Leading prizewinners at the conclusion of the Royal Dotnoch tournament. Left to right; Denis Bethune (president Royal Dornoch Golf Club), Campbell Thomson (winner of EC Fraser Shield), Alex MacDonald (Carnegie Shield winner) Hamish Macrae (captain Royal Dornoch GC), Craig Stewart (winner Davidson Trophy), Eileen Macrae (captain's wife). Image by Robin Wilson.

Alex MacDonald wins
-
Carnegie Shield at

Royal Dornoch

By ROBIN WILSON
There has been sporting rivalry between the two communities for over a century so when the Carnegie Shield final at Royal Dornoch on Saturday afternoon threw up a final between two members, one local, Chris Mailley and from neighbouring Embo, Alex MacDonald, there was that extra edge to the showdown with both communities turning out in number to support their favourite sons.
The finalists are of similar backgrounds, both trained greenkeepers, MacDonald aged 29 having served his apprenticeship at Royal Dornoch then a period at Wentworth before taking charge of the Golspie course, and Mailley, a year younger, apprenticed at Skibo where he is still employed. Both have also been in one previous final, MacDonald a loser to Jimmy Gunn in 2006, and Mailley a first time winner last year.
To reach the semi finals the holder faced his sternest test in the quarters where he overcame the leading qualifier, former Scottish Internationalist Ian Brotherston (Dumfries and County) by 2 and 1 then to run up against Brotherston's travelling companion Ian Fraser. At three behind after the first nine holes of the semi-final against Fraser Mailley was on track to losing his hold of the Shield before the Borderer's game collapsed on the second nine and Mailley took his defence forward to the final with a 3&2 result.
In the lower half of the draw MacDonald saw the number three seed, Bruce Thomson (Inverness) fall at the first hurdle before he then put himself forward as a series contender with a quarter-final success over the holder of the lowest handicap (+4) in the event, American Scott Saal from Bayville, Virginia Beach. MacDonald won this tight tie at the 20th where the American fell foul of Dornoch's second hole bunkers.
In the last month the Golspie Head Greenkeeper has shown excellent form over the course he cares for, a course record and an Open 36 hole Sinclair Cup win, but still standing in his way to the final was the most successful American to have played in the Carnegie Shield, Andrew Biggadike, from the Olympic Club, San Francisco, winner of three finals in the past seven years and this year the first American to win the member's Silver Medal in the qualifying rounds with his two scores of 74.
Biggadike was number two seed in the draw.
The hard fought Biggadike/ MacDonald semi lasted over four hours and went to the first extra hole where Biggadike repeated his green-side error of the 18th hole when one up by again taking three again to get down at the 19th to hand MacDonald his place in the final.
Final, First Hole. With just thirty minutes before returning to the first tee and as his Embo supporters were still arriving MacDonald found the middle of the first fairway and Mailley his first errant drive which would become a feature of the next thirteen holes. MacDonald goes one up with birdie.
2nd and 3rd Holes. Mailley birdies the second and finds his only fairway drive of the game from the third tee. Hole halved in four. All square
4th and 5th holes. Mailley's first lost ball from pulled drive from 4th tee. Over corrects on next hole and finds bunker from tee. Escapes to next bunker and loses both holes. MacDonald two up.
6th hole. MacDonald makes birdie two – three up
7th hole. MacDonald loses ball from tee and Mailley from second shot. Half in six.
8th and 9th holes Out of bounds from 8th tee by Mailley and after MacDonald birdies the par five 9th hole his supporters are already preparing their celebrations in Embo's world famous Grannie's Heilan Hame.
10th and 11th holes MacDonald bunkered at ten and Mailley's three wins the hole but another ball goes into bushes from the Holder at the 11thand MacDonald reinstates his five hole lead.
12th and 13th holes. The end is nye for Mailley's' year as champion, when he loses the 12th to a par five, dormy six down, and MacDonald celebrates his first Carnegie Shield with the half in three on the 13th green. Result 6 and 5.
Ahead, the final of the Class 1 handicap Davidson Trophy was proceeding towards an expected home win for another local member. Gordon Sutherland ended the retention of the trophy by his young club mate Niall Campbell in the semi final and was two holes ahead of Craig Stewart (Dunbar GC), with just two holes remaining. Stewart finished the stronger. He won the 16th & 17th and went in front for the only time in the game when he holed a 12 foot putt on the final green for par four and win by one hole.
Already on its way out of Dornoch was the Class 2 handicap Ellis Fraser Shield. Strathpeffer's Campbell Thomson had as his caddy his partner and Royal Dornoch lady champion Cara Gruber and together they did not slip up over the closing stretch. Thomson's two hole early lead was lost to Lonniddry's Ron Nisbet at the 10th and 12th holes but in receipt of a stroke at the 14th Thomson went back into the lead and went dormy two ahead with a par four on the 16th. Nisbet lost a ball at the 17th to lose the hole and the match 3 and 1.
The new Captain's wife. Eileen Macrae presented the trophies and also in attendance was Royal Dornoch's new President, Denis Bethune, who succeeded the late Dr. John H Grant and the 97th winner of the Carnegie Shield gave the vote of thanks.

ADRIAN OTAEGUI WINS 2010 BOYS'

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE RandA
Spain’s Adrian Otaegui has become the Champion Boy Golfer for the Year after winning the 2010 Boys Amateur Championship. He defeated Germany’s Max Rottluff 4 and 3 in today’s 36-hole final at a cloudless Kilmarnock (Barassie). Otaegui is the next in a long line of Spanish winners of the event, including Jose Maria Olazabal in 1983, Sergio Garcia in 1997 and Pablo Martin in 2001.
Having been all-square after the 20th hole, the 17-year-old from San Sebastian, who now lives near Biarritz in France, struck a telling blow in winning four consecutive holes from the 21st to the 24th with scores of par, birdie, bogey and par, respectively.
Otaegui had his lead cut to three-up after a Rottluff birdie on the 29th hole, but a birdie for a half on the 30th, followed by three consecutive pars, saw him claim victory on the 33rd after his opponent could only make bogey.
“I am very excited to win this Championship. I played well. I didn’t putt as well as the other days, but I was solid with the irons and I think I only missed two fairways in the afternoon,” said the full Spanish international, who earns an exemption into the 2011 Amateur Championship at Hillside and Hesketh. “The four holes from hole three were very important. I didn’t make many mistakes and Max missed the green a few times.
“It’s amazing to have my name on the trophy next to Garcia, Olazabal and the other good players from Spain who have won. Olazabal is my hero and I sometimes practise with him, so I will call him tonight to let him know that I am the winner. I’m sure he’ll be very happy.
“It has been a great week and I liked this course very much,” added Otaegui, who has been selected in the nine-man team to represent the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy Match against Great Britain and Ireland on 27 and 28 August at Castelconturbia in Italy.
For Rottluff, who played alongside Otaegui in the stroke play qualifying rounds, it was a disappointing end to the Championship. But the 17-year-old from Dusseldorf was, nevertheless, pleased with the way the week had gone.
“I actually played better today than I did in the last two days, but it did not go my way and Adrian played very well,” said Rottluff. “The four holes that I lost together this afternoon were bad for me. It’s very difficult to come back against a player as good as him from four holes away.
“I’ve have had a good Championship and I’m happy that I got to the final of the Boys Amateur. I will be back next year to see if I can win it.”
Burnham and Berrow, along with Enmore Park, will host the Boys Amateur Championship on 9-14 August 2011.

STEVENSON OUTLASTS INNES TO WIN

NORTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN

St Andrews University graduate Gordon Stevenson, a member at Whitecraigs Golf Club, Giffnock, and former Scotland international Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) turned the North-east District Open golf championship into a two-horse race over Sunday’s final 36 holes of the four-round SGU Order of Merit event at Cruden Bay.

Stevenson, 21, a former Scottish Under-16 boys' champion,  shot rounds of 67, 70, 71 and 73 for a one-over-par total of 281.

He won by three shots from Innes, a former semi-finalist at Muirfield in the one of the last British mid-amateur championships to be played and beaten semi-finalist in the Scottish amateur championship at Royal Troon last year.
It was Stevenson's first SGU Order of Merit tournament victory. Prior to this his best golfing win was in the 2009 Boyd Quaich international students tournament over four rounds at St Andrews.

Innes had rounds of 68, 69, 72 and 75 for 284.

After Saturday’s 36 holes in calm, sunny conditions, it was Stevenson, pictured right, and Innes locked togethercin the lead on three-under-par 137 – two shots ahead of local man Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon).

Sunday morning’s third round saw the leading pair draw clear, Stevenson with a 71 for 208, Innes a 72 for 209 … with Dunton, now joined by Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) five shots back on 214.

Stevenson could not get near the Cruden Bay par of 70 in the windy conditions for the fourth round but a 73 was still two shots better than Innes for a comfortable three-shot victory on 281 to Innes’ 284.

Dunton (287), last year’s Scottish amateur champion David Law (Hazlehead) (289) and Chris Gilbert (McDonald Ellon) (290) ensured that North-east representatives filled positions 2-3-4-5, with Neilson sharing that fifth spot on 290.
It was Law's highest finish in an Order of Merit event since receiving a knuckle injury in an uprovoked assault in an Aberdeen city centre street last November. Neilson was a semi-finalist in the Allied Surveyors' Scottish amateur championship at Gullane recently.
Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen), winner of the previous 72-hole event on the Scottish amateur circuit, the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal, had to withdraw after injuring a wrist at the 17th in Saturday's second round.

The tournament was sponsored by Crimond Estates Ltd.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 280 (4x70)

281 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 67 70 71 73.

284 Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) 68 69 72 75.

287 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 69 70 7573.

289 David Law (Hazlehead) 74 69 74 72.

290 Chris Gilbert (McDonald Ellon) 69 73 77 71, Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) 72 68 74 76.

291 Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 70 75 75 71, Neil Henderson (Glen) 72 73 73 73, Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) 73 70 75 73.

293 Michael Daily (Erskine) 73 74 74 72, James Ross (Royal Burgess) 73 71 73 76.

294 Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall) 72 73 78 71, Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 77 75 70 72, Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 70 72 77 75, Grant Carnie (Newburgh on Ythan) 72 75 71 76.

295 Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 76 73 75 71.

296 Andrew Wallace (Glenbervie) 72 77 76 71, Chris Lawton (Falkirk Tryst) 74 75 74 73, Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) 71 882 72 73, Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) 74 74 76 74., Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) 71 72 75 78.

300 Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 73 77 76 74.

301 Daniel Thompsett (Aboyne) 74 74 78 75.

302 Cameron Gray (West Kilbride) 72 77 77 76, Daniel Kay (Dunbar) 72 75 78 77.

303 Jamie Reid (Cruden Bay) 74 78 76 75, Stewart McCulloch (McDonald Ellon) 76 75 77 75, George Finlay (Ballumbie Castle) 73 76 76 78, Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 77 69 78 79..

304 Ross McKen (Newquay) 77 77 73 77, David Morrison (Duff House Royal) 79 72 75 78.

306 John Duff (Newmachar) 76 75 80 75, Malcolm Campbell (Swanston) 73 74 76 83.

307 Robert Carson (Dalmahoy Hotel) 84 70 76 77, Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) 75 76 79 77.

312 Hamish King (McDonald Ellon) 70 76 81 77.

315 Steven Smith (Dalmahoy Hotel) 73 77 87 78.

316 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 78 70 88 80.

Withdrew: Mark Hillson (Craigielaw) 77 75, Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) 76 73.

ALPS TOUR REPORT, SCORES

DEAR GAINS EXEMPTION FROM STAGE 1 OF EUROPEAN TOUR SCHOOL QUALIFYING

Gavin Dear finished joint fourth in the weekend Alps Tour event, the Omnium of Belgium, today and that was good enough to promote him from seventh to sixth place in the Order of Merit.
The top six at the end of the tournament automatically gained exemption from Stage 1 of the European Tour School qualifying process which begins shortly.
Dear leapfrogged Spain’s Carlos Balmaseda who started the tournament in sixth place on the Order of Merit table but finished joint 30th in Belgium on 285.
Over the counting events since the start of the 2010 Alps Tour circuit, Dear totalled 17,988 Euros to Balmaseda’s 17,963 Euros which meant the man from Perthshire pipped his rival by only 25 Euros.
Dear’s rounds in Belgium were 74 65 66 and 71 for 276 and a payslip of 1,882 Euros. He finished three shots behind the winner of the 6,525 Euros top prize, Austria’s Uli Weinhandl with 71, 68, 74 and 70 for 11 under-par 273 and a one shot win from Englishman Jason Kelly who earned 4,432 Euros.
Steven Hume, Gavin Dear’s fellow traveller from Perthshire, finished joint 27th on 284 after a destructive last round of 76. His earlier efforts were 73, 67 and 68. He earned 609 Euros.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
273 Uli Weinhandl (Austria) 71 68 64 70 (6,525 Euros).
274 Jason Kelly (England) 768 67 70 69 (4,4232 Euros)
275 Baptiste Chapellan (Francer) 67 72 68 68 (2,880 Euros).
276 Matthew Cryer (England) 67 72 70 67, Nicolas Joakimedes (France) 69 71 68 68, Inigo Orquizu (Spain) 69 69 69 69, Marco Crespi (Italy) 68 71 68 69, Romain Schneider (France) 70 68 67 71, Gavin Dear (Scotland) 74 65 66 71 (1,882 Euros each).
Selected scores:
278 Jason Palmer (England) 68 67 70 73 (12th) (999 Euros).
281 Farren Keenan (England) 73 69 69 70, Richard Kilpatrick (Northern Ireland) 69 71 70 71 (726 Euros each).
284 Steven Hume (Scotland) 73 67 68 76 (jt 27th) (609 Euros).

ALPS TOUR ORDER OF MERIT
1 Jason Palmer (England) 33,724.
2 Matteo Delpodio (Italy) 31,282.
Also:
5 Matthew Cryer (England) 21,407.
6 Gavin Dear (Scotloand) 17,988.
7 Carlos Balmaseda (Spain) !7,963.

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

Tullo snatches victory from Manassero

BY SARAH GWYNN
Challenge Tour Press Officer
Chile’s Mark Tullo carded a stunning seven under par 65 in the final round of the Rolex Trophy to deny Italian teenager Matteo Manassero his first professional victory.
The 17 year old was leading by one with three holes to play but he bogeyed the 16th and 17th to slip back to 21 under for the tournament. He had a 30ft putt for birdie at the last which would have forced a play-off with Tullo, but it slid past the hole and he had to settle for a two under par 70 at Golf Club de Genève.
Manassero led by three shots from Alex Kaleka heading into the final day following rounds of 66, 67 and 64, and while the Frenchman was unable to mount a strong enough challenge, finishing with a 69, Tullo, four strokes back at the start of the round, applied sufficient pressure with some masterful putting.
The 32 year old bogeyed the first but bounced back with eight birdies – four on each nine – to better his previous three rounds of 69, 66 and 66. His progress gradually turned up the heat on Manassero, who stoically stayed in front with five birdies between the fourth and 14th, but as the course came under a deluge, it was the Chilean who edged ahead as his rival slipped up.
“I can’t even understand how I won,” admitted Tullo,” who won a €24,400 and a Rolex watch. “I was expecting Matteo to shoot way under again today. He’s been playing amazingly. Today I really holed some great putts – and I have done all week. That was the key. I had putting lessons a week ago and it changed my whole approach.
“I’ve been playing well all year but have never putted well. This week I’ve putted really well and it’s made the difference. I always thought I could win but didn’t dare to dream too much. I’m very proud. It’s made a difference having my wife Manne here and our baby Daniel here. We go out to dinner, relax, we don’t miss each other… It does help.
“I wasn’t even looking at the scoreboard. I imagined he was way under and I just told myself to stick to my game and keep trying to make birdies. I didn’t even look at it on the 18th. Maybe the rain unsettled Matteo, I don’t know, and you never wish a fellow pro to make a bogey, but luckily Matteo bogeyed the 17th and I end up winning. It’s great.”
Manassero, who shot to prominence when he won the silver medal as a 16 year old amateur at last year’s Open Championship and then became the youngest player to make the cut at the Masters Tournament, admitted he felt very nervous, having not been in that situation before as a professional.
“It’s tough,” he said. “Probably because of the rain, too much pressure, it’s my first time in that situation… I don’t know. It’s a bad finish but it’s been a good week. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s just one of those things and I’m only 17 – there will be plenty more chances for me to win.
“I felt nervous at the start of the round but started playing okay and felt a little less pressure. But then the rain came as we approached the last few holes and I was pretty nervous. That’s probably what made me drop those two shots.
“Mark did very well. It’s a good score. I shot two under which is not a great score compared to what I’ve scored the last three rounds, but it’s okay.”
Spaniard Alvaro Velasco shot the round of the day, a nine under par 63 taking him to 14 under and joint fifth place.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
266 M Tullo (Chi) 69 66 66 65,
267 M Manassero (Ita) 66 67 64 70,
269 A Kaleka (Fra) 67 66 67 69,
272 G Murray (Sco) 68 69 67 68,
274 A Velasco (Esp) 71 71 69 63, M Carlsson (Swe) 65 71 71 67, R Russell (Sco) 65 73 68 68, M Thorp (Nor) 67 67 71 69,
275 P Edberg (Swe) 65 69 74 67, M Haines (Eng) 70 70 66 69, V Riu (Fra) 70 65 71 69,
276 J Elson (Eng) 69 71 68 68, L Slattery (Eng) 65 73 65 73,
277 S Walker (Eng) 69 70 67 71,
278 F De Vries (Ned) 71 72 69 66, J Clément (Sui) 66 75 66 71,
279 J Larsen (Nor) 70 72 69 68, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 68 73 70 68, B Evans (Eng) 72 68 69 70, M Zions (Aus) 70 67 72 70,
280 J Zapata (Arg) 69 68 73 70, A Tadini (Ita) 69 66 72 73,
281 T Olesen (Den) 74 70 70 67, C Baker (USA) 72 70 71 68, C Moriarty (Irl) 68 73 72 68, B Wiesberger (Aut) 71 72 66 72, S Manley (Wal) 70 68 71 72,
282 D Gaunt (Aus) 68 70 71 73, P Gustafsson (Swe) 69 66 72 75,
283 M Korhonen (Fin) 69 70 72 72,
284 P Del Grosso (Arg) 76 70 69 69, E Dubois (Fra) 70 69 76 69, E Saltman (Sco) 68 71 73 72,
285 J Sjöholm (Swe) 68 75 71 71,
286 C Ford (Eng) 67 75 76 68, S Davis (Eng) 75 73 68 70, C Russo (Fra) 71 69 75 71,
287 A Willey (Eng) 72 72 71 72, J Arruti (Esp) 72 69 73 73,
288 O Floren (Swe) 71 73 73 71,
294 D Vanegas (Col) 66 76 77 75,
296 D Denison (Eng) 74 69 78 75,

US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Rory McIlroy three behind leader Watney

FROM THE PGA.COM WEBSITE
By Gary Van Sickle
Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated
SHEBOYGAN, Wisconsin — The third round of the 2010 United States PGA Championship may be remembered for what didn't happen as much as for what did happen.
What didn't happen? Tiger Woods didn't charge into contention. Despite a nice rally while finishing his fog-delayed second round in the morning, Woods will conclude the year's final major without having a say in the outcome. He is in 31st place, 10 shots back. Woods fell so far so fast, with three bogeys on the front nine of the third round, that CBS quit showing his shots.
"No matter how good you hit it, you've still got to make putts," Woods said. "I didn't do that today."
What else didn't happen? Phil Mickelson didn't play his way into contention, either. He was hoping for a repeat of the 10-under-par weekend that won him this year's Masters, but to do that he's going to need an 11-under-par Sunday. Mickelson shot 73 on Saturday and fell to 48th place.
The signs weren't good right from the start, when he left himself a flip wedge approach on his opening hole, No. 10, but botched it, missing the green short and left.
Another thing that didn't happen: Whistling Straits failed to live up to its name. The course turned nasty late Friday afternoon, with whipping winds causing scores to suffer. The rain predicted for Saturday never materialised, however, and the wind didn't whistle (or even so much as hum a few bars).
Earlier this week it looked as though nine under par might be good enough to win this PGA, but by Saturday evening, as Lake Michigan glistened in the summer sun, three players finished double digits under par and one — Wenchong Liang, of China — posted a course-record 64. Soft fairways, soft greens and no wind add up to low scores.
"The course is the easiest I have seen it," said England's Paul Casey. "It is there for the taking, as Nick Watney has shown."
What did happen on Saturday was memorable, too.
Nick Watney took control of this championship with a scintillating run. The former Fresno State University star and two-time US PGA Tour winner raced into the lead with five birdies in the first seven holes. He added three more on the back nine to shoot 66 and push his total to 13 under par despite a bogey on the final hole.
Watney owns a three-shot lead over Dustin Johnson, your U.S. Open meltdown story, and Rory McIlroy, the boy wonder from Northern Ireland. There is a three-way tie for third at nine under.
Elsewhere, Liang, the first Chinese player to win the Asian Tour money title, played a flawless round with eight birdies and no bogeys; he vaulted into a tie for fourth, four shots back. "After I made the cut yesterday, I felt much more relaxed," Liang said. "So that started building the confidence. The driving and putting went very well, so it makes the whole round very good."
Liang once shot 60 in an Asian Tour event but said this performance was special because it's a major and, he added, "It makes people realise there are actually professional golfers in China. So this is a very special round."
Golf's youth movement made a serious statement on Saturday, too. Five of the top seven players are in their 20s: Watney (29), Johnson (26), McIlroy (21), Jason Day (22), and Martin Kaymer (25).
"The younger guys have been playing well all year, so it's not a shock to anyone," said Johnson. "We have contended in a lot of tournaments. We have won a lot of tournaments. So being a major, yes, this will be a little different, but not too much different than a regular tour event. Tomorrow is going to be a good show. You're going to have to go out and be somewhat aggressive, especially being a few shots back. But if you hit some good shots and make some putts early, you never know what's going to happen."
The old guard isn't completely missing in action. Forty-year-old Jim Furyk and 47-year-old Steve Elkington, the 1995 PGA Championship winner, are tied for seventh at eight under. The best senior moment on Saturday belonged to Tom Lehman, who is in the field after winning the Senior PGA Championship. Lehman made the video highlights with an ace at the par-3 17th hole and celebrated by high-fiving fans as he jogged along the gallery ropes.
The spotlight now turns to Sunday's finish, and it will be focused primarily on Watney. A three-shot lead is hardly safe in the final round of a major championship. Dustin Johnson is proof of that, if you recall his triple bogey at the second hole of the U.S. Open's final round, which led to an 82. This time, Johnson isn't the one with the tournament in his hands. That's Watney. He's got some experience, having won in New Orleans and at Torrey Pines. But if he falters, this event will burst wide open. Fifteen players are bunched between six under and 10 under.
Watney could put away his first major title with another run like the one he enjoyed Saturday afternoon, when he rolled in putt after putt. He shot 32 on the front nine, despite a bogey at the eighth, and added three more birdies on the back. The only ray of hope for the field was his bogey at the par-4 18th hole, where he has failed to hit the fairway or the green in regulation in three tries.
Johnson knows exactly what pressure Watney is going to be feeling with Sunday's lead. "It's going to be a long day," Johnson said. "You've got to stay patient. I think maybe I got a little impatient at Pebble Beach, started moving a little too fast. Tomorrow, I'm really going to focus on being patient and hitting quality shots.
"Any time you've been in that situation and kind of know what to expect, you've got a leg up on the other people because not everyone's been in the lead of a major. So I'm pretty confident and I'm playing well. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
Said McIlroy, "At Pebble Beach, Dustin got off to a very shaky start and Graeme McDowell had the lead nearly fall into his lap a little bit. You're going to have to make a few birdies out here. The course played very, very soft. So I'm not going to go out and be overly aggressive and be stupid, but you're going to have to give yourself plenty of chances if you want to take the lead off Nick, because he's obviously playing very well and doesn't look like he's going to let it go too easily."
Watney piled up a slew of birdies in the third round and needed only 25 putts. He lost a small piece of his lead at the 18th, where he drove it poorly and laid up in the left rough. He played conservatively from there and settled for a two-putt from 40 feet for bogey.
"I was spot on with my wedges and my putting," Watney said. "As far as tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's going to be fun. I can only control what I do. The nature of this golf course is there are train wrecks everywhere. So every hole is pivotal. "

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
203 Nick Watney 69 68 66
206 Dustin Johnson 71 68 67, Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 71 68 67
207 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 68 67, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 72 71 64, Jason Day (Aus) 69 72 66
208 Jim Furyk 70 68 70, Jason Dufner 73 66 69, Zach Johnson 69 70 69, Steve Elkington (Aus) 71 70 67
209 Matt Kuchar 67 69 73, Bubba Watson 68 71 70, Bryce Molder 72 67 70
210 Simon Dyson (Eng) 71 71 68, Simon Khan (Eng) 69 70 71
211 Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 68 71 72, Ernie Els (Rsa) 68 74 69, Stewart Cink 77 68 66
212 Steve Stricker 72 72 68, Brian Davis (Eng) 71 72 69, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 68 73 71, David Toms 74 71 67, David Horsey (Eng) 72 71 69, D.A. Points 70 72 70, Vijay Singh (Fij) 73 66 73, Stephen Gallacher (Sco) 71 69 72, Bo Van Pelt 73 67 72, Camilo Villegas (Col) 71 71 70, Brandt Snedeker 75 70 67, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 71 70 71
213 Tiger Woods 71 70 72, Brian Gay 72 70 71, Heath Slocum 73 72 68, Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor) 70 72 71, Hunter Mahan 74 71 68, Peter Hanson (Swe) 71 71 71, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 71 71 71, Paul Casey (Eng) 72 71 70, Tim Clark (Rsa) 72 71 70, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 71 72 70
214 Brendon De Jonge 74 66 74, Ben Crane 73 68 73, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 73 69 72, K J Choi (Kor) 74 69 71, Ryan Palmer 71 68 75, Troy Matteson 72 72 70, Rickie Fowler 73 71 70
215 Phil Mickelson 73 69 73, J.B. Holmes 72 66 77, Justin Leonard 73 69 73, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 70 70 75, Charles Howell III 69 74 72
216 Kevin Na 74 71 71, Adam Scott (Aus) 72 73 71, Marc Leishman (Aus) 71 73 72, Martin Laird (Sco) 70 74 72, Darren Clarke (NIrl) 74 70 72, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 70 73 73, Ross McGowan (Eng) 73 72 71
217 Davis Love III 73 72 72, Tom Lehman 74 70 73, Rhys Davies (Wal) 71 71 75, Ryan Moore 69 76 72
218 Rob Labritz 73 71 74, Chad Campbell 70 70 78, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 76 68 74, Shaun Micheel 73 69 76, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 72 73 73
219 Jeff Overton 74 71 74, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 74 71 74, D.J. Trahan 72 73 74
221 Ian Poulter (Eng) 72 72 77

SPAIN’S OTAEGUI HAS CHANCE TO EMULATE OLAZABAL AND GARCIA

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE RandA
Spain’s Adrian Otaegui has the chance to follow in the footsteps of countrymen Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia if he can defeat Germany’s Max Rottluff in today's 36-hole final of the 2010 Boys Amateur Championship.
Since Garcia’s victory in 1997 a further three Spaniards have won the event: Alfonso Gutierrez in 1999; Pablo Martin in 2001; and Emilio Cuartero in 2007.
The 17-year-old Otaegui, who finished second in the Coupe Murat and third at the Brabazon Trophy earlier in the year, defeated Aaron Leitmannstetter 4 and 3 to reach the final, which will be contested at Kilmarnock (Barassie).
“I played well today. I was very consistent: I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens and I putted well,” said the current World Amateur Golf Ranking number 236. “I’m excited about the final, but for the moment I’m just going relax and get a good sleep.
“I don’t really have a game plan. It will depend on the wind and the pin positions if I am aggressive or not. I really like links courses and my golf is good, so I think it will be a good day.”
After having been all-square after 10, Otaegui, who needed 22 holes to overcome France’s Julien Brun in his quarter-final, won the 11th, 12th, 13th and 15th holes after Leitmannstetter lost the form that had seen him take an early one-hole lead.
“I didn’t play so bad this afternoon but I made a few mistakes – two bad drives – and then I couldn’t get back,” explained the German. “I have enjoyed playing on this course and I will caddie for Max tomorrow.”
Compatriot Max Rottluff, winner of May’s Scottish Youths Championship at Monifieth by 10 shots, secured his passage to the final with a 2 and 1 victory over Ireland’s Jeff Hopkins. In a closely-fought encounter, the lead was exchanged three times before 18-year-old Hopkins’ challenge finally ended in the gorse, right of the 17th fairway.
“I played a bit better this afternoon than in the morning. In the final it has to be better again,” said Rottluff, who, like his opponent, needed extra holes to win a quarter-final encounter against Scotland’s Conor O’Neil. “It’s a long week, of course, but at the moment the adrenaline rush is keeping me going. We’ll see what happens in the final, but at the moment I feel great!
“It’s been another very good Championship for Germany. I think this has been the best year for the team for a long time. So we hope for the best in the final.”
Defeated semi-finalist Hopkins said: “Just at the end there, a tired swing crept in and I started leaking it right. It’s been a good week. He was just better on the day.”
The 36-hole final begins at 8.30am, with the second round due to commence at 1pm.
Live scores and live text commentary will appear on www.RandA.org throughout the day.
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