Saturday, March 27, 2010

European Tour Scoreboard
ANDALUCIA OPEN
Parador de Malaga, Costa del Sol, Spain
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 210 (3x70)
196 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 67 63 66 197 Robert Coles 69 65 63
198 Gabriel Canizares (Spa) 69 64 65
199 Richard Finch 68 65 66
200 Sam Hutsby 67 63 70, Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 68 65 67, Peter Whiteford 69 64 67
201 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 65 67 69, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 68 65, Paul Lawrie 65 68 68, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 68 66 67
202 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 71 66 65, Gary Orr 68 68 66, Stephen Gallacher 67 70 65, Thomas Levet (Fra) 69 70 63
203 Joost Luiten (Ned) 66 69 68, Jamie Donaldson 67 69 67, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 68 70 65
204 Mark Brown (Nzl) 66 68 70, James Morrison 71 63 70, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 72 64 68
205 Richard Bland 68 68 69, Steve Webster 71 66 68, John Parry 68 69 68, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 68 67 70, Paul Waring 74 62 69, Gareth Maybin 70 67 68, David Howell 69 69 67, Mark F Haastrup (Den) 69 68 68, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 72 65 68, Ariel Canete (Arg) 68 68 69
206 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 68 68 70, Stephen Dodd 73 66 67, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 66 69 71, David Lynn 67 70 69, Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) 71 67 68
207 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 66 71 70, David Drysdale 71 68 68, Santiago Luna (Spa) 73 64 70, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 66 73 68, Benjamin Hebert (Fra) 70 69 68, Bradley Dredge 66 70 71
208 Gary Lockerbie 69 67 72, Dale Whitnell 68 70 70, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 69 68 71, Paul McGinley 68 66 74, Michael Hoey 69 69 70, Gregory Havret (Fra) 73 67 68, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 69 71 68
209 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 69 69 71, Marco Ruiz (Par) 70 67 72, Richie Ramsay 73 67 69, Stephan Gross Jnr (Ger) 70 68 71, Miguel Angel Martin (Spa) 72 67 70, Simon Thornton 69 70 70
210 Marc Warren 71 68 71, Phillip Archer 66 74 70, Alastair Forsyth 71 69 70, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 67 71 72, Darren Clarke 70 68 72
211 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 70 69 72, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 68 72 71, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 68 72, Phillip Price 72 68 71, Danny Willett 74 66 71, Peter Lawrie 68 72 71
212 Jamie Elson 70 68 74, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 70 69 73, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 71 69 72
213 Anthony Wall 68 69 76, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 67 71 75, Alexander Noren (Swe) 69 71 73, Andrew Oldcorn 71 69 73, Shane Lowry 72 67 74, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 71 67 75, Barry Lane 70 70 73
214 Nick Dougherty 72 68 74
215 Andrew Tampion (Aus) 70 70 75, Gary Murphy 69 71 75, Manuel Quiros (Spa) 71 68 76
216 Robert Rock 69 71 76
217 Julien Quesne (Fra) 71 69 77

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EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR

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Torrance and Franco tame wind to share lead

By STEVE TODD, European Seniors Tour Press Officer
Sam Torrance ended a difficult second round of the Berenberg Bank Masters on a high to share the lead with Angel Franco in South Africa and move firmly into contention for his 12th European Senior Tour title.
The 2002 Ryder Cup Captain used all of his experience of playing in windy conditions to card a battling one under par 72 amidst strong gusts which swirled around the notoriously unforgiving Links at Fancourt.
Only Torrance, Franco and England’s Roger Chapman, who trails the leading pair by one stroke, shot under par on a tough day over the Gary Player designed course.
After back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes, Torrance dropped a shot on the seventh before consecutive bogeys on the tenth, where he lost his ball after pulling his tee shot right into the bushes, and the 11th hole.
However he steadied himself on the way in, picking up a shot on the 14th and holing an 18ft birdie putt on the 16th before saving par with a superb up and down on the last to tie for the lead with the big hitting Franco, who birdied the 18th to join him on two under par 146.
Torrance compared the tricky conditions to those of a Senior Open Championship but admitted the wind also played into his hands.
The Scot said: “I played fabulous today. I lost a ball on the tenth and bogeyed the 11th when I went off the back of the green but apart from that it was exemplary.
“It was a tough run in with the wind. The 17th is a difficult hole. I hit it on the green there then my first putt went 15ft past but I holed the return.
“Then it was nice to get up and down on the last. I had a great drive and poor second shot – I duffed a three wood – before a good third shot which the wind took into the bunker. I’m in good shape now.
“It was extremely tough out there and you’ve got to keep your head. I love conditions like this though. I’ve got a good head so I just play my game and take whatever comes at you.”
Victory for Torrance on the Senior Tour’s first trip to South Africa would see the 56 year old return to the top of the Senior Tour Order of Merit, which he won last year ahead of Ian Woosnam.
The €75,000 first prize would take him past current leader Boonchu Ruangkit, of Thailand, who was a victim of the windy conditions at Fancourt, relinquishing his three stroke overnight advantage over Torrance after signing for a five over par 78 to trail by three shots going into the final round.
Torrance has begun the defence of the John Jacobs Trophy in fine fashion this season, with two top five finishes in three appearances in 2010, and is targeting adding another title to his collection.
“I’m feeling great and I’m just going to go out and do my best,” he said. “I’m not even thinking about winning – I’m just going to go out and do my best - but it would be nice to get another victory.
“It’s a great golf course – it’s very tough but if you are playing well it suits you. If you are having a bad day you wouldn’t want to be here but I’m playing well.”
Franco, who began the season with a share of third place in Mauritius, will be aiming to capture his maiden title having finished runner up on five occasions in two seasons on the Senior Tour.
Likewise Chapman will hope to avoid another near miss after finishing in the top three in two of his first three appearances on the Senior Tour after turning 50 last May.
Chapman has spent most of 2010 on holiday in South Africa, either side of the Senior Tour’s Far East swing, and he feels that preparation has given him a genuine chance of landing his maiden title.
“I played a lot of golf – a lot more than I would have done at home,” he said. “We had three weeks out here before Brunei, in Cape Town playing at Royal Cape, Erinvale and Steenberg, and it was pretty hot, so going to Brunei and Bangkok didn’t seem that difficult.
“It all depends what they do with the pins tomorrow though. I wouldn’t want another day with the wind like today. That was the toughest round of golf I’ve played for a long time
“It’s been a steady start to 2010 so far for me. To finish ninth, fourth and 11th – you’d take that – and it’s great being in contention again going into the final round.”
Elsewhere Bertus Smith, winner of the 2009 Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open, is the leading South African after posting a 74 to lie in a share of fifth place with Italy’s Giuseppe Cali.
Woosnam, the former World Number One and Ryder Cup Captain, posted a five over par 78, which moved him up nine places from tied 22nd at the start of play to a share of 13th position.
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 146 (2x73)
144 A Franco (Par) 72 72, S Torrance (Sco) 72 72,
146 R Chapman (Eng) 74 72,
147 B Ruangkit (Tha) 69 78,
148 G Cali (Ita) 71 77, B Smit (RSA) 74 74,
149 M Harwood (Aus) 72 77, B Lincoln (RSA) 74 75,
150 R Drummond (Sco) 73 77,
151 R Stewart (RSA) 72 79, M Clayton (Aus) 76 75, J Quiros (Esp) 75 76,
152 M Saengsui (Tha) 73 79, M Piñero (Esp) 74 78, C Williams (RSA) 72 80, B Cameron (Eng) 74 78, D Merriman (Aus) 71 81, I Woosnam (Wal) 74 78,
153 K Spurgeon (Eng) 73 80, I Mosey (Eng) 74 79, J Heggarty (Nir) 74 79, J Bruner (USA) 70 83,
154 M Poxon (Eng) 78 76, G Towne (USA) 72 82, M Gray (Sco) 73 81, T Giedeon (Ger) 72 82, D Hospital (Esp) 78 76, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 71 83,
155 A Garrido (Esp) 79 76, H Carbonetti (Arg) 74 81, D Russell (Eng) 72 83, S Bennett (Eng) 74 81,
156 J Rhodes (Eng) 76 80,
157 J Chillas (Sco) 76 81, N Job (Eng) 76 81, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 78 79, M Farry (Fra) 72 85, C Rocca (Ita) 76 81, D Cambridge (Jam) 78 79,
158 A Murray (Eng) 77 81, A Johnsson (Swe) 76 82, D Smyth (Irl) 77 81, M Williams (Zim) 74 84, J Mashego (RSA) 76 82,
159 P Oakley (USA) 73 86, G Ralph (Eng) 78 81, B Longmuir (Sco) 72 87, P Mitchell (Eng) 80 79,
160 S Ebihara (Jpn) 74 86, F Mann (Sco) 76 84, G Banister (Aus) 78 82,
161 T Johnstone (Zim) 77 84, D Johnson (USA) 78 83, A Sowa (Arg) 83 78, M Miller (Sco) 78 83, J Chitprasong (Tha) 78 83, H Baiocchi (RSA) 81 80, E Rodriguez (Esp) 80 81, S Hobday (RSA) 76 85,
162 G Player (RSA) 77 85, G Levenson (RSA) 80 82,
163 L Carbonetti (Arg) 78 85, G Brand (Eng) 77 86,
164 J Bland (RSA) 75 89,
165 J Rivero (Esp) 83 82,
166 M Bembridge (Eng) 82 84, J Hawkes (RSA) 80 86,
167 T Horton (Eng) 81 86,
168 I Palmer (RSA) 80 88,
170 J Fourie (RSA) 81 89, V Tshabalala (RSA) 83 87,
171 S Mokgare (RSA) 80 91, N Clarke (RSA) 82 89, B Hardwick (Can) 84 87,
173 J Ackerman (RSA) 83 90, B Boyd (USA) 88 85,
177 T Manyama (RSA) 85 92,
184 T Fisher Snr (RSA) 94 90,
** C Mason (Eng) 73 RT, A Henning (RSA) 80 RT,

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Fisher on course to net maiden victory

From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes

A round of 68 on the third day of the Kenya Open has put Challenge Tour debutant Oliver Fisher, pictured right, in sight of his maiden professional title.
On a hot and humid day at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, Fisher – playing with local hero Ali Kimani, who was unable to replicate his heroics of the previous day – posted six birdies and three bogeys to move to eight under par.
He currently leads by one stroke from Frenchman Charles-Edouard Russo, who shot a joint lowest of the day 67, and by two shots from his fellow Englishman Robert Dinwiddie, who signed for a round of 70.
Fisher got off to the perfect start with a seven iron to three feet for a birdie on the first hole, which was promptly cancelled out by a bogey at the second. He duly recovered with a 15-feet birdie putt on the third, and picked up another shot after hitting a wedge to eight feet on the seventh hole.
After three-putting the eighth hole for bogey, he rallied with consecutive birdies on the 10th and 11th. An unfortunate bogey at the 12th, where he flew the green after the wind picked up mid-shot, was erased when he picked up a shot on the last hole, which he has birdied on all three days.
Fisher said: “I had a couple of strokes of luck today, but overall it was another good day at the office. It was quite difficult to concentrate at times because obviously there were a lot of people following Ali, but I managed to block out the distractions quite well and it was nice to play in front of a crowd. The wind was quite changeable which made club selection tricky at times, so a round of 69 was pretty good going in the circumstances. I’m in a great position, and hopefully now I can finish it off.”
Big things were expected of Fisher when he turned professional in a blaze of publicity in 2006, but thus far in his fledgling career the 21 year old has been outshone by Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, in whose company he played much of his amateur career. But tomorrow gives Fisher a chance to grab a share of the limelight, and he is determined to seize it with both hands.
He said: “I wouldn’t say I’m due a win exactly, because there are a lot of good players out here who haven’t won yet. But I won a lot during my amateur career, so I know what it takes. I had maybe hoped I would’ve won by now in my pro career, but hopefully I can put that right tomorrow. It might come down to whoever plays the back nine the best, because there are some really tricky holes. If I can shoot another 68 I’ll have a great chance – all I can do is give it my best shot, and hope it’s good enough. But whatever happens, I want to enjoy it.”
Fisher will be paired in the final group with Russo, who like his playing partner is also seeking his maiden Challenge Tour title. The Frenchman’s only blemish came at the eighth hole, but he collected five birdies either side of that bogey to sign for his lowest round of the week.
Dinwiddie, twice a winner on the Challenge Tour in 2007, will be hoping to take advantage of any slip-ups by the front two. He got off to a flying start with birdies at the third and fourth holes, but a double bogey at the long sixth checked his charge. The back nine was also a mixed bag, with three birdies and two bogeys, but Dinwiddie’s experience could be crucial on what promises to be an engaging final day.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
205 O Fisher (Eng) 71 66 68,
206 C Russo (Fra) 69 70 67,
207 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 68 69 70,
208 A Marshall (Eng) 68 70 70, J Billot (Fra) 69 73 66, B Barham (Eng) 71 70 67, J Zapata (Arg) 72 68 68, B Chapellan (Fra) 71 71 66, J Roos (RSA) 65 75 68,
209 J Larsen (Nor) 68 70 71,
210 J Abbate (Arg) 70 71 69, B Evans (Eng) 72 70 68, N Meitinger (Ger) 70 68 72, F De Vries (Ned) 68 71 71, O Floren (Swe) 71 68 71, K Eriksson (Swe) 68 72 70,
211 A Kimani (Ken) 70 65 76, G Houston (Wal) 72 69 70, P Del Grosso (Arg) 69 72 70, S Manley (Wal) 70 69 72, J McLeary (Sco) 70 73 68, C Brazillier (Fra) 71 71 69, G Clark (Eng) 68 72 71, M Bothma (RSA) 69 69 73, L Moolman (RSA) 70 68 73, M Higley (Eng) 72 70 69, F Praegant (Aut) 68 73 70,
212 F Widmark (Swe) 68 73 71, J Sjöholm (Swe) 71 69 72, O Bekker (RSA) 72 70 70, A Maestroni (Ita) 71 72 69, J Clément (Sui) 70 71 71, A Willey (Eng) 71 72 69, D Brooks (Eng) 70 69 73, B Ritthammer (Ger) 69 68 75, C Ford (Eng) 72 68 72, A Haindl (RSA) 68 71 73,
213 T Whitehouse (Eng) 69 73 71, B Grace (RSA) 70 72 71, N Cheetham (Eng) 70 73 70, G Watremez (Bel) 72 71 70, O Whiteley (Eng) 70 70 73, B Mason (Eng) 71 70 72, P Golding (Eng) 72 69 72, A Ahokas (Fin) 70 68 75, S Surry (Eng) 70 73 70, L Saltman (Sco) 73 70 70, T Charamba (Zim) 71 72 70,
214 M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 75 67 72,
215 A Högberg (Swe) 66 75 74, B Wiesberger (Aut) 69 70 76,
216 C Macaulay (Sco) 67 76 73, R Karlberg (Swe) 69 74 73, A Snobeck (Fra) 71 72 73,
217 T Mordt (RSA) 71 72 74, V Riu (Fra) 73 70 74, M Korhonen (Fin) 74 69 74, S Jamieson (Sco) 72 71 74, S Davis (Eng) 69 73 75, J Grillon (Fra) 74 69 74, A Mellor (Eng) 74 69 74,
218 T Remkes (Ned) 70 73 75,
219 A Gee (Eng) 69 71 79, S Buhl (Ger) 72 70 77

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European Tour Scoreboard
ANDALUCIA OPEN
Parador de Malaga, Spain
LEADING THIRD-ROUND POSITIONS
Par 210 (3x70)
-12 after 10 holes Louis Oosthuizen.
-12 after 10 holes Sam Hutsby.
-11 after 13 holes Robert Coles.
-9 after 11 holes Paul Lawrie.
-9 after 11 holes Richard Finch.
-9 after 11 holes Peter Whiteford.
Selected positions:
-8 after 18 holes Stephen Gallacher (65 for 202).
-7 after 13 holes Gary Orr.
-3 after 18 holes David Drysdale (68 for 207).
-1 after 18 holes Richie Ramsay (69 for 209).
Level par after 18 holes Alastair Forsyth (70 for 210).

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Scott Larkin leading vouchers' winner in
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North-east Alliance 2009-2010 season

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Banchory's Scott Larkin, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who played the American college circuit for four years as a student at the College of Charleston, was the leading "money-winner" in the 2009-2010 North-east Golfers Alliance season just ended.
As he is an amateur, with +2 of a handicap, Larkin, of course, cannot accept cash prizes. Instead he collected £600 of prize vouchers from secretary Ron Menzies during the season which had several Wednesday competitions cancelled because of bad weather - or else the Banchory man might well have got much nearer the £1,000 mark.
Ian Bratton, the Newburn on Ythan club professional, was the next most successful competitor with £490 cash winnings.
Larkin also headed the Scratch Order of Merit with an average weekly score of -1.4 in relation to CSS.
Many thanks to Ron Menzies for compiling the following statistics:

MONEY/VOUCHERS LIST
a denotes amateur voucher,
p denotes professional cash
1 Scott Larkin (Banchory) a £670.
2 Ian Bratton (Newburgh) p £490.
T3 Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) a £420.
T3 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) a £420.
5 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) a £370.
6 Paul Cormack (Inchmarlo) p £310.
7 Graham Gordon (unatt) p £300.
8 Laura Murray (Alford) a £276.
9 Stewart Pert (Huntly) a £258.
10 Derek Randall (Banchory) a £256.
11 Steven Kennedy (Craibstone) a £250.
12 Mike Booth (Kemnay) a £217.
13 Norman Stewart (Northern) a £213.
T14 Craig Carnegie (Kemnay) a £200.
T14 Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) a £200.
16 David Law (Hazlehead) a £190.
17 Jim Scott (Peterculter) a £188.
18 Michael Rogers (Kemnay) a £186.
19 Robert Lamb (Newmachar) a £185.
20 Alister Petrie (Oldmeldrum) a £181.

ORDER OF MERIT (Scratch)
Average weekly score in relation to CSS
1 Scott Larkin (Banchory) -1.4
2 Ian Bratton (Newburgh) -0.6.
3 Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh) -0.4.
4 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 0.2
5 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 0.7.
6 Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 2.0.
7 Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) 2.3.
8 Stewart Pert (Huntly) 2.4.
9 Fergus Bisset (Banchory) 2.7.
10 George Paterson (Northern) 2.9.

ORDER OF MERIT (Class 1)
+Average net score in relation to CSS
1 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) (scr) 0.2.
2 Sandy Pirie (Hazlehead) (2) 0.3.
3 Les Fowler (Royal Aberdeen) (6) 0.3.
T4 Stewart Pert (Huntly) (2) 0.4
T4 James Duncan (Newburgh) (4) 0.4.
6 Paul McIntosh (Newburgh) (4) 0.5
T7 Scott Larkin (Banchory) (+2) 0.6.
T7 Robert Lamb (Newmachar) (3) 0.6.
T7 Charles Cassie (Nigg Bay) (5) 0.6.
T10 Fergus Bisset (Banchory) (2) 0.7
T10 Brian Harper (Newburgh) (6) 0.7
ORDER OF MERIT (Class 2)
+Average net score in relation to CSS
1 Steven Kennedy (Craibstone) (11) -0.2.
2 Mike Booth (Kemnay) (19) 0.0.
3 Jim Scott (Peterculter) (10) 1.3.
4 Derek Townsley (Peterculter) (13) 1.4.
T5 Raymond Brown (Craibstone) (12) 1.6.
T5 Derek Randall (Banchory) (14) 1.6
6 Michael Rogers (Kemnay) (13) 2.3.
8 Norman Stewart (Northernb) (12) 2.7.
9 David Bisset (Banchory) (9) 2.8.
T10 Ian Strachan (Royal Aberdeen) (11) 2.9.
T10 Gerry Kelly (Peterculter) (14) 2.9

So how about Summer Alliance fixtures?

Colin Farquharson writes: As the North-east Alliance season ended with the finals of the foursomes competitions at Murcar Links GC on Friday and players said their farewells until the start of the 2010-2011 season in September, there were one or two who speculated that they would not mind it if the North-east Alliance season continued through the summer months.
Secretary Ron Menzies was quick to put a damper on such idle talk:
"The clubs are quite glad to have us during the late autumn, winter and early spring months on the Alliance terms of so much per competitor, which is considerably less than the visitor's green fee. But it would be a different story in the summer months when the difference between what the Alliance pays and what a host club's visitor's green rate is would be much greater."
Just to test the water to see if Ron Menzies is correct in his assumption, if there are any North-east golf clubs out there who would be prepared to host an Alliance fixture in the so-called summer months at a "winter rate" with regard to green fees, E-mail me at Colin@scottishgolfview.com


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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL

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Laird birdies 16th to make the cut in Florida

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Former Open champion Ben Curtis fired a second-round, five-under-par 67 to move into a four-way share of the lead at the halfway stage in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Florida yesterday
Curtis, winner of the 2003 Open, recovered well after starting his round with two bogeys, hitting five birdies in seven holes between 10 and 16 to sit on seven under for the tournament.
He was joined by fellow Americans D J Trahan and Davis Love III and South Africa's Ernie Els. Trahan shot a 68, Els a 69 and Love III a 71.
Three birdies in the opening five holes set Trahan on his way, while Els, having been two over for his round after seven, birdied six of the last 11, including 17 and 18, to get right back in the hunt.
Love III had perhaps the most bizarre round of the day with seven birdies, including three in a row at 15, 16 and 17, and six bogeys.
Two more Americans, Kevin Na and Phil Mickelson, and South Africa's Retief Goosen were a shot further back. Mickelson and Goosen both fired 67s, the former's round featuring an eagle on the par-four eighth, and Na a 70.
J B Holmes, who held a share of the lead after the first day, endured a tough second round as he sought a top-four finish which would keep his chances of securing a place at the Masters alive.
The American double-bogeyed the seventh and 13th on the way to a two-over 74 which left him four under overall.
Holmes was one of eight players on four under, including world number two Steve Stricker who shot a 71.
Colin Montgomerie fired a 71 to sit one under overall, but England's Justin Rose missed the cut. He could only manage a 73 to go with his opening-round 75 to lie four over and will now need to win next week's Houston Open to stay on course for a Masters place.
Martin Laird, who saddled himself with a double bogey 5 at the short 17th in his first-round 74, needed to get at least one birdie over the last three holes to survive the cut - and the Scot rose to the occasion. He birdied the 16th, only his second of the round (the eighth was his first birdie) and he had a bogey at the second in his only other deviation for par in a 71 for 145 to make the cut with nothing to spare.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ALL THE SECOND-ROUND SCORES

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Tiger at the Masters: 'I'll
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have to watch what I say

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on TV' - Peter Alliss

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FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
Peter Alliss is 79-years-old. Or, as he prefers to put it, "seven-over-par". In a week's time, he'll be heading for Georgia to tee off his 23rd season as the BBC's main golf commentator. Covering events like The Masters have almost become second nature to Alliss yet, on this occasion, he admits to feeling a sense of trepidation.
The reason is the name on everyone's lips. Unlike most, however, Alliss isn't too worried that Tiger Woods might not be strong enough mentally to be making his return after a near five-month absence at the opening major of the season. His concern is about the words he utters when the world No1 is framed within the TV cameras at Augusta National.
Famed for his flippant remarks, Alliss was going about some business quietly recently when, out of the blue, it dawned on him. Woods won't be the only person in the spotlight at The Masters. A word out of place by commentators, he says, could have disastrous consequences.
"I've got to be very mindful in two weeks time about what I say," he remarked. "I can sometimes get a bit silly, romantic or whatever. I will have to be very mindful that I am not too flippant, I'm not too supportive, I'm not too down on him. It's almost (got to be] as if nothing has ever happened.
"I would think it could be one of the biggest tests of my career. I hadn't thought about it until the last two weeks, to be honest, but I've got to be very careful because I could destroy myself. And I'm not going to do that after 40 years on bloody Tiger Woods' sh******."
Every man and his dog has wanted to talk to Alliss about Woods over the last few months. During a visit to Glasgow before Christmas to attend a lunch hosted by the Scottish Region of the PGA, he suggested the world's top golfer should appear on a celebrity chat show and confess he was a sex addict.
"It would appear that if you declare yourself as an addict of something in America and have treatment for it, you get sympathy," said Alliss back then. "If he's going to declare he's a sex addict, like Michael Douglas, the actor did, and went to a clinic for treatment, and says he is trying to get back on track, that could be in his favour."
While Woods has stopped short of admitting to such an addiction, the 34-year-old has been receiving therapy. Alliss, though, still shakes his head in disbelief any time he reflects on the spectacular nature of Woods seeing his life fall apart.
"I know there are certain people addicted to certain things – that's a fact of life," he said. "Some people are addicted to sunbeds or sunshine, others to gardening or booze or something. However, I think for a man it is very difficult to be addicted to sex.
"In a way, and this is just an opinion that may be unfounded, I get the feeling that Tiger might have been suppressed as a kid under his father's thumb and under his mother's guidance, almost prepared to be a Catholic celibate priest, you might say, until, he became the kiddie in the sweetie shop.
"They were all there and he found he could have anyone he wanted. As for his selection of women, for an intelligent man and probably one of the 20 most famous faces in the world, how he thought he could go to places that were a little bit, well you know what, and get away with it is beyond my comprehension."
Warming to the theme, Alliss added: "It's almost as if he's done this ten years too late (in life]. In doing so, his behaviour has thrown a cloak of tardiness over his life."
Even Alliss has been surprised by the enormity of the story. "I know plenty of golfers who've sh***** more women than he's ever waved a stick at but no-one has ever known anything about it," he remarked.
"Because he was found out and who he is – and also because of the press we live with today – it's a huge story. It's been as big a bloody story as the world recession, for goodness sake. Tiger's been doing this, he's been doing that is all we've heard for weeks now."
It's likely to be pretty much all we'll be hearing over the next couple of weeks as well. After endless speculation, Woods has decided to make his comeback in the full glare of the opening major of the season.
"His presence at The Masters could take away from the tournament, it certainly could," observed Alliss. "It would have been very interesting if the Augusta people had said, 'sorry we aren't accepting your entry' but that would have been construed as being very petty.
"Nevertheless, I think they are in a position to get a member of the committee to tell him, 'Mr Woods, you have come to our club and you will behave yourself otherwise you might not get back'.
"Although he has won there in the past, if he mucks it up, then he might not be invited back again. I think they have an opportunity to fire a shot across his bows without letting the world know about it."
Woods was criticised for making his first public statement since admitting "transgressions" during the Accenture World Match Play Championship earlier in the year. Last weekend, he gave his first TV interviews on the final day of another big tournament.
"When Ernie Els said Tiger was 'selfish' I thought that was a bit of a childish thing to say at first. But he's right," said Alliss. "He could have taken away a bit of the glamour from (Jim] Furyk (the winner of last week's Transitions Championship], though I don't think Jim would really have minded because he's off with the cheque.
"You could easily say Tiger has always been selfish. But that's what life is about. People are selfish. Whether you are Branson with his Virgin brand or whoever. Everything these people do is done is motivated to do something for them."
Perhaps it was the Yorkshire air – he was at Oulton Hall on the outskirts of Leeds to launch a new golf membership concept for the De Vere Group – or, alternatively, it may have been another example of him not caring these days about being politically correct. Whatever the reason, "The Scotsman" seemed to catch Alliss on a day when he was keen to express robust opinions.
The Masters tournament itself got him a bit hot and bothered, though not nearly as much, bizarrely, as the literacy rates in Scotland or, to a lesser extent, the lack of Scottish support for an event he has hosted in the home of golf for more than 20 years.
"While I would defend the Augusta people with my dying breath, they are a strange bunch and I certainly don't agree with everything they do," he opined. "There are certain things I would do at Augusta that I think would make it better. In fact, I have written to them but have never even had a reply.
"I found it interesting having been there for 40 years, for example, that there was that great furore a few years ago about the old stars taking up places in the field. I would still want them to be there and I would have a competition for them that started at the tenth.
"There are 30,000 people in there each day from 9am yet they go down the bottom of the course and don't see any golf for five hours. Put the old boys off at the tenth, put them off front tees and give them buggies if they want. They'd play nine holes every day and at the end of it present the winner with a piece of Waterford Crystal.
"You're not telling me that a cavalcade of champions, if you like, would detract from the occasion. I'm sure the spectators would love it. I think it would be a cracking idea."
While born in Germany and regarded by many as standing for middle England, Alliss has an affinity for Scotland. His father, Percy, served with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders in the First World War, Alliss himself won the Tooting Bec Cup (awarded to the PGA member with the lowest single-round score) for a 67 at Muirfield in the 1959 Open and many of his most treasured commentaries have been on Scottish soil.
He obviously keeps a close eye on non-golfing matters north of the Border, too. In an extraordinary response to a straightforward golf question about whether he felt it was a disappointment that, for the third year running, Sandy Lyle would be flying the Saltire on his own at The Masters, Alliss launched into an unsolicited social commentary on 21st century Scotland.
"The biggest disappointment for me about Scotland in the last ten years – and I am listening to all this bull**** coming out from the government about education being wonderful – is that Scotland has 17 per cent illiteracy at the moment," he said in reply.
"I'm reading this and telling myself, 'hold on a minute, calm down'. When I was a young lad 50 years ago, the Scots took education and engineering around the bloody world. Yet now I'm reading about this level of illiteracy and I can't believe it.
"If I were a Scot, I'd be saying: 'Hang on a minute, this is ridiculous.' We used to be 100 per cent literacy'."
Turning his attention to the Alliss Masters, an annual event held at Elie to raise money for powered wheelchairs, he added: "I love Scotland but I find many things about Scotland strange. I've done an Alliss Masters at Elie for 23 years and we've given away hundreds of powered wheelchairs as a result of that event.
"However, not one Scottish club contributes. My partner in the event, Dr Hamish McLeod, says he can't understand that and I can't either. It is extraordinary, as the Scots are so passionate about some things."
When Alliss eventually gets on to talking about Lyle, it has nothing to do with The Masters. "If I was Sandy Lyle, I think I would be disappointed with the cards I'd been dealt," he remarked. "Maybe something has happened behind scenes I don't know about. I've heard it rumoured that his wife isn't popular but that can't be right. She's always been all right with me.
"Whether Sandy has been too English, too docile or something, I don't know. But, he deserved to be Ryder Cup captain. I deserved to be Ryder Cup captain yet never had a look in. Neither has Sandy – and he won't get it now."
Alliss has seen it and done it. A professional at 16, winner of 23 major tournaments and member of eight Ryder Cup teams, he has worked for the BBC at every Open since 1961, having been signed up by the corporation after Ray Lakeland, a producer, sat near him on a flight from Dublin and marvelled at his humour.
A few years ago a newspaper organised a poll asking readers to vote on whether Alliss was past his sell-by date and should he go. They were compelled to announce that it was eight to one in favour of Alliss staying. A member of the staff phoned him to whisper that the real figure was more than 10 to one.
Alliss will head for Augusta National – he has high hopes of commentating on a British winner this year, with Rory McIlroy and Ross Fisher the two players he believes have the game to do well there – with a heavy heart following the death earlier this week of Harry Carpenter, a former member of the BBC golf team.
"I was talking about Harry today and I nearly had a tear. Heck, I'm going to do it now," said Alliss. "I have never thought about death and I am 80 next birthday. I don't feel 80 and I feel I can hold conversations with anyone about myriad subjects. I want to pack it in before they say it is time to go.
"They ended Harry's time without telling him properly. I was at the Dunhill Cup at St Andrews and one of the stage hands came up and asked me if I knew that this was Harry's last tournament. I'm supposed to be one of the stars yet a stage hand knew before me and, sure enough, his contract had come to an end and no-one called him, and they let him go."
+The full article above appears in The Scotsman newspaper today.

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Price and Beck share US Seniors Tour lead

Nick Price shot a 6-under 66 for a share of the lead with Chip Beck after the first round of the US Champions (Seniors) Tour's $1.6 million Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic yesterday.
Price and Beck took advantage of light winds and brilliant sunshine at the 7,176-yard Punta Espada Golf Club to head the 78-player field.
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Complete scores
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Rookie senior Fred Couples, already a two-time winner on the Champions Tour this season, former Masters champion Larry Mize, Olin Browne and David Peoples each shot a 67 and were one shot back on the par-72, Jack Nicklaus-designed course.
Major championship winners Corey Pavin (US Open) and Bob Tway (US PGA Championship) were among six players who shot 68. Nine others were at 69.
In all, 38 players were able to better par, while 11 matched it.
But it was Price and Beck who ran off seven birdies each to grab the lead.
"The conditions were good and the wind laid down toward the end of the round," said Price, a three-time major winner whose only Champions victory came last April at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.
"My game has been pretty good this year. It seems like one part of my game was missing before, but in the last two weeks it has come together. That's a good feeling for me."
Price shot 32 on the back nine, with birdies from inside 15 feet on Nos. 11, 12 and 14, and he two-putted the par-5 15th for another birdie.
Beck, a long-time US PGA Tour player, is trying to return to form. He regained conditional playing status at Q-school last November and is making his first start.
Always upbeat, Beck said his comeback will happen.
"I'm feeling confident and I've been playing well," said Beck, winless over the last four seasons.
Most of the attention centered on Couples, the hottest player on any tour, and he didn't disappoint -- initially. He birdied the first two holes and then hit a wall, mostly due to poor drives which forced him to play from the rough several times.
"I played the par 5s 4-under, and those are the holes I needed to play well," said Couples. "I didn't drive the ball poorly but I missed (tee shots) in the rough and then hit second shots 30 feet from the hole because I couldn't make the shot stop."
It was on the 540-yard, par-5 No. 12 where Couples made his move. His drive left him 240 yards from the hole, and a crisply struck 5-iron nestled to within eight feet of the cup. He sank the eagle putt, jumping from 2-under to 4-under.
A follow-up birdie three holes later put Couples within striking distance of his third consecutive Champions win with two rounds left.
"The leader board is very good," said Couples. "It was important for me to be close. I'm in good shape."

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