Kylie and Carly set to turn pro after winning LET playing rights

Kylie Walker (Buchanan Castle) and Carly Booth (Comrie) have come through the Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School with flying colours and are expected to turn professional very shortly.
Read the full story by switching over to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

E-mail from Aberdeen businessman

Jim Hardie in New Zealand

(where it is summer, by the way!)

Hi Colin,
Well it had to happen sooner or later but the result today from Pegasus Golf Club was a VICTORY at last for yours truly over the mighty Sir Bob Charles !
Playing in a four-ball my partner was Geoff Saunders,who is a two-handicapper and also a member of the Board of NZ Golf. Sir Bob had Simon Robinson, a five-handicapper from Shirley Golf Club, for his partner.

The result was a 4 and 3 win for Geoff and myself, with yours truly birdieing the par 4 15th hole to seal a famous win!
I am away next week down to Wanaka to play again with Sir Bob.

As Sir Bob put it, he flies 13,000 miles to beat me up in Scotland and I reciprocate by flying the other way and beating him in New Zealand.
Cheers
Jim Hardie

Editor's Note: Jim Hardie was the man who fixed up Sir Bob Charles' 2009 tour of all the East coast Scottish links courses he had wanted to play but never had.

Lee Westwood confirms entry to

Commercialbank Qatar Masters

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY ALAN EWENS
Fresh from the most successful year of his career, world number four Lee Westwood has confirmed he will line up at the 2010 Commercialbank Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club from January 28-31.
And after a stunning end to the 2009 campaign that saw him lift the Dubai World Championship, cement his position as the number one player in Europe and join Seve Ballesteros as the only other three-time winner of the Golf Writers’ Trophy, 36 year-old Westwood, pictured right, will be among the favourites to lift the prestigious Mother of Pearl Trophy.
“Last year’s line-up was the strongest in the history of the tournament but with Lee Westwood, Kenny Perry, Sergio Garcia and Camilo Villegas already confirmed I am confident the field of players for the 2010 event will be just as good, if not stronger,” said Hassan Al Nuami, President of the Qatar Golf Association (QGA).
“Every year, we see a strong pool of players confirming Doha in their diaries, which is great news for the tournament and golf in the region. And after a wonderful end to 2009, Lee Westwood will no doubt be one of the favourites to win what will be the thirteenth European Tour event staged in Qatar.”
Westwood, a two-time order of merit winner with 20 European Tour tournament titles to his name, will be making his fifth consecutive appearance at Doha Golf Club determined to improve on his tournament best finish of equal fifth in 2008.
“I think the course (in Doha) is excellent,” he said. “It's set up just the way I think we all like. If you miss a fairway, you get penalised. The greens are true, the putts will go in if they are on line and the greens don't spike up. If the wind drops, people can do to it what Adam Scott did in 2008 with a 61 but with some wind around, it can be a demanding test of golf.”
Westwood will head to Doha as European number one after a year that saw him scoop the richest prize in European Tour history and return to the summit of the game for the first time since winning the order of merit in 2000.
“My priorities next year will once again be to challenge strongly for the Majors,” added Westwood. “I came close this year and hope to do well in all four in 2010. Hopefully, this time I’ll win one. I shall fine tune my game over the winter and return for the Middle East swing in January before heading for the States to prepare my run-in to the Masters.”
Westwood’s confirmation that he will go in search of his first Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy, was welcomed by Andrew Stevens, Group CEO of title sponsors Commercialbank who stage the event in association with the QGA and the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC).
“Lee is one of the best European players of all time,” he said. “He was in superb form in 2009 and we look forward to welcoming him back to Doha next month where he will no doubt be one of the favourites with the galleries.”

FORMAT OF BOYS AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

TO BE CHANGED: STROKE-PLAY QUALIFYING

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R&A

The format of the Boys Amateur Championship will be changed from 2010 to bring it into line with the Amateur Championship. Competitors will now contest 36 holes of stroke play qualifying over two courses with the top 64 and ties progressing to the match play rounds.
Consequently, additional qualifying venues will be used to host two days of stroke play competition. The new venues will be as follows:
In 2010, Irvine Golf Club will share stroke play qualifying with Kilmarnock (Barassie). The course at Bogside, designed by five-time Open Champion, James Braid, has staged Open Championship Local Final Qualifying whenever The Open has been held at Royal Troon and in 1994 when The Open was held at Turnberry. It also co-hosted the Amateur Championship in 2003 when six-time Walker Cup player, Gary Wolstenholme, took the title at Royal Troon.
In 2011, Enmore Park Golf Club will host stroke play qualifying with Burnham & Berrow Golf Club. The Club was re-sited in 1972 with Fred Hawtree commissioned to design the course. 2011 will be the first time that Enmore Park has hosted an R&A event.
In 2012, Coxmoor Golf Club will share stroke play qualifying with Notts Golf Club. Coxmoor hosted Regional Qualifying for The Open Championship in 1992 and 1993 and again from 1996 to 2001. Founded in 1913, the Nottinghamshire heathland course hosted the prestigious Dunlop Golf Tournament in 1961 at which five-time Open Champion, Peter Thomson, and four-time recipient of the Claret Jug, Bobby Locke, competed.
The 2010 Boys Amateur Championship will be held from Tuesday 10 to Sunday 15 August. For more information, visit www.randa.org.

Byrne leads Scots at rain-hit Dixie Amateur

Rain, rain and even more rain has reduced the Dixie Amateur Championship - the one that Gavin Dear from Murrayshall won last year - from 72 holes to three rounds at Heron Bay Golf Club, Coral Springs, Florida.
Saturday's scheduled start was washed out. Play did start on Sunday but quite a few players at the tail-end of the field of 175 did not complete their opening rounds because of darkness.
Steve McEwan (Caprington) was one of them.
Leading the field are three Americans and a Swede, the 2007 title-winner David Lingmerth, on five-under-par 67.
James Byrne, from Banchory and Arizona State University, is the leading Scot in joint 21st place with a level par 72.
Ross Kellett (Colville Park) and Peter Latimer from Muckhart and Guilford College, North Carolina, are sharing 68th place on 76.
There will be a cut after two rounds to the leading 60 and ties and also all those within six strokes of the leading two-round total.

LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72. Plays from US unless stated
67 Blayne Barber, Luke Guthrie, Hojin Kang, David Lingmerth (Swe).
68 Peter Uihlein, Gregor Main.
Selected scores:
71 Steven Brown (Eng), William Harrold (Eng).
72 James Byrne (Sco) (jt 21st).
76 Ross Kellett (Sco), Peter Latimer (Sco) (jt 68th).
77 Jake Shepherd (Eng) (jt 84th).
Still to finish first round: Steven McEwan (Sco).

REPORT FROM THE TOURNAMENT WEBSITE:

As round one of the 79th Dixie Amateur finally got underway the late week rain gave way to cold temperatures and blustery winds. This, combined with no roll and no practice rounds (course was too wet to permit practice), added up to a long day for many.
But even with cloud cover spectators saw the stars come out. With a field that has officially put the Dixie Amateur in the top 20 amateurs tournaments in the world, 2007 Dixie Amateur Champion David Lingmerth of Germany fired a blistering 67 only to be matched by Hojin Kang and Blayne Barber of Florida and Illinios stand-out Luke Guthrie.
Undefeated United States Walker Cup member Peter Uihlein’s 68 puts him in joint second position with local favourite Curtis Thompson of Coral Springs just one shot back at 69. Three players are tied with Thompson,including Louisville standout Aaron Sherry and Junior sensations Cory Whitsett and Alberto Sanchez.
Several players did not finish their round including Bud Cauley and Emiliano Grillo the world’s 3rd and 15th ranked amateurs. Players who did not finish their rounds will tee off at 7am and upon finishing will start their second round at their schedualed tee times. Tee times start at 7:10am off both the 1st and 10th tees and the public is welcome. There is no charge for spectators.