Play-off drama at Peterhead

Philip McLean (left) and Kris Nicol after their play-off for the North-east District Open championship at Philip's home club, Peterhead, this evening (Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency; click on it to enlarge).

Kris Nicol beats Philip McLean in Battle

of the Buchan Loons for NE title

Fraserburgh’s Kris Nicol, eight strokes clear of the field with one round to go, finally had to win a play-off against another “Buchan loon,” home-course favourite Philip McLean, to chalk up a roller-coaster victory in the North-east District Open golf championship over the Peterhead Golf Club links today.
McLean, 22-year-old winner of last week’s Leven Gold Medal, finished like the proverbial train with a four-under-par 66 for a 72-hole total of seven-under-par 273.
He birdied the sixth, seventh, eighth, 10th, 13th and 15th in halves of 34 and 32 in a round which featured some prodigious driving down wind. Philip drove the green at the 349yd sixth for a two-putt birdie and was only 40yd short of the green at the 409yd third.
Nicol had made it a procession over the first 54 holes .. three shots clear after an opening 65 and five shots ahead at half way after another 65 in the second round. A Sunday morning 69 saw him go eight shots clear with McLean now taking up second place.
But Nicol, the 25-year-old Fraserburgh greenkeeper, suddenly lost his touch in the fourth round – and his lead quickly disappeared as he bogeyed fiveholes in a row from the second.
“I just hit a string of poor iron shots,” said Nicol who reached the turn in 40.
McLean's barrage of birdies enabled the former Scotland youth cap to catch him and, playing ahead of his rival, Philip led by a shot with three to play.
But Nicol summoned up one of the great birdies he had been chalking up so nonchalantly earlier in the tournament to hole a 30ft putt at the 17th.
He had a chance to win the title on the 72nd green but his putt from 20ft stopped on the lip. Nicol had closed with a 74 - an eight-shot turnaround in McLean's favour over 18 holes - to match Philip's clubhouse total of 273.
Home course record-holder McLean was the favourite to win the play-off, having just come off a great round while Nicol had been glad to get back in the clubhouse to clear his thoughts.
But it was McLean who drove into the rough and got a bad lie at the first sudden-death play-off hole. He hacked out and holed a putt to salvage a par 4, leaving Nicol, safely home in two, to hole a shortish birdie putt for his second SGU Order of Merit event victory.
He won last year’s North of Scotland open amateur title, which he will defend this coming weekend at Lossiemouth.
Stirling University student James White (Lundin) finished third on 277 after a very good last round of 66. White, a former Scottish boys' match-play champion, was the only other player apart from Nicol and McLean to finish the 72 holes under par, which says much for Peterhead's testing links, not long by modern standards but, with the help of an almost constant wind, a test for the best, whether amateur or professional.
Best round of the last day was a fourth-round 65 from former Scotland youth champion and past Palmer Cup player Scott Borrowman (Dollar) who finished on 281. If the tournament had only been over 36 holes on Sunday, Borrowman would have won with a splendid 36-hole tally of 133.

But he had saddled himself with two moderate rounds of 74 on the Saturday and had to settle for a final placing of fourth - a shot behind recent Scottish amateur championship semi-finalist Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) who partnered McLean in his final round and returned a 68 himself as the two sparked each other to great effect.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70). 6147yd CSS 71 71 71 71
273 Philip McLean (Peterhead) 71 69 67 66, Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 65 65 69 74 (Nicol won sudden-death play-off at first extra hole).
277 James White (Lundin) 72 69 70 66.
280 Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) 71 69 72 68.
281 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 74 74 68 65.
282 Michael Daily Erksine) 68 67 73 74, Martin Lawrence (Newmachar) 70 69 73 70.
285 Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 71 71 74 69.
288 Alex Main (Thornton)
71 77 71 69.
289 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 71 72 74 72, Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) 74 69 70 76, Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) 69 68 72 80.
290 Andrew Campbell (Deeside) 72 76 71 71, Christopher Forman (Peterhead) 74 71 75 70.
291 James Ross (Royal Burgess) 72 71 73 75.
292 Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh 74 75 72 71, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 72 76 73 71, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 73 73 67 79, Steven Smith (Dalmahoy Hotel) 72 71 71 78, Richard Gill (Craigmillar Park) 71 71 73 77, Gavin Greer (Murcar Links) 71 70 79 72..
293 Clark Brechin (Portlethen) 78 75 70 70, Gordon Munro (Fraserburgh) 75 72 75 71, Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 75 72 71 75, Iain Galbraith (Murcar Links) 74 72 71 76.
296 Scott Larkin (Banchory) 76 69 73 78.
298 Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) 75 75 76 72, Neale Barnes (Deeside) 73 74 76 75, Steven J Buchan (Royal Aberdeen) 78 69 74 77..
299 Billy Main (Murcar Links) 76 76 74 73.
301 John Duff (Newmachar) 73 77 72 79.
303 Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 70 82 76 75.
304 Andrew Carrell (Peterculter) 77 76 73 78, David Corkey (Murcar Links) 73 78 74 79, Garry Esson (Caledonian) 73 77 78 76.
308 Daniel Somerville (St Andrews) 80 71 79 78.
309 Ewan McIntosh (McDonald Ellon) 76 73 77 83.
310 Graeme Duncan (Shotts) 76 76 79 79.
Retired: Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 69 71 78 -

NORTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN SCOREBOARD
Peterhead Golf Club
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 210 (3x70) CSS 71 71 71
199 Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) 65 65 69.
207 Philip McLean (Peterhead) 71 69 67.
208 Michael Daily (Erskine) 68 67 73.
209 Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) 69 68 72.
211 James White (Lundin) 72 69 70.
212 Martin Lawrence (Newmachar) 70 69 73, Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) 71 69 72.
213 Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) 74 69 70, Bobby RuAMshford (Grangemouth) 73 73 67.
214 Steven Smith (Dalmahoy) 72 71 71. AM
215 Richard Gill (Craigmillar Park) 71 71 73.
216 Gordon Yates (Hilton Park) 71 71 74, James Ross (Royal Burgess) 72 71 73, Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 74 74 68.
217 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 71 72 74, Iain Galbraith (Murcar Links) 74 72 71.
218 Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 69 71 78, Scott Larkin (Banchory) 76 69 73, Christopher Forman (Peterhead) 74 71 73, Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 75 72 71.
219 Alex Main (Thornton) 71 77 71.
220 Gavin Greer (Murcar Links) 71 70 79.
221 Steven J Buchan (Royal Aberdeen) 78 69 74, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire)7 2 76 73, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 74 72 75.
222 John Duff (Newmachar) 73 77 72, Gordon Munro (Fraserbrgh) 75 72 75
223 Neale Barnes (Deeside) 73 74 76.
226 Ewan McIntosh (Newmachar) 76 73 77.
228 Garry Esson (Portlethen) 73 77 78.
230 Daniel Sommervillle (St Andrews) 80 71 79.

Birthday boy Quesne claims debut win

By SARAH GWYNN, European Challenge Tour Press Officer
Julien Quesne gave himself the perfect birthday present by winning the Trophée du Golf de Genève for his first European Challenge Tour title in Switzerland today.
The Frenchman, who turned 29 today, shot a stunning six under par 66 in the final round to finish a shot clear of Challenge Tour Rankings leader
Edoardo Molinari, who had a one shot lead at the start of the day but whose 68 ultimately proved insufficient.
The Italian birdied the 14th, 16th and 17th to give Quesne a scare, but needing another birdie at the 18th to force a play-off, he only managed a par.
Englishman Peter Baker, who shot 67 today, shared third place with Julien Guerrier at 17 under, while three players – Gary Boyd, Alan Wagner and James Morrison – were two more shots further back.
Quesne, whose previous best performance on the Challenge Tour was runner-up at last year’s Banque Populaire Moroccan Classic, where he also finished third this season, was one shot off the course record on the first day when he posted a 64 which included nine birdies.
He did not quite match that level in the second two rounds, but a 69 and a 71 kept him in contention and the withdrawal through injury of second round leader Robert Coles three holes into his third round blew the race wide open.
Quesne seized the initiative today to become the fifth consecutive first time winner on the Challenge Tour and said he was glad to finally have a victory to his name.
“I’m so happy,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this victory since the beginning of the season. I have been playing very well all year but I’ve had to be very patient. I’ve had a few chances before to win before but haven’t done it so this is great for me and on my birthday too which makes it even more special.
“The four straight birdies really got me going. I just made a bogey so I was thinking about my score because I always like to be under par early. At the long par three (seventh) I hit a four iron to within a metre and then at the par five next hole I hit my third shot very close and tapped in.
“At the ninth I made a putt from 15 metres and at the tenth I went very close again with my approach shot. It was nerve-racking knowing Edoardo could force a play-off with a birdie at the last but I also knew it is maybe the hardest hole on the course.”
Quesne was one shot off Molinari’s lead at the start of the final round but said any pressure on him worked in his favour.
He added: “I did feel a little bit of pressure this morning but I like that. For me, pressure is a good thing and often makes me raise my game a little. I will certainly enjoy the celebrations tonight.”
Although Molinari did not end up with the trophy in Switzerland, his runner-up finish cemented his place at the top of the Rankings and capped a good weekend for the family. His brother Francesco made the cut in the US PGA Championshipl
FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x72)
269 J Quesne (Fra) 63 69 71 66
270 E Molinari (Ita) 70 68 64 68
271 P Baker (Eng) 68 67 69 67, J Guerrier (Fra) 71 68 66 66
273 J Morrison (Eng) 67 67 69 70, G Boyd (Eng) 72 66 66 69, A Wagner (Arg) 71 71 65 66
274 N Colsaerts (Bel) 66 71 68 69
275 S Walker (Eng) 72 67 68 68, J Parry (Eng) 68 68 67 72, M Zions (Aus) 66 73 66, 70
276 R Davies (Wal) 71 68 68 69
277 J Clément (Fra) 69 68 66 74, S Bebb (Wal) 66 71 70 70, A McArthur (Sco) 69 73 64 71
279 J-F Lima (Por) 71 70 68 70
282 M Tullo (Chi) 74 68 68 72, A S Hansen (Den) 73 65 70 74, R McEvoy (Eng) 69 70 71 72, Lee James (Eng) 69 69 72 72
283 A Kaleka (Fra) 69 69 72 73

Hugh Hunter's Clackmannan County New

BOB BOUNCES BACK IN EUROPEAN SENIORS
After a disappointing finish to his British Seniors campaign at Prestwick two weeks ago, Tulliallan’s Bob Stewart wasted no time in recovering his golfing form when he travelled to Switzerland to represent Scotland in the European Seniors Team Championship last week.
In the 36 hole qualifying event with five scores counting out of six, Bob returned two good rounds of 75 which helped take the Scottish team into the top flight where they faced Sweden in the first round of the match play section.
The matches are decided with one foursome and four singles and Bob partnered by George Paterson won their game fairly easily, but the players in the singles only won one game which meant that Scotland lost by three matches to two overall and deny them a top four finish. In the second round, things looked bleak for a time against Germany, but Bob and George managed to turn their game round from two down to win at the 19th hole. This proved crucial and the team took the match by 3 games to two.
In the final match, Scotland took on Spain to decide fourth place
Bob was given a singles tie and duly came away with a halved match. However it wasnt good enough as Scotland lost by 3 matches to 1.
Bob came away undefeated in his match play games and must be highly pleased with his performance which should ensure selection for the Senior Home Internationals at the end of the season. Indeed, if he keeps up this sort of performance, then he could be in the Scottish team for a few years to come Well done Bob !!"
2009 EDEN TOURNAMENT
2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the win of Alan Glass (Alloa) in the Eden tournament. Alan made a bit of history in the late 1960’s when he won all three trophies in the event in the space of a few years. Alan still plays and enjoys his golf and now with his retirement status he intends to focus more on his golf and some of the Senior events.
The Eden tournament used to attract a high quality Scottish field with a significant number of golfers and spectators from Clackmannanshire. Nowadays most of the entries come from outwith Scotland and it was left to Graham Rennie (Alloa) to mount the only Clackmannanshire challenge. Five handicapper Graham just missed the scratch event qualifying, but featured in the Eden tankard decided on handicap where he won by 2/1 in the first round, but lost in round two. Nevertheless a good performance to finish in the top 25% of the field.

BELHAVEN BEST SCOTTISH CLUB HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP.
The Tulliallan and Dollar teams finished down the field at Prestonfield last Friday, missing a top ten place which would have taken them to the Scottish final. Braehead (Steve Skelton/Martin Kaney) with a level par score finished in 27th position while Dollar (Andrew Ure/Ken Christie) were two shots further back in 43rd position. The event was won by Lochmaben Golf Club with a 7 under par score of 63.

David Wilson beats Jared Williams at

19th in Ayrshire boys' final

FROM THE AYRSHIRE GOLF WEBSITE
David Wilson (Troon Welbeck) captured the 2009 Ayrshire boys' match-play championship at Prestwick Golf Club on Saturday with a victory at the first extra hole over Jared Williams (Kilmacolm/Troon St. Meddans).
In winning the title, Wilson became the youngest winner of the trophy, aged 14 years and 9 months.
In a well-matched final, Jared Williams, who lost out in the Renfrewshire boys' match-play final earlier in the season, took an early lead after David Wilson hit an uncharacteristically poor second to the opening hole while Williams secured a regulation par 4.
The match was square again when Williams found a bunker from the tee at the second and failed to extracate the ball at the first attempt. Wilson, 25 feet away in one, recorded an easy par.
After Wilson was bunkered from the tee at the third, Williams took full advantage, a 3 foot putt for a birdie 4 restoring his lead.
Again the match was squared at the following hole, and again a bunkered tee shot proved decisive with Williams finding the James Braid inspired bunker at the edge of the Pow Burn and requiring to take a drop from casual water within the bunker.
The drop was not ideal, plugging and restricting his stance, and whilst he struggled on the hole, Wilson played a fine approach to 18 feet to set up a winning par 4.
Both players found the green over the Hymalayas at the fifth, and it was Wilson who took the hole and the lead for the first time with a fine 10ft birdie putt.
Having covered almost a third of the round without sharing a hole, the players finally halved the sixth with Wilson executing a superb up and down recovery from the left of the green to match Williams' par 4.
At the seventh both players negotiated the hole in perfect fashion, Wilson finishing 12 feet from the hole in two while Williams, who was consistently longer from the tee, following him in to finish just three feet from the hole. On the notoriously tricky green, however, both players' birdie putts lipped out and the hole was halved in par.
At the eighth hole a lost ball from the tee cost Wilson a double bogey 6, and the match was squared once more.
In one of the telling moments of the match, at the ninth, Wilson got up and down from short of the green, holing a difficult 12ft putt for a par 4 while Williams, who had safely reached the green in two, took three putts from around 35ft to lose the hole and turn for home one down.
Williams had the opportunity to square the match at the 10th but his 6ft putt for par hit the edge of the hole and stayed out, leaving Wilson still one ahead.
The lead lasted only until the 11th where Williams only required two putts from 15ft for a winning par 3 after Wilson had missed the green on the left from the tee.
Williams looked favourite all the way at the par 5 12th as Wilson found two bunker on his way to the putting surface in five shots. Williams,by contrast, was on in three but, similar to the events at the ninth, Wilson holed a good 10 foot putt for a 6 while Williams contrived to take three putts from the left side of the green which allowed his opponent to escape with an unlikely half.
The slip was compounded at the 13th when Williams found 'Willie Campbell's Grave' from the tee and could only play out of the fiendish bunker, leaving him with a long third to the green. Wilson reached the lower apron of the green in two; Williams came up just short of the putting surface in three.
Wilson showed great skill with the putter to leave his long uphill putt from the fringe close enough to the hole for a conceded par 4, and Williams was extremely unfortunate to see his attempt for a half from off the green turn away at the holeside and finish only inches away, giving Wilson a one-hole lead once more.
At the 14th Williams was unfortunate to see his extremely long drive reach the cross bunkers in front of the green and whilst he played out and chipped on to the green to a few feet in three, it was not enough as Wilson holed a decisive 30ft putt for a birdie 3 to take a two-hole lead for the first time in the match.
Buoyed by his run of winning holes, Wilson's approach to the difficult 15th green pulled up just 4ft from the hole while Williams' effort was unlucky to pull up short of the green, leaving him an extremely difficult task to two putt for par.
Williams holed a brave second putt from 5ft for par and was boosted when Wilson's effort for a winning birdie 3 just missed the hole on the left, leaving Williams still two holes behind, with three to play.
Wilson's tee shot at the 16th was in good position on the left whilst Williams, whose driving length meant the green was well in range, was unlucky to see his tee shot catch the edge of the Cardinal Bunker after a kick to the right en route to the green.
A slightly strong approach from Wilson saw his ball run just through the green while Williams played a good chip from a difficult stance on the grass bank within "the Cardinal" to 15 feet beyond the pin.
Wilson's effort from off the green ran past the hole a couple of feet and Williams holed for a birdie 3 to reduce the defecit to one hole.
At the 17th, both players negotiated "The Alps" in two, Wilson just missing the gren on the left with Williams finishing 12 feet from the hole. Wilson's birdie effort ran 4ft past and after Williams' birdie putt also stayd above ground, Wilson missed his par putt, leaving Williams to hole from three feet for a winning par to square the match once again.
At the 18th, Williams cut his tee shot slightly right and found rough whilst Wilson played a perfect shot which came up just five yards short of the green in the centre of the fairway. As Wilson had done earlier in the match, however, it was Williams' turn to show his recovery skills, lofting a delicate chip onto the green which came to rest just 3ft from the hole. Wilson's approach finished just inside Williams' ball and both players holed their putts for birdies, leaving the match all square and going on to extra holes.
The quality of the play from both players in a difficult south west wind was borne out by the statistics, both players going round in 75 strokes, having already negotiated semi final matches earlier in the day.
The first hole at Prestwick has provided many tales of drama and tragedy over the years and this final provided yet another chapter in the tale when Williams teed off first and saw his iron shot drift in the cross wind and drop over the boundary wall into the railway.
Wilson was visibly relieved when his own effort with an iron from the tee safely found the fairway. Wilson looked equally relieved when his approach came up safe, but short of the green, but his opponent was not giving up without a fight and Williams' approach, his fourth shot, finished 18 feet from the hole.
From the front of the green, Wilson putted up to three feet, but despite a good putt, Williams' effort for a 5 remained above ground and prompted a concession of the hole and title to the new champion.
At the conclusion of the match, Prestwick Golf Club secretary Ian Bunch presented vouchers to both finalists and passed over the Ayrshire boys' match-play trophy and commemorative medal into the custody of the 2009 winner, David Wilson


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US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT

Woods leads by two from Harringon

after Padraig bogeys the last

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Padraig Harrington turned the US PGA Championship into a contest again but a bogey at the last left Tiger Woods with a two-shot lead from the Irishman and South Korea's Y E Yang, heading into Sunday's final round at Hazeltine National.
Woods got his third round under way at seven under par in Minnesota in the knowledge he had not lost the eight major championships he had led at the halfway stage and with a four-shot overnight lead the world number one had threatened to turn the final major of the year into a procession.
Defending champion Harrington had reeled in Woods' lead as the final groups neared the clubhouse, but having been caught, the 14-time major winner was sparked out of a nine-hole run of pars with a birdie at the 14th.
Then Harrington bogeyed the 18th for a third-round, three-under-par 69 and Woods returned to grind mode and parred his way home for a one-under 71, at eight under a stroke ahead of the Irishman and South Korea's Y E Yang, his 67 the low score of the day.
Henrik Stenson of Sweden and US Open champion Lucas Glover will start the final round at four under after rounds of 68 and 71 respectively with Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen and Ernie Els of South Africa at three under, both having shot 70s.
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Related Link (click on it to access the site
USPGA Championship's official website
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"I was just trying to be very patient out there," Woods said.
"The golf coursewas playing a little more difficult and I had the lead so I played conservatively.
"I didn't give myself a lot of looks and the one putt I missed was the three-putt (at the fourth) so other than that it was a really good, solid day."
Harrington was left a little deflated after his closing bogey.
"It was a little disappointing," he said.
"Sometimes when you get off to a shaky start and make a few pars you do feel better for it.
"Then I did start playing well and I holed a few putts and I was feeling good about things. Then at the end I got a flyer out of the rough and it was a disappointing way to finish."
LEADING THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x62)
2o8 T Woods 67 70 71.
210 Y E Yang 73 70 67, P Harrington 68 73 69.
212 H Stenson 73 71 68, L Glover 71 70 71.
213 E Els 75 68 70, S Kjeldsen 70 73 70.
214 A Quiros 69 76 69, J Rollins 73 73 68, M Kaymer 73 70 71, R Fisher 73 68 73, B Jones 71 70 73.
215 S Ames 74 71 70, R McIlroy 71 73 71, C Pavin 73 71 71, T Clark 76 68 71, L Westwood 70 72 73.
216 S Flesch 74 73 69, F Molinari 74 73 69, G McDowell 70 75 71, D Thoms 69 75 72, VJ Singh 69 72 74.
Selected scores:
218 R Goosen 77 71 70, S Cink 73 73 72, O Wilson 74 72 72, I Poulter 72 70 76.
219 M A Jimenez 75 73 71.
221 L Donald 71 77 72.
223 A Forsyth 73 75 75.
224 M Sim 73 75 76, P Mickelson 74 74 76, C Wood 74 73 77.
MISSED THE CUT (148 or better)
149 S Garcia 71 78, J Rose 73 76.
150 B Davis 76 74.
151 S Webster 76 75.
153 C Montgomerie 75 78.
154 D Clarke 78 76, A Wall 78 76.
155 N Doughterty 80 75.