EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

Bebb blows cold - and hot - to lead by

two shots with an opening 68

From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes
On a brutally tough opening day, in which only eight of the 45-man field broke par, Welshman Sion E Bebb established a two-shot lead at the European Challenge Tour's season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final.
With high winds and even higher rough making life tough for the European Tour hopefuls at the €300,000 event, which is being played at San Domenico Golf in Puglia, Italy, for the fifth consecutive season, Bebb’s three under par round of 68 shone like a beacon.
Bebb, who was forced to move hotels after his room-mates Stuart Manley and Sam Walker were diagnosed with suspected swine flu, is currently 16th in the Rankings, but has set his sights on breaking into the top 15 to ensure greater playing opportunities next season.
The Welshman’s closest pursuers include the English duo of Andrew Butterfield and Chris Gane, the French pair of Julien Guerrier and Alexandre Kaleka, the Scottish duo of Andrew McArthur and Peter Whiteford, and Australian Andrew Tampion, all of whom signed for rounds of 70.
Bebb, who closed with two birdies to cancel out his double bogey at the 14th hole, said: “I played really well on the front nine, but then suffered a setback with the bogey at the 12th, and then again with the double two holes later. I actually thought I’d hit a decent approach shot, but it came up short and ended up in the rocks by the lake. I tried to play it out but only ended up hitting it into the water, so from being four under par, suddenly I was only one under.
“My head was still spinning on the 15th tee and I didn’t play the hole very well, but I sank a 15 feet putt for par, and that helped settle me down. So I was really pleased to get it back with a good finish because I could’ve easily let the round get away from me, which would’ve been a shame after playing so well on the front nine.
“I’m probably slightly surprised to be leading by two, but with the wind, the deep rough and the narrow fairways, the course is playing very tough. It’s often difficult to find your ball in the rough, and when you do you just have to take your medicine and get it out of there with a wedge. But it’s the final event of the season, so it probably should be that way.
“It’s obviously a big week for everyone, me included. You try not to take notice of what the guys around you in the Rankings are doing, but it’s difficult not to sometimes. On the face of it there’s not too much difference between 15th and 16th place, but in reality there’s a lot of difference in terms of my category for next season. So that was the aim at the start of the week, and I’ve obviously made a good start.”
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71
68 S Bebb (Wal) ,
70 C Gane (Eng) , A McArthur (Sco) , A Kaleka (Fra) , J Guerrier (Fra) , A Tampion (Aus) , P Whiteford (Sco) , A Butterfield (Eng) ,
71 S Manley (Wal) , A Marshall (Eng) , P Gustafsson (Swe) , F Calmels (Fra) , R Davies (Wal) ,
72 G Boyd (Eng) , M Wiegele (Aut) , O Floren (Swe) , J Lima (Por) , F Andersson Hed (Swe) , A Hansen (Den) , S Jeppesen (Swe) ,
73 J Quesne (Fra) , M Tullo (Chi) , L James (Eng) ,
74 A Wagner (Arg) , J Colomo (Esp) , E Molinari (Ita) ,
75 Å Nilsson (Swe) , R Steiner (Aut) , J McLeary (Sco) , M Zions (Aus) ,
76 J Morrison (Eng) , N Colsaerts (Bel) , R Coles (Eng) , P Baker (Eng) , C Rodiles (Esp) , J Parry (Eng) , S Walker (Eng) , L Gagli (Ita) ,
77 C Günther (Ger) , F Praegant (Aut) , E Ramsay (Sco) , A Gee (Eng) , F Fritsch (Ger) ,
78 R McEvoy (Eng) ,
80 G Paddison (Nzl)

Tom Lehman pulls out of US Seniors Tour finale

Former Open champion and past US Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman has withdrawn from the Charles Schwab Cup Championship because of a family emergency, leaving 29 players in the season finale on the US Champions (Seniors) Tour.
The nature of the emergency was not disclosed.
Lehman was 22nd on the money list to qualify for the tournament. Because he withdrew, the winner of this year's tournament will receive 884 points and $442,000, meaning four players will have a chance to claim the $1 million annuity for winning the Charles Schwab Cup competition.

Gulf Air International Pro-Captain Challenge

Nerves of Steele: Duncan holes winning putt for Millbrook

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA
Millbrook captain Duncan Steele's nerves lived up to his name with a sensational 25ft putt birdie on the last hole to land the Gulf Air International Pro-Captain Challenge, supported by BMW.
Steele and head professional Rob Brightman proved too hot for their rivals after carding a scorching eight under par round of 64 at The Royal Golf Club at Riffa Views in Bahrain today.
The Bedfordshire duo's 11 under par total, capped by closing birdies on 17 and 18, secured a one-stroke victory over joint overnight leaders Parc Golf Academy's Richard Dinsdale and Steve Williams who carded a second successive 67.
Killymoon's Gary Chambers and Gerry Breslin shot a 69 to share third place at six under with international qualifiers Alan MacKenzie and Francisco Giles from Dubai Creek Golf and Country Club, who posted a 70.
Joint overnight leaders Ian Taylor and Ian Thompson from Drumpellier slipped out of contention with a one over par 73.
Afterwards a delighted Brightman, who has previously appeared in a PGA National Pro-Am final, hailed his partner's hot putter which he waved to impressive effect over the Montgomerie Course.
"We set ourselves a target before we went out of a 10 or 11 under finish as we thought that would be enough to win it," said Brightman."We felt more relaxed not being in the last group and just went out and enjoyed it and, of course, Duncan's putter was on fire with what turned out to be a brilliant winning putt on the last."
Steele added: "Rob was steady all the way round getting the ball from tee to green and we gave ourselves lots of chances."It’s been a brilliant experience for all of us. I’d like to thank Gulf Air, BMW UK, the PGA and the Royal Golf Club for hosting such an excellent tournament; we’ve been treated like kings!”
Steele's contribution included nett birdies on the fourth and eighth holes and a birdie on the last while Brightman picked up shots at the fifth, ninth and 17th.
RESULTS:
Par 144 (2x72)
133 Rob Brightman & Duncan Steele (Millbrook) 69 64.
134 Richard Dinsdale & Steve Williams (Parc) 67 67.
138 Gary Chambers & Gerry Beslin ( Killymoon) 69 69, Alan MacKenzie & Francisco Giles (Dubai Creek) 68 70.
139 Alan Lovelace & Dan Reynolds (Merrist Wood College) 71 68.
140 Mike Hollingworth & Paul Nuttall (Denton) 69 71, Ian Taylor & Ian Thompson (Drumpellier) 67 73.
144 Wayne Alcock & John Kaine (Tamworth Municipal) 74 70, Michael Braidwood & Alan Horne (The Royal) 70 74.

PGA EUROPRO TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Paul Doherty shares lead with round

to go at De Vere Slaley Hall

By ANTHONY LEAVER

Scot Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel), pictured right, and Englishmen Chris Hanson (Woodsome Hall) and Simon Lilly (Wellingborough) are joint leaders by two strokes at one under par in the 2009 PGA EuroPro Tour Championships at De Vere Slaley Hall, Northumberland.
Hanson led by one stroke after his opening round of two-under-par 70 but he found his second round tougher going and a one-over 73 saw him drop to one under par 143.

The 24 year-old began well with birdies at the fourth and sixth holes moving him to four under, but a double-bogey at seven was followed by bogeys at eight and nine to move to level par – with three birdies and two bogeys on the back nine taking him to 73 for the day and one under after two rounds.
Lilly produced a fine round of 70 to join Hanson at the top of the leaderboard, beginning on the back nine with two birdies before dropping his only shot of the round at the second but making that back at the fourth to leave the 2004 Order of Merit winner in a very strong position after an opening round 73.
Completing the triumvirate in pole position for the £15,000 winner’s cheque is former Scottish boys' amateur match-play champion Paul Doherty who recorded a level par second round, thanks to cancelling out a pair of bogeys on the front nine with birdies at 11 and 12.
Level par was also the score that sees Colin Roope (wstore.co.uk) sit two strokes behind the leading trio at one over par.

Roope played in Hanson’s three-ball and endured an up-and-down day, recording his first birdie of the day at the fourth but then dropping three shots before the turn. The 29 year-old responded immediately though with back-to-back birdies from the tenth and picked up another birdie at 16 but a bogey at the last saw his deficit move from one stroke to two.
Roope will tee-off with Steve Surry (Cumberwell Park) in the final round after the Bath man carded a one under round of 71 to move to one over for the tournament. Surry – who won the opening event of the Tour back in May – began his second round on the back nine where he picked up three birdies and one bogey to move to level par after an opening round 74.

A fourth birdie of the day moved him to one under for the tournament but he slipped to one over with bogeys at the fourth and seventh holes.
Sandeep Grewal (ISM) will join Roope and Surry in the final round after a three over round of 75 dropped him to two over for the tournament.

Grewal is joined by Llewellyn Matthews (Southerndown GC) who also recorded a 75 and Steven Parry (Bolton) who recorded his second 73 of the tournament in eventful fashion with an eagle and three birdies spoiled by six bogeys, including a bogey-bogey finish.
At the end of the Tour Championships the top five in the Order of Merit progress onto the Challenge Tour for 2010, so with money list leader Scott Jamieson seven over for the tournament, the door is wide open for his rivals to pounce.

Currently lying in second spot is Tom Haylock (Ground Construction Ltd) who recorded a one over par round of 73 to sit in a three-way tie for 13th spot at four over. Daniel Brooks (Mill Hill) is in third spot on the money list but is struggling alongside Jamieson at seven over, so Paul Doherty's older brother Jack, playing out of North Gailes Golf Centre, Ayrshire, and Paul Dwyer (Clitheroe) will consider themselves in the best position to capitalise at three over par, alongside Phil Worthington (Donnington Grove).
The final round of the Tour Championship from De Vere Slaley Hall begins at 8.15am on Thursday with the final three-ball of Paul Doherty and Hanson, Lilly teeing-off at 9.45am.

Live scoring from what promises to be a nail-biting final round in Northumberland is available via the Score Updates link at http://www.europrotour.com/, where you can find the full leaderboard after the opening two rounds.
BETTING LATEST
Chris Hanson is the 11/4 favourite with official bookmakers Sky Bet to win the Tour Championships. Simon Lilly is rated a 3-1 chance with Paul Doherty 100-30 to win.

To bet on the Tour Championships with Sky Bet, click on this link: http://www.skybet.com/skybet?action=GoEvClass&id=34&aff=4527&EPT_Website

LEADING TWO-ROUND TOTALS

Par 144 (2x72)

143 S Lilly 73 70, P Doherty 71 72, C Hanson 70 73.

145 S Surry 74 71, C Roope 73 72.

146 S Parry 73 72, S Grewal 71 75, L Matthews 71 75.

147 B McElhinney 75 72, J Doherty 73 74, P Dwyer 73 74, P Worthington 73 74.

Other Scots' scores:

=24 Scott Jamieson +7 76, 75 - 151
=31 Lee Harper +8 75, 77 - 152
=31 Elliot Saltman +8 76, 76 - 152
=43 Lorne Kelly +11 78, 77 - 155
=43 Duncan Stewart +11 78, 77 - 155
49 Mark Kerr +12 76, 80 - 156
51 Barry Hume +14 81, 77 - 158

Webster and Martin have a ball at Kirriemuir

By LEE SUTHERLAND
In this week's Midland Alliance at Kirriemuir Golf Club, there was a tie for first scratch between Edezell club pro Alastair Webster and Dundee-based former Tartan Tour pro Steve Martin.
They both hit the one-under-par 67 mark.
Crieff three-handicapper Grant Jenkins returned the best net score of the day - a fine net 65.
LEADING SCRATCH
67 A J Webster (Edzell) p, S Martin (unatt) p.
68 S Cargill (Arbroath), G Jenkins (Crieff), E Walker (Burntisland) ap, K Harper (Carnoustie).
69 M Pirie (Pitlochry) p.
70 P Jamieson (Dunblane) p, A Lockhart (Ladybank) ap, K Hutton (Downfield) p.
71 G Abel (Alloa) p, P Brookes (Pitreavie) p, J Stevenson (Braehead) p, A Crerar (Panmure) p.
LEADING HANDICAP
65 G Jenkins (Crieff) (3).
66 R Baldie (Crieff) (7), J Cree (Carnoustie) (14).
67 S Cargill (Arbroath) (1), A Farquharson (Downfield) (11).
68 C Gowrie (Kirriemuir) (6), I Mason (St Andrews New) (7), K Harper (Carnouostie) (scr).
69 A Mitchell (St Andrews New) (12), D Thomson (Downfield) (6).
70 D Vicary (Craigie Hill) (11), I McMurray (Downfield) (12), I Wilson (Craigie Hill) (6), C Brunton (Monifieth) (5), C Westland (Alloa) (11), D Ritchie (Crieff) (9), J Rennie (Dunfermline) (13), A McEwan (Carnoustie) (12), J Cree (Thornton) (11).

Qualifiers for the JTC Interiors Express Championship in April at Montrose Links
A J Webster (Edzell) p, S Martin (unatt) p, A Crerar (Panmure) p.

Next Meeting
Wednesday, November 4
Grant’s Promotions Pro Am
Fairmont Hotel, St Andrews
First tee reserved from: 8.30 – 10.32

Ian Bratton's birdies top Edzell field of 104 By COLIN FARQUHARSON Newburgh professional Ian Bratton is probably the North-east Alliance's staunchest supporters among the club pro ranks so quite fitting that he should chalk up his first win of the 2009-2010 season on a beautiful day at Edzell Golf Club. A birdie at the 18th – his fifth of the day – for a two-under-par round of 69 gave him victory by a single shot from a pro, Graham Gordon, and a one-time pro, Glen Taylor. The leaders apart, the majority of the field of 104 revelled in the autumn sunshine but generally struggled on a wet course and slow, somtimes bumpy greens. Bratton was able to hole birdie putts at the short sixth, long ninth, 12th, 15th and long 18th in halves of 36 (level par) and 33 (two under). He dropped shots at the second, fourth and 16th. Joint runners-up, a shot behind Bratton on 71, were former Scottish amateur champion Graham Gordon, whose tour pro career has been hit by illness, and former Newmachar club pro Glen Taylor, now a +1 amateur and Hazlehead member. Gordon had birdies at the 15th, 16th and 18th in halves of 37 and 33. He bogeyed the third and 17th while Taylor(36-34) parred the first 10 holes before birdieing the 12th, 15th and 16th and bogeying the 11th and 13th. Scotland women's amateur international Laura Murray, playing off the men's tees, had a gross 76, which earned her joint second place prize in Class 1 of the handicap section, secretary Ron Menzies making adjustments to her +1 handicap, using the slope rating of her home course, Alford, in a comparison with Edzell. An unfortunate mishap in the car park prevented Kemnay amateur Craig Carnegie from playing. He accidentally dropped a caddie car battery on his foot and had to be taken to the local health centre for treatment. He was unable to drive his car home. Scottish men's amateur and Scottish boys' champion David Law (Hazlehead) and Peterhead's Philip McLean were both absent from the Edzell field. They are playing for Scotland in a friendly match against France at Cannes this midweek. Cannot get my hands on the results at the moment (they are not up on the French Federation website, but hopefully they will appear eventually). LEADING SCRATCH Par 71 (36-35) 69 I Bratton (Newburgh-on-Ythan). 70 G Gordon (unatt), G Taylor (Hazlehead). 71 G Mitchell jun (Braemar). 72 A Campbell (Deeside), G H Paterson (Northern), J Duff (Fraserburgh), S Chalmers (Banchory), A Dunton (McDonald Ellon). 73 S Larkin (Banchory), K Duncan (McDonald Ellon). 74 C Nelson (Mackenzie Club), A K Pirie (Hazlehead), C Stephen (Meldrum House), S Pert (Huntly). 75 B Brooks (Meldrum House). 76 F G Gray (Newmachar), J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen), P McIntosh (Bon Accord), M Jenkins (Duff House Royal), Laura Murray (Alford). 77 J Nicolson (Auchmill), D Clark (Duff House Rooyal). 78 M Forster (Cruden Bay), S Finnie (Caledonian), R Bruce (Aboyne), C Duffus (Kemnay). 79 J Duncan (Newburgh-on-Ythan), B Nicolson (Auchmill), J Forbes (Aboyne), S Davidson (Braemar). 80 M Merchant (Newmachar), F Bisset (Banchory), D Leighton (Northern). 81 B Harper (Newburgh-on-Ythan), J M Hamilton (Murcar Links), J Thomas (Craibstone), J Murray (Banchory), D Mackay (Newmachar). LEADING HANDICAP Class 1 – F G Gray (Newmachar) (6) 70; G Taylor (Hazlehead) (+1), Laura Murray (Alford) (5) 71; A Campbell (Deeside) (scr), G H Paterson (Northern) (scr), A K Pirie (Hazlehead) (2), G Mitchell jun (Braemar)( (+1), J Emslie (Royal Aberdeen) (4), S Pert (Huntly) (2), C Duffus (Kemnay) (6), P McIntosh (Bon Accord) (4) 72. Class 2 – D Randall (Banchory) (15) 70; M F R Rogers (Kemnay) (15) 71; J Scott (Peterculter) (10), G Mackie (Caledonian) (11), M Rendall (Stonehaven) (13) 72; N Parker (Murcar Links) (9), D Townsley (Peterculter) (16) 73; P Anderson (Deeside) (10) 74; L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) (9), G Allan (Newmachar) (10), I Strachan (Royal Aberdeen) (12) 75. LEADING SCORECARDS Edzell par 71 (6427yd): OUT 4-4-4-4-4-3-4-4-5-36. IN 4-4-4-4-3-4-4-3-5-35 IAN BRATTON 69 (-2) OUT: 4-5-4-5-4-2-4-4-4-36. IN: 4-4-3-4-3-3-5-3-4-33 GRAHAM GORDON 70 (-1) OUT: 4-4-5-4-4-3-4-4-5-37. IN: 4-4-4-4-3-3-3-4-4-33 GLEN TAYLOR 70 (-1) OUT: 4-4-4-4-4-3-4-4-5-36. IN: 4-5-3-5-3-3-3-3-5-34 GRAEME MITCHELL jun 71 (level par) OUT: 5-4-5-4-4-4-4-4-4-38. IN: 4-3-4-4-3-4-3-3-5-33.

Inverness Fairways Target League Report

By Neil D. Hampton
Golf & Marketing Director, Loch Ness Golf Course
Web: www.golflochness.com
The good news on Monday night was that "3 Men and a Caddy" finally scored a point, but they still find themselves at the foot of the Fairways Target League table.
In their match against Orion, who had drafted in an extra low handicap player, 3 Men and a Caddy had one of their poorest scores so far and feared the worst but Orion’s fire power failed to materialize and they too had their worst score of the season and a draw seemed a fair result for both teams.
The Loch Ness Juniors also had their lowest score of the season but it was still over 50 and was easily enough to beat the Neverwillbees. While BM Trucks outscored the Juniors, the Trucks had the bye and continued on their unbeaten run, but it was the Parahandies who were the nights top scorers with 56 and were run away winners over an out of sorts Sainties who also contrived to have their lowest score of the season so far.
This leaves BM Trucks still out ahead two points ahead of the Juniors and Parahandies. 3 Men and a Caddy now have one point, just a single point behind the Neverwillbees.
Results:
Orion 19 – 19 Three Men and a Caddy
Parahandies 56 – 11 The Sainties
Loch Ness Juniors 51 – 19 The Neverwillbees
BM Trucks (Bye) 54.

The Tuesday League had the top two teams facing each other, both with unbeaten records to preserve, and after the game they were still both unbeaten with a very rare draw the result. Scoring was fair by both teams although it was their lowest totals for the season so far.
At the other end of the table Fairhurst Fore are still searching for their first point after King Kenyon’s Klan had the nights top score of 46 in their clash.
The Senior Moments managed to stay awake for the whole game and put in one of their best totals to take the points from a Coastguards team whose early season form has deserted them in the last couple of outings.
The night’s best match was between the Muirton Marvels and the Mad Drivers with the Drivers taking the victory by just a solitary point courtesy of having one more scoring ball than the Marvels.
These results leave Fairways and the Leadbetters still tied at the top but now only one point ahead of King Kenyon’s Klan. Fairhurst are still stuck at the bottom but still just two points behind the Muirton Marvels and the Coastguards.
Results:
Fairhurst Fore 23 – 46 King Kenyon’s Klan
Fairways 34 – 34 Luckless Leadbetters
Senior Moments 37 – 15 Coastguards
Mad Drivers 25 – 24 Muirton Marvels.

James Byrne top Scot in R&A World Amateur Rankings for first time By COLIN FARQUHARSON Banchory's James Byrne, 20, now in his third year as a student at Arizona State University, has become the top Scot in the latest R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings for the first time - due in part to a quirk of the points allocation system. Byrne has gone up 14 places in the re-ranking to No 42 while Ross Kellett (Colville Park), who had the honour of being the top-ranked Scot when Gavin Dear turned pro, has gone down three places to No 53. Byrne himself explained the situation in an E-mail to me: "The rankings run on a 52-week running total, and we are now into Week 43. Last year, during Week 43, I played in a junior college tournament in San Diego to get some competitive golf in, and I was disqualified for signing for a wrong score in the final round. I only scored 11 points. "Since that tournament has now been pushed out of my year-long total, I have consequently moved up the rankings. In Week 44 last year, I played in a similar tournament and scored very poorly. I placed well down the field and scored just 12 points, so there will be a similar change next week too." Latest top 10 in WAGR: 1 Nick Taylor (Can) 1311.69, 2 Matteo Manassero (Ita) 1301.52, 3 Victor Dubuisson (Fra) 1272.50, 4 Matt Hill (Can) 1192.42, 5 Morgan Hoffman (US) 1179.69, 6 Bud Cauley (US) 1177.19, 7 Russell Healey (US) 1160.00, 8 Nicol Van Wyk (SAf) 1135.71, 9 Peter Uihlein (US) 116.92, 10 Stiggy Hodgson (Eng) 1080.36. Selected rankings: 12 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) 1072.92, 13 Matt Haines (Eng) 1042.86, 19 Darren Renwick (Eng) 103.467, 20 Chris Paisley (Eng) 1010.20, 28 Jamie Abbott (Eng) 974.47, 29 Matthew Nixon (Eng) 97.43. Scots in top 500 of WAGR: 42 James Byrne 938.71. 53 Ross Kellett 923.94. 156 Glenn Campbello 797.92. 174 Mark HIllson 785.25. 204 Michael Stewart 764.91. 232 James White 743.33. 234 David Law 742.59. 320 Philip McLean 685.00. 373 Steven McEwan 656.96. 448 Kevin McAlpine 625.00.