McLeary aiming for back to back wins

By GORDON SIMPSON
Peterhead-born Jamie McLeary today stepped up his bid to become the first back to back champion on the European Challenge Tour this season – then revealed he had celebrated his first victory at the weekend by going home to do the washing!
McLeary, who won the Scottish Hydro Challenge at Aviemore, moved within a shot of the lead at the halfway stage of the SK Golf Challenge at Linna Golf in Finland and admitted: “I didn’t exactly push the boat out.
“I promised my gran and granddad in Perth that I would stop off and visit them on my way home and they were excited to get photos taken with the trophy. Then it was a case of getting home, doing the washing and flying out to Helsinki.”
The 28 year old from Edinburgh, who fired a 71 for a five under par total of 139, lies one behind Portugal’s José-Filipe Lima going into the second successive weekend where he has a chance of winning and climbing the Challenge Tour Rankings.
Victory last weekend helped him move from 57th to 11th and the cheque for €28,000 this Sunday would propel him into the top five and a near certainty to collect his European Tour card for the 2010 season.
“The season is all about getting that card, but winning last weekend was brilliant” he added. “In the past I’ve played to make the cut but now I feel I am playing to win. The feeling of being in contention last week was great and I want more of that this weekend.”
Fellow Scot Lloyd Saltman had seven birdies in a brilliant round of 68 which left him three shots off the lead on 141 while Raymond Russell made the cut on one under par after rounds of 71 and 72. George Murray and Andrew McArthur also ensured a weekend engagement on 144 and 145 respectively.

SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
138 J Lima (Por) 70 68,
139 J McLeary (Sco) 68 71, J Guerrier (Fra) 71 68, R Steiner (Aut) 72 67,
140 C Gane (Eng) 70 70, R Kakko (Fin) 71 69, F Praegant (Aut) 71 69, A Ahokas (Fin) 66 74, R Coles (Eng) 71 69, J Olesen (Den) 67 73,
141 T Dykes (Wal) 70 71, N Colsaerts (Bel) 70 71, L Saltman (Sco) 73 68, G Boyd (Eng) 70 71, M Zions (Aus) 72 69, J Clément (Sui) 69 72, J Quesne (Fra) 73 68,
142 C Moriarty (Irl) 73 69, R McEvoy (Eng) 71 71, R Davies (Wal) 66 76, R Karlberg (Swe) 73 69, S Surry (Eng) 69 73, J Arruti (Esp) 71 71, A Rocha (Bra) 72 70, Å Nilsson (Swe) 72 70, P Whiteford (Sco) 71 71, M Ilonen (Fin) 69 73, J Morrison (Eng) 72 70, B Evans (Eng) 70 72,
143 P Erofejeff (Fin) 72 71, M Wiegele (Aut) 73 70, G Houston (Wal) 70 73, O Floren (Swe) 69 74, M Tullo (Chi) 71 72, R Russell (Sco) 71 72, J Larsen (Nor) 71 72, R Santos (Por) 70 73,
144 J Sandelin (Swe) 71 73, A Tampion (Aus) 72 72, M Higley (Eng) 72 72, G Murray (Sco) 70 74, J Granberg (Fin) 72 72, G Molteni (Ita) 73 71, I Pyman (Eng) 70 74, P Gustafsson (Swe) 74 70,
145 E Molinari (Ita) 72 73, J Abbate (Arg) 71 74, N Lemke (Swe) 70 75, E Ramsay (Sco) 72 73, A McArthur (Sco) 70 75, J Moul (Eng) 73 72, C Carranza (Arg) 71 74, J Kaske (am) (Fin) 71 74,
146 A Willey (Eng) 76 70, P Baker (Eng) 72 74, L Gagli (Ita) 74 72, M Haastrup (Den) 74 72, B Pettersson (Swe) 77 69, R Saxton (Ned) 75 71, D Hewan (RSA) 76 70, A Perrino (Ita) 73 73, R Treis (Ger) 74 72, Z Scotland (Eng) 70 76, M Korhonen (Fin) 73 73, A Marshall (Eng) 72 74, D Nouailhac (Fra) 72 74, P Bocian (Swe) 75 71, J Grillon (Fra) 74 72, T Whitehouse (Eng) 73 73, S Jamieson (Sco) 72 74,
147 C Brazillier (Fra) 77 70, K Edberg (Swe) 73 74, I Giner (Esp) 72 75, A Högberg (Swe) 74 73, M Delpodio (Ita) 77 70, M McGeady (Irl) 73 74, A Zanini (Ita) 69 78, F Colombo (Ita) 73 74, B Mason (Eng) 71 76, S Manley (Wal) 72 75, B Wiesberger (Aut) 76 71, A Bernadet (Fra) 72 75, A Sjöstrand (Swe) 74 73, D Denison (Eng) 75 72, M Ervasti (Fin) 74 73, V Riu (Fra) 73 74, P Barth (Swe) 79 68,
148 M Larsson (Swe) 76 72, C Günther (Ger) 73 75, S Robinson (Eng) 75 73, R De Sousa (Sui) 74 74, L Matthews (Wal) 72 76, J Bjerhag (Swe) 74 74, L Kennedy (Eng) 74 74, F Calmels (Fra) 73 75,
149 C Smith (Wal) 76 73, N Smith (USA) 75 74, T Cruz (Por) 75 74, M Reale (Ita) 73 76, A Wagner (Arg) 76 73, C Suneson (Esp) 74 75, N Meitinger (Ger) 73 76, D Griffiths (Eng) 76 73, J Parry (Eng) 73 76,
150 L Johansson (Swe) 75 75, J Ruebotham (Eng) 73 77, S Garcia-Grout (Esp) 77 73, P Golding (Eng) 74 76, A Bossert (Sui) 73 77, A Butterfield (Eng) 78 72, L Bond (Wal) 74 76, P Purhonen (Fin) 74 76, G Adell (Swe) 72 78, T Hakula (am) (Fin) 77 73, T Pulkkanen (am) (Fin) 76 74,
151 N Vanhootegem (Bel) 75 76, B Miarka (Ger) 75 76, K Jorgensen (Den) 75 76, A Bruschi (Ita) 76 75, K Samooja (am) (Fin) 76 75,
152 G Paddison (Nzl) 77 75, J Wahlqvist (Swe) 75 77, J Ruth (Eng) 77 75, T Tuovinen (Fin) 76 76,
153 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 75 78, A Hansen (Den) 76 77, J Sjöholm (Swe) 76 77, K Hallgren (Swe) 74 79,
154 J Mommo (Fin) 75 79, P Relecom (Bel) 74 80, D Küpper (Ger) 78 76, O Suhr (Den) 76 78, C Rodiles (Esp) 75 79, R Swane (Ned) 78 76, F Svanberg (Sui) 76 78,
155 K Sullivan (Wal) 77 78, M Kramer (Ger) 82 73,
156 T Laitto (Fin) 80 76, C Russo (Fra) 81 75, S Reale (Ita) 80 76, L James (Eng) 78 78, I Garcia Avis (Esp) 76 80,
157 J Thureson (Swe) 80 77,
158 T Sundström (Fin) 75 83, M Veijalainen (am) (Fin) 78 80,
159 T Karjalainen (Fin) 76 83, S Jeppesen (Swe) 75 84,
160 D Sugrue (Irl) 79 81, A Murtovaara (am) (Fin) 84 76,
161 B Clayton (Eng) 83 78,
162 J Person (Pol) 80 82,
164 M Pilkington (Wal) 80 84,
165 T Pollari (Fin) 80 85,
167 M Stelmasiak (Pol) 86 81,
** L Brovold (Nor) 77 W/D, S Grant (Irl) 82 RETD,

Bermudian Vallis wins Senior British Open

Amateur Championship at Prestwick

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ROYAL & ANCIENT
In a closely contested final day's play at Prestwick, 56-year-old Robert Vallis from Bermuda scored a one-over-par 73, for a 54 hole total of 224 to win by two shots from Canada’s Graham Cooke and defending Champion Paul Simson of the USA in the 41st Seniors British Open Amateur Championship.
Irish Seniors champion Maurice Kelly returned a five-over-par 77 to share fourth position with Alloa’s Tony Stafford who had three steady rounds of 76, 76 and 75 (227).
On a final day of fluctuating fortunes for the leading pack Vallis made his move with a one-under back nine, highlighted a by a crucial 24 foot birdie putt on the 17th to take him into the outright lead on eight-over-par.
“Coming from a small island, I have won a few events at home but this is my first significant win. An emotional Vallis explained, “It’s nice to shoot some good scores. It’s hard to believe and down in your hearts of hearts you wonder if you are good enough to do it.”
Vallis earns an exemption for next year’s Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie as well as for next month’s US Seniors Amateur.
“I am delighted to get the chance to play in these events.” Vallis said, “I love links golf, it’s been a great Championship”
Despite leading from the first round, runner up Cooke, saw his hopes of completing a victory thwarted with a damaging inward half as he missed out on the senior title again, having finished second and third in previous years.
Cooke said, “It’s another near miss I think I will drop my putter somewhere over the Atlantic on the way home.” He went onto say, “This is a true, old links course. It’s a great pleasure to play here; I will come back next year with a new putter.”
Title-holder Simson made a spirited defence of the championship, having been well off the pace with an opening 80 but his closing 75 was not quite good enough to secure a third victory.
Joint overnight leader Kelly was disappointed with his performance. A bogey six at the par 5, 7th and another dropped shot at the 8th halted the Irishman’s bid for the title.
“The bogey at the seventh really killed me and from then on it was a struggle, said the 59-year-old from Killeen.
The 2010 Seniors Open Amateur Championship will be played at Walton Heath, 11-13 August.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
224 Robert Vallis (Bermuda) 73 78 73.
226 Paul Simon (US) 80 71 75, Graham Cooke (Canada) 71 79 76.
227 Tony Stafford (Dun Ochil) 76 76 75, Maurice Kelly (Killeen, Ireland) 77 73 77.
231 Richard Umani (US) 76 80 75, John Long (US) 78 76 77.
233 Michael Wigley (E 79 82 2, Robert Broad (Eng) 75 80 78, Rick Woulfe (US) 80 72 81, Adrian Morrow (Ire) 78 74 81, Val Smyth (Ire) 81 75 77.
Selected scores:
234 Peter Lamb (Biggar) 82 78 81, John Johnston (Lanark) 78 80 76.
236 Derek Murphy (Kinross) 81 79 76, Ronald McLean (Hamilton) 79 78 79, David Lane (Goring & Streatley) 78 76 82, George Paterson (Northern) 79 74 83.
237 Colin Christy (Kilmacolm) 87 77 73.
238 William Erskine (Kilsyth Lennox) 84 73 81.
239 Ronald McLellan (Turnberry) 80 79 80, Bob Stewart (Tulliallan) 76 76 87, David Downie (Kirriemuir) 76 80 83.
240 George Macgregor (Glencorese) 80 79 81, George Brown (Vale of Leven) 80 78 82.
241 Keith McIntosh (Cardross) 82 79 80, Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) 79 80 82.

JASON McCREADIE WINS AT TURRIFF

Buchanan Castle’s Jason McCreadie won the top pro prize of £895 with a very good round of seven under par 63 in the Turriff Golf Club pro-am today.
It was fourth win of the season in which he is averaging one success a month at the moment.
Jason tied for victory at Cardross on May 13 and at Douglas Park on J une 16, followed by an outright win in the Callaway at Craigelaw on July 20 and now Turriff.
He was 14th on the PGA Scottish Region money table with £6,599 to his credit going into the Turriff event.
McCreadie had an eagle at the sixth and six birdies, at the first, second, third, eighth, 13th and 16th.
His only bogey came at the 12th.
McCreadie finished a shot ahead of Chris Kelly (Cawder) with Stephen Gray (Hayston) third on 65.
Gray piloted the Angus Homes Ltd team of Alan Angus (handicap 14), Brian Fowlie (17) and Jock Wilson (18) to victory in the pro-am team event with a 22-under-par net score of 118.
SCOREBOARD
Par 70
63 Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) £895.34.
64 Chris Kelly (Cawder) £715.95.
65 Stephen Gray (Hayston) £537.10.
66 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) £402.82
67 Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) £295.40 each.
68 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Chris Russell (RAW Golf Course Design), £214.83 each.
69 C Lee (unatt) £170.26.
70 Colin Gillies (Playsport Golf) £152.£15.
71 Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation) £134.27.
72 Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park) £125.40.
73 Craig Ronald (Carluke), Ronnie McDonald (Inchmarlo), Jonathan Lomas (unatt) (£107.42 each.
74 Mark King (Kingsfield), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie), Iain Donaldson (Meldrum House) £80.56 each.
75 Stewart Davidson (Banchory) £62.84.
77 Edward Thomson (Senit Assocites) £53.71.
78 Brian Leishman (Gleneagles Hotel) £43.01.
87 Gordon Dunn (Turriff) £43.01.
Disqualified Greig Hutcheon (Banchory).

Colin Robinson wins Ayrshire boys' title

Colin Robinson (Largs) is the 2009 Ayrshire boys champion after a two-stroke victory in the championship held at Irvine Ravenspark Golf Club. The championship attracted a capacity field of some of the best young players in the county.
One handicapper Robinson, who won the West Of Scotland boys' stroke-play title earlier in the season, opened with a two over par round of 73 which left him two off the halfway lead, held by clubmate Josh Nordbo, but in the afternoon Robinson improved by two shots to return a level par 71 and a two round total of 144.
Cameron McLean (West Kilbride), with a best of the day round of 70 in the afternoon, came closest to Robinson, finishing on 146.
Third place went to host club member Chris Butler with rounds of 74 & 73 for a 147 total.
The best nett return of the day was recorded by local member Liam Gourlay, the 9 handicapper returning 67 & 69 for a 6 under par total of 136.
LEADING TOTALS
Scratch
144 Colin Robinson (Largs) 73 71.
146 Cameron McLean (West Kilbride) 76 70.
147 Chris Butler (Irvine Ravenspark) 74 73
148 Jared Williams (Kilmacolm) 76 72.
148 David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) 74 74.
Handicap
136 Liam Gourlay (Irvine Ravenspark) (9) 67 69.
138 Brad Cathie (Irvine Ravenspark) (10) 69 69.
13 Greg Telfer (Prestwick St. Cuthbert) (11) 71 68.

Robert Burlison goes for junior title

double in England Under-14 boys

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Robert Burlison from Staffordshire will seek to add the Reid Trophy to the English Schools Under 16 title already in his grasp when the English Boys Under 14 Championship takes place at The Kendleshire Golf Club on 11th - 13th August.
Burlison won the schools title over 36 holes at Northants County, so now the 14 year old from Oxley Park has the chance to double up over 54 holes at Burghley Park near Stamford.
The Reid Trophy is always keenly contested and that will be the case again this year. The field also contains Josh Knight, the joint Somerset Under 14 Champion, and Gloucestershire’s Thomas Burns from Cleeve Cloud, who was among the prize winners at the South West Boys Under 14 Championship.
There are several members of county under 14 teams in the field, among them Conor Warne from Carlyon Bay in Cornwall, and Ben Amor from Marlborough, arguably the leading under 14 player in Wiltshire.
Also competing is Conor Coles from St George’s Hill in Surrey, grandson of Neil Coles, the former Ryder Cup player and now chairman of the European Tour Board of Directors. The player with the lowest handicap of scratch is Nick Ward from Redbourn in Hertfordshire, while the youngest at ten with a handicap of seven is Charlie Strickland from Rustington in Sussex.
As usual, the field of 111 contains many of this country’s best emerging talent as well as youngsters from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Once again there is a strong entry of 34 from overseas, especially from Spain with 11 players. France has six, Italy five, while there are also youngsters from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and one from Singapore.
The title has only gone overseas once, two years ago when Stanislas Gautier from France won at Porters Park. The total number of entries was 184, so a ballot was held and of the 22 players with handicaps of seven, seven gained entry, the remaining 15 were placed on the reserve list. The leading six players in the Championship will gain automatic exemption to next year’s McGregor Trophy (Under 16 Championship) at Prince‘s in Kent.
Admission is free to the event with play starting at 8am on both days. For those unable to attend, scoring, championship commentary and news updates are available on the Championships Section of the EGU website, www.englishgolfunion.org

Paddy comes out of slump to lead by

two in Bridgestone Invitational

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By NELSON CLARE
Padraig Harrington spectacularly rolled in three successive putts from more than 20 feet to grab a two-shot lead in the opening round at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Competing in his first tournament since the Open at Turnberry three weeks ago, the three-times major winner fired a flawless six-under-par 64 at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
The Irishman saved par at the sixth by rolling in a 21-footer before adding birdie putts from 26 and 23 feet at the seventh and eighth. He then parred the ninth to end the day two shots ahead of Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, American Scott Verplank and South African Tim Clark.
American pair Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson, and Britain’s Ian Poulter, opened with matching 67s while the world No 1, Tiger Woods, looking for a record seventh title at Firestone, carded a 68.
Paul Casey’s place in the US PGA Championship next week may be in doubt after he pulled out of the tournament with a pulled muscle under his rib cage. Britain’s world No 3 was at par after six holes when he withdrew. He said he first injured the rib muscle a week before the Open at Turnberry.
Asked if he would play next week at Hazeltine, in Chaska, Minnesota, Casey said he must be cautious. “It’s a very difficult one to fix. They said to heal it properly it could be four weeks,” he said.
A storming finish of three birdies in eight holes put a smile on Phil Mickelson’s face after the American carded a level-par 70. Back in action after a six-week break while helping his wife and mother undergo breast cancer treatment, the world No 2 covered the back nine in three under after going to the turn in three over.
Defending champion Vijay Singh and Masters champion Angel Cabrera also posted 70s, as did England’s Luke Donald and Ross Fisher. Fisher admitted he had come into the tournament short of practice following the birth of his first child, Eve Rose, who was born the Saturday after he had contended the final day of last month’s Open.
“I’ve hardly played at all to be honest,” Fisher said.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL THE FIRST ROUND SCORES

British boys' championship at Royal St George's

SILVER MEDALIST MANASSERO HEADS TO#

KENT IN SEARCH OF UNIQUE TREBLE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ROYAL & ANCIENT GOLF CLUB
Sixteen-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero will head to Royal St George’s Golf Club, Kent for the Boys Amateur Championship next week in an attempt to add the title to The Open Championship Silver Medal and The Amateur Championship, which he has already won this year.
Playing with five-time Open champion, Tom Watson, at Turnberry last month, Manassero captured the imagination of the galleries with rounds of 71, 70, 72 and 69 to finish in 13th place on a two-over-par total of 282. And during the week of The Amateur Championship at Formby, he fell behind in a match on only one occasion, having set a new course record at West Lancashire Golf Club in the stroke play qualifying stage earlier in the week.
Nobody has managed to win both the Boys and The Amateur in the same season. Should Manassero achieve the feat, he will go one better than two-time Major winner, Jose Maria Olazabal, who took the two titles in consecutive years – the Boys in 1983 and The Amateur in 1984, also at Formby, aged just 18. Current world-number-three, Manassero, will begin his record attempt at 1.41pm on Monday 10 August.
Another player who has achieved a double this year is Scotland’s David Law who, less than one week ago, emerged victorious at the Scottish Amateur Match Play Championship. The 18-year-old, who has been working to improve his game with 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie, won the Scottish Boys Championship earlier in the year. He will get his challenge underway at 7.12am on Monday.
“I just go into it the same way I went into the Scottish Amateur,” said Law. “Just take it one game at a time.”
But standing in their way is Pedro Figueiredo of Portugal who returns to defend the title he won in 2008 at Little Aston Golf Club. Figueiredo, who gets his defence underway on Tuesday at 10.01am, is already a three-time Portuguese Player of the Year at just 18 years old and has made the cut in two European Tour events – the Portuguese Open and the Madeira Islands Open.
Also bidding to win his second Boys title is the 2007 Champion, Emilio Cuartero of Spain. At the age of 16, Cuartero joined fellow Spaniards including Sergio Garcia (1997) and Olazabal in winning the prestigious event. He will start his campaign at 7.05am on Tuesday.
English Under-18 Champion, Tom Lewis, will make the trip to Sandwich next week having performed well in the England team that won the Boys Home Internationals at Hankley Common yesterday. Lewis, who will tee-off at 12.16pm on Monday, earned five points out of a possible six during the three-day event – including all three singles matches – and won his final tie in style with two eagles in consecutive holes on the 13th and 14th to prevail 6&4.
“Royal St George’s is a great course for me,” explained Lewis. “It’s an Open Championship course, and that’s what my game’s built for.”
A match play event, the Boys Amateur Championship will be held on Monday 10 – Saturday 15 August at Royal St George’s Golf Club in Kent, England.
Live scores and full reports will appear on RandA.org throughout the days of competition.

United States pro golf scoreboard

World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational
Firestone Country Club, South Course, Akron, Ohio.
FIRST ROUND
Par 70
64 Padraig Harrington (Irl)
66 Prayad Marksaeng (Tha), Scott Verplank, Tim Clark (Rsa)
67 Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter (Eng)
68 Danny Lee (Nzl), Hunter Mahan, Tiger Woods, Robert Allenby (Aus), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa)
69 Soren Hansen (Den), Oliver Wilson (Eng), Lucas Glover, Nick Dougherty (Eng), Woody Austin, David Toms, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Stewart Cink, Kenny Perry, Sean O'Hair, Boo Weekley, Henrik Stenson (Swe), Lee Westwood (Eng)
70 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Pat Perez, Ross Fisher (Eng), Angel Cabrera (Arg), Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, J.B. Holmes, Justin Leonard, Vijay Singh (Fij), Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Camilo Villegas (Col), Luke Donald (Eng), Carl Pettersson (Swe), Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa)
71 Jerry Kelly, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Retief Goosen (Rsa), Darren Clarke (NIrl), Charles Howell III, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha), Anthony Kang, Chad Campbell, Cameron Beckman, Mike Weir (Can), Ernie Els (Rsa)
72 Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Davis Love III, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Nick O'Hern (Aus), Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Anthony Kim, Richard Sterne (Rsa), Y.E. Yang (Kor)
73 Anders Hansen (Den), Graeme McDowell (NIrl), Mathew Goggin (Aus), Jim Furyk, Gregory Havret (Fra), Stuart Appleby (Aus)
74 Nick Watney, Nathan Green (Aus), K J Choi (Kor), Yuji Igarashi (Jpn), Chih-bing Lam (Sin), Shingo Katayama (Jpn)
75 Christian Cevaer (Fra), Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Justin Rose (Eng), Brian Gay
76 Marc Turnesa
77 Ben Curtis
78 Adam Scott (Aus), Shane Lowry (Irl)

Lothians' Champion of Champions' Final

Steven Armstrong is feeling just

Champion after beating Stephen

FROM THE SCOTSMAN SPORTS WEBSITE
By NICK RODGER
Steven Armstrong was today savouring that winning feeling after claiming a dramatic victory in the Lothians Champion of Champions at Bruntsfield Links.
The Turnhouse ace emerged from a titanic tussle with former Scotland cap Stephen Easingwood last night to claim victory on the 20th hole and secure the prestigious title for the second time in three years.Armstrong, 36, has just about done it all on the regional scene over the years since first making his mark by winning the Lothians Boys' championship back in 1991 but the former pro admitted he'll never tire of the sense of satisfaction that comes with picking up golfing silverware.
"I've won a number of events over the seasons but there's still nothing to beat that feeling of winning tournaments," said a jubilant Armstrong. "It was an interesting game with a few twists and turns.
"This was a really tough match and Stephen showed the class that has made him such a good player down the years. He's still a very good player and I'm just delighted to have got through in the end."In a nip-and-tuck encounter, it was Armstrong, the champion of 2007, who struck the first blow with a birdie at the second to go one up but Easingwood, runner-up in the Champion of Champions a decade ago, showed his battling qualities on the outward half as he scrambled well to keep his rival within touching distance.Those attributes were illustrated on the fourth when the Dunbar man found himself in the trees from the tee but wedged over the branches onto the fairway and then managed to salvage a par to halve the hole. Armstrong moved up through the gears around the turn and reeled off birdies at the tenth and the 12th to forge a commanding three-hole advantage.But a crippling run of bogeys at 13, 14 and 15 allowed former Scottish strokeplay champ Easingwood to restore parity and the seasoned-campaigner edged in front for the first time in the match when he knocked his approach at 16 to three-feet and rolled in the birdie putt to win his fourth hole in a row.His lead was fleeting, however, and when he three-putted from the front of the 17th green, Armstrong found himself back on level terms.
All-square playing the last, Armstrong looked like he would claim a last-gasp victory when his opponent found the bunker with his second shot but, having splashed out of the sand, Easingwood bravely holed a testing 20-footer to halve the hole and force the sudden-death shoot-out.
After halving the opening hole of the play-off, the destination of the title was finally decided on the par-three seventh
Easingwood, whose tee-shot came to rest along the slope of the green, saw his first putt swing some eight-feet past to the left and having eventually three stabs, Armstrong claimed the honours as he two-putted down the slope for a match-winning par.
In the handicap championship which was also contested last night, Bass Rock's John Gladwin made up for his defeat in the same event some 15 years ago with a 4 and 2 victory over Graham Jamieson of Port Seton.
The 43-year-old took charge of the match on the front nine and, having moved into a three-hole at the turn, the Edinburgh physio finally snuffed out Jamieson's spirited challenge with a solid par on the 16th.
"I lost on the 18th green in this final many years ago and I was determined to make sure that didn't happen this time," said Gladwin. "I got my nose in front early on and that was the key. He came back at me coming in but I managed to hold on."

Tain Four-Day Tournament Double

by brother & sister Jimmy, Anne

By ROBIN WILSON
Brother and sister Jimmy Russell and Anne Ryan pulled off a double act at the end of the Whyte & Mackay/Bellhaven Tain four-day tournament in this week's men's and women's scratch finals at the Ross-shire venue.
Locally born Russell, now aged 48, left Tain when a teenager but has always remembered his roots, returning home annually to play the highlight tournament of the club's season each August and winning the scratch final for the first time 25 years ago in 1984.
Now living and working in Aberdeen and a member of Murcar Links, he won again in 2006 and completed his hat-trick of McVitie & Price Cup triumphs this week by beating David Pearson (Kilmacolm) in the final on the 17th green.
With good quality golf both finalists won and lost three of the outward holes to stand level after nine, but when they turned for home their golf became a bit scrappy. There was never more than a hole between them, Russell taking the lead from a eagle 3 on the long 13th hole.
The break point came at the short 16th hole across the river. Both missed the green and their identical chips had to be measured by the referee. Russell was judged the closer by a whisker. Pearson missed and Russell holed to go dormie.
Both also missed the 17th green but Russell got the half from his bunker recovery to win by 2 and 1.
Jimmy's three sisters, Mary Smith, Anne Ryan and Magi Vass, are synonymous with Tain women's' golf but only Anne was able to take part in this year's first-ever women's four -day event, not only becoming the event's first winner but adding the icing to the double celebratory cake by doing so on her 50th birthday when beating teenager Hannah McCook (Abernethy) on the 18th green in the final.
The introduction of a women's qualifying and match-play competition alongside the men's event came from a suggestion last year from the golfing widows left watching from the clubhouse - and very successful it proved.
Seizing the opportunity of sponsorship to promote their business was the local Flower Shop and the first year entry topped 50 ladies. More is expected next year as word spreads of its success especially amongst the younger players.
Magi Vass's daughter Julie was a semi-finalist, beaten by her aunt, Anne Ryan. Local teenager Hannah Mackay (18) enters Robert Gordon's University, Aberdeen next month with a barrow load of A exam results ... and the Handicap Winner's Trophy.
Hannah McCook's place in the final was almost a miracle. Playing against local Claire Ross, she had a nightmare outward half and was six down at the turn. The Abernethy protege turned her game around over the next nine holes with four birdies to win at the 19th.
In the final against Anne Ryan, young Hannah birdied the par 3 17th hole to square the tie but bunkered her approach to the final green and Ryan enjoyed a two-putt par 4 win one up.

+Switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk to see Robin Wilson's picture of Anne Ryan and Jimmy Russell with their trophies..

Bob Stewart two behnd leaders in

Senior Open Amateur at Prestwick

FROM THE SCOTSMAN SPORTS WEBSITE
By NICK RODGER
BOB Stewart cemented his place in the upper reaches of the Senior Open Amateur championship leaderboard at Prestwick last night as his bid to bring more silverware back to Kincardine's golfing street stayed on course.
The 58-year-old Tulliallan member posted a four-over 76 on another tough scoring day in Ayrshire for an eight-over aggregate of 152 to sit just two shots behind joint leaders Maurice Kelly and Graham Cooke.
Stewart, whose eventful round included two lost balls as he ran up a double-bogey 6 at the fourth and a triple-bogey 7 at the tenth, won the Scottish Seniors Open crown last season, just weeks before neighbour Callum Macaulay, now a pro on the European Tour, landed the national amateur title.
"It was a great that we had two Scottish champions, not just from the same town but from the same street," said Stewart, who repaired some of the damage with three birdies. "Callum and I practise a lot together and if I'm in the hunt then he'll probably come down and cheer me on." Kelly bolstered his one-over 73 with raking birdie putts from 35-feet at both the fifth and sixth which helped reel in overnight pacesetter Cooke, who sagged to a 79 for his 150 total.
Paul Simson, the defending champion, bounced back from an opening 80 with a tidy 71 for 151 while Tony Stafford, from the Gleneagles club, Dun Ochil, joined Stewart on the 152 mark after a 76.
Aberdonian George Paterson carded a 74 for 153.
*The full article contains 265 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper today.

Casey forced to withdraw in Ohio and now a real

doubt for US PGA Championship

FROM THE SCOTSMAN SPORTS WEBSITE
By Simon Lewis in Akron
WORLD No 3 Paul Casey was forced to quit the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational after just six holes at Firestone Country Club – throwing his participation in next week's US PGA Championship into serious doubt.
The Englishman, a three-time winner in 2009, was level par for his round when he teed off at the seventh hole but he immediately clutched his chest as he sent his ball into right rough.
Casey, whose injury was confirmed as a pulled muscle under his rib cage, had achieved two top-10 finishes in his last three visits to Firestone, claiming a tie for fourth in 2006 and a tie for eighth last year.
His withdrawal comes seven days before the start of final major of 2009, this year's US PGA being staged at Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minnesota.
He revealed he had been struggling with the problem since before last month's Open at Turnberry."I think I strained an intercostal (muscle]). I actually did it a couple of weeks ago, a week before the Open, hitting drivers with (coach Peter] Kostis. I'm blaming Kostis," Casey joked.
"I battled through the Open. Haven't done much in a couple weeks, tried to rest it and then tweaked it in the rough on Monday. I've been back in the trailer every day this week trying to get treatment on it, icing it, rolling it off, then hitting some golf balls when we're done, and it just wasn't working."
As to his participation at Hazeltine, Casey did not paint a positive picture. "I've got to be careful because there's a lot of important golf left. You know, FedExCup, Race to Dubai, a lot of big stuff," he said. "I was even par for six holes. I wasn't doing too badly. But it just felt so bad."
Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng and Tim Clark of South Africa set the early pace as the first wave of starters completed their opening rounds. Marksaeng opened with three birdies in a row, starting from the 10th tee on the tough, 7,400-yard, par-70 South Course, but closed bogey, bogey on the way to a seven-birdie, three-bogey 66.
That gave him the early clubhouse lead at four under par, where he was joined by Clark, whose 66 featured six birdies and two bogeys. Open champion Stewart Cink and England's Ian Poulter were among a group of late starters quickly moving to two under.
Lee Westwood, a joint runner-up here last year, six-time winner Tiger Woods and US PGA champion Padraig Harrington all reached one under early in their rounds.
Defending champion Vijay Singh, world No 2 Phil Mickelson and Masters champion Angel Cabrera were in a large group that posted level-par 70s.
Mickelson, returning after taking six weeks off to care for his wife Amy as she began treatment for breast cancer, showed some rust with a double-bogey six at his second hole of the day, the 11th, and went out in a three-over 38, only to claw his way back with three birdies on the back nine.
Also at level par were England's Luke Donald and Ross Fisher.
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