FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
GREENSBORO, North Carolina (AP) — Many players came to the Wyndham Championship for a push into the US PGA Tour's play-offs. Not Arjun Atwal. He was playing for his spot on tour.
Atwal won by a stroke at Sedgefield Country Club, becoming the first Monday qualifier to win on the tour in 24 years.
After leading or sharing the lead after each of the first three rounds, Atwal shot a 3-under 67 in the final round. He finished at 20-under 260 and earned $918,000 - or, more than double the amount he previously earned this year, the reason why his future on tour had been in jeopardy.

"I told my caddie, 'We've got nothing to lose this week. Just go out there and try and win it,'" Atwal said. "Guys are going to be out there trying to secure their FedEx Cup spots or whatever. We've got nothing. I don't have a card. I don't have anything. Just go out there and free-wheel it, and that's what I did this week."

He's the first Indian-born player to win on tour and the first to win both the qualifier and the tournament that follows since Fred Wadsworth at the 1986 Southern Open.

David Toms (64) was 19 under. John Mallinger and Aberdeen-born Australian Michael Sim shot 62s to match John Rollins (65) and Justin Leonard (65) at 18 under.

For a few dizzying moments late in a low-scoring day, seven players shared the lead at 18 under.

Atwal, who carried a three-stroke lead into the final round, was at 19 under for most of the day but bogeyed the par-3 12th a few minutes before Lucas Glover bogeyed 14 and Toms, Rollins and Leonard all birdied No. 16.

"It just kept changing," Atwal said. "Everybody's tied for the lead at a certain point."

Atwal reclaimed the lead with a birdie on No. 14, Leonard birdied No. 17 and Toms birdied No. 18 to join them at 19 under. Leonard dropped back a stroke after running into trouble on 18, while Atwal still had three holes to play - giving him more than enough chances to settle things himself.

Atwal made his move on the par-3 16th, plopping his tee shot 6 feet from the flagstick and sinking his birdie putt to move to 20 under. He followed that with consecutive pars, sinking a 7-foot putt on No. 18 before dropping his putter and extending his arms upward in jubilation after closing out his first tour victory.

"I was thinking about going to the (driving) range, but when he got to 20 under and they said he had a 15-footer on 17, I just went in the clubhouse and tried to cool off," Toms said. "I was ready to go to the range, if need be, but good for (Atwal). I know it's tough to get that first victory. ... I'm sure that he was battling some nerves, and to pour it in from 6-8 feet on that last hole was pretty impressive."

Glover (67) finished at 17 under, and Webb Simpson (63), Chris Riley (64), Scott Piercy (68) and second-round co-leader Brandt Snedeker (69) were one stroke behind him.

Atwal, who has won on the European, Asian and Nationwide tours, certainly has been through plenty during the past few years.

The player, perhaps best known for his practice rounds with Tiger Woods, is ineligible for the play-offs and lost his tour card last month because he was too low on the money list when his minor medical exemption ran out. That came after he said he returned too soon following weightlifting injuries to both shoulders.

Three years ago, a driver trying to race him down an Orlando street died in a crash. Atwal was cleared of any wrongdoing, although the year-long investigation took an emotional toll.

Glover made five consecutive birdies, sinking four putts from 14 feet or beyond, to catch Atwal, then briefly had the lead all to himself with a birdie on No. 9 that put him at 20 under. That didn't last long: He sent his drive on No. 10 into the rough and three-putted for bogey, and slipped out of contention after he was 3 over on the back nine.

"I didn't make anything coming in," Glover said. "Don't win doing that."

The Wyndham marked the last chance for players to pick up points for the play-offs that begin next week in New Jersey.
Michael Letzig, who arrived at Sedgefield at No. 125 on the points list, finished 14 under move to 118th place, solidifying his spot in The Barclays.
"The goal is to give myself another tournament to play," he said. "I'm in, so (I'll) see what happens."
Others weren't so fortunate. Mallinger started at No. 163 on the points list, but initially figured a final round that included six birdies and an eagle was good enough to propel him into next week. But when others joined him in a tie for third on the leaderboard, he slipped to 132nd place in the standings and finished roughly 40 points out of the playoff picture.
Jeff Quinney, who arrived at No. 127, only moved up one spot on the list and finished about 3 points shy of making the postseason field with his 12 under.
"I could have taken care of my own business today," Quinney said.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
260 Arjun Atwal (Ind) 61 67 65 67
261 David Toms 64 68 65 64
262 Justin Leonard 68 63 66 65, John Rollins 64 65 68 65, Michael Sim (Aus) 66 68 66 62, John Mallinger 65 67 68 62
263 Lucas Glover 64 65 67 67
264 Chris Riley 67 69 64 64, Scott Piercy 66 66 64 68, Brandt Snedeker 63 65 69 67, Webb Simpson 66 64 71 63.
265 Will MacKenzie 68 64 65 68, Scott McCarron 65 68 63 69, Joe Durant 68 67 66 64, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe) 67 67 69 62, Tim Petrovic 66 68 66 65, Garrett Willis 66 66 65 68
266 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 64 68 68 66, Michael Letzig 66 68 67 65, Aron Price (Aus) 67 69 65 65, Tim Herron 67 64 69 66, Kevin Streelman 64 65 70 67, Kevin Na 66 71 61 68, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 67 66 65 68, Marc Leishman (Aus) 66 66 70 64, Tom Gillis 69 67 64 66, Josh Teater 66 68 67 65
267 Bob Estes 66 70 65 66, Kirk Triplett 69 68 67 63, Bill Haas 69 65 65 68, Chad Collins 68 67 67 65, Andres Romero (Arg) 66 67 65 69, James Driscoll 67 67 67 66
268 Jerry Kelly 66 67 66 69, J J Henry 71 66 67 64, Jason Dufner 66 69 68 65, Jeff Quinney 66 70 64 68, Martin Laird (Sco) 67 65 66 70, Brett Wetterich 70 66 68 64, Jonathan Byrd 66 66 68 68
269 Brian Stuard 69 66 66 68, Garth Mulroy (S Africa) 68 68 65 68, Alex Prugh 69 64 67 69, Mark Wilson 68 67 67 67, John Daly 68 68 69 64, Drew Weaver 67 70 64 68, Jason Gore 65 69 70 65, D.J. Trahan 69 68 66 66
270 Jerry Jr. Richardson 70 66 67 67, Glen Day 67 67 65 71, Briny Baird 66 68 68 68, Troy Merritt 67 70 66 67
271 Spencer Levin 65 67 71 68, Kent Jones 66 70 69 66, Paul Stankowski 67 67 69 68, Greg Owen (Eng) 69 67 65 70, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 66 69 68 68, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 68 69 66 68, Cameron Beckman 67 69 65 70, Boo Weekley 64 67 71 69, Rocco Mediate 70 67 67 67, Troy Matteson 68 67 68 68, Frank Lickliter II 70 67 68 66
272 James Nitties (Aus) 67 68 66 71
273 Charles Warren 67 69 69 68, John Merrick 68 67 69 69, Omar Uresti 69 66 69 69, Mathias Gronberg (Swe) 67 68 70 68, Skip Kendall 66 70 68 69, Blake Adams 65 71 69 68
274 Steve Marino 69 65 74 66, Chris DiMarco 67 68 68 71, Derek Lamely 70 66 66 72
275 Michael Connell 66 69 68 72
276 Kris Blanks 69 68 69 70, Robert Garrigus 69 66 71 70
277 Daniel Chopra (Swe) 70 65 73 69
280 Jay Williamson 65 70 72 73

Cameron Mitchell wins Fife boys' match-play title
Cameron Mitchell added the Fife boys' match-play championship to the Lundin and Leven Thistle men's club titles, which he won earlier in the season, at Forrester Park.
Results:
FIRST ROUND
C Mitchell (Lundin) w.o. B Kinsley (St Andrews) scr.
J Douglas (Aberdour) bt K Leitch (Thornton) 3 and 1.
J Jamieson (St Andrews New) bt C Smith (Canmore) 3 and 2.
M Buchan (Balbirnie) bt A Davidson (Charleton) 1 hole. 
SEMI-FINALS
Mitchell bt Douglas 2 and 1.
Buchan bt Jamieson 2 and 1.
FINAL
Mitchell bt Buchan 5 and 3.

+Josh Jamieson of St Andrews New Club returned this weekend to Forrester Park, where earlier this year he set a course record of five-under-par 67.
Josh, playing in the Fife boys' match-play championship over the testing course, received a photographic presentation from the Forrester family in recognition of his achievement.
He was presented with this by Don Deveney of Fife Golfing Association.

CROW WOOD PIP CAMBUSLANG FOR LANARKSHIRE TITLE

Crow Wood came in late in the day to pip Cambuslang, who had led all day, to win the Lanarkshire team championship for the James Brown Trophy. Cambuslang's total of 212 had looked sure to win all afternoon until Crow Wood's team of Len Grindrod, Jordan Gallagher and Robert Jenkins came in late with scores of 70, 69 and 70.
They will now represent Lanarkshire in the Scottish Final at Fortrose and Rosemarkie on September 26.
RESULTS
209 CROW WOOD
Len Grindrod 70
Jordan Gallagher 69
Robert Jenkins 70
212 CAMBUSLANG 1
Kevin Loughrie 72
Graham Rodger 71
Michael McKay 69
216 WISHAWAlan Armit 71
Colin McLeod 69
Stuart Cassidy 76
217 CAMBUSLANG 2
John J Smith 70
Paul Foy 74
Colin Kerr 73
219 HAMILTON
Derek Loudon 73
Stewart Henderson 74
Euan Moir 72
219 AIRDRIE
David Ford 71
David Craig 75
Robbie Main 73


Best Scratch score
 (by virtue of best back nine)
Jordan Gallagher (Crow Wood) 69

Ballumbie Castle make local knowledge pay

Ballumbie Castle, playing over their home course, won the Angus men's county team championship today with a four-man total of 297.
They finished six shots ahead of runners-up Carnoustie Caledonia.
With a three-man score of 224, Ballumbie Castle also won the right to be the Angus representatives in the Scottish area club team championship final at Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club, north of Inverness, on Sunday, September 2.

Dramatic finish to North of Scotland open amateur stroke-play

Steven Rennie (Drumpellier), Paul Shields (Kirkhill) and Inverness Golf Club captain David Connell (image by courtesy of Robin Wilson).

SHIELDS BEATS RENNIE IN INVERNESS PLAY-OFF TO WIN DAVID BLAIR TROPHY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Kirkhill’s Paul Shields won his first SGU 72-hole Order of Merit at Inverness this evening but not before the 19-year-old had come through the tension of a sudden-death play-off against Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) to win the North of Scotland men’s open amateur stroke-play championship for the David Blair Trophy.

They had tied on 276 after Rennie, in the much improved calm conditions, had produced two Sunday best rounds of five-under-par 64 to catch third-round leader Shields who had third and fourth round scores of 66 and 67.
The first hole in the play-off was halved in 4 before Shields won the title, the trophy and a £400 prize voucher with a 4 at the second play-off hole (the 18TH) to Rennie’s 5.
Shields, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, was beaten finalist in both the 2008 and 2009 Scottish boys’ championship finals. The young man who beat him on the latter occasion, at Royal Aberdeen, David Law (Hazlehead), finished third, two shots off the pace on 278 at Inverness with Sunday rounds of 65 and 68.
Having lowered the Hazlehead course record to 61 in midweek, Law seems  to be coming back to the form that won him the Scottish boys and men's amateur titles last year.
Fourth was Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie), Scottish amateur champion in 2005 at Southerness. Campbell recaptured some of his old form by leading at halfway with rounds of 70 and 72 in Saturday’s windier conditions.
But he could not hold the low-scoring young whippersnappers at bay when the wind dropped on the Sunday and he scored 69 and 71 for 282. Still it was a sign that there's a lot of good golf left in Campbell, especially when the conditions are testing.
Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs), pre-tournament favourite after winning the previous weekend’s North-east District Open by a comfortable margin, was disqualified on Saturday for signing a scorecard which contained a figure at one holer lower than he had actually taken.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 276 (4x69). CSS 73 73 71 70
276 Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 75 68 66 67, Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 77 71 64 64 (Shields won sudden death play-off at second extra hole).
278 David Law (Hazlehead) 73 72 65 68.
282 Glenn Campell (Blairgowrie) 70 72 69 71.
283 Peter Latimer (St Andrews New) 74 70 70 69.
287 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 72 73 74 688.
289 Michael Buchan (Cruden Bay) 74 75 72 69.
290 Ross Bell (Downfield) 81 70, 71 68, Jeff Wright (Forres) 74 70, 73 73.
291 Bruce Thomson (Inverness) 74 73 69 75.
293 Gary Thomson (Moray) 78 76 70 69.
294 Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 77 75 69 73, Philip McLean (Peterhead) 78 73 73 70, Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 72 76 75 71.
295 Graham Robertson (Silverknowes) 80 75 71 69, Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness) 76 77 69 73, Euan Forbes (Inverness) 74 76 72 73.
296 Sean Thomson (St Andrews) 76 73 73 74.
297 John Forbes (Inverness) 80 74 71 72, Mike MacDonald (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 74 74 78 71.
298 Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 79 75 75 69, Kevin Thomson (Moray) 77 76 73 72, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 75 75 73 75, Fraser Fotheringham (Nairn) 78 72 74 74.
299 Steven Neilson (Dunbar) 77 78 71 73, Allan Cameron (Inverness) 76 78 78 67, Jordan Milne (Elgin) 72 79 73 75.
301 Chris Gaittens (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 73 81 77 70, Lyle McAlpine (Invergordon) 74 80 77 70.
302 Neil McWilliam (Elgin) 72 78 81 71.
304 Stewart Tatters (Moray) 78 76 73 77, Lewis Reid (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 78 75 77 74.
305 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 72 77 82 74.
306 David Joel (Inverness) 77 75 82 72.
310 Colin Taylor (Kinloss) 71 83 80 76.
311 Euan Polson (Inverness) 81 74 77 79.
316 Jamie Treasurer (Inverness) 82 73 75 86.
NRs John Duff (Newmachar) 75 78 -, David Forsyth (Newmachar) 78 75 -,
Withdrew: Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 76 77 -.
MISSED THE CUT
156 Scott Moffat (Alloa) 80 76, Christopher Forman (Peterhead) 79 77, Michael Daily (Erskine) 76 + 80.
157 Joshua Clark (Royal Montrose) 79 78, Derek Ramsay (Elgin) 77 80. 1
158 Graeme Anderson (Keith) 84 74.
159 Rodger Clarke (Elgin) 77 82.
160 Sean Burgess (Nairn) 84 76, Aaron Sweeney (Carnoustie) 79 81.
163 Richard Barr (Newmachar) 88 75, Freddie Brown (Nairn Dunbar) 81 82.
164 Stuart Connell (Inverness) 83 81, Colin Brodie (Meldrum House) 83 81, Tom Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar ) 82 82.
165 Corin Stewart (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) 83 82.
166 Mark Morrissey (Mt Wolsey) 84 82.
171 Ewan Barras (Inverness) 82 89.
NRs Cameron Nelson (Nairn) 77 -, Cameron Dixon (Hopeman) 89 -.
Withdrew: Malcolm MacLeman (Moray) 72 81 153; Paul Betty (Lenzie) 79 -
Disqualified: Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs).

KELLY (61) BREAKS EASTER MOFFAT RECORD


Cawder's Chris Kelly slashed two strokes off Lindsay Mann's year-old pro course record with an eight-under-par round of 63 to win the £1,250 top prize in today's Easter Moffat Golf Club pro-am.
Kelly, pictured below by Cal Carson Golf Agency, was out in an excellent six-under-par 29 and won by four shots from Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) and Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park).
Andy Marshall (Houston Golf Range) led the Walter's Warriors amateur trio of Walter Lang, Cameron Sharp and Malcolm Tyczynski to victory in the pro-am with a net score of 20-under-par 122. The team led by Stephen Gray (Hayston) also totalled 122 but lost out on a comparison of the inward halves.

PROFESSIONAL TOTALS

Par 71
63 Chris Kelly (Cawder) (£1,190.50).
67 Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Sean O'Donnell (Balbirnie Park) (£832.64 each).
69 Graham Fox (East Kilbride), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs GR), Gordon Niven (Ping Europe Ltd), Stephen Gray (Hayston) (£378.41 each).
70 Colin Gillies (Braid Hills), Craig Ronald (Carluke), Craig Gordon (Edinburgh GC) (£202.51 each)..
71 Owen Leslie (Craigentinny), Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy), Steven Duncan (Balbirnie Park) (£148.85 each).
72 Gregor Abel (Alloa), Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), James McGhee (Turnhouse), Graeme Lornie (Paul Lawrie Foundation) (£101.32 each).
73 Andrew Marshall (Houston GR), David Patrick (Elie), Jonathan Lomax (unatt) £27.41 each).
74 James McKinnon (Irvine), Mark King (Kingsfield), Vincent
CHRIS KELLY
 Brown (Westerwood), Brian Dunbar) (Glencorse), Michael Rae (Alyth), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie), Neil Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh) (£5.38 each).
75 Lee Vannet (Carnoustie Golf Links), Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills), Ian Graham (Crow Wood) (£5.38 each).
76 Ewan Peebles (Half Moon GC), Campbell Elliott (Haggs Castle), Paul Wardell (Whitekirk), Stuart Reekie (Blairgowrie) (£5.38 each).
78 Gavin Cook (Prestonfield) (£5.38).
79 Graham King (Easter Moffat) (£5.38).
Disqualified: Euan Cameron (Hamilton), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) (£5.38 each).

Hanson wins Czech Open play-off, boots Ryder Cup hopes

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Peter Hanson produced a brilliant putt to claim victory in a Czech Open three-way play-off against Gary Boyd and Peter Lawrie, moving into the all-important top nine of the European Ryder Cup team rankings in the process.

After all three players shot par on the first hole of the play-off, the Swede holed an 18-footer on the second - the 17th hole of the Prosper Golf Resort course in Čeladná - to secure the €333,330 prize money and give himself a great chance of playing in Colin Montgomorie’s team.

There is just one week for his rivals to secure a place in the top-nine, with Hanson, who was not even in the penultimate event of the year-long race until he received an invitation last Monday, looking comfortable at eight.

The result means at least one of Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald or Justin Rose will miss out on a spot in golf's premier team event.

The play-off was set up by brilliant performances from Boyd and Lawrie, who carded 68 and 66 respectively to unexpectedly put themselves into contention.

Their performance was so good that, going into his last three holes, Hanson, who was the overnight leader on 12 over par, was one shot behind them.

However, the 32-year-old held his nerve to birdie the 16th and move level with the duo, setting up the exciting finale.

Hanson, who had not bogeyed in 29 holes prior his final round, produced three in a row on the par four second, par three third and par four fourth as he made a disastrous start to his final round.

However, he showed great heart to birdie the fifth and move into the joint lead in the process, before Boyd birdied eight.

Determined not to be beaten, Hanson birdied the tenth to claim the outright lead on 11 under par, before a disastrous double bogey on the 12th allowed Lawrie to leapfrog him.

But after his birdie on the 16th, he went into the final hole knowing another would win him the tournament. A poor second shot meant he could only shoot par, though, setting up a thrilling finale.

Irishman Lawrie started the day six shots behind Hanson, who was 12 under par, but went on to produce a scintillating round to fire himself into the shake-up.

He had a magical run of four birdies and an eagle around the turn ensured he finished on ten under.

Little-known European Tour rookie Boyd, aiming to become the youngest winner of the event at 23 years and 322 days, was six shots behind going into the final day, but produced a brilliant display, especially on the front nine, to move into the joint lead.

The Englishman birdied five of his first eight holes to turn in 31, before three-putting the 11th as the tension built.

He repeated the mistake, three-putting again on the short 15th to hand the outright lead to Lawrie just as he made a three-foot par putt on the last for a ten under target.

However, he showed character which defies his years to produce the birdie he required to tie the lead on the 18th.

Meanwhile, Simon Dyson and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, who went into the final round with hopes of boosting their own chances of earning a place in Colin Montgomorie’s European team, were unable to mount any pressure on the leaders, finishing on eight under and seven under respectively.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
278 Peter Hanson (Swe) 67 70 67 74 (Peter Hanson won play-off at second hole), Gary Boyd 72 70 68 68, Peter Lawrie 70 68 74 66
279 Anthony Wall 70 69 73 67
280 Julien Guerrier (Fra) 68 72 71 69, Simon Dyson 70 69 69 72
281 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 70 67 73, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 70 68 73 70
282 Tano Goya (Arg) 67 72 74 69, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 72 72 70 68
283 Richard Bland 68 71 71 73, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 74 68 75 66
284 Marco Ruiz (Par) 74 71 72 67, Phillip Price 70 70 69 75 Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 72 69 74 69
285 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 70 73 71 71, Stephen Gallacher 74 68 68 75, David Lynn 73 72 68 72, Bradley Dredge 74 67 74 70
286 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 72 70 76 68, Richard Finch 69 73 71 73, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 73 65 72 76, Alastair Forsyth 74 70 73 69, Kenneth Ferrie 71 68 73 74
287 Steve Webster 72 69 73 73, Damien McGrane 74 72 71 70, Miles Tunnicliff 70 73 70 74, Ross McGowan 73 71 73 70
288 Marco Soffietti (Ita) 75 71 70 72, Anton Haig (Rsa) 70 72 74 72, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 66 74 71 77, Marc Warren 70 71 75 72, Shane Lowry 75 64 77 72, Benjamin Hebert (Fra) 74 69 78 67
289 Danny Lee (Nzl) 75 71 71 72, Eirik Tage Johansen (Nor) 70 73 75 71, Peter Whiteford 79 67 74 69, Soren Hansen (Den) 73 72 70 74, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 70 70 77 72, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 69 69 76 75, Mark Foster 74 71 72 72, Fredrik Widmark (Swe) 70 67 74 78
290 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 72 74 72, Oliver Wilson 72 72 74 72, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 73 72 74 71, Steven O'Hara 76 70 74 70, Michael Hoey 70 72 73 75
291 Jamie Elson 75 69 71 76, Scott Hend (Aus) 69 70 76 76, Sion E Bebb 73 73 69 76
292 Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 78 68 74 72, Stephen Dodd 72 69 75 76, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 69 73 76 74, Jamie Donaldson 72 72 75 73, Pablo Martin (Spa) 74 68 78 72
293 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 74 76 73, Scott Drummond 72 74 74 73
294 Martin Wiegele (Aut) 72 74 71 77, Anthony Kang (USA) 71 75 75 73, Richie Ramsay 75 69 71 79, Nathan Smith (USA) 71 70 78 75, Stephan Gross junior (Ger) 73 71 79 71, Victor Dubuisson (Fra) 77 68 78 71, Oliver Fisher 78 68 71 77
295 Simon Lilly 72 73 71 79, Thomas Levet (Fra) 73 68 75 79
296 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 71 73 76 76, Tommy Fleetwood 75 71 72 78, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 72 70 72 82, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 73 69 72 82, Ariel Canete (Arg) 72 71 74 79
297 John Parry 73 72 75 77, Alan McLean 70 74 77 76, Paul Waring 73 69 85 70
299 Emanuele Canonica (Ita) 73 73 77 76
300 Gary Clark 76 70 79 75, Tim Stewart (Aus) 72 72 87 69
305 Graeme Storm 71 74 82 78
308 Gary Murphy 73 73 85 77

Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont St Andrews

BARRY TAKES A STROLL DOWN VICTORY LANE

By MICHAEL GIBBONS
Deputy Chief Press Officer, European TourBarry Lane secured his maiden European Senior Tour victory at the Cleveland Golf / Srixon Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont St Andrews to complete a unique Scottish double – 22 years after making his European Tour breakthrough in the land where golf was born.
Lane’s first Senior win in his fourth appearance on the circuit, after a final round 72 for a four under 212 winning total, secured the 50 year old Englishman the top prize of £37,500 and took him to 17th on the Senior Tour Order of Merit.
With strong winds buffeting the Torrance Course throughout the final round at Fairmont St Andrews, Lane produced a wonderful display of ball control over the demanding links lay-out as his nearest challengers struggled.
Going into the back nine, Lane was tied on four under with defending champion Glenn Ralph and DJ Russell, but he soon found himself four clear after Ralph and Russell were caught out by a combination of tough pin placements and powerful westerly winds.
“I’m delighted, really pleased,” smiled Lane. “It was very difficult out there today and it was just a case of going out there and trying to hit fairways and greens and I putted beautifully from long distance and didn’t really have any trouble on the greens. I duffed a chip on 16 but when I looked at the scoreboard I was four ahead at that point so it didn’t really matter.
“It’s always nice to win and this one is special – it has been 22 years since my first European Tour victory in Scotland and now I have won my first Senior event in Scotland so the country has been very, very good to me and I am delighted.
“I have always liked links golf and I was happy this morning when I saw the conditions because it meant that nobody could run away with it. The front nine wasn’t too bad but the back nine was treacherous. I got a little bit lucky on the 12th hole when it pitched in the bank of the bunker and stayed up there but other than that I actually played fantastically.
“I think this is just as good as my first win on The European Tour. I came out here and there was a bit of expectation on me. I came here and was told that I was the favourite and I think that is the first time in my life that I have been the favourite to win anything. It’s nice to win – I finished second in my first Senior event so I am happy to win here.”
Lane was the only man in the 78-strong field to finish the tournament under par, with Ralph eventually sharing second place with 64 year old Jim Rhodes on level par in what was a valiant defence of his title.
Russell took fourth spot on his own, but the day was all about Lane who left Fairmont St Andrews celebrating as the only player to win European and Senior Tour titles in the Home of Golf.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72) Yardage: 6,849.
212 B Lane (England) 69 71 72;
216 G Ralph (England) 68 71 77; J Rhodes (England) 73 70 73;
217 D Russell (England) 69 72 76;
218 C Williams (S Africa) 68 73 77;
220 P Fowler (Australia) 70 76 74; D Smyth (Ireland 71 70 79; G Brand (England) 73 75 72; L Carbonetti (Argentina) 69 75 76
221 D O'Sullivan (Ireland 71 73 77; E Darcy (Ireland) 73 74 74; M Belsham (Eng) 72 72 77;
222 R Chapman (Eng) 71 74 77; A Murray (Eng) 72 74 76; K Spurgeon (Eng) 75 71 76; B Larratt (Eng) 71 77 74; M Farry (Fra) 76 69 77; D Johnson (US) 69 76 77;
223 P Mitchell (Eng) 70 76 77; S Torrance (Sco) 71 77 75; J Quiros (Esp) 74 76 73; A Oldcorn (Sco) 70 77 76; I Woosnam (Wal) 71 76 76; B Cameron (Eng) 71 74 78;
224 S Cipa (Eng) 74 75 75; H Carbonetti (Argentina) 73 73 78; D Hospital (Spain) 77 69 78;
225 M Clayton (Aus) 70 76 79; A Sowa (Argentina) 80 69 76;
226 D Durnian (Eng) 75 71 80; D Merriman (Australia) 76 75 75; B Lincoln (S Africa) 78 75 73; C Mason (Eng) 73 73 80; J Heggarty (N Ireland) 74 73 79;
227 G Banister (Aus) 73 77 77; L Cooper (USA) 78 76 73; N Ratcliffe (Aus) 73 74 80; E Rodriguez (Esp) 73 78 76; D Cambridge (Jamaica) 76 76 75; R Drummond (Sco) 71 76 80;
228 S Owen (NZ) 71 76 81; M Poxon (Eng) 74 78 76; T Charnley (Eng) 74 74 80; M Piñero (Esp) 74 76 78;
229 B Smit (RSA) 75 73 81; A Fernandez (Chi) 79 72 78; J Chillas (Sco) 72 77 80;
230 G Ryall (Eng) 74 75 81; N Job (Eng) 76 73 81; R Freeman (USA) 76 81 73; J Hall (Eng) 73 80 77; B Longmuir (Sco) 77 73 80; S Bennett (Eng) 82 75 73;
231 T Giedeon (Ger) 76 75 80; A Tapie (USA) 76 76 79; E Polland (N Ireland) 77 75 79; G Brand junior (Sco) 72 78 81;
232 F Mann (Sco) 82 74 76; J Bruner (US) 73 74 85; J Harrison (Eng) 73 75 84;
233 P Oakley (US) 75 77 81; M Bembridge (Eng) 78 76 79; J Gould (Eng) 78 75 80;
234 G Cali (Ita) 77 76 81; T Allen (Eng) 74 74 86;
235 M Cunning (US) 80 77 78; A Franco (Par) 78 81 76; M Miller (Sco) 75 77 83;
236 T Johnstone (Zimbabw) 78 75 83;
237 T Burgoyne (Sco) 70 81 86; A Johnsson (Swe) 82 77 78;
240 M Williams (Zim) 80 78 82;
241 M Gray (Sco) 77 81 83;
245 I Mosey (Eng) 81 83 81;
247 B Marchbank (Sco) 84 80 83; V Garcia (Esp) 81 80 86;
248 B Hardwick (Can) 82 85 81;
250 G Hopkins (US) 81 82 87;




Michael Gibbons

Deputy Chief Press Officer

European Tour

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CHALLENGE TOUR REPORT

Great Dane Hartø the amateur hero in Germany

By GORDON SIMIPSON
Director of Communications, European Tour
Andreas Hartø hailed “the greatest day of my life” after birdieing the final hole to become only the fourth amateur to win on the European Challenge Tour.
The 22 year Dane displayed all the courage and determination of a seasoned Tour professional to smash a three iron 222 yards onto the final green to capture the ECCO Tour Championship by one shot from Sweden’s Oscar Floren.
He now follows Francis Valera (1993), Eric Carlberg (1994) and Roope Kakko (2004) as the only amateurs to succeed on the Challenge Tour – and he had to play a couple of vintage strokes to get there.
Hartø’s modest fourth round score of 74, one over par, secured the title with an eight under par total of 284 over one of Europe’s longest golf courses. However it was enough to spark joyous scenes of celebration on the 18th green after the 6ft 4in amateur sank a nasty four footer for victory.
The new champion sank to his knees in a mixture of elation and relief and was smothered by his father, Kasper, and the Danish national coach, Anders Christiansen, as the enormity of his achievement slowly sank in.
Just getting down in two putts from 60 feet was a remarkable feat in itself and Hartø exclaimed: “You have no idea how badly my knees were shaking over that final putt. I’ve won the amateur championships of Denmark and Wales in the past, but this win beats those by a considerable distance.
“This is without doubt the greatest day of my life and it feels crazy. I can’t believe it. It was so great that my dad managed to get here to watch the final day and when I spoke to my sister on the phone I was burst into tears. This is all just amazing.”
Although the golf was not always electrifying – Floren finished runner-up with a two over par 75 for 285 and Australian Matthew Zions third a further stroke behind after closing with a 72.
Hartø is the second Dane to win this season, following Thorbjørn Olesen at The Princess in Sweden earlier in the season and the 11th first-time winner on the Challenge Tour.
As the battle at the top of the leaderboard intensified during the afternoon, Hartø delivered the hardest blows when it counted, firing a three iron onto the green at the par three 14th and draining the 40 foot putt for a birdie two.
A birdie four at the 15th for Floren coupled with a dropped shot for Hartø, who put his second shot into the water and made a bogey, saw both players approach the final hole level on seven under par.
While Floren elected to play safe with a three iron off the tee, Hartø displayed the impetuosity of youth by taking a driver and hitting his three iron second shot to the right side of the green. He added: “I had my heart in my mouth when the ball was in the air but when the crowd started to clap, I could breath again.”
Compensation for Floren – runner-up for the second time this season – came in the form of first place money of €28,800 with the new champion, as an amateur, unable to accept the winner’s cheque. That prize hoisted Floren to fourth on the Challenge Tour Rankings behind Robert Dinwiddie, Floris De Vries and Olesen, with a European Tour card for 2011 all by achieved.
The Swede admitted: “I am disappointed to have come so close again, but it was one of those days when I couldn’t really get going. I felt a bit stressed out there and it was unfortunate at the last that my second shot went into a divot and I didn’t have a chance to get close to the pin in three. However good luck to Andreas for winning the a birdie.”
Zions, who took the brave route at the last, was rewarded with a two putt birdie from long range to finish in third place and his cheque for €19,800 moved him into sixth place on the Rankings.
FINAL TOTALS
284 A Hartø (am) (Den) 68 72 70 74,
285 O Floren (Swe) 67 72 71 75,
286 M Zions (Aus) 70 68 76 72,
287 F De Vries (Ned) 72 68 73 74, J Larsen (Nor) 73 71 72 71,
288 C Del Moral (Esp) 70 70 76 72, E Ramsay (Sco) 73 65 75 75,
289 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 71 71 72 75, A Tadini (Ita) 74 71 72 72, A Haindl (RSA) 73 70 72 74, S Manley (Wal) 69 70 71 79,
290 W Ormsby (Aus) 72 74 71 73, D Gaunt (Aus) 67 72 75 76, M Bothma (RSA) 71 71 72 76, T Olesen (Den) 75 68 72 75, M Manassero (Ita) 74 73 70 73, S Jamieson (Sco) 70 71 72 77, N Meitinger (Ger) 71 71 76 72, F Henge (Swe) 73 72 72 73,
291 S Buhl (Ger) 73 73 73 72, C Gane (Eng) 73 72 70 76, J Sjöholm (Swe) 75 68 74 74, A Marshall (Eng) 72 72 71 76, N Lemke (Swe) 75 72 75 69,
292 C Moriarty (Irl) 70 69 81 72, Å Nilsson (Swe) 74 73 73 72, A Wagner (Arg) 70 72 74 76, G Adell (Swe) 73 69 76 74, C Doak (Sco) 71 75 77 69, K Sullivan (Wal) 67 74 76 75, D Griffiths (Eng) 72 72 73 75, A Ahokas (Fin) 70 72 75 75, J McLeary (Sco) 70 73 72 77,
293 J Dantorp (Swe) 72 75 71 75, J Campillo (Esp) 72 73 76 72, C Baker (USA) 72 75 70 76, A Velasco (Esp) 71 72 68 82, S Walker (Eng) 73 73 72 75, M Thorp (Nor) 69 77 72 75, R Santos (Por) 77 70 74 72, B Grace (RSA) 74 73 72 74, L Bjerregaard (am) (Den) 69 72 73 79,
294 J Rask (Swe) 74 73 72 75, N Johansson (Swe) 70 71 73 80,
295 C Russo (Fra) 71 72 75 77, S Surry (Eng) 73 72 73 77, C Macaulay (Sco) 75 72 74 74, J Hansen (am) (Den) 71 76 75 73,
296 B Ritthammer (Ger) 76 71 74 75,
297 C Brazillier (Fra) 73 71 77 76, R Kind (Ned) 73 73 77 74, T Norret (Den) 72 71 76 78,
298 J Colomo (Esp) 70 74 77 77, R Hjelm (Den) 74 72 77 75, R Kakko (Fin) 74 70 78 76, A Willey (Eng) 74 73 74 77, A Snobeck (Fra) 72 74 73 79, K Sorensen (am) (Den) 72 75 76 75,
299 A Hansen (Den) 70 77 77 75, P Dwyer (Eng) 73 71 72 83,
300 M Hedegaard (Den) 75 71 75 79, L Saltman (Sco) 77 70 77 76,
301 J Grillon (Fra) 74 72 75 80, P Golding (Eng) 75 72 78 76, K Jorgensen (Den) 72 72 78 79,
306 C Lee (Sco) 69 78 82 77,

Paul Shields leads after three rounds at Inverness

Paul Shields has taken over the lead after three rounds of the North of Scotland open amateur stroke-play championship at Inverness Golf Club.

In much calmer conditions for the final round, the Kirkhill player, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency,  beaten in the Scottish boys championship finals of 2008 and 2009, hit the front with a 66 for 209.

David Law (Hazlehead), who beat Shields in the 2009 Scottish boys final at Royal Aberdeen, is lying second with a 65 for 210.

Halfway leader and, like Law, a past Scottish men's champion, Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) is in third place after a 69 for 211.
Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) had the morning's best round of 64 and that elevated him into fourth place on 212.

THIRD-ROUND LEADERS
Par 207 (3x69)
209 PAUL SHIELDS (Kirkhill) 75 68 66.
210 DAVID LAW (Hazlehead) 73 72 65.
211 GLENN CAMPBELL (Blairgowrie) 70 72 69.
212 STEVEN RENNIE (Drumpellier0 77 71 64.

THE COMPLETE SCOREBOARD
Steven Neilson Dunbar 77 78 155 71 226 73 299
Graham Robertson Silverknowes 80 75 155 71 226 69 295
Euan Polson Inverness 81 74 155 77 232 79 311
Jamie Treasurer Inverness 82 73 155 75 230 86 316
Colin Taylor Kinloss 71 83 154 80 234 234
Chris Gaittens Fortrose and Rosemarkie 73 81 154 77 231 231
Lyle McAlpine Invergordon 74 80 154 77 231 231
Allan Cameron Inverness 76 78 154 78 232 232
Gary Thomson Moray 78 76 154 70 224 224
Stuart Tatters Moray 78 76 154 73 227 227
Ed Wood Crow Wood 79 75 154 75 229 229
John Forbes Inverness 80 74 154 71 225 225
John Duff Newmachar 75 78 153 NR NR NR
Kevin Duncan McDonald Ellon 76 77 153 W/D W/D W/D
Bryan Fotheringham Inverness 76 77 153 69 222 222
Kevin Thomson Moray 77 76 153 73 226 226
Lewis Reid Fortrose & Rosemarkie 78 75 153 77 230 230
David Forsyth Newmachar 78 75 153 NR NR
Graeme Robertson Glenbervie 77 75 152 69 221 221
David Joel Inverness 77 75 152 82 234 234
Jordan Milne Elgin 72 79 151 73 224 224
Philip McLean Peterhead 78 73 151 73 224 224
Ross Bell Downfield 81 70 151 71 222 222
Neil McWilliam Elgin 72 78 150 81 231 231
Euan Forbes Inverness 74 76 150 72 222 222
Colin Thomson East Renfrewshire 75 75 150 73 223 223
Fraser Fotheringham The Nairn 78 72 150 74 224 224
Scott Borrowman Dollar 72 77 149 82 231 231
Michael Buchan Cruden Bay 74 75 149 72 221 221
Sean Thomson St Andrews 76 73 149 73 222 222
Alexander Culverwell Dunbar 72 76 148 75 223 223
Mike MacDonald Fortrose and Rosemarkie 74 74 148 78 226 226
Steven Rennie Drumpellier 77 71 148 64 212 212
Bruce Thomson Inverness 74 73 147 69 216 216
Adam Dunton McDonald Ellon 72 73 145 74 219 219
David Law Hazlehead 73 72 145 65 210 210
Jeff Wright Forres 74 70 144 73 217 217
Peter Latimer St Andrews New 74 70 144 70 214 214
Paul Shields Kirkhill 75 68 143 66 209 209
Glen Campbell Blairgowrie 70 72 142 69 211 211

Darren Clarke resettles in Northern Ireland

FROM THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE

By OLIVER BROWN
Darren Clarke's indulgence in cigars, Ferraris and industrial quantities of Guinness hints at a man who does not relish the thought of slowing down.
But the hedonist-in-chief of European golf is abandoning his life in London for the quainter pleasures of his beloved Portrush, and already he finds that the settled life seems to suit him.
The Ryder Cup vice-captaincy is suffusing Clarke with a rosy glow this summer. Already he is discharging his duties with the utmost seriousness, criticising even a close ally such as Padraig Harrington for not playing the final qualifying event, the Johnnie Walker Championship, at Gleneagles next week.
Clarke, who made such a memorable contribution to Europe's triumph at the K Club in 2006 – and all on the strength of a wild-card selection – knows what he would do: "For me, if I didn't think I'd done enough for a pick, I'd definitely play."
A dedication to a stout-based diet puts some colour in his cheeks, too. But above all else, Clarke is renewed by his restoration to the land where he has always felt most valued. He tells how back home in Northern Ireland, passers-by shake him by the hand and say, 'Good luck, Darren' – a ritual unthinkable in his former habitat of Surrey stockbroker land. "It's just different here, more friendly," admits a man who has tended to thrive on being the centre of attention.
"I'd lived in and around London for about 10 years, and it had served its purpose," Clarke says. "I want my kids to grow up here, and for them to be as proud about coming from Northern Ireland as I am."
His voice betrays an optimism and vigour almost forgotten in the four dark years since he lost his wife, Heather, to breast cancer. Today, he could scarcely be less introspective as he works with children out on the range at his golf academy in Greenmount, County Antrim.
He is reminded of the mentoring role he used to assume for Rory McIlroy, the province's greatest golfing prodigy. McIlroy joined the Darren Clarke Foundation aged 12, whereupon Clarke promptly handed the young man his phone number. Ever since the pair have enjoyed an endearingly close teacher-student relationship, with Clarke taking every chance to play practice rounds with his protégé and to smooth the ascent to the top of the professional game.
"I wasn't a bit surprised," Clarke insists, when asked about McIlroy's remarkable season, which continued with a third-place finish in the US PGA at Whistling Straits last weekend. Indeed, his advice on how the 21 year-old can translate such rich form into a first major is best encapsulated by a story of their exchange at this year's Irish Open.
As they stood on the 18th green after the second round at Killarney, he simply walked over to his playing partner and said: "Stay patient, you muppet." When Clarke finds time to analyse his career, he may find he derives deeper satisfaction from the men he has inspired than the trophies he has won.
Already he, McIlroy and US Open champion Graeme McDowell form an Ulster equivalent of The Three Degrees: symbols of improbable sporting success in a country of just 1.6 million people. As for McDowell, he is the reason why Clarke is heading back to Northern Ireland in loved-up mood.
'G-Mac' introduced him last year to Alison Campbell, a former Miss Northern Ireland, and Clarke conveys the attitude of one who has found his match.
Most importantly in his estimation, Ms Campbell, who has been assisting with the move back to Portrush's picture-perfect coastline, has apparently grown close to his two boys. Tyrone, 11, and Conor, eight, who lost their mother in 2006, and Clarke has consistently made them his priority.
"I feel they should have a sense of belonging and somewhere to call home, just as I did," he explains. "Tyrone is about to start senior school, and since the structure of the education system is totally different from England, this was the right time to do it.
"He is going into first form at Dalriada. It was always my intention to come back some day. The advantage is that I can see them both more regularly and spend more time with them. It wasn't so easy when they were at boarding school, while I was playing tournaments in every continent. Here they can be part of a community – now they just need to lose their English accents."
Only Clarke knows how inextricably the happiness in his personal life and the revival of his game are linked, but his recent results make the point eloquently enough. "I first started to notice the change six weeks ago, when I played J P McManus's charity event in Limerick," he says. "I won there, and from nowhere I had the confidence to play better in the important tournaments. I did really well at Loch Lomond, then qualified for the Open.
"From tee to green, I've been absolutely delighted with how I'm playing. It was just a pity I couldn't put it together at Whistling Straits, where my putter was stone-cold."
Clarke's wobbly display by Lake Michigan, where he finished in a tie for 48th, at least helped him to conclude that he would not play in this year's Ryder Cup. He could barely contain his excitement when the US PGA invited him to appear, but the prosaic reality of his performance meant he would have needed to win the Czech Open and next week's Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, merely to stand a chance of climbing into the top nine from his position in 21st place.
His withdrawal from the event in Ostrava removed any possibility that he would be teeing it up alongside McIlroy and loyal friend Lee Westwood at Celtic Manor in October, but it is a disappointment he can bear. When Colin Montgomerie, during the Open at St Andrews, knocked on the door of his room at the Old Course Hotel to offer him a role as one of Europe's three vice-captains, Clarke needed, as he recalls, just "two seconds" to accept.
Montgomerie, in turn, replied that he wanted Clarke in south Wales "one way or another." As the memories return of Clarke's Ryder Cup in 2006, when he played through the searing emotions of losing Heather to galvanise Europe to victory, it is hard to fault Montgomerie's logic. As a more carefree figure among the backroom staff, Clarke threatens to be even more of a force, with his children as his inspiration and Guinness as his fuel.
Darren Clarke was speaking at Greenmount, one of his golf academies that run across Northern Ireland, in partnership with The Co-Operative Food. For more information, visit www.co-operative.coop/activatesport