Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Tee at St Andrews' famous 17th will be moved back by 40 yards

Road Hole gets its teeth back for the Open

FROM THE PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE
The R&A, organisers of the Open, are convinced they will see more players struggle to handle the 17th at this year's championship over the Old Course, St Andrews, after lengthening the famous Road Hole (the 17th) to give it back its teeth.
Having been known as one of the toughest holes in the game, the 17th lost much of its menace because long-hitting players using improved club technology were able to get within a short iron of the green and avoid the deep greenside bunker and gravel road which made the par-4 so intimidating.
R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said today that pushing the tee back 40 yards should force the players to take longer irons for their second shots into the green and risk their balls finishing in the bunker or on the road, which makes a third to the green very difficult.
"We knew this could be controversial. What we have seen over time is that the challenge of the hole, although still a very strong challenge, has diminished somewhat because the hitting distances now allow players to hit into the green with a much shorter iron shot, quite often a 7-iron or sometimes less," Dawson said at an Open briefing.
"We have found that has taken the road bunker or more particularly the road to the right of the green out of play. We don't see many players on the road these days. That's because of the distance and control they can achieve (off the tee) and the accuracy of these shorter iron shots."
Now the hole will be 490 yards long, but players won't have to change their line of shot off the tee.
"The hole has never been lengthened (before). It was played in 1900 the same length as in 2005," Dawson said. "The new back tee is on exactly the same line as the existing championship tee so there's no change to the line of play and we do believe that what is already a challenging hole will become even more so."

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No extra security for Tiger Woods in Open at St Andrews

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By ALISTAIR TAIT
Fans at this year’s Open Championship at St. Andrews will not be removed from the Old Course if they heckle Tiger Woods over his extramarital affairs, Royal & Ancient chief executive Peter Dawson said today
The R&A head anticipates no extra security measures to handle Woods’ first return to British soil following his fall from grace.
“As long as it’s not intrusive to the game or the championship, then people can say what they like,” Dawson said after a news conference. “We’re not a police state here. But if they (the galleries) start putting players off, then we’ll have something to say about that.”
Woods has not yet entered the Open, but organizers expect him to compete. He would be the first player to win the title three times at St. Andrews.
“Tiger Woods has not yet entered, but in a normal year he would not have done that anyway, so I am absolutely certain he will be with us,” Dawson said in a briefing Tuesday.
The deadline to enter is May 27. The British Open is July 15-18.
Members of the British army traditionally have chaperoned Woods during the Open Championship, and Dawson sees no need for that to change this year.
“We’ve always had the army golf society go out with him,” Dawson said. “There have been times in the past when things have gotten overzealous and we’ve had to calm things down. But this is new territory for us, and we will have to take police advice.”
Dawson would not emulate Augusta National chairman Billy Payne and chastise Woods. However, he did express sadness at what has transpired for the world's No. 1-ranked golfer.
“Because his was the first event back, he (Payne) had a decision to make (on whether to comment on Tiger). I think having made that decision, Billy’s comments were very measured and well crafted. He had the disadvantage of it being Tiger’s first event back, but that’s a challenge, thank goodness, that we don’t have.”
“I did describe myself as Tiger’s biggest fan, and I remain the biggest fan of his golf game. I’m just very sad at what has happened, and I’m sure he is, on reflection, too.
“There have been a lot of people who said they saw this coming, but I’m not one of them. It’s been a great shock to all of us in golf, but time has now passed and let’s hope he can return a stronger person. I’m not going to get into people’s private lives.”
Dawson did comment on Woods’ on-course behaviour, which had deteriorated during the past few years. However, he stopped short of echoing Tom Watson’s criticism.
“Clearly it had deteriorated,” Dawson said. “Whether there were a lot of things preying on his mind, I don’t know. No one who has a care for the etiquette of the game could be happy with that, and I’m sure when Tiger looks at the pictures he won’t be happy with it, either.
“It’s very difficult for us to understand how much a player of his level has to psyche himself up to play at the level he does, and maybe that causes a reaction when things are not going so well. I don’t know. I’m just sad it all happened, and I hope the game can move on.”
This year’s Open Championship is expected to attract crowds in excess of 200,000. They will witness only one change to the Old Course, but it’s a significant one. A new tee has been added to the par-4 17th hole, known as the Road Hole. Forty yards have been added to the hole, pushing it from its previous 455 yards to 495.
“What we’ve seen over time is that the challenge to the hole has been diminished. We haven’t seen as many players on the road these days. We’re trying to restore the hole to its previous challenge,” Dawson said.
Tom Watson famously hit 2-iron into the 17th green in 1984, and watched his hopes of a sixth Open Championship disappear as his ball bounded over the green, over the road and up against the stone boundary wall.
Modern equipment means today’s professionals are hitting 7- and 8-irons into the green. They have so much loft in their hands that they can carry the terrifying Road Hole Bunker and land the ball close to the flag. The road is hardly a concern.
That should change this year. The R&A will be hoping the reception Tiger gets from British crowds doesn’t.

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Start of PGA EuroPro Tour 2010

Scott Henry (69) best placed Scot at Wensum Valley

By ANTHONY LEAVER
Dale Marmion opened the 2010 PGA EuroPro Tour in style, recording eight birdies in the first round of The Motocaddy Masters at Wensum Valley Hotel Golf and Country Club to lead by two shots at seven under par 65.
Marmion (Eaton GC) stormed down the front nine with five birdies – including chipping in at the ninth – and moved to six under at the 13th. His one and only blemish of the day occurred at 15 but that bogey was snuffed out with a birdie-birdie finish for the 2008 Order of Merit runner-up to sit in a great position on the opening day of the Tour.
“I played nicely today, being three under through five gave me some nice momentum to build on,” said Marmion. “After the turn I thought there were some chances out there but I missed a short putt at 12 and hit some bad drives down the back which foiled my chances to go lower. Wensum Valley was the only cut I missed back in 2008 so I've obviously learned how to cope here and leading from the front is nothing new to me so I'll just be looking to keep things the same tomorrow.”
The 25 year-old was a revelation on the EuroPro Tour in 2008, winning two of the ten events he played, and although he admitted the step up was tough, he has vowed to show that he is ready to fight to get his card back on the Challenge Tour.
“I loved the travel on the Challenge Tour and it was a great experience, but at the end of the day you play to win and beat the field and I was unable to do so,” said Marmion. “I didn’t make enough cuts but I learnt a lot and I’m fully committing to the EuroPro Tour this year to get my confidence back and get back on the Challenge Tour in 2011.”
Rhys Black (Sherwood Forest GC) is Marmion’s closest challenger thanks to a burst of three birdies and an eagle from the 11th seeing Black card 67 to sit two behind Marmion.
Black’s breathing space is tighter than that of the leader, with James Hepworth finding the back nine to his liking in a four under par 68. Hepworth (Ilkley GC) opened with a birdie but was level at the turn after a bogey at the fifth. He soon stepped on the gas though with four straight birdies from the tenth seeing him race to four under. A bogey at 16 threatened to spoil his day but the sixth birdie of his opening round saw him claim outright control of third spot.
Scott Henry and Daniel Gaunt are one stroke behind Hepworth in fourth spot at three under. Henry was one over at the turn but four birdies from the twelfth on the back nine saw him shoot 69, while Gaunt would have been a stroke clear of Henry but a bogey at the last saw him match his score.
Local star and former winner of the event Andrew Marshall finished on two under after the opening round. Marshall (Green 17) was one over at the turn after a bogey at the fifth, but the man currently in sixth spot on the Challenge Tour rankings after an impressive fourth place finish in the Kenya Open strung three birdies together from the 13th to shoot 70.
“I held on a bit on the front nine, I was probably half-asleep with such an early start,” said Marshall, who teed off at 7.46am. “But I saved par on ten which was important as there are a few chances from there, as I showed with the three birdies in a row. A bit disappointed not to go lower towards the end, but two under is not a bad score and you can't win in the opening day.”
Marshall won the Wensum Valley EuroPro Tour event in 2005 and looks certain to be in the mix for Thursday’s final round, and the 37 year-old is keen to keep his form up ahead of a return to action in the Challenge Tour after choosing to play in Norwich rather than travel to Turkey for the Challenge Tour.
“Kenya was a strange one for me really,” said Marshall of his promising Challenge Tour result. “I played nicely and putted OK but never really looked at the scores around me until I got towards the end where I birdied the last to take fourth. It seems like a long time ago as I have had a break and then there have been the flight disruptions of course, but I’m glad to be playing at Wensum Valley – my parents are just down the road, I’ve won here before and it’s nice to come back and see the guys I used to knock about with.”
Michael Collins had an eventful back nine to join Marshall on two under, reaching the 12th at one over par before carding five birdies and two bogeys in his last seven holes for his 70 and Alex Belt joined them late in the day with four birdies in his round.
The second round begins at 6.30am on Wednesday (28 April). Live scoring is available at www.europrotour.com where the full leader board with all the first round scores from The Motocaddy Masters at Wensum Valley can also be found.

HOW THE SCOTS STAND AT WENSUM VALLEY
Scott Henry 69 -3
Martin Lawrence 71 -1
Jason McCreadie 72 Lvl
Craig Lee 72 Lvl
Euan McIntosh 73 +1
Zack Saltman 73 +1
Barry Hume 73 +1
Ross Cameron 74 +2
Mark Lawrie 75 +3
Stephen Clark 76 +4
Elliot Saltman 76 +4
John Henry 76 +4
Paul Doherty 76 +4
Shaun McAllister 77 +5
Graeme Lornie 78 +6
Graham Rankin 78 +6
Steven Duncan 78 +6
Lee Harper 79 +7

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Aberdeen & District Junior Pennant League Scoreboard

APRIL 11
BON ACCORD 0.5-5.5 CRUDEN BAY
MURCAR LINKS 3.0-3.0 PETERHEAD

APRIL 18
DEESIDE 2.5-3.5 BANCHORY
NORTHERN
6.0-0.0 AUCHMILL
HAZLEHEAD 2.5- 3.5 KEMNAY
STONEHAVEN
3.5-2.5 OLDMELDRUM
NEWMACHAR 5.5-0.5 INVERALLOCHY

APRIL 25
DEESIDE 5.5-0.5 MURCAR LINKS
PETERHEAD 3.0-3.0 NORTHERN
BANCHORY 5.0-1.0 ROYAL ABERDEEN
CRUDEN BAY 4.5-1.5 HAZLEHEAD
NEWMACHAR 3.0-3.0 STONEHAVEN
OLDMELDRUM 6.0-0.0 CRAIBSTONE
CALEDONIAN 2.5-3.5 ABOYNE
INVERURIE 3.0-3.0 ELLON

To see the current league positions, log on to the website:
aberdeenjuniorpennant.co.uk

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Phil Mickelson enters Barclays Scottish Open

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
Masters champion Phil Mickelson has confirmed his entry to The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond Golf Club from July 8-11.
The American left-hander once again proved himself one of golf’s most gifted shot-makers during his unforgettable victory at Augusta National recently as he picked up the third Green Jacket, and fourth Major title, of his glittering career.
Mickelson, a winner of 44 titles around the world, will return to the banks of Loch Lomond hoping to improve upon his second place finish of 2007 when he lost out to Frenchman Grégory Havret in a sudden-death play-off.
“Returning to Loch Lomond for The Barclays Scottish Open is always a special week for me,” said Mickelson, who last played at Loch Lomond in 2008. “Everything about the tournament, from the sponsors, to the golf course and the stunning setting at Loch Lomond is as good as it gets in golf and I am proud to be associated with the event.
“I would love to add The Barclays Scottish Open to my list of career wins: to be successful in Scotland, the home of golf, is something that every player would love to have on his resume and I am no different.
“I have been close to winning The Barclays Scottish Open in the past, and it would be great to go one better than in 2007 when I narrowly missed out on the trophy in a play-off.”
Mickelson is the first of the game’s elite players to commit to The Barclays Scottish Open, with other star names to be announced in the coming weeks. Event organisers are anticipating one of the strongest fields in the tournament’s history, one week before The 150th Anniversary Open Championship at St Andrews.
There are few more exciting draws in golf than Mickelson, a point he proved emphatically at Augusta earlier this month. The 39 year old produced some mesmeric shot-making over the final two rounds, with his unbelievable eagle-eagle-birdie run on the Saturday afternoon helping him to a third round 67 that hauled him into contention and a final round showdown with Englishman Lee Westwood.
Mickelson followed up his Saturday heroics with a sterling , bogey-free 67 in the final round, and his miraculous approach to the par-5 13th – a six-iron from the Augusta pine needles that flew through a gap between two trees and soared over Rae’s Creek to just four feet – was the perfect summation of his powers as he captured his third Masters title.
Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Mickelson’s genius at Loch Lomond can purchase discounted tickets at: www.barclaysscottishopen.co.uk
Scott Crockett
Chief Press Officer

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