Irish manage to give cash boost to their young pros ...

Irish find a way to give cash aid to their young male and female professionals - log on to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk, for the full story

Gatorade 'no longer sees a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts'

Gatorade, a non-alcoholic drink sold by PepsiCo Inc, means nothing on this side of the Atlantic but in the States it is HUGE.
Add Gatorade to the list of endorsement deals that Tiger Woods has lost.
A spokesperson for Gatorade confirmed late today that the company had ended its relationship with the golfer.
"We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship," a Gatorade spokeswoman said. "We wish him all the best."
The spokeswoman said Gatorade would continue its relationship with the Tiger Woods Foundation.
Gatorade discontinued its Woods-brand drinks in November, a decision made before Woods' marital problems and infidelities became known.

Kenny's "sideways look" at last year's four majors

FROM KEITH LIDDLE
Secretary of the Edinburgh & East of Scotland Golfers' Alliance
As a few of you know, EESGA member Kenny Reid has written a book about attending the four majors last year. It's part user-manual, part travelogue, part recount of the sights and sounds of each championship.
John Huggan described it as "A splendidly idiosyncratic and in-depth, sideways look at golf's Grand Slam."
It's due for publication in June, but can be pre-ordered on Amazon from now at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Major-Obsession-Fans-Note-Majors/dp/1841588598/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259077344&sr=1-1
Once published, signed copies will be available from Kenny, and feel free to contact him on kennethrreid@hotmail.com


Kind regards.


Keith Liddle
Secretary
EESGA

Inside Lee Westwood

Lee Westwood has come a long way since he played over the Montrose links in 1991 in the British boys' championship (it was won by Francisco Valera who beat R Walton in the final) and for the winning England team against Scotland in a boys' international at the same venue.
Now for an update on what makes Lee Westwood tick.

FROM THE GOLFDIGEST.COM WEBSITE
By Lee Westwood
Born Worksop, Nottinghamshire. April 24, 1973.
British youths champion but no Walker Cup team honour before turning pro in 1993.

WHAT'S IN MY GOLF BAG
I've played Ping irons since I was 14.

Driver .... Average hit 300yd ... Loft 11 degrees (shaft 45 1/4in, X Flex).
3 wood ... 270yd ... 15.5 degrees.
5 wood ... 245yd ... 17.5 degrees.
3 iron .... 225yd ... 18.5 degrees.
4 iron .... 215yd ... 21 degrees.
5 iron .... 200yd ... 27 degrees.
6 iron ... 185yd ... 30.5 degrees
7 iron ... 175yd ... 34 degrees.
8 iron ... 160yd ... 38 degrees.
9 iron .... 148yd ... 42 degrees.
PWedge. 130yd ... 47.5 degrees.
SWedge. 115yd ... 52.5 degrees.
LWedge. 95yd ... 58 degrees
Putter.... Ping Redwood Anser (35in shaft).

NO SPLURGING
The money I won last season ($6,194,136) provides some security. I've invested most of it, difficult as that is to do in this economy.

MAJOR MISSION
Winning a major is the only thing missing for me. I've never been more disappointed than when I blew the lead on the final day at Turnberry and missed the playoff with Stewart Cink and Tom Watson. But I learned my game was good enough to win. I just need to finish.

FAMILY MATTERS
I've skipped the FedEx Cup playoffs in recent years because that's when I take my two kids on holiday. You have to have priorities.

THE TRICKY TREES
That's the nickname for the Nottingham Forest Football Club that I support. When I'm traveling in the United States, I can sometimes catch the games on ESPN or Slingbox.

GASTRONOME
I'm a massive food and wine lover, though I also work hard on my conditioning. I like Japanese food, and I've always been a glutton for vodka.

SUNSHINE TOUR REPORT, SCORES

Born-again Hennie Otto goes five shots clear

with a 61 in Vodacom Championship

FROM THE SUNSHIRE TOUR WEBSITE
It took his best-ever round in tournament play to break open the Vodacom Championship field at Pretoria Country Club today and see South Africa Hennie Otto to a course-record 11-under-par 61 and the halfway lead by five shots on 18-under-par 126.
“I played really well. I didn’t hit one bunker today, and that makes a difference on this course.”
What’s also made a difference is Otto’s new approach to his game, and life. Still dogged by injury, Otto does not practice and instead only hits balls to warm up before a tournament.
“I went to the physio before the round because something was messed up in my back again,” he said.
And then there’s the turnaround in his life, sparked by a rebirth of his Christian faith.
“It’s a road I’m walking at the moment. I have a gift, and I’ve realised that,” he said, as he evaluated an astonishing round.
He has carded 63 four times, and when he made an inauspicious start with a bogey on two, it didn’t seem likely that he would be erasing Richard Fulford’s 2005 Pretoria Country Club course record of 63.
But he birdied four, and then had a brilliant run of three birdies and an eagle to turn in five-under 31 to be one off the pace set by Jbe’ Kruger who had finished at 13-under through halfway.
His second nine started with no indication of the brilliance that lay ahead either as he made pars on 10 and 11.
But he birdied 12, made par on 13 and then, when he nearly holed out on 14, he began a run of five birdies on the way home. And he missed making eagle on 18 by a hair’s breadth, too as his 20-footer for eagle on 18 took a tiny bobble and just missed.
“If I’d made that putt on the last, it would’ve been a perfect round,” said Otto.
His round propelled him to a five stroke lead over Kruger and playing partner Thomas Aiken, as well as the best ever 36-hole score on the Sunshine Tour: His 126 halfway total is better than the 2007 mark of 127 set by Jean Hugo in the Samsung Royal Swazi Sun Open in 2008.
There was a pair of 65s during the second round, but they went unnoticed as Otto showed just how good he can be: Grant Veenstra and James Kamte each made substantial climbs up the leaderboard with their seven-under rounds – Veenstra to a share of 10th and Kamte to 15th.
But Veenstra finds himself a staggering nine shots behind Otto, and Kamte 11.
Even Aiken, who drew level with Kruger with a six-under 66 – the same as Kruger and six other players in the field – is almost aghast at finding himself so far off the lead despite rounds of seven-under and six-under.
Doug McGuigan finds himself in fourth on 12-under at halfway after his second consecutive 66, while Tjaart van der Walt, first-round leader Branden Grace and Anton Haig share fifth on 11-under.
And Otto is not discounting being chased down: “Even 10 shots is not enough on this course, and with so many players playing well. It will be fun on the weekend, though.”
Only those with 36-hole tallies of 143 or better will qualify for the weekend rounds.
Scot Alan McLean has missed it by at least four shots with scores of 72 and 75 for 147.
SECOND-ROUND LEADING TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
Players from South Africa unless stated
126 Hennie Otto 65 61.
131 Jbe Kruge 65 61, Thomas Aiken 65 66.
132 Doug McGuigan 66 61.
133 Tjaart Van der Walt 67 66, Branden Grace 64 69, Anton Haig 67 66.
134 Mark Murless 66 68, Dawie Van der Walt 68 66.
135 Adilson da Silva (Brazil) 69 66, Grant Veenstra 70 65.
MISSED THE CUT 143 or better qualify.
Selected score:
147 Alan McLean (Scotland) 72 75.

NATIONWIDE TOUR REPORT

Six tie for lead at Panama Championship

Six players are tied atop the leaderboard at the Panama Championship after carding first-round 5-under 65s at the Golf Club of Panama.
Ken Duke, Scott Dunlap, David Branshaw, Miguel Angel Carballo, Peter Gustafsson and Scott Brown all hold a share of the lead after Round 1.
Close at the heels of the top six players are ten players tied for seventh after opening the tournament with 4-under 66s. Six more players are another shot back at 3-under 67 and in a tie for 17th.
Jim Herman, who won the Moonah Classic earlier this month, is T-54 after an even-par 70, and Robert Gates, who won the season-opening New Zealand Open, is T-123 at 4-over 74.
Five players in the field were unable to complete the first round because of darkness.

FIRST-ROUND LEADERS
Par 70
65 Scott Brown, Ken Duke, Scott Dunlap, David Brtasnshaw, Miguel Angel Carballo (Arg), Peter Gustafsson (Swe).
66 Brian Snock, D J Brigman, Chris Nallen.
Selected score:
70 Gary Christian (England).

Martin Laird and Michael Sim started solidly with 69s

Villegas sets Phoenix Open pace with record-equalling 62

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Camilo Villegas shot a tournament record-equalling nine-under-par 62 to take the first-round lead at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at Scottsdale, Arizona.
The 28-year-old Colombian made the most of calm morning conditions to card his lowest ever round on the US PGA Tour and lead nearest rival Matt Every by a stroke.
Villegas was flawless as he followed three birdies on the front nine with six more after the turn, including a chip-in birdie on the last to continue his good form after finishing third at last week's WGC-Accenture Match Play.
Englishman Justin Rose was part of a group of five players including Mark Wilson, Ryuji Imada, Rickie Fowler and Pat Perez tied for third place on 65, three shots off the pace.
Rose is still searching for his first US PGA Tour victory and carded eight birdies, but blemished his round with bogeys on the first and last.
Last week's WGC-Accenture Match Play champion Ian Poulter endured a difficult day as he finished with a one-over-par 72.
Poulter, who rose to the world number five ranking following his win last week, had at one staged dropped to three over as he struggled in the trickier afternoon conditions before birdies at 15 and 17 improved his hopes of making the cut.
The day, however, belonged to Villegas who put his good recent form down to a more relaxed approach.
"The way I'm approaching my golf is just, again, have fun," he said. "Just go out there and I've got nothing to lose. You go, you hit a putt, if it goes in, great; if it doesn't, you just give a little smile and go to the next one."
Defending champion Kenny Perry carded a three-under-par 68 while Phil Mickelson, making his return after skipping the WGC-Accenture Match Play to be with his family, joined him six shots off the lead after teeing off in a later group.
Glasgow's Martin Laird and Aberdeen-born Michael Sim both had three-under-par 69s.
Englishman, Greg Owen, did not have such a good time — he carded a 75, thanks in part to a triple bogey on the 17th.
FIRST-ROUND SCORES
(USA unless stated, par 71):
62 Camilo Villegas (Col)
63 Matthew Every
65 Pat Perez, Justin Rose (Eng), Ryuji Imada (Jpn), Rickie Fowler, Mark Wilson
66 Zach Johnson, Sam Saunders, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus), Tom Lehman, Joe Durant, Kevin Stadler, Mathew Goggin (Aus), Brandt Snedeker, Carl Pettersson (Swe), Y.E. Yang (Kor), Ryan Moore
67 Jeff Overton, Ben Fox, Chris Couch, Parker McLachlin, Alvaro Quiros (Spa), Fred Couples, Anthony Kim, Chad Collins, Jimmy Walker, Skip Kendall
68 Vaughn Taylor, David Toms, Ben Curtis, John Mallinger, Ben Crane, Chad Campbell, Briny Baird, Brendon De Jonge, Bryce Molder, Scott McCarron, Greg Chalmers (Aus), Ted Purdy, Matt Kuchar, Scott Piercy, Jason Day (Aus), Kenny Perry, Ricky Barnes, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Mark Calcavecchia
69 Michael Letzig, J.P. Hayes, Heath Slocum, James Driscoll, Webb Simpson, Charles Howell III, Ryan Palmer, Martin Laird (Sco), Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Michael Sim (Aus), Chris DiMarco, Lee Janzen, Bubba Watson, Kevin Streelman, Jeff Maggert, John Rollins, J.B. Holmes, Robert Allenby (Aus), Andres Romero (Arg)
70 Martin Flores, Brian Gay, Matthew Jones (Aus), Nathan Green (Aus), Sean O'Hair, Jason Bohn, Stuart Appleby (Aus), John Merrick, Kevin Na, Paul Goydos, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Rich Beem, Tom Gillis, Scott Verplank, Jonathan Byrd, D.J. Trahan
71 Chris Stroud, Davis Love III, Joe Ogilvie, Graham Delaet (Can), James Nitties (Aus), Chez Reavie, D.A. Points, Aaron Baddeley (Aus), George McNeill, Jay Williamson, Troy Matteson
72 Brian Stuard, Charley Hoffman, Jonathan Kaye, Jeff Quinney, Billy Mayfair, Woody Austin, Roger Tambellini, Blake Adams, Steve Marino, Justin Bolli, Roland Thatcher, Bo Van Pelt, Bret Guetz, Steve Lowery, Alex Cejka (Ger), Charlie Wi (Kor), Chris Wilson, Michael Allen, Ian Poulter (Eng), Johnson Wagner
73 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa), Lucas Glover, Kevin Sutherland, J J Henry, Justin Leonard, Brett Quigley, Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Marc Turnesa, Troy Merritt
74 Brian Davis (Eng), Nick Watney, Kevin Johnson, Braxton Marquez, Martin Kaymer (Ger), Nick O'Hern (Aus), Cameron Beckman, Tim Petrovic, Boo Weekley, Rocco Mediate
75 Bill Lunde, Steve Flesch, Greg Owen (Eng), Derek Lamely, Nicholas Thompson
76 Philip Francis
77 Marc Leishman (Aus), Dean Vomacka, Josh Teater
78 Chris Tidland
81 Cameron Percy (Aus)