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Banned by US PGA Tour, but nothing to

stop Doug Barron playing on mini-tours

Surprising news today that Doug Barron, banned for a year by the US PGA Tour for violation of the tour's anti-doping policy, is able to play in any of the mini-tours that abound in America.
Barron returned to competition this week on the Adams Golf Winter Series. He struggled to a 4-over 76 at Cypress Lakes Golf Club in Cypress, Texas and missed the cut.
Barron would not discuss his suspension in an interview with Golfweek, citing advice of counsel. Neither Barron nor the US PGA Tour will disclose which substance Barron had used. However, Barron was emphatic about one point relating to his suspension, the first under the Tour’s drug policy enacted last year.
“I’ve never taken any drug to enhance my performance,” Barron said. “I’m just trying to play golf.”
None of the mini-tours has a policy regarding drug use or whether they would let a banned player from another tour participate.
Barron contacted Adams Golf Pro Tour Series officials after he had been banned by the PGA and Nationwide tours.
“We don’t have a drug policy,” said Gary DeSerrano, president of the Adams Golf tour, when asked about Barron’s participation. “Pockets aren’t deep enough for us to do something like that. I don’t see any mini-tour not allowing him to play. If they did, they would open themselves up to legal action that they don’t want any part of.”
Barron’s golf life veered down an uncharted path when he provided a urine sample in June at the St. Jude Classic. He received a sponsor’s exemption to his hometown event in Memphis, Tenn. A journeyman, Barron, 40, was playing in his first PGA Tour event in three years. He had four Nationwide Tour starts in 2009, with no cuts made.
Much of Barron’s career has been beset with medical problems. Though it had been reported that he was playing on the Nationwide Tour under a medical exemption, Barron rebuts that, saying he had to Monday-qualify or receive sponsor exemptions this year.
Barron, who graduated from Mississippi State with a marketing degree in 1992, has struggled in recent years. He hasn’t made a cut on the Nationwide Tour since August 2008; his last weekend on the PGA Tour was at Greensboro in 2006, his last full season on Tour.
His future? “I imagine I will go to work,” he said.
When he wasn’t playing golf this year because of his medical issues, Barron was working for AdzZoo, an Internet advertising company.
“It’s made me want to work harder on my golf game,” Barron said.
Next week, Doug Barron will turn his attention to April Sound Country Club & Resort in Montgomery, Texas, and the second event on the Adams Golf’s Winter Series. He’s also considering play on the eGolf Tour. And there’s always the job back at AdzZoo.
Despite the setback, Barron got an emotional boost in recent days.
“I received 30 to 40 phone calls of support from peers, friends and some I didn’t consider friends,” Barron said. “It helps me to make it through this one way or another.”
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European Club calls time on Irish PGA

The European Club confirmed today they will not be hosting next year’s Irish PGA Championship. The Wicklow venue staged the event for the last three years, during which time Pádraig Harrington won before going on to secure the Open in 2007 and 2008.
In a letter sent to the PGA Irish Region, European Club owner Pat Ruddy, said it was time to cut back and the “time has come for our members and guests to have a break and to that end we have begun a severe cutting back of our rough.”
The European Club is one of Ireland’s finest links courses and Harrington reaped the benefit of playing in the Irish PGA Championship the week before the Open instead of teeing it up in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond which is played on a parkland.
The European club also hosted the ladies’ and men’s amateur championships in 2006 when Trish Mangan and Rory McIlroy were respective winners.

RAIN HOLDS UP MURCAR MAN'S BID

EARLY SATURDAY RE-START FOR MURCAR MAN Murcar Links member Callum Trahan was one of 104 players who were unable to complete their fourth round in South Africa's Sunshine Tour Qualifying School tournament because incessant rain eventally flooded both the Vaal River courses. They will return at 6.30am on Saturday and there will now be a cut to the leading 60 players and ties instead of the planned leading 80 and ties after four rounds. After the fifth and final round, the leading 35 players and ties will be ranked for participation on the 2010 Sunshine Tour. With a 54-hole score of six-over-par 222, Trahan has an even chance of qualifying.

Monty and George Murray joint ninth

as winds blow at Egyptian Open

By ALAN EWENS
Spain’s Carl Suneson and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark share the lead at the halfway point of the Egyptian Open after winds of up to 25kmh prevented low scoring over the Cairo course.
Overnight leader Suneson battled hard in the conditions to card a one over par 73 and go joint top with Olesen on six under par 138 overall with the Dane being one of only nine players to break par in the blustery conditions.
Olesen’s two under par 70 saw him edge ahead of the chasing pack of Englishman Steven Tiley, Welshman Kyron Sullivan and Cairo-based Swede Calle Carlsson all on five under.
“It was very hard to putt out there today,” admitted Suneson. “The greens are good but in this wind you have to get the ball close to the hole. I knew it would be tough for everyone today so to drop a shot and still be in the lead is a good result.”
Pre-event favourite Colin Montgomerie remains in the hunt for the prestigious Egyptian Open trophy – the oldest golf trophy in the region - despite a difficult second round at the JW Marriott Mirage City Golf Club.
The eight-time European No 1 and current European Ryder Cup captain had to birdie the last two holes to salvage an even-par 72 after the stiff desert wind threatened to blow his championship charge off course.
“The wind made it very difficult out there today and, if anything, it got worse as the day went on,” said Monty after finishing on three under 141 overall.
He is joint ninth with fellow Scot George Murray, another past Scottish amateur champion, from Anstruther, Fife. Murray, a campaigner on the European Challenge Tour, has had rounds of 70 and 71.
Colin Montgomerie said after his round:
“I finished well with birdies on the last two holes but again I struggled on the 11th hole and dropped two shots because of a really bad drive for the second day in a row. But I’m still in there battling away and all set for the weekend.”
Dropped shots on the first and 16th as well as the double bogey on 11 were offset by birdies on holes two, nine, 17 and 18 to leave the Scot on 141 (-3) and still within touching distance of the leaders.
The $200,000 Egyptian Open's field was cut to 60 players and ties for the final two rounds at the weekend.
Defending champion and home favourite Amr Abou El Ella bowed out with rounds of 81 and 80 to end his chances of making it an astonishing 13 wins in what is the oldest golfing event of its kind in the Middle East and Africa.
LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
138 Carl Suneson (Spa) 65 73, Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 68 70.
139 Steven Tilley (Eng) 69 70, Kyron Sullivan (Wal) 66 73, Calle Carlsson (Sswe) 66 73.
140 Julien Grillon (Fra) 66 74, Thomas Feyrsinger (Aut) 69 71, Jan-Are Larssen (Nor) 70 70.
141 Steve Surry (Eng) 69 72, Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 69 72, George Murray (Sco) 70 71.
142 Ian Keenan (Eng) 71 71, Lloyd Kennedy (Eng) 72 70, Leif Westerberg (Swe) 70 72, Jamie Moule (Eng) 69 73, Christoph Gunter (Ger) 70 72, David Griffiths (Eng) 71 71, Andre Bossert (Swi) 69 73, Joel Sjoholm (Swe) 68 74.
Selected scores:
143 Richard Kilpatrick (NIr) 70 73.
144 Andrew Marshall (Eng) 67 77, Craig Smith (Wal) 70 74, Dale Marmion (Eng) 71 73, Rob Harris (Eng) 72 72.
145 Simon Dunn (Sco) 71 74, Ross Bain (Sco) 70 75.
146 Gareth Shaw (NIr) 74 72, Daniel Denison (Eng) 72 74.
147 Sandeep Grewal (Eng) 73 74, Andrew Butterfield (Eng) 74 73.
148 Philip Golding (Eng) 69 79, Daniel Wardrop (Eng) 74 74.
149 Scott Jamieson (Sco) 70 79, Matthew Mills (Eng) 70 79, Ally Mellor (Eng) 74 75.
150 Ben Evans (Eng) 73 77.
152 Matthew Dearden (Wal) 75 77.
153 Steven Wilson (Wal) 79 74, Lee Corfield (Eng) 78 75.
MISSED THE CUT
154 Adam Gee (Eng) 75 79.
161 Steven Burton (Sco) 76 85, James Waycott (Eng) 80 81.

EXTENDED REPORT FROM SPAIN

Play it again, Sam! Good start with a 67

in Castellon Senior Tour championship

By STEVE TODD, Seniors Tour press officer
Sam Torrance’s hopes of winning a third European Senior Tour Order of Merit were boosted by a five under par round of 67 in the OKI Castellόn Senior Tour Championship to lie three strokes behind first round leader Angel Franco.
Torrance needs to finish in at least the top four, and hope Ian Woosnam is down the field, to be in with a chance of winning the John Jacobs Trophy he claimed in 2005 and 2006.
The Scot, who is defending his OKI Castellόn Senior Tour Championship title, posted six birdies – including one on the final hole - and just the single bogey on the 11th hole.
Torrance, pictured, finished five strokes better off than Order of Merit leader and fellow former Ryder Cup winning Captain Ian Woosnam, who carded a level par round of 72 following back-to-back birdies on the final two holes.
“There was some good scoring out there today and I’ve started well,” said Torrance. “It was nice to end on a birdie when I hit it close and it was a good day all round.
“It’s always nice to come back to a place you have done well as you know you can do it here and I’ve started confidently.
“I know I probably have to finish either first or second so it’s a good start and we’ll see what we can do.”
Fellow Scot Ross Drummond, who is searching for his maiden Senior Tour title, posted a flawless six under par round of 66 to lie two strokes behind Franco and one behind Australian Mike Harwood.
Gordon Brand junior posted a 68 while John Chillas opened with a round of 69.
Angel Franco boosted his bid to break into the top ten on the European Senior Tour Order of Merit with a flawless eight under par 64 to lead by one stroke.
The Paraguayan carded the lowest round of his Senior Tour career, with five birdies on a superb front nine to reach the turn in 31 before picking up a further three shots on the 11th, 12th and 18th holes.
Franco finished 11th in last year’s Order of Merit and finds himself in the same position this season, following another consistent campaign in which he has had five top ten finishes.
The 51 year old has finished runner up five times in his Senior Tour career - including twice this season - but is determined to go one better at Club de Campo del Mediterráneo.
“It was another good round of golf. I played well and putted really well which is important for a good score,” he said.
“I hit a lot of good shots and had some luck. On the front nine I holed some long putts which gave me lots of confidence, the longest being on the 12th hole from 15ft.”
The luck Franco was referring to included a drop shot on the 17th hole – which he went on to par – after his mammoth 320yd drive finished up behind a toilet. With a knee injury also troubling him, Franco might need a little more good fortune but he is optimistic this could be the week he breaks his duck.
He said: “I’m going to have surgery on both knees next month and I can’t walk very well. It affects me a lot on my driving and long irons as I can’t rotate my leg but I hope I can keep this form up for the weekend. I really want to win on this wonderful Tour. I have lots of faith and believe I can.”
Franco has a one-shot advantage over Mike Harwood, who continued the form that saw him win the Australian Senior Open a fortnight ago as he carded a seven under par 65.
The Australian fired nine birdies, including a spectacular run when he holed four consecutive putts from more than 20ft.
Harwood is looking to end his maiden Senior Tour campaign on a high, with third place in the DGM Barbados Open back in March his best finish so far.
The 50 year old said: “Considering I don’t know the course and the amount of travelling I’ve done in the last two weeks, I was quite amazed I pulled it together, as mentally I felt not with it.
“I putted fantastic today and my short game was electric. I didn’t play super tee-to-green but my short game was amazing.
“Winning the Australian Senior Open bred confidence and I’ve fed off it. I’ve been searching for that all year.
“I was free-wheeling it a bit today. I didn’t find the course that easy. I know the kids on the European Tour had some ridiculous scores round here a couple of weeks ago but I’m not a great iron player so the par 3s were tough for me.
“It’s just nice to be in contention again though. On the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth I made four putts from 20ft and I don’t do that very often. I’m really good from inside ten feet but hopeless from outside so to make those putts four times in a row and right in the middle was unbelievable.”
Ian Woosnam, who leads the Order of Merit, fought back from a difficult start to finish with back-to-back birdies to get to level par but is eight shots off the lead after four bogeys and a double bogey in his round of 72.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72
64 A Franco (Par)
65 M Harwood (Aus)
66 R Drummond (Sco), D Smyth (Irl)
67 S Torrance (Sco), J Bruner (USA)
68 D O'Sullivan (Irl), C Mason (Eng), G Brand junior (Sco) ,
69 J Bland (RSA), C Rocca (Ita), L Carbonetti (Arg) , J Chillas (Sco) , J Heggarty (NIr) , G Brand (Eng), P Mitchell (Eng), J Rivero (Esp)
70 N Job (Eng), M Piñero (Esp), M Clayton (Aus), G Ralph (Eng)
71 T Johnstone (Zim) , J Quiros (Esp), B Longmuir (Sco) , D Hospital (Esp) , R Chapman (Eng) , B Cameron (Eng)
72 E Darcy (Irl), I Woosnam (Wal) , E Rodriguez (Esp) , A Murray (Eng) , M Cunning (USA) , K Tomori (Jpn), C Williams (RSA)
73 K Spurgeon (Eng) , D Merriman (Aus)
74 G Cali (Ita)
75 B Smit (RSA)
76 V Garcia (Esp), D Cambridge (Jam) , B Lincoln (RSA)
80 G Hopkins (USA)

BANCHORY TO STAGE NEXT WEDNESDAY'S N E ALLIANCE Next Wednesday's scheduled North-east Golfers' Alliance competition at Deeside Golf Club has been switched to Banchory which was unplayable for this past week's meeting. "There is no chance of Deeside being playable by next Wednesday. The Banchory course is now open again but play will be from individual mats. There will be some available but if Alliance members have mats, they should take them," said Alliance secretary Ron Menzies. The tee times arranged for the postponed meeting at Banchory last Wednesday will be carried over but, with less daylight available, competitors are asked to book in early, tee off sharp and to keep up a good pace of play so that those at the end of the field can finish in daylight.

Arnott, King and Gillies bid to take PGAs of

Europe team championship back to Scotland

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGA
Three of Scotland’s top pro golfers bid for a record seventh title at the PGAs of Europe International Team Championship in Spain next week – with the aid of two world champions!Hickory masters Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range) and Mark King (Kingsfield Golf Range), who both claimed titles using the ‘old’ clubs back in September, will be joined by Colin Gillies (Playsport Golf) as they take on more than 25 teams from across Europe for the title at Roda Golf and Beach Resort.
Gillies has the distinction of having played in the very first championship back in 1990, which Scotland won. However that is his only victory in seven appearances for the Scots.
Scotland’s last victory came in 2006 and the Tartan Tour trio will aim to make that a magnificent seven in the 72-hole stroke-play tournament between November 10-13, which carries a €35,000 prize fund and is sponsored by Calidona and Glenmuir.
But they will face stiff competition from the rest of the home nations, with defending champions Ireland chasing a hat-trick of titles. England, who are also in the hunt for a third title, have three of this year’s GB&I PGA Cup team in their ranks in Paul Wesselingh, Paul Simpson and Jeremy Robinson.
Wales, winners in 2000, will field two of this year’s PGA Cup team including James Lee, the reigning Glenmuir PGA Professional champion.
Other teams competing in the event, which sees the best two individual scores from each round count, include 2007 champions Austria, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Holland, Croatia, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia plus sides from South Africa and United Arab Emirates.
The Dave Thomas-designed Roda course, which is hosting the tournament for the fourth successive year, is also home to the continent's first PGA-branded academy.
The academy features state of the art video and custom-fit golf technology and its world-class golf facilities are a winter haven for golf professionals and coaches with excellent opportunities for golfers of all abilities and ages from juniors through to elite golfers.

Woods and Watney share halfway lead in China

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Tiger Woods and fellow American Nick Watney share the halfway lead at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions on ten under par at Shanghai, China.
Woods carded a second consecutive round of 67, the highlight a brilliant chip-in from the rough at the 16th, to join first round leader Watney, who added a 70 to his course record-equalling 64 from the opening round.
Two more Americans, Phil Mickelson and Ryan Moore, are joined by big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros in a tie for third on nine under, with Volvo World Match Play Championship runner-up Anthony Kim a shot further back.
To read an enlightening article by The Times staff writer Peter Dixon on the contrasting behaviour of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in front of the Chinese galleries, log on to this website:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/golf/article6906896.ece

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
134 Nick Watney (USA) 64 70, Tiger Woods (USA) 67 67
135 Phil Mickelson (USA) 69 66, Ryan Moore (USA) 66 69, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 69 66
136 Anthony Kim (USA) 67 69
137 Pat Perez (USA) 68 69
138 Brian Gay (USA) 69 69, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 68 70
139 Koumei Oda (Jpn) 70 69, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) 72 67, Wen-Tang Lin (Tpe) 67 72, Camilo Villegas (Col) 70 69
140 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 73 67, James Kingston (Rsa) 70 70, Jason Dufner (USA) 69 71, Ross Fisher 70 70, Matt Kuchar (USA) 68 72, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 66 74, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 71 69, Shane Lowry 66 74, Paul Casey 67 73
141 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 69 72, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 69 72, Garth Mulroy (Rsa) 69 72, Daisuke Maruyama (Jpn) 72 69, Simon Dyson 72 69, Rory McIlroy 73 68, Alexander Noren (Swe) 70 71, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 71, Ian Poulter 72 69, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 69 72, Lee Westwood 70 71
142 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 74 68, Robert Allenby (Aus) 73 69, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 71 71
143 Oliver Wilson 71 72, Scott Strange (Aus) 71 72, Yong-eun Yang (Kor) 72 71, C Muniyappa (Ind) 74 69, Lian-Wei Zhang (Chn) 73 70, Padraig Harrington 74 69, Shingo Katayama (Jpn) 75 68
144 Peter Hanson (Swe) 72 72
145 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 73 72, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 75 70, Ashun Wu (Chn) 74 71, Stewart Cink (USA) 71 74, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 74, Chih-bing Lam (Sin) 71 74, Danny Lee (Nzl) 74 71, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 74 71, Sean O'Hair (USA) 74 71, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 71 74
146 Jerry Kelly (USA) 71 75, Greg Chalmers (Aus) 72 74, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 72 74, Yuta Ikeda (Jpn) 73 73, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 73 73, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 72 74, Martin Laird 72 74, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 73
147 Steve Marino (USA) 77 70, Mark Murless (Rsa) 71 76, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 74 73
148 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 74 74, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 76 72, Nick Dougherty 68 80, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 77 71
150 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 73 77, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 81 69, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 74 76
151 Anthony Kang (USA) 75 76
152 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 74 78, Wei-Huang Wu (Chn) 74 78
154 Jean Hugo (Rsa) 78 76, Thomas Levet (Fra) 77 77
156 Nathan Green (Aus) 79 77

Byrne and Kellett in top 20 of European Golf Association rankings

Banchory's James Byrne (15th) and Ross Kellett (18th) of Colville Park Golf Club figure in the top 20 in the European Golf Association's final men's amateur rankings for 2009.
British amateur champion Matto Manassero (Italy) is No 1 and France's Victor Dubuisson, who tops the R&A WAGR is No 2
The leading British or Irish players are England's Stiggy Hodgson in third and Tommy Fleetwood in fourth place.

TOP TWENTY
1 Matteo Manassero (Italy).
2 Victor Dubuisson (France).
3 Stiggy Hodgson (England).
4 Tommy Fleetwood (England).
5 Matt Haines (England).
6 Darren Renwick (England).
7 Chris Paisley (England).
8 David Lingmerth (Sweden)).
9 Knut Borsheim (Norway).
10 Jurrian Van der Waert (Netherlands).
11 Jamie Abbott (England).
12 Matthew Nixon (England).
13 Andrew Pavan (Italy).
14 Jesper Kennegard (Sweden).
15 James Byrne (Scotland).
16 Robin Wingardh (Sweden).
17 Espen Kofstad (Norway).
18 Ross Kellett (Scotland).
19 Niall Kearney (Ireland).
20 Max Kieffer (Germany).
21 Tom Lewis (England).

+Switch over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk to see the EGA's final women's amateur rankings for 2009.

English pair lying joint third in Simon Bolivar Cup

England's Billy Hemstock from Teignmouth and Southport's John Robinson dropped to a share of third place in the Simon Bolivar Cup aggregate team pairs tournament after the second round at Barquisimeto Golf Club, Venezuela.
SCOREBOARD
285 PERU (Joaquin Lolas 74 68; Patricio Alzamora 70 73).
288 BRAZIL (Felipe Navaro 74 72, Iwo Leao 70 72).
291 ENGLAND (Billy Hemstock 71 71, John Robinson 73 76); ARGENTINA (Leandro Marelli 74 74, Tomas Coacha 72 71).
Other team scores:
292 COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.
299 SPAIN.
303 URUGUAY.
303 CHILE.
304 VENEZUELA.
305 PANAMA.
311 PARAGUAY.
315 MEXICO.

USA Leads Chinese Taipei After Low-Scoring

Second Round at The Spirit

NEWS RELEASE
AUTHOR: Alex Blair
Trinity, Texas – In team best-ball, a leaderboard can change at a moments notice. Just ask the United States.
An incredible closing nine by the US gave them a 25-under total and three-shot lead over Chinese Taipei at The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship at Whispering Pines Golf Club after the second round.
"The lead we have isn’t quite as large as we would want, especially in this format it can change so quick," said US team captain Paula Creamer. "But a lead is a lead, and hopefully we can build off that momentum."
The Americans started on the back nine and were only 4-under at the turn. The girls team of Alexis Thompson and Jennifer Johnson were 3-under while the boys team of Jordan Spieth and Ben Martin were only 1-under.
The Spirit is an Olympic-style team best-ball competition. Teams from 20 countries, consisting of four golfers each, two men and two women, come every other year to compete at Whispering Pines.
They are housed on-site in an International Village. Golf fans can watch the action at The Spirit in live-streaming video for all four rounds at www.amgolf.com. The webcast starts every day at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.
When a country’s men and women teams both make birdies the leaderboard can change in a hurry.
Plenty of other countries were taking proper advantage of the pristine scoring conditions. Argentina, starting on the front nine, was 11-under on the day as they made the turn. They were only a couple back of the US and Chinese Taipei. But Argentina’s momentum stalled, and they would go no lower. Argentina finished 15-under on the day, in a three-way tie for sixth.
(more)
"Golf is golf," said Argentina captain Jorge Morgan. "Those magic moments appear and disappear like that. I think the last nine holes are more difficult than the first. Certainly the greens are more difficult. Maybe we repeat this performance tomorrow and stay close. Then the last day there will be pressure, so who knows?"
France’s Lucie Andre vaulted France up the leaderboard by herself. She pulled an 8-iron on the par 3 15th. Her approach bounced three feet in front of the hole, hopped, and rolled right in. It was the first ace Andre had ever made.
"My friend Marion was very excited," Andre said. "I didn’t know why. I didn’t realize that it had gone in. I was very happy."
Two holes later, at the par 5 17th, Andre was in the greenside rough in two and chipped in for her second eagle in two holes. The Spirit is Andre’s first tournament in the United States. She might want to consider playing in more.
With hard-charging teams like Argentina on their heels, the United States picked up five shots in three holes. Thompson birdied No. 1 and hit the 529-yard second hole in two and two-putted for birdie. Then Johnson stuffed her approach to three feet on the par 3 12th for the pair’s third consecutive birdie. Playing one group behind them, Martin birdied 10 and Spieth birdied 11. That gave the Americans a lead they would not relinquish. They tacked on five more birdies (but also carded two bogies). That matched Argentina’s 11-under total on the front nine. Martin was heroic on the day with six individual birdies. Spieth sees room for improvement.
"Ben was off yesterday and I was off today," Spieth said. "If we could get it going at the same time it could get pretty nasty out there."
Good nasty.
It looked like no one could match the US’s closing kick, but first-round leader Chinese Taipei was up to the challenge. The women’s team of Yu-Leing Hsieh and Hsuan-Yu Yao rallied with two birdies on the final three holes to finish at even-par on the day. That helped the men’s team, who has played better than any other male pair at The Spirit. In the first round Tao Huang and Chien-Yao Hung shot 63. For an encore, they shot 64. If the women’s team can put score in red numbers for the next two days, Huang and Hung might carry Taipei to the gold medal. Hung has scored 11 birdies in two rounds, more than any other competitor. Chinese Taipei sits at 22-under for the championship.
"I told them this morning that yesterday we got a really low score but today the pressure would come up," said Chinese Taipei team captain Eric JJ Lin. "Getting in position is the most important thing. In competition the physical side is second, the psychological is first. Don’t get in trouble in your mind."
(more)
Though both Korean and Japanese golf cultures are well known, Taiwanese golfers have made a splash at The Spirit. The most notable is two-time LPGA champion Yani Tseng, who played in the 2005 Spirit. Still…
"Golf is not very popular in Taiwan," confessed Huang. "There are about 70 courses. I got started just following my father to the driving range."
Alone in third place is a familiar team: England. The English are two-time defending champions at The Spirit. Several leaderboard operators commented that England had no chance this year. But that was before the back nine.
Stiggy Hodgson made his first birdie of the Spirit on his 27th hole of the championship, and it just so happened to come on the notoriously difficult par 4 18th. That was the breaking of the dam, as he went on to card four birdies on the back nine, and Matthew Haines chimed in with two more for a back nine 30 from the English men.
The women’s team of Rachel Jennings and Holly Clyburn carried the men in round one but could afford to coast with a 1-under 71 in the second round. The English now sit at 17-under, well within striking distance for a third straight Spirit.
"We’re just looking to get both the girls and the boys hot tomorrow," said England team captain Kevin Cademy-Taylor.
"For Chinese Taipei and the US, everyone’s been on fire. If they keep doing what they’re doing it won’t matter what anyone else does."

+Switch to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk for The Spirit team scoreboard.