champion has won a major 36-hole title at a Ross-shire club, on this occasion Fraser Fotheringham (The Nairn) triumphing in the Balblair Distillery/Abdul Ghani Open at Tain Golf Club.
Unfortunately both the sponsor's highly rated product and the course got over-watered for the competitors to enjoy them at their best, heavy morning rain and nasty wind conditions raising the normal CSS of 71 by three in round one to 74 and by two in the afternoon.
But that was good news for the scratch winner, already the possessor of a +2 handicap, for his first round 74 (35-39) was in the buffer zone and his brilliant second-round level par-matching 70 (34-36) three below the CSS to combine for his winning total of 144.
The North Youths champion in 2008 and silver medallist in the British boys' championship of 2007, Fotheringham (19) is a full-time amateur golfer and it showed in the second round when the conditions eased a little.
A birdie on the ninth hole for an outward 34 and a one over inward 36 pulled him four shots clear of Inverness pair Laurie Chancellor (77-71), David Joel (71-77) and Alex Webster (Moor Allerton) (75-73).
Joel, already with scratch prizes at Brora and Dornoch this season, found himself travelling home from Tain with his first piece of silverware. From a two handicap, his net 144 was in first place to win the David Rutherford Trophy followed by Webster with net 146, off one, leaving Chancellor to pick up the scratch second place.
Profiting from Joel and Webster moving out of the scratch rankings were locals Alan Everett, (71-78) moving to third place, Munro Ferries (76-76) fourth and, bettering his first round score by 11 shots, Doug Thorburn (Thurso) (82-71) into fifth place.
Closing in behind Webster in the handicap rankings were three locals, Ian Cooper (9), Craig Smith (3) and Ross Mackenzie (3), all with net aggregates of 147 to complete the handicap order.
Results (all Tain unless stated):
CSS 74 73
Scratch - Abdul Ghani Cup
144 F Fotheringham (The Nairn) 74 70.
148 L Chancellor (Inverness) 77 71, D Joel (Inverness) 71 77, A Webster (Moor Allerton) 75 73. 149 A Everett 71 78.
152 M. Ferries 76 76.
153 D Thorburn (Thurso) 82 71.
Handicap – David Rutherford Trophy.
144 D Joel (Inverness) (2).
146 A Webster (Moor Allerton) (1).
147 I Cooper (9), C Smith (Tain) (3), R. Mackenzie (3).
Individual Rounds
Scratch - K Matheson (Royal Dornoch) 73.
Handicap - K. Smith (5) 70.

Tain Pairs Scramble
Having prepared the course through inclement weather on Saturday morning, head greenkeeper Ian Macleod enjoyed better conditions when taking part in the Pairs Scramble on Sunday.
University friends of his elder son, Ross, twin brothers David and Graham McInroy from Ayrshire shunned the Open at nearby Turnberry, choosing instead a weekend break in Tain where, with Graham partnering Ross, they had the winning net score of 60.5 and with David doubling up with Ian they returned the scratch-winning score a 65.
Arriving in second handicap place were Mike Sangster and Chris Ilett 62.75 and third place went to Craig Watson and Donald J. Ross, 63.

Another Win at Golspie for Tain's Smith
With only a night to prepare for the Golspie Ladies Open on Saturday, where they got no let-up from rain-hit Lanark, the Vass sisters, still with sodden waterproofs, played only 14 of the scheduled holes and left it to their weather-seasoned aunts, Mary Smith and Anne Ryan, to finish first and second in the 18-hole tournament.
The Golspie scratch trophy seems to alternatebetween these two sisters. Smith was the winner in 2004 and Ryan in 2005. In 2007 it passed back to Ryan who made a successful defence last year but with a scratch 77, Smith regained the salver this year over her sister's 81.
The win came a day after Mary Smith learned she had retained her place in the Scottish Senior Ladies team to take part in the European Senior Ladies Team Championship at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, Ireland from September 1 to 4. She made her international début last year in the same event in Holland.

Tom Watson makes record leap up

Official World Golf Rankings

Tom Watson's so-nearly performance in the Open has resulted in him making a record jump up the Official World Golf Rankings.
Watson has moved to 105th in the rankings from 1,374th, a jump of 1,269 spots.
Official World Golf Ranking representatives said it is the biggest one-week jump since the rankings began in 1986.
Watson, who plays mostly on the US Champions (Seniors) Tour, has not made a cut on the US PGA Tour since tying for 19th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2007.
Since then, he had missed the cut at three straight Masters and two Opens and had virtually no ranking points.
Had he won, Watson would have moved to 45th in the world.
Watson will play in the Senior British Open this week at Sunningdale before competing in the U.S. Senior Open next week at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana.
The PGA of America is considering offering Watson an exemption into the PGA Championship next month at Hazeltine and has until Aug. 3 to finalize its invites.
Stewart Cink moved up to ninth in the rankings.

CASH NOTE FROM THE HERALD WEBSITE:
Astonishingly for someone with his record, Tom Watson earned more for his second place - £450,000 - than he did in his previous 31 Opens.
His debut win at Carnoustie in 1975 was worth £7500, his "Duel in the Sun" triumph at Turnberry in 1977 earned him £10,000 and for Muirfield 1980, Troon in 1982 and Royal Birkdale in 1983 the sums were £25,000, £32,000 and £40,000.
Watson's total earnings from the championship before this weekend were £368,592. Now they are £818,592.

David Law hopes to follow in Steven

Young's footsteps as a double champ

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Scottish boys’ match-play champion David Law from Aberdeen will be bidding over the next three days to follow even further along the footsteps of another one-time North-east junior golf star, Steven Young (pictured).
Young, from the Buchan village of Inverallochy, won the Scottish boys’ match-play championship three times in a row between 1993 and 1995. In the middle year, 1994, he pulled off the rare double of winning both the Under-18s’ match-play and stroke-play titles.
Only three players in all have done that double in the same calendar year – TV commentator Ewen Murray in 1971, Steven Young (1994) and Scott Henry (Cardross) in 2004.
Law is as good a card-and-pencil player as he is at match-play and he tops the Scottish Golf Union Boys’ Order of Merit table.
The Hazlehead player is expected to confirm that with a forward showing at Ladybank Golf Club’s moorland course in Fife in a 72-hole championship sponsored by firstpointusa.com.
Mark Bookless, winner of the title at Blairgowrie last year, is too old to defend it this week.
Law’s main rivals should include Paul Shields (Kirkhill), whom he beat in the match-play final at Balgownie in April, and Inchmarlo’s Chris Robb, who gave David a severe test in the semi-final. All three were in the Scotland line-up at the recent European boys’ team championship in the Netherlands.
The Scottish boys’ stroke-play championship is an open competition and the leading Scots face stiff competition from south of the border, as well as a strong overseas contingent with Matthias Kaufmann from Austria the lowest handicapper in the 144 strong field on +2.5. Kauffman is one of 11 plus handicappers in the field who could challenge for the silverware.
*Whatever happened to Steven Young? Well, after winning the British boys' championship at Dunbar, then playing for GB&I in the Walker Cup he turned professional in 1997 in the United States where he played on satellite tours and got within one stroke of qualifying for the US PGA Tour. That was the high point of his pro career. He is now happily married to an American girl, lives in Midland, Texas, where he went to college and works on the pro staff of one of the local golf clubs. He still plays the game but only in local pro-ams. Steven is still only 32.

Open Championship Attendance Figures

Practice days : 19,500.
Thursday : 23,500.
Friday: 28,000.
Saturday: 27,500.
Sunday : 24,500.
Total : 123,000.

Law and Nicol miss North-east trip

to Largs to play Ayrshire

Scottish boys' champion David Law (Hazlehead) and Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) are unable to play for North-east in their vital Group A match against title-holders Ayrshire at Largs in the Scottish men's inter-area team championship on Sunday, August 2.
Both North-east and Ayrshire won their opening matches on May 17.
North-east team is:
Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen), James Byrne (Banchory), Philip McLean (Peterhead), Bryan Innes (Murcar Links), Anthony Bews (Murcar Links), Laurie Phillips (Cruden Bay).
Travelling reserve: Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon).

The matches on August 2 are:
GROUP A
Ayrshire v North-east at Largs
Borders v Stirlingshire at Peebles.
May 17 results: North-east 6, Borders 3; Stirlingshire 4, Ayrshire 5.

GROUP B
Lothians v Lanarkshire at Mortonhall.
Perth & Kinross v Angus at Blairgowrie Lansdowne.
May 17 results: Angus 6 1/2, Lothians 2 1/2; Lanarkshire 7, Perth & Kinross 2.

GROUP C
Argyll & Bute v Clackmannanshire at Millport.
Fife v Renfrewshire at Thornton.
May 17 results: Clackmannanshire 5 1/2, Fife 3 1/2; Renfrewshire 6 1/2. Argyll & Bute 2 1/2.

GROUP D
Dunbartonshire v South at Lenzie.
Glasgow v North at Sandyhills.
May 17 results: North 3 1/2, Dunbartonshire 5 1/2; South 7 1/2. Glasgow 1 1/2.

+District officials who would like their teams published on Scottishgolfview.com should E-mail the information to Colin@scottishgolfview.com

US PGA Tour Scoreboard
US Bank Championship
Brown Deer Park GC, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
267 Bo van Pelt 67 68 68 64, John Mallinger 70 66 66 65 (Van Pelt won sudden-death play-off at second hole).
268 Jerry Kelly 69 68 66 65
269 Jeff Klauk 64 69 69 67, Jeff Quinney 67 68 67 67, Dicky Pride 72 69 63 65
270 Brendon De Jonge 70 66 66 68, Spencer Levin 71 68 68 63, Chris Riley 67 66 68 69, Kris Blanks 70 63 70 67, Omar Uresti 69 67 67 67, Kevin Na 69 65 69 67, Tim Petrovic 68 70 69 63, Jason Gore 66 70 68 66
271 Casey Wittenberg 71 69 64 67, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 64 67 69 71, Tom Pernice Jnr. 70 68 67 66
272 Steve Flesch 69 65 69 69, Jeff Sluman 69 66 68 69, Corey Pavin 73 67 67 65, Harrison Frazar 70 66 69 67, Skip Kendall 66 70 70 66, Frank Lickliter II 66 70 63 73
273 Michael Letzig 68 67 69 69, Jeff Maggert 68 67 66 72, Joe Ogilvie 67 71 66 69, Loren Roberts 69 69 68 67, Scott Hoch 70 67 70 66, Steve Lowery 70 68 69 66, Parker McLachlin 70 68 69 66
274 Joe Durant 67 70 68 69, Tag Ridings 66 70 70 68, Johnson Wagner 68 69 67 70, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 69 71 68 66, Mark Wilson 68 70 69 67
275 Kirk Triplett 67 70 68 70, George McNeill 69 70 71 65, Brett Quigley 68 72 67 68, Cameron Beckman 72 69 67 67, Glen Day 71 67 67 70, Bob Tway 73 64 69 69
276 Brian Davis (Eng) 73 68 66 69, Chris Stroud 71 67 68 70, Kevin Stadler 69 69 73 65, Carlos Franco (Par) 69 71 68 68
277 Scott Sterling 69 71 68 69, Mark Hensby (Aus) 67 72 68 70, Steve Elkington (Aus) 69 69 67 72, Nicholas Thompson 70 71 70 66
278 Tim Herron 70 69 69 70, Mark Brooks 71 70 70 67, Lee Janzen 70 68 68 72, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 72 68 66 72, Stephen Leaney (Aus) 67 69 70 72, Matthew Jones (Aus) 71 68 66 73, Brad Faxon 70 70 67 71, Jay Williamson 68 71 70 69, Marc Turnesa 69 65 71 73
279 David Peoples 70 70 70 69, Garrett Willis 72 69 67 71, Ronnie Black 71 70 69 69, Tommy Gainey 67 68 71 73, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 73 68 69 69, Kevin Streelman 71 67 73 68
280 Jonathan Kaye 70 67 73 70, Kyle Stanley 71 66 71 72, Bill Haas 73 68 70 69
281 John Rollins 71 68 72 70, Guy Boros 70 69 72 70, Colt Knost 68 71 72 70
282 Heath Slocum 71 70 70 71
283 Aron Price (Aus) 70 70 71 72

'It tears your gut - it's not easy to take,'

says Tom Watson, 'but it's not a funeral'

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Tom Watson is furious with himself for not giving this year's Open Championship at Turnberry the incredible climax it deserved.
All the 59-year-old had to do to claim victory was hit a nine iron onto the green from the middle of the 72nd fairway and two-putt for the most astonishing victory the game has ever seen. But he decided on an eight iron, sent it just off the back edge and from there raced his first putt eight feet past and missed the return before capitulating in the play-off with Stewart Cink.
"It tears at your gut, as it always has torn at my gut - it's not easy to take," he said.
Eleven years older than Julius Boros was when he set the record for oldest major winner at the 1968 US PGA, Watson now moves on to Sunningdale for the Senior British Open starting on Thursday.
==========================
More News
Cink full of admiration for Watson
The Open Championship's official website
===========================
But nothing he does there can grab the attention of the sporting world in the way he did right from his opening 65 last Thursday.
Back on the course where his "Duel in the Sun" with Jack Nicklaus took place in 1977 - he matched his great rival's closing birdie to win by one then - Watson dominated the week.
"It would have been a hell of a story, wouldn't it," he said to reporters after first of all breaking the silence by commenting: "This ain't a funeral, you know.
"I just didn't do it and the play-off was one bad shot after another, but the crowds were just wonderful to me all week.
"It was almost. Almost. The dream almost came true."
Asked for the most abiding memory of his adventure Watson thought and answered: "I think coming up the 18th hole again. Those memories are hard to forget. Coming up in the amphitheatre and having the crowd cheering you on like they do here for me. The feeling is mutual and that makes you feel human. It makes you feel so good."

Paul Lawrie tastes instant success

with some help from Bob Torrance

FROM THE SPORT.SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
By MIKE AITKEN
Paul Lawrie, the Open champion ten years ago at Carnoustie, has turned to Bob Torrance, the Scot who tutored Padraig Harrington to victory at Carnoustie in 2007 and Royal Birkdale last year, in a bid to sort out his own swing and help him contend at the highest level again.
If the first fruits of the fledgling partnership between this illustrious pair are anything to go by – the Aberdonian signed for 68 and 288 in the final round of the Open which included an albatross 2 on the par-5 seventh – then the future for the former Ryder Cup player looks bright.
Although nine Scots qualified to play in the 138th Open, only Lawrie and David Drysdale, 73 for 290 on his debut, played all 72 holes. The abiding recollection of this championship from the home of golf's perspective was the mud-slinging between Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie which overshadowed the build-up to the Open.
Once a tee was placed in the ground, there were no headline-makers with club-in-hand to match Lyle's foot-in-mouth talent for generating stories. That said, after carding 76 in the third round and playing "awful" golf, Lawrie signed off on a high.
"I saw Bob on the range last night for an hour-and-a-half," said the highest-placed Scot. "I saw him again this morning and quite liked what he had to say. It was very simple and he gave me a couple of things to work on. We're going to have a whole day on it at Largs on Tuesday and I'll make a decision then (about working together].
"He said to move off it a little bit more on the backswing and get back to the rhythm that I used to have when I was with Adam (Hunter, Lawrie's former coach]. I did a little of that today and hit it really good. I've always wanted to hear what he (Bob) had to say. He's one of those boys that you respect so much. I was going well with Adam for a long time and I never really had the chance (to work with Bob]. But on Saturday I played awful and thought I had nothing to lose."
Given that making an albatross in major championship golf is as rare as finding a book of Penny Blacks in a Post Office, it was the first occasion Lawrie had ever made a 2 on a par 5.
"I had 213 yards to the pin, a little off the left and I hit a three-quarters 4-iron. I saw it go in, too, which was kind of nice. It was the perfect distance really. I hit driver off the tee over the corner, a big high drive over the left-hand bunker."
While it didn't have quite the resonance of Gene Sarazen's 4-wood to the 15th at Augusta in 1935, the shot heard around Maidens was encouraging enough to make the Aberdonian feel more positive about what the rest of the season holds for him.
The 1999 champion joins the following list of players who are confirmed to have achieved an albatross in the course of an Open championship:
'Young' Tom Morris: Prestwick 1870, 1st hole, 1st round (three on 578-yard par six).
Johnny Miller: Muirfield 1980, 5th hole, 2nd round.
Bill Rogers: Royal Birkdale 1983, 17th hole, 1st round.
Manny Zerman: St Andrews 2000, 5th hole 2nd round.
Jeff Maggert: Royal Lytham 2001, 6th hole, 2nd round.
Greg Owen: Royal Lytham, 2001, 11th hole 3rd round.
Gary Evans: Royal Troon 2004, 4th hole, 1st round.
*The full article contains 655 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper today.