Friday, January 08, 2010

Butch Harmon expects Tiger comeback before Masters

Butch Harmon paid the price for talking too much when he was Tiger Woods' coach.
So you can take it that anything Butch says now about Tiger does not come straight from the world No 1 golfer's mouth.
Be that as it may, Harmon is being quoted today as saying he expects Woods will return to golf this year, likely before the Masters Tournament in April.
"Those who say he won't play again are crazy," Harmon said in an interview with Sky Sports.
"Some people say he probably won't play this year, but I don't really believe that either. If you want to put a timetable on it, I'd say you may see him in Florida before the Masters (in April)."
Woods is in self-imposed exile from the game following revelations late last year of his extramarital affairs.
Harmon coached Woods for 10 years until they split in 2002.

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Martin Laird lying joint third at halfway in Hawaii

US PGA Tour Scoreboard
SBS CHAMPIONSHIP
Kapalua Plantation GC, Kapalua Resort, Maui, Hawaii
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 146 (2x73)
131 Lucas Glover 66 65
134 John Rollins 68 66
135 Sean O'Hair 68 67, Martin Laird (Sco) 67 68, Matt Kuchar 67 68, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 66
136 Angel Cabrera (Arg) 68 68
137 Kenny Perry 70 67, Nathan Green (Aus) 67 70, Stewart Cink 68 69, Ryan Moore 69 68
138 Dustin Johnson 67 71, Nick Watney 67 71, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 70 68
139 Jerry Kelly 69 70, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 69, Paul Casey (Eng) 70 69
140 Stephen Ames (Can) 71 69
141 Pat Perez 71 70, Zach Johnson 72 69
142 Bo Van Pelt 72 70
143 Steve Stricker 73 70, Brian Gay 72 71, Troy Matteson 73 70
144 Y.E. Yang (Kor) 70 74
145 Michael Bradley 73 72, Mark Wilson 74 71
146 Heath Slocum 75 71

+Scroll down for a report of the second day's play.

LIVE SCORING FROM HAWAII

Find out how Martin Laird and Paul Casey are faring in the third round at
Kapalua, Hawaii of the first event of the 2010 US PGA Tour.
Follow the LIVE leaderboard through Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Click on the following link:
» Tournament leaderboard

Glover takes three-shot lead into weekend action

SECOND-DAY REPORT FROM THE PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE
KAPALUA, Hawaii -- The flags were surprisingly still, the Pacific Ocean missing the raging whitecaps so typical this time of the year with the trade wind. That was all the evidence U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover needed to realise he'd better keep making birdies.
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Tournament website link:
Complete coverage of the SBS Championship
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Glover had another good stretch in the middle of his round Friday that sent him to an 8-under 65 in the SBS Championship, giving him the lowest 36-hole score at Kapalua in five years and a three-shot lead going into the weekend.
Even at 15-under 131, and in a tropical paradise, this is no time for Glover to relax.
John Rollins had a 66 and was three shots behind, followed by defending champion Geoff Ogilvy (66), Sean O'Hair (67), Matt Kuchar (68) and Martin Laird (68) at 11-under 135.
"I'm pretty aggressive, anyway, so I'm going to have to pick my spots," Glover said. "I'm going to have to make some birdies. These guys are the best players in the world, and they're going to be coming after me."
The conditions have been so pristine over two days along the Maui coastline that everyone in the 28-man field was at par or better. And with the Plantation Course at Kapalua as defenseless as ever, 11 players were tied for the lead at one point early in the second round.
Glover changed that quickly.
He ran off three straight birdies, all of them inside 8 feet, then made a par that felt like a birdie. His tee shot found the bunker at No. 8 and rolled so far back that it was close to the front lip, forcing Glover to stand outside the sand. He blasted out to 12 feet and holed the putt, putting him in a good frame of mind heading to the ninth tee.
Glover hit 3-wood to 12 feet for eagle, then hit a wedge to 4 feet on the 10th for an easy birdie.
Just like that, he was back in control, and Glover made sure he stayed there with a few more birdies late in his round, including a wedge that bounced off the flag at the 16th and settled next to the cup.
O'Hair noticed Glover at 11 under when he walked off the 13th green. The next time he saw a leaderboard along the 17th fairway, he saw Glover at 14 under, and everyone else moving up a couple of notches, too.
"There's quite a few players out there that can win this thing and are playing some nice golf," O'Hair said.
Most of them are being pampered beyond a free room at the Ritz-Carlton, where the butler-drawn baths are among the amenities. Glover was driving along the roads framed by cook pines, gazing at the still Pacific, and knew this week would be a treat for golfers.
"We were talking about this at breakfast," he said. "Nobody who's been to Hawaii has seen it this calm. This is nice for us. We get to be a little more aggressive. Club selection is a lot easier. I wouldn't mind seeing it come up and having some goofy stuff go on, just for fun."
Glover had the lowest 36-hole score at Kapalua since Vijay Singh also was at 131 in 2005. The record was a 17-under 129 by Ernie Els in 2003, when he set a PGA Tour record at 31 under for a 72-hole event.
More wind might make a three-shot lead feel like nothing. Even in peaceful conditions, Glover realises he has a long way to go.
"It'll be hard to catch him if he's playing as well as he is," Ogilvy said. "But he's going to have to keep playing well. In the wind, four or five shots can disappear. But if he's even par on the front nine, three-fourths of that lead could be gone. We all know that if the weather is benign, we have to go low."
Ogilvy played bogey-free and continues to pitch the ball cleanly, which he did last year in winning by six shots. O'Hair made a late push when he saw Glover's score, pounding a 3-wood on the final hole that set up an eagle.
Masters champion Angel Cabrera had another 68 and was five shots behind at 10-under 136, while Open champion Stewart Cink and Kenny Perry were in the group another shot behind.
The other major winner is US PGA Championship title-holder Y E Yang, who was trying to stay in the mix until hitting into the native grass left of the 18th and eventually three-putting from 12 feet for a triple bogey and a 74, leaving him 13 shots behind.
The forecast is for moderate wind the rest of the week, and while a mere breeze if a refreshing change, it's still odd.
"You come over with the mindset the wind is going to howl," Rollins said. "If I'm home watching in on TV, guys' pants are whipping in the wind, they're hitting short clubs from crazy yardages, they're defensive on every shot. To get rounds like this is fantastic."

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Craigielaw Golf Club juniors win title in Spain - read Martin Dempster's story by switching to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk

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Robin Wilson's picture shows (left to right) Jim Fallon (sitting), who put the book together and donor of the Centenary Cup, next to him the cup winner,Mike Tate, then club captain Stuart Macdonald and vice-captain James Cameron. The picture was taken at the Centenary presentation of prizes in the Carnegie Hall.

Tarbat Golf Club: The first 100 years at Portmahomack

Club captain Stuart Macdonald and members of Tarbat Golf Club travelled back in time on Friday, November 6 to celebrate their Centenary Prizegiving occasion in Portmahomack's Carnegie Hall where, on a November night in 1908, the first steps were taken by their ancestors to establish a golf club for the village.
Eighty-eight members of all ages attended and while wining, dining, dancing and reminiscing they also raised funds to ensure the future of their club by way of raffles and auctions of donated gifts. In attendance was Jim Fallon, a club member and local historian who, for the previous 18 months, had painstakingly researched and published an attractive booklet recalling the first one hundred years of the Tarbat Golf Club, situated above the Easter Ross seaboard village of Portmahomack.
Scottishgolfview.com's North correspondent, Robin Wilson, received a copy of the Centenary Book and has taken a look back over the 100-year highlights of “The Port,” the name by which the golf course has become affectionately known by the locals, and where he has often played.
His first visit to Portmahomack was as a young boy on the Rosskeen Parish Church of Scotland (Alness) Sunday School Picnic, and very likely on a Dods Mackay bus!
His second a Sunday afternoon visit with parents to the prominent feature on the Tarbat Peninsula, Tarbatness Lighthouse. When golf became a prominent part of his life in Brora so to did the lighthouse - it is the line taken from Brora's 17th tee, the hole even given the name “Tarbatness.”
The lighthouse was built in 1830 by Robert Stevenson, its warning tower the third tallest in Scotland and distinguished by its two broad red bands, the lighthouse adopted as the Tarbat Club emblem, despite it being not visible from any hole on the course.
Many years after the visit to the beach and the lighthouse the Brora golfer, now accustomed to links golf in Sutherland and Ross-shire's Fortrose and Tain courses, went to play his first competition at Tarbat, forgetting that he had skirted past the golf course on his boyhood visit to the lighthouse.
Keeping an eye out for a course on the seaward side of the approach road to the village from Tain it was not until the harbour was arrived at he was directed uphill past the Castle Hotel to come upon the clubhouse and first tee. In all years since, it has been a mystery to him why Portmahomack's golf course was not built on the lower links.
The answer was discovered in the copy of the Tarbat Golf Club Centenary Book and to an even bigger surprise the person responsible for turning the village golfers away from the links was no other than the eminent John Sutherland of Dornoch, regarded during his 50-year reign as secretary of Royal Dornoch Golf Club as the North's expert in the field of course design, advice and all other matters relating to golf administration.
But Jim Fallon had to look back a further 15 years to find the beginnings of golf in Portmahomack. From the pages of the Ross-shire Journal and North Star, the historian read of an opening round on a new golf course in Portmahomack, played on December 15, 1894 on a “Common” area of land beside the school overlooking the village and harbour.
Seven holes had been created over this bit of ground where play of a fashion continued un-administered until 1908 when, in September of that year, the gentlemen golfers of the village who played on the Common met in the Carnegie Hall to consider organising themselves into a club with a view to calling themselves Tarbat Golf Club.
The village's two ministers, Church of Scotland and Free Church, the local doctor and surrounding tenant farmers were in attendance and Dr Pyle was elected to chair a sub-committee charged with finding a piece of land to build a proper golf course upon.
The sub-committee made their report to a second public meeting on February 26, 1909, suggesting a site west of the village along the Dornoch Firth shoreline and on the same evening Tarbat Golf Club was formally constituted with Free Church minister, the Rev. George Murray appointed the first president, George Philip of Edinburgh the captain and Dr Pyle accepting the duties of secretary and treasurer.
One of the first acts of the new Tarbat Golf Club committee was to seek the advice of John Sutherland of Dornoch, already credited with creating golf courses in the Sutherland villages of Brora, Berriedale, Lairg and the Skibo residence of Andrew Carnegie, the philanthropist who had already provided Portmahomack with its village hall and library.
But Sutherland's report on the chosen beach site was a scathing one, branding it "unfavourable and with little character." However, when he turned to the raised links of Seafield above the village where the existing few holes had been played he remarked, “this slice of sunny links would provide a capital course providing a genuine attraction for both local and summer visiting golfers.”
The committee accepted Sutherland's recommendation, maybe influenced by the fact that the elected vice-president, George Douglas, was tenant of the Glebe Land and Seafield (adjacent to the old church) and was willing to give the new club free use of both areas for two years.
With the outline of the original holes from 1894 still visible, the new club was able to begin play soon afterwards and the opening of the newly established Tarbat golf course took place on Thursday, June 17, 1909.
The first ball was struck by Mr Gilroy of Edinburgh, a patron and regular summer visitor of many years, followed by a match over seven holes against invited visiting golfers from Tain and Nigg golf clubs.
As with every new venture, finance is always an early struggle but with a first year subscription of 7/6d for gentlemen and 3/6d for ladies and juniors the first year income amounted to £52 and one shilling.
Expenditure was £34 1s 3d, the main item being course wages (£5 15s) and purchase of mower (£5 19s 3d).
The resulting first year closing balance of £17 19s 9d encouraged the club to forge ahead and within two years John Sutherland was invited back to set out new holes when more bits of land became available from tenant owners, most of them already smitten by the game and eager to see the club flourish.
As the years rolled by the course became as we know it today, the last bit of ground, where sit the current third, fourth and fifth holes, purchased in 1990, this an area of Bindal Farm previously rented from the Gordon family.
Concentrating all their efforts on the golf course, it took the Tarbat committee a long time to turn their attention to clubhouse facilities. For the first 45 years, the Caledonian or Castle Hotels were used if catering or a refreshment was required and a humble shepherd's shed sometimes pressed into service as a shelter.
Even after World War II, when the course had to be knocked back into shape by volunteer labour with the help of a loan of a mechanical mower from the RAF aerodrome at Fearn, it was not until 1955 that the first custom-built clubhouse was erected and opened by Dr Jack Pyle, a descendant of the club's first secretary/treasurer, accompanied by the well known local golfer and bus company operator, Donald “Dods” Mackay.
Assisted by grant monies from the Ross & Cromarty Council, the present clubhouse was built and opened in 1989. It now serves the needs of both members and visiting golfers but also as a tearoom for passing trade to the lighthouse.
Many of the local members are also members of Tain Golf Club but their swings were fashioned over the short but testing Seafield links. The aforementioned Dods Mackay was the player after World War II who let his clubs do the talking outwith Portmahomack, especially at Tain where in 1952 he won the club championship for the first time and went on to triumph another four times in the years to 1971.
Dods always considered Tarbat as home and his life-long service to the club has been commemorated by a seat outside the clubhouse. He had two sons, Colin and David, who were also excellent golfers.
Before rising to the position of club captain in 2002 David set the first post-war course-record score, a 61 in 1961, playing the second nine holes in 29 blows. Colin was taken on as an assistant professional at Royal Troon in 1960 by Willie John Henderson of Brora, then moved on to become a successful player based in Holland. In 1983 he gained a European Tour card at La Manga.
After lengthening and alterations from 4,090yd in 1961 to the present course length of 4657yd, there have been two rounds of 67 recorded by Muir of Ord's Derek Gitsham and local Bindal farmer James Gordon.
The current course record was set at 64, four under par, by Jason Innes when playing in the Vice Captain's Prize competition on July 21, 2001.
For such a small club, to have such a wealth of excellent players in addition to Colin Mackay to have two others linked to the professional game is an enviable achievement. Now reinstated as an amateur, Bruce Fraser was just a teenager when he won the Port Open with a score of 66 in 1961 before setting out to train as a clubmaker with the renowned Scottish clubmakers, John Letters, and then assisting Dornoch-born professional Denis Bethune when at Haggs Castle.
On his reinstatement to amateur Bruce became a prominent player at Tain, winning four club championships and several Ross-shire open events, notably at Fortrose & Rosemarkie where the course is similar in design to Tarbat.
Much of the success of the Tarbat Golf Club over the past 100 years has been due to the members themselves and their time given freely to keep their golf course in trim. One such person was Don Barnard who, in recognition of his volunteer service, got the fifth hole, “Don's View,” named after him. How proud Old Don would have been if he had lived to see the Centenary Day celebrations with his grandson Mark Barnard (24) invited to raise the Centenary Flag and then join the members in the birthday competition.
Mark's summers were spent with his Portmahomack grandparents on the golf course where his swing was grounded into shape for him to become an asistant professional at Inchmarlo Golf Centre, Banchory.
The next 100 years for Tarbat Golf Club will no doubt bring more changes but for the last 100 years they are to be congratulated and admired for the enduring efforts and pleasure they have brought to this small Ross -shire village.
It's £5 well spent on a very good read:“Tarbat Golf Club – The First 100 Years.” A copy can be purchased in the local Portmahomack shop or from any committee member or contact
jgordon352@hotmail.com

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An aerial view gives one some idea of the stunning beauty of Lough Erne Golf Resort, the new "must-visit" location in Northern Ireland.

Old Course connection at five-star Lough Erne Resort

FROM THE SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
By Martin Dempster
Having previously held senior positions at the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, it was going to take something special to get the juices flowing for Jonathan Stapleton and Andy Campbell.
It has come across the Irish Sea, where the pair are now part of the management team at the excellent Lough Erne Golf Resort just outside Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh.
Designed by Nick Faldo, the championship course has been described as 'the new Loch Lomond' and it certainly enjoys a similar stunning location to the home of the Scottish Open.
Water comes into play at 14 holes and on the course's signature hole, the par-4 10th, the green is guarded by the Lough on three sides. A bit like at The Carrick on Loch Lomond, the views are stunning when you play the long sixth and, in particular, stand on the tee at the seventh, a real risk-and-reward hole.
Faldo has created a course that's tight in places but one that is highly enjoyable, the test being continued right to the end with three excellent closing holes in front of the Loughside Lodges and the resort's five-star hotel that includes a Thai Spa.
Lough Erne has been described as 'the hottest thing to come out of Northern Ireland since Rory McIlroy' - the rising European Tour star is the resort's touring professional - and it's easy to see why.
Highly luxurious, it's the complete package in terms of a top-class golfing resort, with Stapleton, the general manager, and Campbell, the director of golf, certainly having found somewhere on a par with the Old Course Hotel.
Gavin Rimmer, the resort's executive assistant manager - rooms, and Andy Peoples, the golf services supervisor, also worked at the world-famous St Andrews hotel before moving to Northern Ireland.
Since the course last July, it has hosted just over 7,000 rounds and, as Scottish golfers look for new places to play this year, it's likely that many will be making the short journey over the Irish Sea to enjoy the Lough Erne experience.
+The full article above appears in The Scotsman newspaper today.

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Trevor Fisher junior leads field in Africa Open with two 66s

Steven O'Hara only Scot to survive halfway cut

Trevor Fisher junior held the lead at the halfway stage of the Africa Open after matching his opening-day effort with another 66 in East London to head into the weekend on 14-under-par.
The South African, who was one of five players to share top spot after the opening round at the co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tour event, was in command from the start of the day after beginning with an eagle and a birdie on his first two holes.
His closest challenge came from fellow overnight leader Patrik Sjoland as the Swede mixed an impressive eight birdies and an eagle with one double bogey and two bogeys, while another home favourite, Thomas Aiken, dropped no shots on his way to a 67, to sit 12 under overall.
Keith Horne, on the same score as his fellow countryman, was the highest-placed player amongst the afternoon starters, one shot ahead of a trio of players on 10 under, including Deane Pappas, Vaughan Bradford and Englishman Justin Walters.
But leader Fisher Jr was the man in control and he said afterwards that he was pleased to be giving himself a chance heading into the weekend.
"With two rounds to go, I've obviously put myself in position which is nice," he said. "I just want to give myself a chance - that's all.
"At the end of the day if I can walk away and say 'I've given myself a chance', then I'll be happy whatever the result is."
The 30-year-old South African, who picked up five birdies in total as well as a second eagle on the par-five 11th - along with two bogeys - also felt the start was key to his round.
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke finished two shots further back on seven under after following up his 69 yesterday with a 70 today, but England's Nick Dougherty missed the cut after ending his two rounds three over par.
Over a par-73 course, players had to score five-under-par 141 or better to survive the halfway cut. The only Scot still involved in the weekend action is Steven O'Hara (71-70) from Motherwell. The other six Scottish entries failed.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 146 (2x73)
132 Trevor Fisher junior (Rsa) 66 66
133 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 66 67
134 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 67 67, Keith Horne (Rsa) 67 67
136 Klas Eriksson (Swe) 70 66, Justin Walters (Rsa) 68 68, Bradford Vaughan (Rsa) 69 67, Deane Pappas (Rsa) 68 68, 137 James Kingston (Rsa) 68 69, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 67 70, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 69 68, Jaco Van zyl (Rsa) 69 68, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68, Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 69 68, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 69 68, Charl Coetzee (Rsa) 68 69, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 66 71
138 Tjaart Van Der Walt (Rsa) 67 71, Michiel Bothma (Rsa) 69 69, Titch Moore (Rsa) 66 72, Sion Bebb 70 68, Julien Quesne (Fra) 71 67, Neil Schietekat (Rsa) 69 69, James Morrison 68 70
139 Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 69 70, Paulo Pinto (Arg) 69 70, T C Charamba (Zim) 72 67, Robert Coles 68 71, Chris Swanepoel (Rsa) 71 68, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 72 67, Jake Roos (Rsa) 68 71, Andre Cruse (Rsa) 68 71, Darren Clarke 69 70, Sam Hutsby 68 71, Oliver Bekker (Rsa) 69 70, Marco Ruiz (Par) 69 70, Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa) 72 67, Miles Tunnicliff 68 71
140 Desvonde Botes (Rsa) 70 70, Prinavin Nelson (Rsa) 71 69, Garry Houston 69 71, Tyrone Mordt (Rsa) 70 70, Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 71, Peter Baker 70 70, Branden Grace (Rsa) 70 70, George Coetzee (Rsa) 68 72, Oliver Fisher 70 70, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 68 72, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 74 66, Martin Maritz (Rsa) 69 71, Michael Hoey 68 72
141 Anthony Michael (Rsa) 71 70, Benn Barham 71 70, Doug McGuigan 74 67, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 70 71, Steven O'Hara 71 70, Scott Hend (Aus) 72 69, Thabang Simon (Rsa) 70 71, Brandon Pieters (Rsa) 72 69, Reggie Adams (Rsa) 70 71, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 68 73, Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 71 70, Matthew Zions (Aus) 72 69, Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa) 73 68, Carl Suneson (Spa) 69 72, Mark Haastrup (Den) 66 75, Willie Van Der Merwe (Rsa) 71 70, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 72 69
MISSED THE CUT
142 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 68 74, Andrew McArthur 71 71, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 70 72, Phillip Price 72 70, Ryan Tipping (Rsa) 70 72, Alexandre Kaleka (Fra) 70 72, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 71 71
143 Robert Dinwiddie 75 68, Johan Du buisson (Rsa) 76 67, Stuart Anderson (Can) 71 72, Jamie Elson 72 71, Callum Macaulay 72 71, Benjamin Hebert (Fra) 71 72, Alex Haindl (Rsa) 71 72, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 73 70, Clinton Whitelaw (Rsa) 70 73, Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe) 72 71, Christian Ries (Rsa) 72 71, Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa) 72 71, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 69 74, Jean Hugo (Rsa) 71 72, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 71 72, Stuart Manley 74 69, Andrew Marshall 70 73
144 Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 71 73, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 70 74, Simon Khan 74 70, Dion Fourie (Rsa) 68 76, Jamie McLeary 71 73, Gary Boyd 70 74, Chris Williams (Rsa) 72 72, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 71 73, Francois Calmels (Fra) 73 71, James Kamte (Rsa) 77 67, Mark Murless (Rsa) 70 74
145 Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 75 70, Alan McLean 71 74, Mark Fensham 73 72, Andrew Curlewis (Rsa) 73 72, Kenneth Ferrie 69 76, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 70 75, Christiaan Basson (Rsa) 70 75, Grant Muller (Rsa) 71 74
146 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 73 73, John Parry 74 72, Steve Basson (Rsa) 70 76, Andrew Tampion (Aus) 73 73, Scott Dunlap (USA) 73 73, Tota Thimba junior (Rsa) 74 72, Mervyn Galant (Rsa) 71 75, Heinrich Bruiners (Rsa) 73 73, David Lynn 72 74, Stephen Gallacher 70 76, Louis Moolman (Rsa) 72 74, Peter- Henric McIntyre (Rsa) 72 74, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 72 74, Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) 74 72
147 Andrew Georgiou (Rsa) 71 76, Daniel Greene (Rsa) 72 75, Jaco Ahlers (Rsa) 72 75, Shaun Norris (Rsa) 73 74, Richard McEvoy 76 71
148 Gary Murphy 75 73, Marcel Siem (Ger) 76 72
149 Roope Kakko (Fin) 73 76, Peter Whiteford 72 77, Brett Liddle (Rsa) 76 73, Nick Dougherty 76 73, Gary Clark 73 76, Phillip Archer 70 79, James Ruth 74 75, Simon Thornton 74 75
150 Warren Abery (Rsa) 72 78, Tyrone Ferreira (Rsa) 71 79, Keenan Davidse (Rsa) 76 74, Niall Kearney 73 77, Ryan Cairns (Zim) 72 78
151 Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 73 78, Wayne Westner (Rsa) 75 76
152 Des Terblanche (Rsa) 76 76, Lindani Ndwandwe (Rsa) 77 75, Lee Slattery 80 72
153 Merrick Bremner (Rsa) 80 73
154 Danny Lee (Nzl) 77 77
158 Anton Haig (Rsa) 79 79, Callie Burger (Rsa) 79 79

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Monty's Men trail, but only by a point,




at end of Royal Trophy first day



FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Europe captain Colin Montgomerie was relieved not to be facing a greater deficit after Asia claimed a 2 1/2 - 1 1/2 lead in the opening-round foursomes at the Royal Trophy match at Amata Spring Country Club, Amata Nakorn, Chonburn, about 45min from Bangkok, Thailand.
The hosts, who are aiming to stage a successful title defence after winning 10-6 last year, started well and looked at one stage like finishing the day with a 3-1 lead. But a half-point from Soren Kjeldsen and Peter Hanson kept the deficit down heading into Saturday's four-balls.
"I think if you ask my players how they played most of them would not have been happy with their performance, so in that sense we escaped a bit," said Montgomerie.
"We are certainly not complaining about the position we are in because we know we can play a lot better - and we will have to if we are to get back into the match."
Japanese duo Ryo Ishikawa and Koumei Oda highlighted Asia's performance as they rallied to beat Montgomerie and Pablo Martin of Spain 3&2 in the first match.
The European pair were two up through three holes but contrived to three-putt the third from seven feet before Ishikawa sank a birdie on the next hole to level.
Ishikawa and Oda then picked up birdies on the seventh and eighth to move into a two-hole lead from which Montgomerie and Martin never recovered.
Europe's only win of the day came when Robert Karlsson and Alexander Noren beat Charlie Wi and Liang Wen-chong 4&2.
The match between Kjeldsen and Hanson and Indian duo Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar ended all square, while Thai duo Prayad Marksaeng and Thongchai Jaidee wrapped up a 3&1 win over England's Simon Dyson and Swede Henrik Stenson.
TO READ ALL THE RESULTS AND FORTHCOMING TIES,
LOG ON TO THE TOURNAMENT WEBSITE:
http://www.theroyaltrophy.com/site_2010/live_score.html

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Lee Harper best placed of three Scots in Thailand eliminator






BOOTH AND HUME WALK TIGHTROPE IN

IN FINAL ROUND OF ASIAN Q SCHOOL

All three surviving Scots in this week's Asian Tour Qualifying School Stage 1, Week 2 events at Hua Hin, Thailand are on course to qualifying for next week's all-important final stage – if they hold their nerve.

Former Scottish boys' champion Lee Harper (Archerfield Links), pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, from Musselburgh is best placed with rounds of 68, 71 and 70 for a share of 10th place on four-under-par 209 at the Majestic Creek Country Club venue.

That's 10 shots behind American leader Matthew Rosenfeld but this competition is not about winning, it's about surviving.

From here the leading 23 and ties after Saturday's final round will qualify.

Comrie's rookie pro Wallace Booth, a Walker Cup player last year, and past Scottish amateur champion Barry Hume from Glasgow are bracketed in 22nd place on 212. Booth has scored 69, 73 and 70, Hume 72, 66 and 74.

They will be walking the tightrope in the final round, knowing there is no safety net.

The fourth Scot who started out this week, Aberdonian Clarke Lutton, was eliminated by the halfway cut.

At Kaeng Krachan Country Club and Resort, Peter Karmis of South Africa held on to the top spot after shooting a three-under-par 69 for a 14-under-par 202 total.

Creighton Honeck of the United States is lying second after posting a brilliant 65 for 205. Englishman Sam Osborne is bang in contention in third place on 206.

The top 17 and ties make their way to the next stage from Kaeng Krachan.

Japanese player Senroku Isa remained in the lead after carding a splendid seven-under-par 64 for a three-day 13-under-par 200 at the Rayong Country Club.

Nick Jones of the United States lies in second position on 205 while countryman David Johnson is a further stroke back on 206. The top 14 players and ties at this venue will go forward.

Leading third-round scores

MAJESTIC CREEK

Par 213 (3x71)

Top 23 & ties to qualify after four rounds.

199 Matthew Rosenfeld (US) 66 67 66.

200 Gabriel Canizares (Spa) 64 66 70.

202 Eltoro Sjoholm (Swe) 70 65 67.

204 Lorenzo Magini (Ita) 68 69 67.

Selected scores:

209 Lee Harper (Sco) 68 71 70 (jt 10th).

212 Wallace Booth (Sco) 69 73 70, Brett Taylor (Eng) 70 71 71, Dale Marmion (Eng) 69 71 72, Barry Hume (Sco) 72 66 74 (jt 22nd).

214 Haminder Matharu (Eng) 72 70 72, James Horn (Eng) 71 69 74 (jt 38th).

216 Chris Gill (Eng) 69 73 74 (jt 52nd).

226 Adam Mason (Eng) 72 76 78 (jt 83rd).


RAYONG

Par 213 (3x71)

Top 14 & ties to qualify after four rounds

200 Senroku Isa (Jap) 66 70 64.

205 Nick Jones (US) 70 68 67.

206 David Johnson (US) 70 69 67.

208 Jason Kang (US) 73 69 66, Michael Moore (Aus) 70 71 67.

Selected scores:

209 Rohan Blizard (Aus) 69 70 70 (jt 6th).

210 Neil Chaudhuri (Eng) 72 72 66 (jt 8th).

212 Richard Walls (Eng) 73 69 70 (jt 13th).

213 Ian Ridgway (Eng) 73 69 71, Craig Smith (Wal) 73 69 71 (jt 18th).

215 James Sheffield (Eng) 70 73 72 (23rd).

218 Lloyd Campbell (Eng) 73 76 69 (jt 29th).

220 Ben Stafford (Eng) 69 76 75, Mark Wilkinson (Eng) 73 78 69 (jt 35th).

222 Laurence Warne (Eng) (am) 72 73 77, Kieran Staunton (Eng) 74 71 77 (jt 45th).

223 Larry Batchelor (Eng) 75 75 73 (jt 50th).

224 Ben Jones (Eng) 80 75 69 (jt 52nd).

227 Darren Robson (Eng) 73 77 77 (jt 58th).


KANG KRACHAN

Par 216 (3x72)

Top 17 & ties to qualify after four rounds.

202 Peter Karmis (SAf) 67 66 69.

205 Creighton Honeck (US) 75 65 65.

206 Sam Osbourne (Eng) 69 69 68.

209 Daisuke Kataoka (Jap) 73 70 66.

Selected scores:

220 Zane Scotland (Eng) 70 74 76 (jt 27th).

221 Lee Nash (Eng) 76 71 74 (jt 30th).
228 Mike Bolsover (Eng) 81 74 73 (jt 51st).

229 Davyd Reeves (Eng) 78 78 73 (jt 55th).

230 Charles Tetlow (Eng) 75 84 71 (58th).

250 Benhamin Tetlow (Eng) 85 80 85 (76th).







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New Challenge Tour season tees off in Colombia

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
The 2010 Challenge Tour season will open with a new event, the Abierto Internacional de Golf II Copa Antioquia, which will be played from February 18-21 at Club Campestre El Rodeo Sede La Macarena near Medellin, the birthplace of Colombia’s favourite golfing son, Camilo Villegas.
When it formed part of the Tour de las Americas (TLA) schedule last year, the event was won by Challenge Tour Member Peter Gustafsson of Sweden, who subsequently went on to clinch the TLA Order of Merit.
The 2010 edition marks the first time the US$220,000 tournament will be co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour and the TLA, whose seven-year partnership started with the 2003 Costa Rica Open.
In recent seasons, the Argentine trio of Rafa Echenique, Tano Goya and Alan Wagner have all progressed onto the Challenge Tour after winning events co-sanctioned with the TLA, with Echenique and Goya having subsequently graduated to and, in the latter’s case, won on The European Tour.
Henrique Lavie, Commissioner of the TLA, said: “This event is of great importance to us, as it maintains our relationship with the Challenge Tour. In the past, the relationship has been of great benefit to many of our members who have progressed onto the Challenge Tour and then The European Tour. Once again half the field will be made up of players from the TLA and Colombia, which gives our members another great opportunity. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Governor of Antioquia, Luis Alfredo Ramos Botero, without whose efforts it would not have been possible to stage this international event.”
Alain de Soultrait, Director of the Challenge Tour, said: “We are very pleased to return to South America and continue our relationship with the Tour de las Americas. With golf due to be introduced to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 the game’s popularity in the region is sure to grow even further in the coming years, and we are pleased to play our part in that process. The event also gives our Members a great opportunity to play in winter, and I am sure they will thoroughly enjoy playing the superb course at Club Campestre El Rodeo.”
The spectacular 6,792 yard, par 71 course, which opened in 1952 and is set in the foothills of the Andes mountain range, is sure to provide a true test for the 144-man field, made up of 60 Challenge Tour Members, 50 players from the TLA, 25 from the Canadian Tour and nine from the host nation.
It is also where European Tour Member Villegas – whose younger brother Manny finished tied 11th at last year’s Club Colombia Masters presentado por Samsung on the Challenge Tour – honed the technique which would later see him capture two US PGA Tour titles in 2008 en route to a career-high of seventh place on the Official World Golf Ranking.

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YOUNG SCOTS GUNNING FOR JONES CUP

GLORY AT SEA ISLAND, GEORGIA

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Five of Scotland’s most promising amateur golfers will escape the country’s big freeze by heading to Sea Island in Georgia for the Jones Cup Invitational early next month, one of the USA’s biggest amateur events.
Colville Park’s Ross Kellett, now the leading Scot in the World Amateur Golf Rankings at number 26, leads the group and will be joined by double Scottish champion David Law (Hazlehead), recently crowned Scottish Amateur Sportsperson of the Year.
Former Scottish Boys champion James White (Lundin) makes the trip alongside 2008 SGU Order of Merit winner Steven McEwan (Caprington) with last year’s Leven Gold Medal winner Philip McLean from Peterhead also invited to the prestigious tournament.
Some of the world’s leading amateurs will take part in the event, including world number two and reigning European Individual Champion Victor Dubuisson who pipped Kellett to the European title in his home country of France last summer. World number four Peter Uihlein will be the top ranked American in the field with England’s Walker Cup player Stiggy Hodgson also in the line-up.
Kellett, who also finished runner-up in the Argentinean Amateur Championship at the end of 2009, is relishing his debut in the event:
“Obviously the weather in Scotland hasn’t been great but I’ve been working hard over the winter and still managing to hit balls at Strathclyde Park Driving Range which has styed open. My game’s been in good shape for the last year and I’m looking forward to competing against the world’s best amateurs again and taking confidence from my other results overseas.”
“From speaking to the guys who have played the Jones Cup before, the courses and facilities are first class and it will allow us to really sharpen our short games and continue the preparations for the season ahead.”
“We’re very grateful to the Scottish Golf Union, members of golf clubs and the partners who support us to have these opportunities and I’m sure we can keep our recent run of success going, starting with some good performances in the Jones Cup.” he added.
The Jones Cup was first contested back in 2001 when Scotland’s Steven O’Hara finished runner-up to current PGA Tour star DJ Trahan and the event is part of the Jones’ family (who own the Sea Island Golf Club) commitment to amateur golf.
This year’s event takes place at the Ocean Forest golf course, 4 – 7 February with players competing over 54 holes of stroke play. For more information on the event, visit www.jonescupinvitational.com.

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Laird gets new season off to a flier in Hawaii

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By TRENT BAKER
Scotland's Martin Laird got his US PGA Tour season off to a great start in Hawaii last night as he took a share of the early clubhouse lead at the SBS Championship.
Laird was the first to tee off at the Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course in a 28-player season-opening field restricted to last year's US Tour event winners.
The Glaswegian, who landed his maiden professional victory at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas last October, sank seven birdies and one bogey on the par-73, 7,411yd course for a six-under-par 67.
Laird, who turned 28 ten days ago, had carded his first bogey of the year before his first birdie of 2010 but recovered from his setback at the par-four fifth to hit three birdies and reach the turn in two-under 34.
There was more to come and Laird holed four successive birdies on the back nine between 13 and 16, to take the outright lead at six under. The Scot missed another birdie chance at the 17th on his way to a 67 and was quickly joined in the clubhouse on six under by Australian Nathan Green and Americans Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney.
By the end of play, US Open champion Lucas Glover had taken the lead with a 66.
England's Paul Casey had a 70.
The 2010 US PGA Tour began under cloudy skies when Laird found the middle of the fairway with the first tee shot of the new season. His drive rolled 368 yards down the hill at Kapalua Resort's picturesque par-four first before he reached the green in two and two-putted for a regulation par.
For many of the players, organisers and fans in attendance, there would have been a collective sigh of relief that US PGA Tour normality had been resumed after several weeks in which the focus was on Tiger Woods' troubled private life.
Although world No 1 Woods has not played at Kapalua since 2005, his well-documented fall from grace had dominated the tournament's build-up. The best player of his generation, Woods announced last month he was taking an indefinite break from golf in the wake of embarrassing revelations about his personal life.
"Anybody who hasn't talked about the Tiger thing in the last two months was on the moon," said USPGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

END OF PLAY FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 73
66 Lucas Glover
67 Dustin Johnson, Nick Watney, Nathan Green (Aus), Martin Laird (Sco), Matt Kuchar
68 John Rollins, Sean O'Hair, Angel Cabrera (Arg), Stewart Cink
69 Jerry Kelly, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Ryan Moore
70 Kenny Perry, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Retief Goosen (Rsa), Paul Casey (Eng), Y.E. Yang (Kor)
71 Pat Perez, Stephen Ames (Can)
72 Zach Johnson, Brian Gay, Bo Van Pelt
73 Steve Stricker, Michael Bradley, Troy Matteson
74 Mark Wilson
75 Heath Slocum

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