Duddingston pair win Invitational Greensomes at Braid Hills

BY KEITH LIDDLE, Secretary, Edinburgh & East of Scotland Alliance.
Forty-six pairs played today in the Invitational Greensomes at Braid Hills No.1 golf course in Edinburgh (Par 70).
Winners of the Richardson and Brownlee Trophy were Steve Gilhooley (Duddingston) and Robert Binnie (Duddingston) with a net score of 60.8.
In the scratch section, Stephen Lamb (Broomieknowe) and Peter Lamb (Biggar) had the low score of the day, six under par 64. They had seven birdies, 1st, 4th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th. Their only bogey coming at the 430 yard, 6th hole.
In second place on five under par were Kenny Reid (West Lothian) and Edward Thomson (Senit Associates) out in four under par 30 and back in one under par 35. The third place spot went to Scott Knowles (Kingsknowe) and Stephen Gallacher (Bathgate), their four under par 66 was made up of two halves of 33.
In the handicap section, Steve Gilhooley and Robert Binnie shot 65 - 4.2 = 60.8. Their score included four birdies (1st, 5th,11th and 13th) and an eagle at the 7th where Steve holed their second shot. Their only dropped shot came at the long 6th. In second place were Alan Reid (West Lothian) and Tom Kinghorn (Prestonfield) 66 - 4.4 = 61.6. Peter Mitchell (Hermitage) and Scott Wilson (Turnhouse) were third with 65 - 2.8 = 62.2.
Wishing everyone a merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year at Gullane No.3 on 13th January 2010.

SCOREBOARD
Scratch
64 Stephen Lamb (Broomieknowe) & Peter Lamb (Biggar).
65 Steve Gilhooley (Duddingston) & Robert Binnie (Duddingston), Kenny Reid (West Lothian) & Edward Thomson (Senit Associates), Peter Mitchell (Hermitage) & Scott Wilson (Turnhouse).
66 Scott Knowles (Kingsknowe) & Stephen Gallacher (Bathgate).
Handicap
60 Steve Gilhooley (Duddingston) & Robert Binning (Duddingston) (4.2).
61.6 Alan Reid (West Lothian) & Tom Kinghorn (Prestonfield) (4.4).
62.2 Peter Mitchell (Hermitage) & Scott Wilson (Turnhouse) (2.8).
63.2 Mike Robson (Harrison) & Ronnie Ackroyd (Harrison) (3.8).
63.6 David Graham (Duddingston) & Jack Oughton (Duddingston) (7.4)

Kylie and Carly beat LET Q School cut but Katy misses out

Kylie Walker and Carly Booth have easily survived the second-round cut in Stage 1 of the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School at La Manga but the third Scot in the field, Katy McNicoll, has been eliminated.
Switch over to our sister website, http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/, for the full story and all the second-round scores.

Tiger Woods named Athlete of the Decade

Tiger Woods has been voted Athlete of the Decade by members of the Associated Press, a worldwide news agency which supplies newspapers, TV and radio with reports.
Tiger's 10 years of incomparable golf outweighed nearly three weeks of a salacious sex scandal.
Just like so many of his 64 victories worldwide and 12 majors dating to 2000, it wasn't much of a contest.
Woods received 56 of the 142 votes cast by AP member editors. More than half of the ballots were returned after his November 27 car accident which set off the sensational tales of infidelity that have tarnished Woods' image.
Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor who won the Tour de France six times this decade, finished second with 33 votes, followed by tennis Grand Slam champion Roger Federer with 25 votes.
Woods had more US PGA Tour titles in one decade than all but four of golf's greatest players won in their careers.
+According to the Daily Telegraph website, Elin Nordegren, Tiger Woods' wife, has made up her mind to divorce him and plans to make their separation permanent in the New Year.
The former Swedish swimwear model, is "not going to be one of these 'stand by your man' women", an unnamed friend told the US television news station MSNBC.
"She's a strong woman, this is beyond embarrassing, and she has a daughter and son she has to think about, who will know about this one day."

James Byrne still just ahead of Ross Kellett

in the R&A World Amateur Rankings

James Byrne continues to lead Ross Kellett by one place in Week 50 of the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings issued today.

Byrne from Banchory and a student at Arizona State University is ranked No 39, down one place from last week.

Colville Park member Kellett is ranked No 40, also down one place.

In all there are nine Scots in the top 500 of the R&A WAGR as follows:

39 James Byrne (Banchory & Arizona State University) (-1 place from last week).

40 Ross Kellett (Colville Park) (-1).

171 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) (+1).

178 Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) (+2).

208 Mark Stewart (Troon Welbeck & East Tennessee State University) (no change).

234 James White (Lundin & Stirling University) (-1).

279 David Law (Hazlehead) (no change).

389 Steven McEwan (Caprington) (+1).

430 Philip McLean (Peterhead) (-1).

The top four positions in the R&A WAGR remain unchanged with France's Victor Dubuisson No 1, Italy's Matteo Manassero No 2, Nick Taylor (Canada) No 3 and Bud Cauley (United States) No 4.

Paul Lawrie, Raymond Jacobs, retired Glasgow Herald golf correspondent, and special guest Peter Alliss at the annual Scottish PGA lunch in Glasgow today. Paul received a gift to mark his services to golf and Raymond a lifetime achievement award. Image by Andy Forman. Click to enlarge.

Paul Lawrie recognised for junior golf Foundation

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By Martin Dempster
Since setting up his own junior foundation eight years ago, Paul Lawrie has been directly responsible for 14,000 young golfers either receiving coaching or competing in tournaments.
One of his proteges, David Law, won both the Scottish boys' and men's amateur championships this year and the programme, which has been based primarily in the Grampian region thus far, is now starting to branch out into other parts of the country.
Lawrie, the 1999 Open champion, received deserved recognition for his excellent work in putting something back into the game when he was presented with a special award from the PGA Scottish Region at its annual luncheon in Glasgow today.
"We started the Foundation in 2001 and, at that time, it was a junior programme that mainly involved doing some coaching and organising events for small children," said the Aberdonian. "It has grown beyond all recognition – we have now looked after 14,000 children since 2001 – and I am very proud of it."
Acknowledging the work his support team put in behind the scenes, Lawrie added: "The programme has mainly been in Grampian but we have plans to branch out to have coaching at different centres. Indeed, we've already had some sessions at Mearns Castle in Glasgow."
Lawrie joined the PGA when turned professional in 1986 and was delighted to be honoured by the Scottish Region on a day that also saw lifetime achievement awards being handed out to Finlay Morrison, the 95-year-old former professional at Deeside, Braid Hills and Bruntsfield Links, and one of Scotland's most- respected golf writers, Raymond Jacobs.
"This is a huge thing for me," said Lawrie. "I was a five-handicap player when I turned pro and wasn't very good but served my time in the shop at Banchory for four years and got a bit better. "That was the start of things for me. To be able to play professional tournaments straight away was fantastic and I will always be grateful to Doug Smart, the pro at Banchory at the time, letting me get out of the shop to practice."