Wallace Booth, Lee Harper through to Asian

Tour Final Q, but Barry Hume eliminated

Comrie rookie pro Wallace Booth, a Walker Cup team player last season, and Lee Harper (Archerfield Links), the 1999 Scottish boys' match-play champion from Musselburgh, squeezed through to next week's Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage tournament at Palm Hills G&CC with little or nothing to spare at the Majestic Creek venue, Hua Hin near Bangkok, Thailand today as the Stage 1 Week 2 eliminators at three courses in all came to an end.
Booth, 24, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, whose 16-year-old sister Carly has earned playing rights on the 2010 Ladies European Tour at the first attempt while he failed to make it through the European Tour Qualifying process, finally came good with that stamp of a class player - a three-under-par 68 in the final round when he was under the utmost pressure to perform.
Wallace, who won the Scottish Under-16 boys' stroke play title in 2000 and the Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play title in in 2008, finished on four-under-par 280 with rounds of 69, 73, 70 and 68.
The leading 25 players with totals of 281 or better qualified for next week's decider and Lee Harper got through by the skin of the tee after a final round of one-over-par 72 - his worst of the four - left him sweating it out. Harper's earlier rounds were 68, 71 and 70.
But there was one Scottish "casualty," Glasgow's Barry Hume, who played on the Asian Tour previously for a couple of seasons before losing his card.

Hume, the 2001 Scottish men's amateur match-play champion and the 2002 Scottish men's open amateur stroke-play title winner, peaked with a 66 in the second round in Thailand but then two closing rounds of 74 - six over par for the final 36 holes - gave him an aggregate of 286 - five shots over the limit mark.
What a pity that a player with as much natural talent as Hume once again finds himself without a tour on which to earn a living. Barry is not yet 30 ... but the clock is ticking.
A total of 58 players qualified today for the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage and they will join the previous week's qualifiers and also exempt players in the four-day test, beginning on Wednesday.
Top qualifier at the par-71 Majestic Creek venue was Matthew Rosenfeld of the United States. He fired a final round four-under-par 67 for an 18-under-par 266..
Eltoro Sjoholm of Sweden also posted a 67 to end in second place on a 269 total while Lorenzo Magini of Italy and Gabriel Canizares of Spain took a share of third position on 270.
At Kaeng Krachan Country Club and Resort, Peter Karmis of South Africa led 18 players into the Final Stage. The South African carded a three-under-par 69 for a 17-under-par 271 total. Brad Smith of Australia and Alessio Bruschi of Italy finished seven strokes behind on 278.
England's Zane Scotland, for whom a bright future was predicted at a much earlier stage of his career, finished one shot above the limit mark of 288 at Kaeng Krachan, although he made a brave effort on the final day, shooting a 69 over the only par-72 course used.
Japanese player Senroku Isa registered a final round one-under-par 70 to claim top spot at the Rayong Country Club. His total of 14-under-par 270 was five strokes better than second placed Rohan Blizard of Ausralia who shot a 66 for a 275 total.
American duo Jason Kang and David Johnson finished in third position on 278.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
MAJESTIC CREEK
Par 284 (4x71)
25 players with totals of 281 or better qualified.
266 Matthew Rosenfeld (US) 66 67 66 67.
269 Eltoro Sjoholm (Swe) 70 65 67 67.
270 Lorenzo Magini (Ita) 68 69 67 66, Gabriel Canizares (Spa) 64 66 70 70.
Selected qualifiers:
280 Wallace Booth (Sco) 69 73 70 68 (jt 16th).
281 Lee Harper (Sco) 68 71 70 72 (jt 21st).
FAILED NOT QUALIFY
283 Chris Gill (Eng) 69 73 74 67, Dale Marmion (Eng) 69 71 72 71.
284 Brett Taylor (Eng) 70 71 71 72.
286 Barry Hume (Sco) 72 66 74 74.
288 Haminder Matharu (Eng) 72 70 72 74, James Horn (Eng) 71 69 74 74.
297 Adam Mason (Eng) 72 76 78 71.
RAYONG
Par 284 (4x71)
14 players with totals of 283 or better qualified
270 Senroku Isa (Jap) 66 70 67 70.
275 Rohan Blizard (Aus) 69 70 70 66.
278 Jason Kang (US) 73 69 66 70, David Johnson (US) 70 69 67 72.
Selected qualifiers:
281 Neil Chaudhuri (Eng) 72 72 66 71 (jt 9th).
282 Richard Wallis (Eng) 73 69 70 70 (13th).
FAILED TO QUALIFY
284 James Sheffield (Eng) 70 73 72 69.
287 Kevin Tilbury (Eng) 78 70 70 69, Craig Smith (Wal) 73 69 71 74.
291 Kieran Staunton (Eng) 74 71 77 69.
292 Ian Ridgway (Eng) 73 69 71 79.
293 Ben Stafford (Eng) 69 76 75 73, Larry Batchelor (Eng) 75 75 73 70.
294 Lloyd Campbell (Eng) 73 76 69 76.
295 Mark Wilkinson (Eng) 73 78 69 75, Laurence Warne (Eng) (am) 72 73 77 73.
296 Darren Robson (Eng) 73 77 77 69.
297 Ben Jones (Eng) 80 75 69 73.

KAENG KRACHAN

Par 288 (4x72)

19 players with totals of 288 or better qualified.

271 Peter Karmis (SAf) 69 66 69 69.

278 Brad Smith (Aus) 68 73 72 65, Alessio Bruschi (Ita) 73 70 66 71.

281 Creighton Honeck (US) 75 65 65 76.

Selected qualifiers:

283 Scott Arnold (Aus) 71 72 71 69, Sam Osbourne (Eng) 69 69 68 77.

284 Tim Sluiter (Net) 74 69 71 70.

FAILED TO QUALIFY

289 Zane Scotland (Eng) 70 74 76 69.

305 Mike Bolsover (Eng) 81 74 73 77.

307 Davyd Reeves (Eng) 78 78 73 78, Charles Tetlow (Eng) 75 84 71 77.

330 Benjamin Tetlow (Eng) (am) 85 80 85 80.

Disqualified - Lee Nash (Eng) 76 71 74 dq

+The Asian Tour Final Qualifying School will be contested by a field of no more than 240 players over 72 holes at Palm Hills Golf Club & Residence and Springfield Village Golf & Spa, Petchburi, Thailand, starting on Wednesday, January 13 and ending on Saturday, January 16.

The field will be cut to the leading 100 players and ties after 36 holes. After four rounds, the leading 40 and ties will be ranked Category 14 for the 2010 Asian Tour.

+All the players who entered the Asian Tour Qualifying School had to pay US$1,500.

South Africans dominating African Open

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Thomas Aiken and Trevor Fisher junior put themselves in pole position to challenge for a maiden European Tour victory after ending round three of the Africa Open on 16 under par 203, one stroke ahead of the rest of the field.
The South African duo carded rounds of 69 and 71 respectively to lead from compatriot Jbe' Kruger, out on his own at 15 under 204, while one of the pre-tournament favourites Charl Schwartzel and Jake Roos, who carded the lowest score of the round with 66, were a further shot back on 205.
Miles Tunnicliff was the highest-placed European in the field - the Englishman adding an impressive 67 to his opening two scores of 68 and 71 - but Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke was not as fortunate, enduring a costly final hole.
The Ulsterman, who was looking well on course to end the day within four shots of the leaders heading to the par-4 18th five under for the round and without a blemish on his card, faltered badly at the final tee.
He pulled his tee shot left into the rough, took two chip shots to get out of it and then two-putted for a triple bogey 7 to finish with a 71 and end the day at nine under par 210.
Richard Sterne of South Africa, another leading contender for the title, was on the same score after a level par 73, with James Kingston two shots better off after his 71.
The co-leaders, though, will be pleased with their efforts in the co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tour event, especially Aiken, who finished his round at the East London Golf Club with three birdies in his last four holes to storm into contention.
"I haven't won a main Tour event yet, so that would be a nice thing to get under my belt," he said after following 67s on the first two days with another solid display. "It's something I've been looking to do for a while now."
And he was relishing the prospect of his playing partner being long-time friend Fisher junior, who has been on the top of the leaderboard from day one after his rounds of 66, 66 and 71.
He added: "I've known Trevor since we were 12, we are very good friends. Not only that, he caddied for me last year at the CA Championships in Miami, which for me was a big turning point in my career.
"So it's going to be an awesome day tomorrow to get to play with him and hopefully we can go out there have fun and relax one another."
Tunnicliff was also pleased to keep his chances alive.
"I played really solid today and got the putter going nicely, which hasn't happened for quite a while.
"So it was nice to see a few putts roll in. The wind's getting up a bit now, so we'll be close in there for tomorrow."

European Tour Scoreboard
AFRICAN OPEN
East London golf Club, Eastern Cape, South Africa
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 219 (3x73)
203 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 67 67 69, Trevor Fisher junior (Rsa) 66 66 71
204 Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 69 68 67
205 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 67 70 68, Jake Roos (Rsa) 68 71 66
206 Bradford Vaughan (Rsa) 69 67 70, Miles Tunnicliff 68 71 67
207 T C Charamba (Zim) 72 67 68, Chris Swanepoel (Rsa) 71 68 68, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 70 66 71, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 68 70, George Coetzee (Rsa) 68 72 67, James Morrison 68 70 69, Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa) 73 68 66, Oliver Bekker (Rsa) 69 70 68, Marco Ruiz (Par) 69 70 68, Keith Horne (Rsa) 67 67 73
208 Titch Moore (Rsa) 66 72 70, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 68 73 67, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 66 67 75, James Kingston (Rsa) 68 69 71, Anthony Michael (Rsa) 71 70 67, Peter Baker 70 70 68, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 70 71 67, Michiel Bothma (Rsa) 69 69 70, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 72 69 67, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 74 66 68
209 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 68 72 69, Sion Bebb 70 68 71, Benn Barham 71 70 68, Doug McGuigan 74 67 68, Neil Schietekat (Rsa) 69 69 71, Martin Maritz (Rsa) 69 71 69
210 Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 71 70 69, Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 71 70, Branden Grace (Rsa) 70 70 70, Jaco Van zyl (Rsa) 69 68 73, Darren Clarke 69 70 71, Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa) 72 67 71, Charl Coetzee (Rsa) 68 69 73, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 66 71 73
211 Brandon Pieters (Rsa) 72 69 70, Matthew Zions (Aus) 72 69 70, Andre Cruse (Rsa) 68 71 72, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 69 68 74, Deane Pappas (Rsa) 68 68 75, Oliver Fisher 70 70 71
212 Tjaart Van Der Walt (Rsa) 67 71 74, Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 69 70 73, Sam Hutsby 68 71 73, Prinavin Nelson (Rsa) 71 69 72, Tyrone Mordt (Rsa) 70 70 72, Scott Hend (Aus) 72 69 71, Justin Walters (Rsa) 68 68 76, Michael Hoey 68 72 72
213 Thabang Simon (Rsa) 70 71 72, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 69 68 76, Julien Quesne (Fra) 71 67 75, Steven O'Hara 71 70 72
214 Reggie Adams (Rsa) 70 71 73, Paulo Pinto (Arg) 69 70 75, Garry Houston 69 71 74, Carl Suneson (Spa) 69 72 73, Mark f Haastrup (Den) 66 75 73
215 Desvonde Botes (Rsa) 70 70 75, Willie Van Der Merwe (Rsa) 71 70 74
216 Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 72 67 77

Rory McIlroy voted Ireland's "Professional of 2009"

Rory McIlroy has been voted the Professional of the Year for 2009 by the Irish Golf Writers’ Association. The Awards evening, sponsored by AIB Bank, took place in the AIB Bankcentre in Dublin.
The 20 year old from Holywood, Co. Down, not only broke into the world’s top ten last year, but claimed his maiden European Tour title – at the Dubai Desert Classic in February – and notched 14 top ten finishes, including third place at the US PGA Championship. He finished second to Lee Westwood in The Race to Dubai, having claimed third place at the season-ending Dubai World Championship presented by: DP World.
Shane Lowry, who burst onto the scene in May when he won the 3 Irish Open shortly before turning professional, was voted the Men’s Amateur of the Year. Lowry, 22, was only the third amateur to win a European Tour event, triumphing in a play-off with Robert Rock.
The highlight of Lowry’s impressive amateur career was leading Ireland to back-to-back European Championships during the past two seasons.
Women’s Amateur of the Year went to Lisa Maguire, who won the Lancome Irish Close and the 3 Irish Women’s Amateur Open. Maguire also helped Ireland to an historic victory in the European Girls’ Team Championship, playing alongside her sister Leona and Laura McCarthy to beat Sweden 4-1 in the final.
In a magnificent year for Irish women’s amateur golf, two big individual wins were scored on Scottish links. Leona Maguire captured the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Royal Troon & Troon Portland while Danielle McVeigh won the British Ladies’ Stroke-play Championship at Royal Aberdeen's Balgownie links.
Albert Lee was given the Distinguished Services to Golf award for his role as Honorary Secretary of the Golfing Union of Ireland. Lee is also a former president of the GUI, the oldest national governing body in the world, and is a member of Mullingar Golf Club.

Jason Norris leads by two in Victorian Open

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN PGA WEBSITE
Victorian Jason Norris used his home course knowledge to build a two-stroke lead following an enthralling third round of the 2010 Subaru Victorian Open at Spring Valley Golf Club.
Norris, a former pennant player at Spring Valley Golf Club, began the day five strokes adrift of the lead but produced a birdie blitz on the back-nine to fire a four-under, 67 to be eight-under.
The 37 year-old left overnight leader Chris Campbell and fellow Victorian David McKenzie in his wake with a brilliant iron display in windy conditions.
“I’m happy, especially with the good finish in those conditions,” Norris said following his round.
“I’m feeling good heading into tomorrow and hopefully I can draw on recent experiences when I have been in contention and go one better.”
Campbell couldn’t get anything going following his impressive course record, nine-under 62 yesterday dropping three shots to fall back to six-under.
McKenzie, who held a share of the lead midway through the round, found trouble on 16 after an errant drive which resulted in a triple-bogey, 7.
A former Nationwide Tour winner would eventually sign for 72 and begins the final round three back at five-under.
2001 champion Scott Laycock and recent US Seniors Tour graduate Peter Senior are tied for fifth at four-under.
A double-bogey at the 18th prevented Laycock from being even closer.
Senior has been improving as the week's gone on and returned a three-under 68, including six birdies.
The 50 year-old has moved into contention for what would be his first Victorian Open title in a stella career that shows no sign of ending.
It was a disastrous day for Chris Gaunt, who began the day at eight-under but failed to register a birdie and finished with six-over, 77.

+Log on to the Australian PGA website for more information and the third-round scoreboard:
http://www.pga.org.au

Monty's Men fight back for Day 2 lead in Royal Trophy

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Europe ensured there will be all to play for on the final day of the Royal Trophy match at Amata Spring Country Club near Bangkok, Thailand after Colin Montgomerie's side battled back to lead 4 ½ - 3 ½ at the end of the second day's four-balls.
The hosts had led 2 ½ - 1 ½ following the opening day's foursomes, and Montgomerie opted to tinker with his team by choosing himself to partner England's Simon Dyson while Spaniard Pablo Martin was paired with Swede Henrik Stenson.
That tactic paid dividends with Montgomerie and Dyson particularly excelling together as Europe won three of the best-ball contests to Asia's one.
"We enjoyed playing together today," said Montgomerie. "Simon (Dyson) played especially well throughout the day.
"We kept both balls in play, and that was key. We hardly missed a fairway between us, and that's why we came out victorious."
Montgomerie and Dyson defeated Indian duo Jeev Milkha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar 4 & 3 while Swedes Robert Karlsson and Alexander Noren - who claimed Europe's only win on the first day - comprehensively beat Japanese duo Ryo Ishikawa and Koumei Oda 6 & 4.
South Korean Charlie Wi and Liang Wen-chong of China provided the only red on the scoreboard following their 5 & 4 win over Peter Hanson and Søren Kjeldsen, but Henrik Stenson and Pablo Martin won 3 & 1 against Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng to ensure Europe hold a one point advantage heading into the final day’s singles.
Teeing off first at the Amata Springs Country Clun near Bangkok, Dyson sank a 15 foot putt on the third for a birdie before Montgomerie's par putt on the fifth was enough to win the hole.
The Scot then picked up a birdie on the sixth to put Europe three up and they retained that lead through the turn.
Singh finally got the Asian pair off the mark when he putted for birdie from six feet before Bhullar added another win with a birdie at the par five 11th.
But, after Bhullar and Singh failed to make par on the 12th, Dyson took advantage with two successive birdies from the 13th to make the win safe.
"We played really good golf and put them under pressure right from hole one," said Dyson. "We kept the ball in play, and two against one is always better."
Karlsson and Noren were in inspired form as they comfortably defeated Ishikawa and Oda, who had combined so well yesterday to beat Montgomerie and Martin.
The European duo were three up by the fifth with Karlsson holing a birdie putt from the fringe on the first before Noren sank an eagle on the second and a birdie on the 495 yard fifth.
They held that lead for the next five holes before the impressive Noren birdied the 11th and 13th holes and Karlsson completed the dominant win when he picked up a shot on the 14th.
Wi and Liang provided the one bright spot for Asia as they bounced back from defeat on the opening day to beat Hanson and Kjeldsen, with birdies in seven of the first nine holes doing the damage.
But Stenson and Martin put Europe ahead for Sunday's singles with a win over Thongchai and Prayad in the final match.
The Thai duo had been outstanding together at the Royal Trophy having gone unbeaten in last year's tournament and also combining to win their match in foursomes yesterday.
A see-saw encounter on the front nine ensured the teams were level at the turn but birdies from Stenson on the tenth and 13th put the European pair into a lead that Thongchai and Prayad were unable to overturn.
"That was big - it was a tough game, a good game, and I am pleased my partner and myself could finish it off as we did," said Stenson.
"It means we go into the singles with a narrow lead, and it's looking good."

+MORE INFORMATION ON THE ROYAL TROPHY WEBSITE:
http://www.theroyaltrophy.com/site_2010/course.html