Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Danny Lee makes European debut at Gleneagles

New Zealander Danny Lee is to make his European Tour debut as a professional more out of necessity than choice in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles this week.
The 19-year-old is contesting the £1.4 million event tournament six months after becoming the tour's youngest champion when winning the Johnnie Walker Classic in Australia.
That result earned Lee a two-year European Tour exemption until the end of the 2011 season.
After turning professional in April, he has been competing instead on the US PGA Tour in the United States on a series of sponsors' invitations.
He fell short of his goal to earn enough money in 11 appearances to qualify for unlimited starts there this season.
So Lee has now travelled to Perthshire, Scotland and a rain-softened PGA Centenary course for his European Tour debut as a pro.
"It is nice to be playing in Scotland and to be at Gleneagles for the first time," Lee said today.
" The course is very different to some of the courses I have been playing on this year in the States, and it is going to play very long after the rain we've had today."
Lee intends taking full advantage of his European exemption by competing over the next three weeks, including next week's European Masters in Switzerland and the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne, Germany, which follows.
"I know I am very fortunate to be in a position where I am exempt in Europe for two years," he said.
" I now intend to take advantage of that position and try and do my best competing in Europe.
Joining Lee in vying for this week's 270,000 euro (NZ$572,760) first prize is fellow New Zealanders Michael Campbell and Mark Brown.
Campbell finds himself in one of the star groupings over the first two days with Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal and Scot Paul Lawrie.

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Steven Mackie shares lead in PGA EuroPro Tour event

By ANTHONY LEAVER
Three players share the lead at three under par after the opening round of The Brooks Brothers 2009 Classic at Five Lakes Golf, Country Club and Spa in Essex – the 11th event of the 2009 PGA EuroPro Tour.
Andrew Shakespear (Five Lakes) began superbly with birdies at the second and third holes of his home course, and moved to four under with an eagle at the tenth – a bogey followed at the 11th to see him card a three under round of 68 on his EuroPro Tour debut.
Matthew Evans (Rotherham GC) had an eventful round, starting on the back nine with a birdie at the tenth, and going through the turn at two under par thanks to birdies at the 15th and 18th after dropping a shot at 12. He moved to three under with a fourth birdie at the second but followed that double bogey at the fifth to drop to one under. A strong finish was required and that’s exactly what the Rotherham man delivered, birdies at the seventh and ninth to finish with a 68.
Steven Mackie (Dunnikier Park GC) also started on the back nine and moved to his penultimate hole of the day at four under before a double bogey at the eighth threatened to spoil his day. Mackie brushed himself off and recorded his fifth birdie of the day at the ninth to grab a share of the lead with Shakespear and Evans.
James Mason (Rotherham GC) is one stroke behind the leaders but will feel he should at least have a share of the lead after spoiling the end of a promising opening round. Mason picked up three birdies in his opening 15 holes after starting on the back nine, but recorded back-to-back bogeys from the seventh to drop to one under – a birdie at the ninth seeing him record a round of 69.
The ninth hole was pivotal in allowing Sean Whiffin and Nicky Harris to join Mason in fourth spot after both men started on the back nine. Whiffin endured a tricky start to his round, recording two birdies and three bogeys in to go through the turn at one over par. The start of the front nine was more to his taste and he picked up three birdies from the first to move to two under but he dropped to level after bogeys at the seventh and eighth holes. He was not to be denied his place one stroke behind the leaders though and recorded an eagle three at the par-five ninth to finish an eventful round on 69.
Harris (Whitefield GC) kicked his round off with two birdies but like Whiffin found himself at one over par after nine holes with bogeys at the 12th, 17th and 18th. An eagle at the third hole put his round back on track and his birdie at the ninth saw him join Whiffin and Mason in fourth spot.
Last year’s Brooks Brothers Classic winner Matthew Ford (Marriott Tudor Park) is one of three players at one under for the tournament – Ford recording three birdies and two bogeys in his round of 70. James Ruebotham (Welwyn Garden City GC) carded the same tally in his opening effort, while Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) picked up three birdies on the back nine after going through the front nine two over par, a double bogey at the third the blot on his card.
It was a windy day in Essex which made conditions tough for the players, and the pressure is great with the prize money up for grabs crucial to the Order of Merit places – and the players at the top of the money list all endured disappointing first rounds. Tom Haylock (Ground Construction Ltd) moved into second spot with his victory at Formby Hall in Liverpool last week and with Order of Merit leader Scott Jamieson playing on the Challenge Tour this week the door looked open for him to take over at the top, but an opening round of 75 leaves him with plenty of work to do at four over.
Haylock was playing with pre-tournament favourite Elliot Saltman (Aegon) who currently sits in fifth place on the money list, but the 11/1 shot with Sky Bet was only able to shoot a round of 74. Daniel Brooks (Mill Hill) is in third place but went round in 77 in his first round, so after the initial exchanges it looks like fourth place man Jack Doherty (North Gailes) could be the player to watch at the top of the Order of Merit, finishing with a level par 71.
To view the full Leaderboard from The Brooks Brothers 2009 Classic at Five Lakes Golf, Country Club and Spa, visit http://www.europrotour.com/ and click on the Score Updates link on the homepage.
SCOTS' SCORES
Par 71
Joint leader – Steven Mackie 68 -3
Lee Harper 70 -1
Jack Doherty 71 Lvl
Barry Hume 73 +2
Paul Doherty 74 +3
Elliot Saltman 74 +3
Ross Cameron 75 +4
Steven Hume 75 +4
Mark Kerr 76 +5
Zack Saltman 77 +6
John Gallagher 78 +7
Chris McCalman 79 +8
Shaun McAllister 80 +9
Lorne Kelly 81 +10

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England beat Scotland


9.5-5.5 on first day of


Home Internationals


FROM THE ENGLISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
England took a major step towards regaining the Raymond Trophy by beating world and European champions Scotland 9 1/2 – 5 1/2 on the opening day of the Home Internationals at Hillside, Lancashire today.
Wales pulled off a thrilling win, edging past Ireland 8-7 with the final match on the final green.
It was a delighted but relieved England captain Colin Edwards who said: “What a great victory. I thought we were dead this morning but the lads came back brilliantly because Scotland are a fine side with a lot of great players.”
Having been beaten by the Scots in the European final a few weeks ago at Conwy, England were looking for revenge but after the foursomes the side were level at 2-2 with one match halved.
However, it was a different story in the singles. Tommy Fleetwood, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, led the way with a stunning 7 and 5 win over Keir McNicoll which seemed to lift the rest of the team.
Matt Haines and Dale Whitnell completed 3 and 2 wins over their Walker Cup team-mates Wallace Booth and Gavin Dear respectively while Sam Hutsby and Chris Paisley both escaped with narrow wins after looking set for defeat.
Hutsby lost the first three holes against Ross Kellett but gradually turned it round to be all-square after 13. He won the 14th and held on to win by one hole win.
Similarly, Paisley also lost the opening three holes against Michael Stewart but got level again on the 16th, won the 17th to go ahead for the first time while a half on the last sealed another one hole success.
With Farren Keenan leading all the way against Paul O’Hara in his first action of the day to win 5 and 4 that saw England home while there were halved matches for Matt Nixon and Jamie Abbott.
The Welsh looked like suffering another defeat when they trailed 2-3 after the morning foursomes and lost the top singles by a wide margin. But they came out fighting in the afternoon to win six of the other nine singles.
Oliver Farr reached the turn all square with Paul Cutler but won four successive holes from the 12th to claim a 4 and 3 success, while Joe Vickery did likewise against Paul O’Kane, his four-in-a-row came from the sixth and saw him 4-up at the turn.
Although Vickery saw his lead cut in half by O’Kane, the Welshman steadied the ship and wins at the 15th and 16th saw him home 4 and 2.
Ireland responded with Alan Dunbar coming from 2-down against Nigel Edwards to win 4 and 3 while Connor Doran got home 3 and 2 over Richard Hooper.
That left the score 6-4 to Ireland and they added a further point when Cian Curley went to the 18th in beating Adam Runcie That left the Irish needing one more win for outright victory but they couldn’t get over the line.
With Rhys Enoch beating Niall Kearney and Rhys Pugh accounting for Simon Ward, both by 2 and 1, and Alistair Jones edging out Dara Lernihan on the 18th green the teams were level at 7-7.
In the final single, James Frazer was generally always ahead against Ireland’s Robert Cannon but the Welshman was only 1-up on the 18th tee. However, Frazer got up-and-down from in front of the green for a half and a narrow win that saw Wales home 8-7.
In tomorrow’s matches, England face Ireland and Scotland play Wales.

SCOTLAND 5 1/2, ENGLAND 9 1/2

FOURSOMES (2 1/2-2 1/2)
Scotland names first
Gavin Dear & Keir McNicoll halved with Matt Haines & Tommy Fleetwood.
Wallace Booth & Michael Stewart bt Sam Hutsby & Chris Paisley 5 and 4.
James White & David Law lost to Dale Whitnell & Luke Goddard 3 and 2.
Ross Kellett & James Byrne bt Jamie Abbott & Stiggy Hodgson 1 hole.
Glenn Campbell & Paul O'Hara lost to James Robinson & Matthew Nixon 2 holes.

SINGLES (3-7)
Wallace Booth lost to Matt Haines 3 and 2.
Gavin Dear lost to Dale Whitnell 3 and 2.
Ross Kellett lost to Sam Hutsby 1 hole.
Michael Stewart lost to Chris Paisley 1 hole.
James Byrne halved with Matthew Nixon.
David Law halved with Jamie Abbott.
Keir McNicoll lost to Tommy Fleetwood 7 and 5.
Steven McEwan bt Luke Goddard 1 hole.
Glenn Campbell bt Stiggy Hodgson 3 and 2.
Paul O'Hara lost to Farren Keenan 5 and 4.

IRELAND 7, WALES 8
FOURSOMES (3-2)
Ireland players first
Paul Culter & Alan Dunbar bt Luke Thomas & Richard Hooper 8 and 7.
Pat Murray & Dara Lernihan bt Oliver Farr & Adam Runcie 5 and 4.
Niall Kearney & Simon Ward bt Rhys Enoch & Alistair Jones 3 and 2.
Kelan McDongah and Cian Curley lost to Nigel Edwards & Rhys Pugh 3 and 2.
Robert Cannon & Connor Doran lost to Joe Vickery & James Frazer 2 holes.

SINGLES (4-6)
Murray bt Thomas 5 and 3.
Cutler lost to Farr 4 and 3.
Kearney lost to Enoch 2 and 1.
Dunbar bt Edwards 4 and 3.
Paul O'Kane lost to Vickery 4 and 2.
Curley bt Runcie 1 hole.
Ward lost to Pugh 2 and 1.
Doran bt Richard Hooper 3 and 2.
Lernihan lost to Jones 1 hole.
Cannon lost to Frazer 1 hole.

***Updates are available on the Home Internationals website, http://www.homeinternationals.org/.

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Broadfoot gives Iain Stewart the boot

from the Scottish seniors' match-play

On a miserable day of rain, the form book worked out pretty well in the 16 first-round ties of the Scottish senior men’s amateur match-play golf championship over the Dave Thomas-designed Hawkshill course at Newmachar Golf Club, near Aberdeen.
The major upset was the defeat of No 3 seed Iain Stewart (Curragh) by John Broadfoot (Turnberry) who was No 30 of the 32 qualifiers from the opening 36-hole stroke-play eliminator.
Broadfoot won by two holes.
The rest of the top seven seeds survived with varying degrees of comfort but No 8, David Bunker from Nairn Dunbar went down at the 19th to the 25th qualifier, Andrew Laird of Deeside.
Top seed Bob Stewart (Tulliallan) did not have as easy a passage as he might have expected against the last of the 32 qualifiers from the opening 36-hole stroke-play eliminator.
He had to go to the 18th green before he prevailed by one hole over Bill Methven (Royal Aberdeen).
No 2 seed Gordon MacDonald, a former Scottish and Spanish seniors champion from Callander, had one of the biggest wins of the day. He won by 5 and 4 against Keith Howie (West Kilbride), his right-hand man in the setting up of the over-55s domestic circuit last year.
The winner of the inaugural Scottish seniors match-play championship - Ronnie MacLean (Hamilton), qualified only in 21st place and he squeezed through at the 21st against No 12 qualifier Keith Bruce (Edzell) in his first round tie.
On Thursday morning MacLean players former Walker Cup player Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead), the No 5 seed, for a place in the quarter-finals. Pirie, who knows the course well, was a 4 and 3 winner over the No 28 qualifier, Les Fowler (Royal Aberdeen).
There will be morning and afternoon play on Thursday with the second round and then the quarter-finals.

FIRST ROUND RESULTS
Bob Stewart (Tulliallan) bt Bill Methven (Royal Aberdeen) 1 hole.
Stephen Ellis (Heritage GS) bt Alistair Fiddes (Deeside) 4 and 3.
Andrew Laird (Deeside) bt David Bunker (Nairn Dunbar) at 19th.
Robert Jack (Liberton) bt John Hamilton (Murcar Links) 3 and 2.
David J Miller (Kilmarnock Barassie) w.o. Keith Hay (Westhill) scr.
Brian Christie (Wilton) bt Sandy Fairweather (Caledonian) 5 and 4.
Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) bt Les Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) 4 and 3.
Ronald MacLean (Hamilton) bt Keith Bruce (Edzell) at 21st.

Gordon MacDonald (Callander) bt Keith Howie (West Kilbride) 5 and 4.
Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess) bt Alex Ritchie (Bothwell Castle) 5 and 3.
Derek Murphy (Kinross) bt Alan Nelson (Banchory) 3 and 2.
Donald McCart (Sherwood Forest) bt David A Millar (St Andrews New) 5 and 4.
John Broadfoot (Tunrberry) bt Iain Stewart (Curragh) 2 holes.
George Paterson (Northern) bt Michael Jenkins (Duff House Royal) 2 and 1.
David Downie (Kirriemuir) bt Patrick Tomisson (Nairn) 4 and 3.
Robert Gill (Gerrards Cross) bt Andrew Campbell (Kinross) 2 holes.

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MIDLAND ALLIANCE SEASON STARTS

Mason and Vannet tie at Letham Grange

The Midland Golfers Alliance held its first meeting of the 2009-10 season at a wet and windy Letham Grange in Angus.
There was a tie for first scratch between two professionals, Brian Mason (Callaway Golf) and Lee Vannet (Carnoustie Links) both round in level par 73.
Nine-handicapper Roy Farquhar (Carnoustie) led the way in the handicap with a net score of 72.

Leading Scratch Scores
73 B Mason (Callaway Golf) p, L Vannet (Carnoustie Links) p.
75 R Bell (Downfield), J Stevenson (Braehead) p.
76 S Cargill (Arbroath).
77 K McGowan (Burntisland) ap.
78 E Rae (Arbroath) (4).
79 H Grant (PGE).
80 K Salmoni (Muckhart) p.
81 I Butchart (Strathmore), R Farquhar (Carnoustie).
82 J Crawford (Dunblane New), M Fraser (Leven Thistle).
83 H.Cowbourgh (PGE).

Leading Handicap Scores
72 R Farquhar (Carnoustie) (9).
73 H Grant (PGE) (6).
74 E Rae (Arbroath) (4)
75 S Cargill (Arbroath) (1), J Crawford (Dunblane New) (7), I Butchart (Strathmore) (6).
76 R Bell (Downfield) (+1).
78 L Murray (Leven Thistle) (3), A Mason (Thornton) (7).
79 P Rhind (Grange) (8), J Meddicks (Murrayshall) (10), M Fraser (Leven Thistle) (3).

Qualifiers for the JTC Kitchens Midland Golfers Alliance Championship in April
B Mason (Callaway Golf) p.
L Vannet (Carnoustie Links) p.
R Bell (Downfield)
J. Stevenson (Braehead) p.

Next Meeting
Thursday, August 27 (tee reserved 8.30 am to 12.30)
A. Herd Team Competition at Ballumbie Castle Golf Club, Dundee.

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE SEASON TEES OFF ON SEPTEMBER 16

The North-east Alliance annual meeting will be held in the Atholl Hotel on the evening of Monday, September 14.
The first competition of the 2009-2010 season will be played at Kemnay Golf Club on Wednesday, September 16.

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Ross Kellett's near Euro miss

sees him rise 52 places

in R&A world rankings

Ross Kellett's splendid effort in finishing second in the European men's individual amateur golf championship in France at the weekend - after leading with two holes to play - has seen him shoot up 39 places in this week's uprated R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings.
The Colville Park club man, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, is now 52nd in the world - a personal best for the 21-year-old from Motherwell.
Top Scot and Walker Cup team selection Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) has dropped down two places to 14th after playing below his best form at Chantilly Golf Club.
Banchory's James Byrne who shared the lead at one stage with Ross Kellett in the European championship had been promoted nine places to 84th.
Dear, Kellett and Byrne are the only Scots in the top 100 of the R&A WAGR.
Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) has dropped 21 places to No 106.
Walker Cup selection Wallace Booth (Comrie) has gone up 16 places to 141.
Former Scottish match-play champion Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie), who made the last day of the European championship, soared 75 places to No 199.
Alyth's former Scottish match-play and stroke-play title-holder Kevin McAlpine, winner of the North of Scotland open amateur stroke-play for the David Blair Trophy over 72 holes at Lossiemouth at the weekend, has broken back into the top 1000. He is now ranked 942 - a leap of 296 places from last week.
Italian teenager Matteo Manassero, the British Amateur champion, has gone up from fourth to second behind No 1 Nick Taylor (Canada).
Victor Dubuisson, the Frenchman who pipped Kellett for the European title, has jumped up 10 places and is now No 4, immediately behind the second Canaidan in the top 3, Matt Hill.
Americans Morgan Hoffman and Rickie Fowler fill places five and six ahead of the leading Englishman, Sam Hutsby (Liphook) in seventh pace.
Scots in the top 1,000 of the updated R&A WAGR:

14 Gavin Dear -2.
52 Ross Kellett +39.
84 James Byrne +9.
106 Paul O'Hara -21.
141 Wallace Booth +16
185 Mark Hillson -6.
199 Glenn Campbell +75.
223 Michael Stewart -43
272 James White -7.
334 Philip McLean (+18).
357 Keir McNicoll +22.
360 David Law -6.
389 Scott Borrowman -12.
414 Steven McEwan -47.
512 Fraser McKenna -10
519 Greg Paterson -11
588 Peter Latimer - 9
599 Bobby Rushford +97
630 James Ross -5.
665 Paul Ferrier -9.
680 Craig Watson +112.
735 Scott Crichton -8.
761 Mark Bookless +50.
798 Keir McNicoll -13.
813 Lewis Kirton -5

820 Fraser Fotheringham -2.
823 Paul Betty -105
942 Kevin McAlpine +296.

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English Golf Union name six for Dutch

Junior Masters on August 29-30

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ENGLISH GOLF UNION
Four players, Nick Newbold, Greg Payne, Patrick Spraggs and James Webber, will get their first taste of international competition representing the English Golf Union (EGU) when they play in a six-strong squad in the International Dutch Junior Masters at Westfriese in Holland on August 29 and 30.
The full squad is: James Burnett (Sleaford, Lincolnshire), Liam Harper (Lydd, Kent), Nick Newbold (Kedleston Park, Derbyshire), Greg Payne (Chobham, Surrey), Patrick Spraggs (Stowmarket, Suffolk) and James Webber (Three Rivers, Essex).
Newbold, 16, was one of five players involved in the play-off for the McGregor Trophy at Radcliffe-on-Trent this year but was eliminated on the first extra hole. He also finished second in the Midland Youths Championship, reached the last 16 of the British Boys Championship, is the Derbyshire Boys Champion and Boys' Match Play Champion.
Payne, 15, has been prominent with Surrey this year. A member of their winning team in the Boys County Championship, he won the Under 16 title in the South East Boys Championship and finished fourth in the Under 18 event. He was also runner-up in the Surrey Under 16 Championship and reached the third round of the British Boys.
Spraggs, 18, has a fine record in schools golf, having finish second in the Under 16 event three years ago after which he was selected for the international with the Welsh Schools. This year he won the South East Schools Championship and finished runner-up in the National Championships and has been selected for the internationals against Wales and Scotland. The Suffolk lad also finished tied third in the Fairhaven Trophy and the South East Junior Championship and fifth in the North of England Youths Championship. Webber, 18, is the Essex Colts Champion who earned his first England cap in the recent Boys Home Internationals, winning five of his six matches. He also finished tied third in the Fairhaven Trophy and equal sixth in the Carris Trophy. Burnett, 17, made his international debut in the Under 16 match with Scotland last year and also played against the Irish.
This year, he has finished runner-up in the Midland Youths and Lincolnshire Championships and reached the quarter finals of the British Boys.
Harper, 16, also played for England for the first time in last year’s Under 16 matches with Scotland and Ireland. He finished tied seventh in the McGregor Trophy, three shots outside the five-man playoff, and has also represented the EGU this year in South Africa and Germany.The Dutch Junior Masters is played over two days, 36 holes on each with a cut after day one with another 36 holes on the final day.

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Vijay Singh leaves IMG after 18 years

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
Vijay Singh has changed putters and caddies throughout his career. Now comes one of the more significant changes. The 46-year-old Fijian is leaving his management company.
Singh says he has ended his management agreement with IMG. He will use longtime adviser David Lightner of FSM Capital and Charley Moore, a former IMG agent who now is an operating partner of New York-based Falconhead Capital.
Singh had been with IMG for 18 years and was close friends with IMG owner Ted Forstman, his frequent partner in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
“I have been represented by IMG for quite some time and am thankful for their years of service,” Singh said in a statement. “I have many good friends there, and nothing is changing at that level. However, I feel this is the appropriate time to take my career management in a new direction. I spoke with Teddy last week, who is a personal friend, and we had a productive conversation. He knows I wish him and everybody at IMG nothing but the best.”
• • •
Even after the FedEx Cup ends, another strong field is in the making at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, which is now part of the World Golf Championships series.
Phil Mickelson is the latest to commit to the tournament, to be played November 5-8. That gives Shanghai a field that already includes Tiger Woods, Geoff Ogilvy, Open champion Stewart Cink, US PGA champion Y.E. Yang, Players champion Henrik Stenson and defending champion Sergio Garcia.
“After the Open Championship, it's hard to think of a bigger or better tournament held outside the U.S.,” said Mickelson, who won the HSBC Champions two years ago. “This tournament already had everything in place and deserved to be part of the WGC series. It has always got strong fields and so has a great reputation worldwide.”
The tournament is a winners-only field based on the strongest events in each of the major tours. Among those who have yet to qualify include three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, although he might be able to get in as one of two players from the world ranking not already eligible.
• • •
One scenario that must have US PGA Tour officials nervous is that Tiger Woods could win three straight play-off events and still not win the FedEx Cup.
To make the Tour Championship meaningful, points will be reset after three play-off events. The leader will have only a 250-point lead over second place, and a 1,900-point lead over 10th place.
If the leader – Woods, for example – finishes fifth at the Tour Championship, he could lose the FedEx Cup if someone from the top 10 wins at East Lake. That got Vijay Singh's attention Tuesday.
“If a guy goes out and wins two or three events, and shows up at the Tour Championship and doesn't win, is it fair?” he said.
Then again, Singh showed up at East Lake last year and was assured of winning as long as he made his tee time each day.
“I don't know which is the best combination,” Singh said. “They will have to try this and if it doesn't work, they will tweak it again. So right now, everybody seems to think it's pretty good.”
• • •
Tiger Woods has gone wire-to-wire in only seven of his 70 victories on the US PGA Tour, another example that holding the lead for four days is never easy.
That's what makes Ben Curtis so proud of his rare achievement.
Curtis led from start-to-finish at the now-defunct Booz Allen Classic, during which it rained so much at the TPC Avenel that the tournament was not completed until Tuesday.
“I've got one record Tiger will never beat,” Curtis said. “I had to sleep on the lead for five nights.”
• • •
Jack Nicklaus’s design company has more than 340 courses in play around the world. But the work has slowed to a crawl because of the global economic downturn.
“It's not very good,” he said recently about the climate for new lay-outs.
Nicklaus designed the 18 holes at Punta Espada, home of the Cap Cana stop on the Champions Tour. But after putting in nine holes at the Las Iguanas course at the same exclusive resort in the Dominican Republic, the decision was made to wait a year to finish it, largely because of the downturn. Nicklaus is opening the first Golden Bear Lodge & Spa at Cap Cana.
Apparently the market for signature courses isn't bad everywhere.
“Our business primarily has been China, Korea, Russia, South Africa – all those places have continued to move forward,” Nicklaus said. “Most other places and the United States, it's been very, very slow. I think we'll see a turn in the next six months or so.”
• • •
(Aberdeen-born) Michael Sim of Australia won his third Nationwide Tour event to earn instant promotion to the US PGA Tour, although his timing could not have been worse. Four of the next five weeks on the PGA Tour are occupied by the four FedEx Cup playoff events, and the other week is dark. Sim won't get a chance to play the PGA Tour until Oct. 1 at the Turning Stone Resort.
He said he might continue playing the Nationwide Tour to stay sharp.
Because the Official World Golf Ranking award points to the Nationwide Tour, Sim has risen to No. 57 in the world. That would give him a chance to crack the top 50 by the end of the year and qualify for the Masters.
And it raises another question in the immediate future. Might he earn consideration as a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup team?
• • •
The Barclays Singapore Open, the richest national open in Asia with a $5 million purse, will be part of the European Tour schedule next year. It will be held three weeks before the season-ending Dubai World Championship.






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Old Father Tim (50) sets US Amateur

No 1 qualifier record - despite penalty!

Fifty-year-old Tim Jackson shot a second-round 72 to become the oldest leading match-play qualifier in the history of the United States men's amateur championship - and he did it despie a one-stroke penalty for slow play!
Jackson finished at even-par 140 after two rounds at Cedar Ridge and Southern Hills. This performance comes four weeks after the U.S. Senior Open, where he was the 36-hole leader and earned low amateur honours by finishing in joint 11th place.
“I’m not really a record book reader, or anything like that, but today, ... I went out there and I just went for it,” Jackson said. “I said, ‘I’m going to try to win this thing and be the medalist.’ I hit shots today that, in years past, I might have just laid up or played 40 feet away from the hole. I just went for it.”
Jackson broke a record that was over 100 years old. He ousted Walter Travis, who earned the top seed status in in 1908 at 46.
The only thing that upset Jackson was a slow-play penalty that he received after the round. “I’m not real happy about it, let’s put it that way,” Jackson said. His group was warned at three of the four timing checkpoints (the fourth, ninth and 13th holes).
When it was confirmed that Jackson, who’d finished earlier in the day, was the No 1 qualifier, he replied: “Well that’s wonderful, I beat everybody by two shots.”
Jackson is a veteran of U.S. Golf Association events. He has won two U.S. Mid-Amateurs (1994, 2001) and played in 15 U.S. amateur championships. He’s also played on two U.S. Walker Cup teams, and helped his chances of making a third.
Finishing one stroke back were a U.S. Amateur rookie (Will Strickler), a player competing with Jackson for one of those final two spots on the U.S. Walker Cup team (Mark Anderson) and Clemson senior Ben Martin, who played in this year’s U.S. Open. Martin shot 68 Tuesday to tie for the low round at Southern Hills this week.
Strickler is making his first and final U.S. Amateur appearance after failing to qualify in seven previous tries; he graduated from the University of Florida this spring with a double major in economics and anthropology. He will turn pro in early September for Canadian Tour Q-School, then try his hand at the PGA Tour qualifying tournament.
Strickler shot 69 Monday at Cedar Ridge and followed that with a 2-over 72 at Southern Hills.
“I putted really well,” Strickler said. “I’m not really ecstatic about my ballstriking, but match play is all about putting.”
Anderson, who won the South Carolina Amateur earlier this month, is one of several US Walker Cup hopefuls that made the cut. Cameron Tringale (143), Dan Woltman (144), Mike Van Sickle (145), Bronson Burgoon (146), Peter Uihlein (147) and Wesley Bryan (147) all advanced to match play. Bryan had six birdies in his second-round 70.
Team USA has two spots left on the Walker Cup team. Will anyone make a run at the U.S. Amateur to make the USGA’s decision a no-brainer?
Of course, every American to make match play has a chance to make the team if they win this week.
The cut to make match play fell at eight over par. A 27-for-4 spots play-off will begin at 7:30 a.m. (local time) Wednesday on Southern Hills’ 14th hole.
U.S. Walker Cup captain Buddy Marruci, playing in Tuesday’s final group, posted a 2-over 72 at Southern Hills to make match play; Marucci also won last year’s USGA Senior Amateur.
Other notables who will take part in the play-off are NCAA champ Matt Hill, former U.S. Amateur Public Links champ Tim Hogarth and U.S. Junior champ Jordan Spieth. University of Illinois sophomore Luke Guthrie shot 69 Tuesday at Cedar Ridge, a 10-shot improvement from his first round, to also finish at 8 over.
Notables to miss the cut include 2008 U.S. Amateur runner-up Drew Kittleson (149); 2008 U.S. Junior champ Cameron Peck (149, including a second-round 69 at Southern Hills); Southern Amateur champ Gregor Main (152); and Nick Taylor (153), the No. 2 player in the Golfweek/amateurgolf.com Amateur Rankings.
Walker Cup team members Drew Weaver (149), Adam Mitchell (151) and Brendan Gielow (154) also missed the cut.
U.S. Amateur: Second-round qualifying results

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Ozaki to lead Asia in Royal Trophy match against Europe

Japan's Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki has been named captain of Asia's Royal Trophy team for the match-play contest next January in Chonburi, east of Bangkok.
Ozaki, who led Asia to an unexpected 10-6 thrashing of twice winners Europe in January, will choose his eight-man team in the next few months.
Five-time major winner Seve Ballesteros, who underwent four operations to remove a brain tumour, is hoping to recover to captain Europe for the third time after missing the last edition.

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Tiger Woods' skins victory cements foundations

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By Trent Baker
Tiger Woods edged defending champion Camilo Villegas to win the Notah Begay III Foundation Challenge skins tournament at Turning Stone Resort's Atunyote Golf Club in New York.
After Villegas won £110,000 with a birdie at the 14th hole, Woods won the next three holes to finish with £140,000 to Villegas' £122,200. Begay won the final hole to pocket £42,800, while Mike Weir was shut out for the second straight year.
The event, a colaboration between the Oneida Indian Nation of New York and San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians of California, is an effort to aid the health of Native American youth and their communities.
Begay, the only full-blooded Native American to play on the US PGA Tour, established his foundation in 2005. It uses the sports of golf and soccer to promote physical fitness and wellness among Native American youth.
Begay received a cheque for £458,000 for his foundation and Woods, his room-mate in college at Stanford and his long-time friend, departed with the winning trophy, a piece of Pueblo Indian black pottery from Begay's home state of New Mexico.
"Today was incredible, to come here and bring awareness to what Notah is trying to do," said Woods, who won five holes to three for Villegas. "It's great to see what he's doing, to put his heart, soul and passion into something like this and bring this many people together to help them understand and educate the public. I'm just so proud of him as a friend. We've been through a lot together."
"To have Tiger be a part of this is a tremendous asset for the foundation," Begay said.
Just like a year ago, the first six holes were worth £6,100 apiece, the second six £12,200, holes 13 to 17 were worth £30,500 each, and No 18 was worth £42,800.

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Did Michael Sim start playing golf in Aberdeen or Australia?

Editor's note: Reference the third win by Aberdeen-born Michael Sim on the US Nationwide Tour which earns him "battlefield promotion" to the US PGA Tour. I E-mailed his father George in Australia, asking him to clarify whether or not Michael was introduced to golf before or after the Sim family emigrated to Perth, Western Australia from Aberdeen when he was seven years old. Colin Farquharson

George Sim replies:

"We are all excited with Michael's third win. He is now ranked 57th in the world.
"I was a member at Royal Aberdeen and Northern Golf Clubs. I won the Hands Across the Sea boys' tournament at the Aberdeen Links in 1972.
"Michael started playing golf at the age of four. He played with me at the nine-hole course at Hazlehead and the short course at Royal Aberdeen.
"I had clubs cut down for him. He always had a natural swing at an early age."
Regards
George Sim
Sent via BlackBerry from Telstra

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Copyright © Colin Farquharson

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