US PGA TOUR REPORT, SCORES

Lee Westwood slips back at a steamy St Jude Classic

Still recovering from a bout of food poisoning, Robert Garrigus got hot with his short putter and shot a 4-under 66 to break out of a pack and grab a two-stroke lead over Robert Karlsson of Sweden after three rounds at a steamy St. Jude Classic.
It's the first time the 32-year-old Garrigus has led a US PGA Tour event by himself, and he surged to the top of the leaderboard with four birdies and an eagle against two bogeys to reach 11-under 199.
Karlsson, who shot a 68, is within striking distance of becoming the first European to win this event -- the tour's third oldest dating to 1958.
Englishman Lee Westwood, ranked No. 3, had led or had a share of the lead after the first two rounds. He had four bogeys and finished with a 71 that left him tied with Heath Slocum (66) at 8 under.
Memphis native Shaun Micheel (70) was tied with Tim Petrovic (70) and Lee Janzen (70) at 6 under. Tom Pernice Jr. was among 10 who missed a second straight cut to trim the field from 81 to 71 at 3 over.
With temperatures in the 90s and a heat index over 100 degrees at TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee golfers turned Saturday into a race to the top of the leaderboard in this last tune-up for the U.S. Open. Westwood was the biggest name among a group of leaders that was as big as seven at one point until Garrigus' putter got hot.
Garrigus has never finished better than a tie for third. He's done that twice before in the 2007 Frys.com and again at the 2008 Turning Stone Resort Championship. He has made just three of seven cuts this year and came to Memphis recovering from a bout of food poisoning so intense he had to withdraw from U.S. Open qualifying Monday after seven holes.
He stayed mostly in his hotel room Monday through Wednesday trying to recover with sleep and fluids. Watching his beloved Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup on Wednesday night may have helped his recovery by the time he reached the course Thursday for the first round.
Garrigus opened with a 67 and 66. He started the third round only two strokes back of Westwood and Garrett Willis and was in a group just ahead of them with Karlsson and Janzen. Garrigus, who uses a 29-inch putter, was upset with himself for missing a short birdie putt on No. 3.
He responded by rolling in a 9-footer for his first birdie on the par-3 No. 4 and had a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 11. Then he really got the putter working, rolling in a 22-footer on No. 12 to take the lead for the first time and a 21-footer for birdie on No. 15. That made him the first golfer to reach double-digits under par at the TPC Southwind course.
Garrigus then padded his lead on the par-5 16th by showing he can hit the other clubs in his bag, too.
He hit his drive 321 yards, and his second shot went 198 as the ball just missed the hole a few inches to the right before stopping less than 6 feet away. He rolled in the putt for eagle and dropped to 12 under for a 4-stroke lead. He just missed another birdie from the back of the 17th green when the ball went just right of the hole.
Karlsson was in and out of the lead throughout the round. He finished with three bogeys and four birdies, his last on No. 18.
Westwood lost ground on the back nine when he hit into the water guarding the green on the par-3 14th on his way to a bogey. He birdied No. 16 only to give back that stroke on No. 17 after finding the rough twice.
That left Garrigus alone in the group just ahead of Westwood. He missed his chance to take a bigger lead to the clubhouse when he hit his drive on No. 18 into the right rough, easily avoiding the lake to the left of the fairway. His approach stayed right behind a greenside bunker, and he finished with a bogey.

United States PGA Scoreboard
ST JUDE CLASSIC
TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee
Prizefund: $5.6million. Winner: $1,008,000
THIRD-ROUND LEADERS
Par 210 (3x70). Yardage 7,244
199 Robert Garrigus 67 66 66.
201 Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 67 66 68.
202 Heath Slocum 69 67 66, Lee Westwood (England) 63 68 71.
204 Shaun Micheel 68 66 70, Tim Petrovic 66 68 70, Lee Janzen 68 66 70, Garrett Willis 66 65 73.
205 Cameron Percy 70 6867, Brian Gay 73 67 65, Jay Williamson 66 70 69, Woody Austin 69 67 69, D J Trahan 66 68 71, Charley Hoffman 67 65 73.
Selected scores:
207 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 69 66 72 (jt 20th).
210 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 65 74 71 (jt 50th).

EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR REPORT, SCORES

Drummond and Lyle on leader Farry's tail with a round to go

FROM THE EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR WEBSITE
Frenchman Marc Farry will take a one-stroke lead over Scots Ross Drummond and Sandy Lyle into the final round of the Handa Irish Senior Open presented by Fáilte Ireland after firing a two under par 70 at Carton House Golf Club today.
The 50 year old made the most of his length off the tee, posting birdies on the fourth, eighth and 13th holes to leapfrog two-time Major Champion Lyle, who battled to a level par 72 over the Montgomerie Course.
Lyle had started the day with a one stroke lead over Farry after an opening round course record-equalling 66 but the former Open and Masters Champion struggled with his short game, dropping shots on the ninth and 11th before hitting back with two birdies in the final three holes.
His playing partner Farry had threatened to pull away from the field but dropped a shot on the 17th to finish on seven under par for the tournament, as he attempts to add a first Senior Tour title to the BMW International Open he won on The European Tour in 1996.
“I thought I played pretty steady and only had one bogey on the 17th when I three putted it but I missed a lot of putts,” said Farry.
“It’s incredible I’m still leading after missing so many putts. I hit the ball well though and was close to the pin on a number of occasions but I just couldn’t convert those chances.
“When I was eight under with five to play including two reachable par fives and two short par fours I thought my plan was working. So I was a bit annoyed I didn’t take advantage. The only blemish was my putting. It’s great being back in contention though.”
Farry, whose last professional victory was in the French PGA Championship in 2000, will have strong competition from Lyle and Drummond who are also chasing their own maiden Senior Tour title.
Lyle, who was one of Ian Woosnam’s Assistant Captains at The 2006 Ryder Cup at the nearby K Club, said he was frustrated with his round and was relieved to still be in contention.
“My short game really let me down badly today,” said Lyle. “My bogeys were from not getting up and down from the fringe. I only made one birdie on the par fives, which was the last hole, so 72 was better than the 74 I looked like I was getting with three to play.
“I had a nice putt from 25 feet on the 16th – the only one I holed today. I had 33 putts and the short game was ragged but I got round in 72 and I’m still in the mix. I’m still only one off the lead but the pack is closer together. It will be a battle tomorrow but if that’s my worst round today I’ll be quite happy.”
Drummond, who has finished runner up three times on the Senior Tour, fired four birdies in the last six holes to sign for a 67 - the lowest round of the day.
He said: “I drove it well, was consistent with my irons and putted really nicely and when you get all three going together you’re going to have a good day.
“I made seven birdies today which shows I’m putting well. If you don’t drive it well round here you can drop shots really easily so the key tomorrow will be keeping it in play. I think I’m probably going to need another 67 or 68 tomorrow. It would be nice to go out tomorrow and play with confidence and hole some putts.”
Australian Mike Harwood and Englishman Nick Job are two shots off the pace on five under par after rounds of 69, sharing fourth place with Englishman Glenn Ralph who posted a 71.
Irishmen Eamonn Darcy and Des Smyth both eagled the last hole but are some way off the pace, with Darcy signing for a two under par 70 to lie in a share of 18th place on level par with Smyth a shot further back on one over par following a 73.
Former Irish Senior Open champion and Ryder Cup player Costantino Rocca is also level par after a 71, as is defending champion Ian Woosnam, the former World Number One, who 12 months ago came from six shots back on the final day to claim the title after a play-off with Bob Boyd.
Another former Ryder Cup Captain, Sam Torrance, posted a level par 72 to stay on two over par for the tournament.

European Senior Tour Scoreboard
HANDA IRISH SENIOR OPEN
Montgomerie Course, Carton House GC, Maynooth, Co. Kildare
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
137 M Farry (Fra) 67 70
138 R Drummond (Sco) 71 67, S Lyle (Sco) 66 72
139 G Ralph (Eng) 68 71, N Job (Eng) 70 69, M Harwood (Aus) 70 69
140 G Brand Jnr (Sco) 71 69, B Longmuir (Sco) 70 70, P Mitchell (Eng) 72 68, J Quiros (Spa) 71 69, A Murray (Eng) 69 71
141 K Spurgeon (Eng) 71 70, R Chapman (Eng) 70 71, C Williams (Rsa) 68 73
142 A Oldcorn (Sco) 72 70, A Franco (Par) 71 71, M Gray (Sco) 70 72
144 J Harrison (Eng) 74 70, C Rocca (Ita) 73 71, E Darcy 74 70, I Woosnam (Wal) 72 72
145 B Boyd (USA) 73 72, M Cunning (USA) 71 74, J Chillas (Sco) 72 73, E Polland (NIrl) 75 70, T Giedeon (Ger) 74 71, B Ruangkit (Tha) 73 72, D Smyth 72 73, T Johnstone (Zim) 72 73, M Williams (Zim) 74 71, D Johnson (USA) 72 73
146 S Bennett (Eng) 74 72, J Rhodes (Eng) 72 74, S Torrance (Sco) 74 72, N Ratcliffe (Aus) 75 71, D Hospital (Spa) 71 75, E Rodriguez (Spa) 72 74, C Mason (Eng) 73 73
147 D Russell (Eng) 74 73, A Sowa (Arg) 70 77, L Carbonetti (Arg) 73 74, S Owen (Nzl) 73 74, G Cali (Ita) 75 72, P Fowler (Aus) 72 75, D Merriman (Aus) 74 73, D Cambridge (Jam) 75 72, B Lincoln (Rsa) 73 74
148 A Fernandez (Chi) 75 73, F Mann (Sco) 75 73
149 H Carbonetti (Arg) 76 73, M Poxon (Eng) 72 77, T Gale (Aus) 75 74, M Clayton (Aus) 78 71, M Belsham (Eng) 74 75, E Feely 77 72, J Hall (Eng) 73 76, J Rivero (Spa) 79 70, G Brand (Eng) 75 74, D O'Sullivan 72 77, M Piero (Spa) 74 75, J Heggarty (NIrl) 72 77
150 B Cameron (Eng) 73 77, J Bruner (USA) 75 75
151 A Johnsson (Swe) 72 79, J Bland (Rsa) 77 74
152 T Charnley (Eng) 79 73, P Oakley (USA) 75 77, M Miller (Sco) 77 75, M Quirke 76 76
153 P O'Hagan 76 77
154 B Smit (Rsa) 82 72, G Banister (Aus) 75 79
155 A Garrido (Spa) 78 77, M Bembridge (Eng) 78 77, C O'Connor Jnr 78 77, E McMenamin 76 79
157 I Mosey (Eng) 78 79
160 M Kelly(am) 76 84
162 L Higgins 77 85
163 V Garcia (Spa) 79 84
DQ: J Gould (Eng) 70

EUROPEAN TOUR REPORT, SCORES

Bjorn-again Thomas set for first win for more than four years

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Thomas Bjorn put himself in prime position to land his first European Tour title for more than four years at the Estoril Open de Portugal with a brilliantly crafted third-round 65 today.
The Ryder Cup Dane, looking for a tenth European Tour title at Penha Longa Golf Club, carded seven birdies without a dropped shot to advance to 19 under with a round to play.
Joining him on Sunday will be Australian Richard Green, whose 64 leaves him three shots adrift in second place.
Ireland's Damien McGrane went round in a bogey-free 68 to sit third on 14 under.
Bjorn, whose last title came at the 2006 Irish Open, turned in 34 but it was on the back nine where he raced clear of the field.He birdied the 11th after hitting his uphill approach to six feet, then converted a four foot birdie putt at the next and completed a hattrick of gains with a 15 foot curler on the 13th.
A tee shot to six foot on the par three 17th gave him a third birdie there this week and he got up and down from the edge of the green at the 18th to complete an inward 31.
Victory on Sunday would seal a remarkable return to form for the 1997 and 2002 Ryder Cup winner - he missed six consecutive cuts before last week's Celtic Manor Wales Open, where he was in the mix for three rounds before a closing 74 left him tied for ninth. He then followed that up by securing an Open Championship spot in qualifying at Sunningdale on Monday.
"I kept my patience well, and then once the birdies started to come on the back nine, they came thick and fast. It was nice to finish with two birdies, so all in all it was a good day's work," said the 39 year old.
Dane.
"I've been playing like this for a couple of weeks now, which has given me the confidence to believe in what I'm doing. Sometimes you can lose your way in this game, but it's very nice to return to some form. There are times when you start to doubt if you'll ever get back to where you were, if you go through a really rough spell. But the last few weeks have been great. I've really started enjoying my golf once more. I'm just going with the flow really, and I hope it lasts another day."
Green needed just 25 putts in equalling the course record as the left-hander climbed into contention for a first win in three years.
He described his eight-birdie round as "awesome", with his sublime approach to within ten feet on the ninth summing up his accuracy from tee to green.
"I managed to find the right places on the fairways and greens to give myself plenty of chances, and I seemed to take most of them," said the former Dubai Desert Classic winner.
"You get a round like that every now and then, and it's a joy to play. This course offers up quite a few birdie chances, especially if you're hitting your wedge shots nicely and getting your putter going well. Fortunately enough, I was able to do that today."

European Tour Scoreboard
ESTORIL OPEN DE PORTUGAL
Penha Longa Golf Club, Estoril
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
197 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 67 65 65
200 Richard Green (Aus) 67 69 64
202 Damien McGrane 64 70 68
203 Robert Coles 68 66 69, Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 69 66 68, Robert Rock 68 67 68
204 Steve Webster 67 67 70, Chris Wood 69 69 66
205 Mark F Haastrup (Den) 67 68 70, Andrew Coltart 68 67 70, Luke Goddard 64 73 68, Bradley Dredge 67 69 69
206 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 67 65 74
207 Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 69 67 71, Tano Goya (Arg) 69 70 68
208 Richard Bland 66 73 69
209 Paul Waring 73 68 68, Scott Drummond 69 71 69, Oliver Fisher 71 70 68, Gary Lockerbie 69 69 71, Andrew McArthur 71 69 69, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 65 71 73, Tom Whitehouse 72 68 69, Phillip Archer 71 67 71, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 71 70 68
210 Andrew Tampion (Aus) 66 70 74, John Parry 67 70 73, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 70 72 68, Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 68 68 74, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 75 68 67, Darren Clarke 75 67 68, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 69 70 71, Marco Ruiz (Par) 68 71 71, Stephan Gross Jnr (Ger) 70 70 70, Alastair Forsyth 73 68 69, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 67 72 71
211 Louis Moolman (Rsa) 69 72 70, Ryan Blaum (USA) 71 69 71, Stuart Manley 65 72 74, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 70 68 73
212 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 71 71 70, Fredrik Henge (Swe) 68 73 71, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 69 71 72, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 70 71, Graeme Storm 74 69 69, Paul Eales 74 69 69
213 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 70 71, Jamie Little 72 71 70, Jan Are Larsen (Nor) 72 69 72, Liam Bond 70 72 71, David Lynn 69 73 71, Gary Murphy 71 69 73, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 72 71 70, Markus Brier (Aut) 73 70 70, Benjamin Hebert (Fra) 74 67 72, Miles Tunnicliff 72 70 71
214 Marco Soffietti (Ita) 69 71 74, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 70 71 73, Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 67 75 72, James McLean (Aus) 68 75 71, Steven O'Hara 76 66 72, Johan Axgren (Swe) 72 71 71, Keith Horne (Rsa) 72 71 71, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 77 66 71
215 Chris Gane 71 72 72, Andre Bossert (Swi) 71 70 74, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 75 68 72, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 71 72 72, Kenneth Ferrie 70 72 73, Van Phillips 70 73 72
216 Scott Hend (Aus) 73 70 73, Benn Barham 74 69 73, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 74 69 73, Sam Little 70 72 74
217 Ake Nilsson (Rsa) 70 71 76
218 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 77 66 75
219 Soren Juul (Den) 72 69 78
220 Iain Pyman 68 74 78

SCOTTISH MEN'S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
East Renfrewshire Golf Club
QUALIFIERS FOR MATCH-PLAY STAGES
Par 140 (2x70) CSS 71 71
136 Paul Alexander (Caldwell) 69 67.
139 Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire) 71 69, Michael Grunwell (Powfoot) 70 69.
140 Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle) 73 67.
141 Ben Renfrew (Wynward) 73 68.
142 Paul Moultrie (Royal Troon) 70 72.
143 Alistair Serrels (Royal Montrose) 72 71, Clark Riddick (Southerness) 71 72, Scott Ritchie (NZ) 71 72.
145 Andrew McKay (Balmore) 72 73, Gordon Young (East Renfrewshire) 71 74, Chris Lawton (Fakirk Tryst) 71 74, Garry Duncan (Carnoustie Caledonian) 71 74.
146 Ross Coull (Edzell) 72 74, Robert Jenkins (Crow Wood) 72 74, Murray Stewart (Ranfurly caslte0 74 71 75.
MISSED THE CUT
146 Steven Haugh (Colville Park) 70 76 (eliminated on comparison of second round with others on 146).
147 Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 78 69, Euan Keith (McDonald Ellon) 75 72, Hugh Hamilton (Seaton Carew) 74 73, Gregor Dickson (Largs) 73 74.
148 Paul Telfer (Stoneham) 74 74, Phil Dempsey (Tulliallan) 71 77, Justin Duff (Duff House Royal) 69 79.
149 Gregor Munro (Ranfurly Castle) 76 73, Eric Gall (Dullatur) 73 73, Steven Young (Hirsel) 75 74, Paul Williams (Hillside) 74 75, Colin Heuchan (Southerness) 74 75, Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 74 75, Paul Betty (Hayston) 72 77.
150 John McInally (Southerness) 75 75, Lachlan Hutchison (Forfar) 73 77, Andrew Matheson (Cawder) 73 77.
151 Dan Gilmore (Duddingston) 78 73, Douglas Hunter (Marriott Dalmahoy) 76 75, Pascal Colombani (France) 75 76.
152 Kevin Reilly (Southport and Ainsdale) 77 75, David Garland (Downfield) 75 77.
153 Ross McGuire (Deer Park) 74 79.
155 Colin Bence (Cowal) 76 79, Graeme Callan (Strathaven) 74 81.
156 Mark Tarvit (East Renfrewshire) 83 73, Fraser McCall (Troon Portland) 75 81.
157 Torquil McInroy (North Berwick) 79 78, Derek Fearon (Colville Park) 75 82.
159 Donald Standaloft (Port Bannatyne) 82 77, Calum MacLean (Hamilton) 80 79, Ewen Cairns (Craigmillar Park) 79 80.
161 Stuart Graham (Panmure) 84 77.
163 Colin Dickson (Colville Park) 85 78, George Hodgson (Southerness) 79 84.
Withdrew: Simon Lockhart (Bathgate), Colin Bell (Whitecraigs).
Retired: Richard Aitken (East Renfresshire).
NRs Paul Jones (Greenock Whinhill) 79 NR, Robert Bardsley (Denton) 77 NR, Chris Stones (Lochgoilhead) 82 NR, Stuart Whitters (Crow Wood) 81 NR. .

SUMMARY
Two past winners of the Scottish mid-amateur championship are among the 16 qualifiers for the match-play stages which start on Sunday morning and conclude on Monday.
They are home course favourite Craig Watson who had the honour in 1994 of being the first winner of this championship for over-25s when it was introduced.
Ross Coull (Edzell) won the title in 2008. Andrew Farmer (Kilmacolm) is not defending the championship he won at Royal Burgess 12 months ago.
Watson is the No 2 seed behind the leading qualifier, Paul Alexander (Caldwell) who put together rounds of 136 for a four-under-par total over the par-70 East Renfrewshire lay-out.
Alexander went three shots clear of the field with a second-round 67 which included birdies at the first, fourth, sixth, 12th and 14th. He had bogeys at the long seventh and 11th in halves of 33 and 34.
Craig Watson and Michael Grunwell both finished on 139, Watson with rounds of 71 and 68, Grunwell with scores of 70 and 69. Watson's better second round made him No 2 seed and Grunwell No 3.
There were four players on the 146 mark - and room for only three of them in the match-play draw. Odd man out was Steven Haugh (Colville Park) whose second-round 76 was the poorest of the others on 146.
The aforementioned Ross Coull was one of those who got through on 146.

KEMNAY BONUS FOR HUTCHEON

AFTER MISSING CUT AT AVIEMORE
Banchory Golf Club tour professional Greig Hutcheon missed the cut in the Challenge Tour event at Aviemore on Friday – and finished £948 better off after getting into the field for today's Kemnay Golf Club pro-am.
Hutcheon headed the field of 29 pros with a six-under-par score of 65, winning by two shots from Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) who received £758.
Hutcheon, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, winning for the third time on the Tartan Tour this season, had an eagle at the eighth and birdies at the second, third, 15th, 16th and 18th with only one bogey, at the fifth, in halves of 33 (three under par) and 32 (three under par).
Hamilton pro Ewan Cameron led the Lloyds Register amateur trio of Dave McLean (handicap 6), Neil Pickering (14) and Steve Johnson (18) to victory in the team event with a net score of 13-under-par 129.
They won by a single shot from Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) and the Unniconn Team 2 trio of Mike MacLeod (6), Richard Barr (3) and Keith Ross (11).
PRO SCORES
Par 71
65 Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) (£948).
67 Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) (£758).
69 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), James McGhee (Turnhouse), Kenny Walker ( Castle Park ) (£445 each).
70 Colin Gillies 9Braid Hills), Stephen Gray (Hayston), Craig Gordon ( Edinburgh Golf Centre) (£246 each).
71 Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Alan Lockhart (Ladybanbk), Jonathan Lomas (unatt), Jason McCreadie ( Buchanan Castle ) (£154 each).
72 Michael Rae (Alyth), Euan Cameron ( Hamilton ), Paul Lawrie (Carrick at Cameron House) (£113 each).]
73 Ian Bratton ( Newburgh on Ythan) (£95).
74 Mark King (Kingsfield Golf Centre), Graham Fox ( East Kilbride ), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) (£75 each).
75 David Brown (Kemnay), Steven Taylor ( Bothwell Castle ), Andrew Cooper (Newmachar), Sean O’Donnell ( Balbirnie Park ), Lee Vannet (Carnoustie Golf Links) (£50 each).
77 Andrew Crerar (Panmure) (£48).
78 Nicholas Reid (unatt), Alasdair McDonald (Elie) (£48 each).
79 Iain Buchan (Craibstone) (£48).
82 David Naylor (Banchory) (£48.39).

Sergio Garcia recalls his Amateur victory at Muirfield in 1998

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE RandA
Twelve years on from his 1998 Amateur Championship triumph at Muirfield, Sergio Garcia recalls that victory in advance of this year’s Championship, which begins at Muirfield and North Berwick on Monday. Garcia, 30, overcame Welshman Craig Williams 7 and 6 in the 36-hole final, bringing a week, which had seen 2006 US Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy and 2008 Masters Tournament Champion Trevor Immelman reach the quarter-final stage, to its conclusion.
“I remember that it was a hard week, like every Amateur Championship is, but it was wonderful,” said the Spaniard, who has won seven times on the PGA Tour and eight times on the European Tour. “I remember playing Muirfield: it’s a great golf course. I had a great time.
“It was a really big event. Winning a championship like the Amateur, that you play both stroke play for the first couple of days and then match play – it’s huge. It gives you a very big boost of confidence. It gives you the opportunity of playing The Open and the Masters. Not many amateurs have the chance of doing that and you gain unbelievable experience there, so it was huge for me.
“I learned a lot from it. We played a lot with pros as an amateur but it’s the big, big tournaments where you learn the most, and that was something unbelievable,” he added.
Having made his Ryder Cup debut in 1999 at the age of 19, the youngest-ever player to compete, Garcia has gone on to represent Europe against the USA in a further four consecutive matches, Garcia starring in the winning European team on three of those occasions. He has accrued an impressive Ryder Cup record of 14 wins, four halves and six losses: a record which he credits, in part, to his amateur match play career.
“As a professional, we don’t get to play a lot of match play but fortunately for us, in the amateur days you got not only to play individually, but also in team events: Spain against different countries, European championships and things like that.
“It was great experience. It helped us gain that team spirit, having all had it with our national teams. It’s helped the European team at the Ryder Cup.”
Having registered wins of 7 and 6, 7 and 5 and 4 and 3 en route to a dominating victory in 1998, Garcia knows what it takes to be successful over six tough Amateur Championship days. He had this advice for this year’s competitors:
“There are only a couple of things that you can say,” he explained. “You have to be patient. It’s a really long event. Just try to get yourself into the match play. It doesn’t really matter if you’ve won the stroke play or not because then, when match play comes around, anything can happen. Just play your own game and, hopefully, that will be good enough.”
The 115th Amateur Championship will take place at Muirfield and North Berwick on 14-19 June. 288 players will play two rounds of stroke play, one each at Muirfield and North Berwick, before 64 players and ties progress to the match play rounds beginning on Wednesday at Muirfield. A place at the 150th Anniversary Open Championship and the 2011 Masters Tournament are on offer for the 2010 Champion.

SCOTTISH HYDRO CHALLENGE

George Murray, eagle 3 at the 17th in third-round 67 over Macdonald Spey Valley course.

George Murray flying high with three-stroke lead at Aviemore

By MICHAEL GIBBONS
Deputy Chief Press Officer, European Tour
A superb eagle 3 at the par-5 17th hole of the Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Course saw George Murray soar away from the chasing pack to establish a three-stroke lead going into the final round of the Scottish Hydro Challenge at Aviemore.
The Anstruther, Fife-born Scot, playing with a refreshed attitude, compiled a third round of 67 to post a 12 under total over the Dave Thomas-designed par-71 lay-out and leads Sweden’s Magnus Carlsson and Norway’s Marius Thorp by three, with another Scot, Chris Doak, sharing fourth place with Chilean Mark Tullo on eight under.
Murray, the overnight leader, was one ahead of the field as he stepped onto the 17th tee, but after an excellent drive and five-iron he holed his 35ft eagle putt to surge three strokes clear.
“I played good on the front nine and then dropped a couple of shots around the turn but the eagle on 17 was massive,” said Murray.
“It was a great putt: downhill with a left to right break from 35 feet and it was great to see it drop. I feel that I am ready to win and to step up to The European Tour but you never know what will happen in a final round.
“Having a three-shot lead is important but I could still go out tomorrow and play well and then someone could go silly and shoot a 62. If that happens then it is out of my control, but hopefully I can get the job done – it would be special to win in Scotland with my family and friends all out there supporting me.”
Carlsson, a former Challenge Tour winner, is confident that he is in the right frame of mind to make an impact in the final round.
He said: “I am happy with my position and the way that I have been performing for the whole week. My head has been in the right place all week and you need that to do well. There are times when you are on the course and the mind can wander and all of a sudden your score starts to wander, but this week everything has been good and I feel that I can definitely win from here.”
Thorp, after struggling in the professional ranks for the past two years is looking more and more like the young man who won the Silver Medal awarded the leading Amateur in The Open Championship at Hoylake in 2006.
“I am getting back to being the old me, the guy who won the Silver Medal at Hoylake and it feels good,” said Thorp.
“I have struggled since turning professional to be honest. I think I put myself too much pressure for the past two years and it hasn’t happened for me on the course. This year I have been playing a lot better and have not been trying to force it.
“I think I came out here thinking that I should be winning every week and that’s not the way the game works in the professional ranks - when you are playing so much you cannot play at your best every week. I think that it took a while for me to realise that but I am getting more experience and trying to make the most of the weeks when I play well.
“It was good today – I have climbed quite a few places on the leaderboard so I am very pleased with that 67.”
While Murray and Co. were making positive moves at the top of the leaderboard, it was a disappointing day for Italian star Matteo Manassero who posted a three-over-par 74 to fall back to one under for the tournament.

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR SCOREBOARD
SCOTTISH HYDRO CHALLENGE
Macdonald Spey Valley course, Aviemore
THIRD ROUND
Par 213 (3x71). Yardage 7,100
201 G Murray (Sco) 67 67 67.
204 M Thorp (Nor) 66 71 67; M Carlsson (Swe) 65 70 69.
205 M Tullo (Chi) 66 70 69; C Doak (Sco) 67 70 68.
206 L James (Eng) 67 71 68; M Haines (Eng) 68 72 66; L Slattery (Eng) 69 66 71; M Bliss (Can) 69 72 65;
207 J McLeary (Sco) 71 68 68; C Günther (Ger) 67 68 72; B Grace (RSA) 72 69 66; A Willey (Eng) 73 68 66;
208 O Floren (Swe) 70 67 71; A Bernadet (Fra) 71 69 68; C Moriarty (Irl) 71 67 70; I Van Weerelt (Ned) 67 71 70; P Del Grosso (Arg) 70 69 69;
209 B Evans (Eng) 71 69 69; N Lemke (Swe) 69 72 68; L Saltman (Sco) 72 67 70; F Calmels (Fra) 66 72 71;
210 J Moul (Eng) 71 65 74; S Surry (Eng) 72 68 70; M McGeady (Irl) 68 74 68; C Smith (Wal) 70 70 70; S Arnold (Aus) 72 70 68; E Saltman (Sco) 69 73 68; C Macaulay (Sco) 72 68 70;
211 J Zapata (Arg) 69 71 71; S Jamieson (Sco) 68 69 74; M Cort (Eng) 66 73 72; L Kennedy (Eng) 71 69 71; J Grillon (Fra) 68 73 70; R Dinwiddie (Eng) 69 68 74; B Wiesberger (Aut) 72 67 72; A Johnston (Eng) 71 71 69; R Kind (Ned) 70 72 69; N Cheetham (Eng) 71 71 69; A Perrino (Ita) 69 69 73; C Russo (Fra) 66 71 74;
212 J Caldwell (Nir) 68 72 72; M Manassero (Ita) 67 71 74; A Ahokas (Fin) 66 75 71; A Gee (Eng) 67 72 73; G Shaw (Nir) 68 71 73; J Estevez (Arg) 68 68 76; S Henry (Sco) 70 71 71; O Whiteley (Eng) 68 73 71;
213 A Mellor (Eng) 72 70 71; S Davis (Eng) 70 69 74;
214 O David (Fra) 68 72 74; G Houston (Wal) 73 68 73; L Westerberg (Swe) 70 71 73; C Ford (Eng) 71 70 73; A Wagner (Arg) 72 69 73; C Brazillier (Fra) 70 71 73;
215 F Colombo (Ita) 69 71 75; G Lornie (Sco) 71 68 76; S Buhl (Ger) 70 72 73;
216 L Matthews (Wal) 71 70 75; M Baldwin (Eng) 70 71 75; H Bacher (Aut) 72 70 74;
217 C Rodgers (Eng) 70 72 75; W Ormsby (Aus) 72 70 75;
220 S Garcia (Esp) 70 71 79;

Scottish men's mid-amateur championship Scoreboard
East Renfrewshire Golf Club
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
Par 70 CSS 71
T1 DUFF, Justin (Duff House Royal) 69 -1
T1 ALEXANDER, Paul (Caldwell) 69 -1
T3 GRUNWELL, Michael (Powfoot) 70 Par
T3 MOULTRIE, Paul (Royal Troon) 70 Par
T3 HAUGH, Steven (Colville Park) 70 Par
T6 STEWART, Murray Ranfurly Castle 71 +1
T6 RITCHIE, Scott New Zealand 71 +1
T6 WATSON, Craig East Renfrewshire 71 +1
T6 YOUNG, Gordon East Renfrewshire 71 +1
T6 LAWTON, Chris Falkirk Tryst 71 +1
T6 DUNCAN, Garry Carnoustie Caledonia 71 +1
T6 DEMPSEY, Phil Tulliallan 71 +1
T6 RIDDICK, Clark Southerness 7 +1
T14 COULL, Ross Edzell 72 +2
T14 BETTY, Paul Hayston 72 +2
T14 MCKAY, Andrew Balmore 72 +2
T14 SERRELS, Alistair Royal Montrose 72 +2
T14 JENKINS, Robert Crow Wood 72 +2
- Leading 16 after two rounds qualifying for match-play stages -
T19 HAMILTON, Craig Ballochmyle 73 +3
T19 DICKSON, Gregor Largs 73 +3
T19 HUTCHISON, Lachlan Forfar 73 +3
T19 RENFREW, Ben Wynyard 73 +
T19 MATHESON, Andrew Cawder 73 +3
T24 HAMILTON, Hugh Seaton Carew 74 +4
T24 BUCHAN, Michael Cruden Bay 74 +4
T24 WILLIAMS, Paul Hillside 74 +4
T24 HEUCHAN, Colin Southerness 74 +4
T24 TELFER, Paul Stoneham 74 +4
T24 MCGUIRE, Ross Deer Park 74 +4
T24 CALLAN, Graeme Strathaven 74 +4
T31 MCCALL, Fraser Troon Portland 75 +5
T31 FEARON, Derek Colville Park 75 +5
T31 KEITH, Euan McDonald 75 +5
T31 MCINALLY, John Southerness 75 +5
T31 COLOMBANI, Pascal France 75 +5
T31 GARLAND, David Downfield 75 +5
T31 YOUNGER, Steven Hirsel 75 +5
T38 HUNTER, Douglas Marriott Dalmahoy 76 +6
T38 GALL, Eric Dullatur 76 +6
T38 MUNRO, Gregor Ranfurly Castle 76 +6
T38 BENCE, Colin Cowal 76 +6
T42 REILLY, Kevin Southport & Ainsdale 77 +7
T42 BARDSLEY, Robert Denton 77 +7
T44 WOOD, Ed Crow Wood 78 +8
T44 GILMORE, Dan Duddingston 78 +8
T46 JONES, Paul Greenock Whinhill 79 +9
T46 CAIRNS, Ewen Craigmillar Park 79 +9
T46 HODGSON, George Southerness 79 +9
T46 MCINROY, Torquil North Berwick 79 +9
50 MACLEAN, Calum Hamilton 80 +10
51 WHITTERS, Stuart Crow Wood 81 +11
T52 STANDALOFT, Donald Port Bannatyne 82 +12
T52 STONES, Chris Lochgoilhead 82 +12
54 TARVIT, Mark East Renfrewshire 83 +13
55 GRAHAM, Stuart Panmure 84 +14
56 DICKSON, Colin Colville Park 85 +15
WD BELL, Colin Whitecraigs WD
WD LOCKHART, Simon Bathgate WD
RTD AITKEN, Richard East Renfrewshire +14 RTD

Muirfield knowledge will help Mark Hillson in Amateur bid

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Craigielaw's Mark Hillson, a quarter-finalist in last year's event, has good reason to be looking forward to next week's Amateur Championship at Muirfield.
That's because the former Lothians champion knows the Open Championship venue a lot better than most others in the field due to the fact he sometimes does a bit of caddying there.

"Last year's event was the highlight of my season and it would obviously be good to enjoy another good run in the event," said Hillson.

"I've done a fair bit of caddying at Muirfield and hopefully the knowledge I've gained will stand me in good stead."

The event returns to the East Lothians links for the first time since 1998, when Sergio Garcia lifted the title, beating Welshman Craig Williams in the final.

Hillson, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, is part of a 56-strong Scottish contingent bidding to secure a first home victory since Stuart Wilson won at St Andrews in 2004.
The highest-ranked of the 56 is Banchory's James Byrne, who reached the last 16 at Formby in 2009.
Next on the list, Colville Park's Ross Kellett, reached the quarter-finals at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2007, before losing out to fellow Scot and Challenge Tour player Callum Macaulay 4 and 3. He said: "I feel pretty comfortable around Muirfield.
"I played in the Home Internationals there in 2008, and a Scottish Golf Union team plays against a members' select team every season as well. That experience can only help during the Amateur.
"My match-play record is good, but the first priority is coming through qualifying. Missing my last two cuts is disappointing (the Scottish Stroke Play Championship and the St Andrews Links Trophy], but I feel I've been playing well enough, I've just not been getting any breaks. You need a bit of luck at times.
"Hopefully I'll be ready at the Amateur. There's a lot at stake that week, what with the chance of playing in The Open and the Masters if you win. But you have to forget all of that and stay focused on the job."
A total of 288 players will play two rounds of stroke-play, one each at Muirfield and North Berwick on Monday and Tuesday, before 64 players and ties progress to the match play rounds beginning on Wednesday at Muirfield.
A place at the 150th anniversary Open Championship st St Andrews next month and the 2011 Masters Tournament are on offer for the champion.

Aberdeen Links Championship

SCRATCH QUARTER--FINALS
Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) bt Alan Doig (Caledonian) 2 and 1.
Lee Morrice (Caledonian) bt Scott Carmichael (Caledonian) 2 and 1.
Alex Cruickshank (Caledonian) bt Phil Boyce (Northern) 5 and 4.
Barry Reid (Caledonian) bt Sean Murray (Bon Accord) 5 and 4.

HANDICAP SHIELD - QUARTER-FINALS
C Laing (Caledonian) (8) bt S Davidson (Northern) (5) at 19th.
C Johnstone (Northern) (8) bt A Divers (Caledonian) (6) 3 and 2.
V Smith (Bon Accord) (6) bt D Forbes (Caledonian) (6) 1 hole.
W Shand (Bon Accord) (8) bt R Allerton (Bon Accord) (5) 2 and 1.

MURRAY CUP - QUARTER-FINALS
J Hay (Northern) (12) bt D Barclay (Bon Accord) (14) 3 and 1.
F Kennedy (Bon Accord) (12) bt I Stewart (Bonb Accord) (18) 1 hole.
M Rimmer (Caledonian) (13) bt C Taylor (Northern) (12) 5 and 4.
J Hosie (Northern) (11) bt G Mackie (Caledonian) (10) 4 and 3.

MONDAY EVENING MATCHES

LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
5.00 B.Edmond (BA) v L.Morrice (C)
5.10 A.Cruickshank (C) v B.Reid (C)

HANDICAP SHIELD
5.20 C.Laing (C) (7) v C.Johnstone (N) (8)
5.30 M.Smith (BA) (6) v W.Shand (BA) (8)

MURRAY CUP
5.40 J.Hay (N) (12) v F.Kennedy (BA) (11)
5.50 M.Rimmer (C) (13) v J.Hosie (N) (11).

Woods, Westwood and Els in US Open threesome

Tiger Woods has been paired with in-form Englishman Lee Westwood for next week's US Open at Pebble Beach.
The pair will also play with two-time tournament winner Ernie Els from South Africa.
Woods, who will be chasing his fourth US Open victory, has struggled with his form of late, failing to make the cut at the Quail Hollow Championship in April before finishing in a tie for 19th at last week's Memorial tournament in Ohio.
He did, though, manage a joint fourth-place finish at the Masters at Augusta on his comeback to golf after his self-imposed absence following revelations about his private life.
Westwood, who is chasing his first major title, has been in fine form of late.
The Worksop player has claimed a top-three finish in the last three majors.
Ireland's Padraig Harrington will line up alongside four-time major winner Phil Mickelson and YE Yang.
Ian Poulter will play with Yuta Ikeda and Henrik Stenson, while Sergio Garcia, Steve Stricker and Paul Casey will also tee off together.