TARTAN TOUR SCOREBOARD
BLUE GROUP PRO-AM
Auchterarder Golf Club

LEADING PRO SCORES
Par 69
66 Chris Kelly (Cawder) £2,000.
67 Colin Gillies (Braid Hills), Stephen Gray (Hayston) £1,000 each. 
68 Chris Doak (unatt), Greig Hutcheon (Banchory), Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy), Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie) £431.25 each.
69 Craig Ronald (Carluke), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle), Fraser Mann (unatt), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range) £245 each. 
71 Mark King (Kingsfield Golf Centre), Russell Smith (Gleneagles Hotel), Scott Henderson (Kings Links), Lee Harper (Archerfield Links), Bert Mackay (Loch Lomond) £210 each. 
72 Gordon Law (Uphall) £200
73 Paul Barrington (Players Golf Club), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) £200 each. 
78 Alasdair Robertson (Eligo Club) £200.

Glasgow seniors are inter-area champions

Glasgow won the inter-area senior men's amateur team golf championship at West Kilbride.
Their team of Alistair McMillan 79, Gordon Fuller 80, John McDonald 74, Ricky Gray 74, George Crawford 75 and Graeme Cox 73 totalled 375, seven shots ahead of Lothians and Angus.
Lothians, who had the lower discarded score, were officially placed second.
Lothians were represented by Alan O'Neill 79, Ian Taylor 71, Lindsay Gordon 75, Robert Jack 77, George Blair 80 and Mike Currie 80.

Angus team was: Graham Bell 73, Ian Hutcheon 75, Ron McDonald 81, Neil Anderson 74 , Keith Bruce 79 and Ian Stuart 82.
Other totals:
383 North-east (Sandy Pirie 78, Ally Fiddes 75, Jim Emslie 80, Les Fowler 74, Andrew Laird 79, John Johnston 77).
383 Dumbartonshire (Jim Kinloch 83, Jim Paton 80, Peter Kinloch 87, Gordon Thomson 72, Ian Jeen 72, Drew Wilson 76).
387 South of Scotland (Ian Brotherston 78, Ian Fraser 73, George Rodaks 73, Tony Clark 82, Robbie Nairn 90 , Ronald Nelson 81)
388 Fife (Scott MacDonald 78, Scott Brady 78 , Allan Elder 73, Bill O'Neil 84, John Noble 81, Tony McIntyre 78).
388 Stirlingshire (Gordon MacDonald 78, Lindsay Blair 81, Bill Erskine 71, Jalil Aman 73, Brian Halbert 80, David Smith 81).
390 Ayrshire (Keith Howie 76, David Miller 73, Tom Sirel 83, John Broadfoot 77, Keith Ross 85, Alan Harrington 81).
399 Perth and Kinross (Tom McLevy 76, David Logie 74, Hamish McAlpine 85, Richard Harbinson 85 , Richard Campbell 79, Andrew Campbell 85).

Still time to enter Scottish Alliance championship  (October 5 to 7)

Late entries are being accepted by NE Alliance secretary Ron Menzies at 01224 780033 for the Scottish Golfers Alliance championship over 54 holes at two North-east courses, Murcar Links and Newburgh-on-Ythan, from Tuesday to Thursday, Ocotober 5 to 7.
For the first time the championship will have not one but two female competitors, Scotland international Laura Murray (Alford) and Aberdeenshire county champion Sammy Leslie (Westhill). Switch over to http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/ for the fulll story.

VIVENDI CUP

Parry and Sandelin halfway Paris leaders

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
England's John Parry and Swede Jarmo Sandelin share the halfway lead at the Vivendi Cup 2010 at Chambourcy, Paris
Parry had been amongst those predicting The European Tour's first 59 this week at Golf de Joyenval after the first round's low scoring but both the Marly and Retz courses fought back as testing conditions prevailed.

The Challenge Tour graduate managed a second round five under par 67 thanks to two closing birdies and he was joined on 13 under par by former Ryder Cup star Sandelin.

The 43 year old, who had to go through Qualifying School last year to retain his card, shot an eagle and four birdies in a bogey free 66.

"I've been playing much better the last three weeks - and this week especially," said Sandelin.

"I haven't had too many bad shots this week so far, so if I can keep it going on like this, I think I will be a happy man at the end of the tournament.

"I'm very busy to this point but I haven't been playing up to the capacity that I know that I have."

Sandelin is 168th on The Race to Dubai and needs to climb into the top 115 to avoid another trip to Qualifying School.

Parry is also precariously placed - he currently occupies 116th but feels his game is coming together at just the right time.

"It was good," said Parry. "I've been playing well for the last couple of weeks, at least trying to put it all together, putt well and hit it well, which is a bit more like it for the first two days."

They were three shots clear of home favourite Julien Guerrier, Australia's Richard Green, South African George Coetzee and Madeira Islands Open BPI - Portugal winner James Morrison.

Guerrier is enjoying a good run of form having made his last eight cuts and recording his best European Tour finish with fifth place at the Czech Open last month.

At 121st on The Race to Dubai he is another with work to do in terms of securing playing privileges for next season, but the 25 year old is confident after another impressive showing.

“It's really nice to play here,” said Guerrier. “It's my first time on the course but it's a good dimension because we don't have a lot of Pro Am, and the access is not like in the French Open but it's still good seeing more and more events here on The European Tour.”
By contrast Morrison is 47th and looking to cement his place in the Dubai World Championship, and the 25 year old believes that may play into his hands over the weekend.
“I love being in the mix,” said the Challenge Tour graduate. “That's where I'm going to play my best golf and every time I've been in contention this year, I've kicked on.
“So going into the weekend, I feel I've got the edge over some people. I've had success and I have exemptions compared to other people.”

SCOREBOARDSECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Marly Course and Retz Course, Chambourcy, Paris, France
Par 144 (2x72)

Marly Course
134 Richard Green (Aus) 68 66, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 65 69, George Coetzee (Rsa) 68 66, James Morrison 66 68
135 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 66 69, Andrew McArthur 66 69
136 Chris Gane 65 71, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 67 69, Mark F Haastrup (Den) 66 70, Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 67, Soren Hansen (Den) 71 65
137 Peter Whiteford 67 70, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 68 69
138 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 71 67, David Howell 70 68, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 68 70
139 Fabien Marty (Fra) 67 72, Phillip Archer 68 71
140 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 68 72, Jamie Elson 71 69, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 70 70, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 73 67, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 69 71, Julien Quesne (Fra) 73 67, Thomas Levet (Fra) 68 72
141 Gary Murphy 69 72, Liam Bond 72 69, Sion E Bebb 71 70, Robert Coles 71 70, Alastair Forsyth 69 72, Steven O'Hara 70 71
142 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 70 72, Marco Soffietti (Ita) 75 67, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 73 69, Richard McEvoy 71 71, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 71 71, Anthony Snobeck (Fra) 71 71, Callum Macaulay 70 72, Benjamin Hebert (Fra) 73 69


MISSED THE CUT
143 Andrew Tampion (Aus) 70 73, Marc Warren 73 70, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 70 73, Sam Little 74 69
144 Peter Lawrie 74 70
145 Michiel Bothma (Rsa) 67 78, Gary Boyd 72 73, Simon Thornton 76 69
146 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 76 70, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 68 78, Victor Riu (Fra) 77 69
147 Andrew Coltart 72 75, Victor Dubuisson (Fra) 72 75
148 Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 79 69, Miles Tunnicliff 74 74
150 Benoit Teilleria (Fra) 76 74, Oliver Fisher 80 70
151 Damien Perrier (Fra) 74 77, Nick Dougherty 75 76
153 Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe) 75 78
157 Ghislain Rosier (Fra) 77 80
Retz Course
131 John Parry 64 67, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 65 66
135 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 65 70, Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 66 69, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 65 70, Johan Edfors (Swe) 61 74
136 David Dixon 63 73, Jean-Francois Remesy (Fra) 64 72, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 69 67, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 69
137 Scott Strange (Aus) 67 70, Todd Hamilton (USA) 65 72, Kenneth Ferrie 65 72
138 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 73 65
139 Gary Clark 69 70, Sam Hutsby 69 70, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 68 71, Robert Rock 70 69, Paul Waring 66 73
140 Marco Ruiz (Par) 70 70, Manuel Quiros (Spa) 76 64, Gregory Havret (Fra) 68 72
141 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 70 71, Peter Baker 69 72, Tano Goya (Arg) 71 70, Paul McGinley 68 73
142 Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 68 74, Chris Wood 74 68, Benn Barham 69 73, Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 72 70, Gary Lockerbie 70 72, Adrien Bernadet (Fra) 71 71, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 69, Francois Calmels (Fra) 70 72, Padraig Harrington 68 74

MISSED THE CUT143 Henrik Nystrom (Swe) 73 70, Carl Suneson (Spa) 73 70, Phillip Price 69 74, Christophe Brazillier (Fra) 72 71
144 Steve Webster 70 74, Jamie McLeary 71 73, Ake Nilsson (Rsa) 73 71, Andrew Marshall 70 74
145 Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 76, Adam Gee 71 74, David Vanegas (Col) 72 73
146 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 68 78, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 75, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 71 75, Charles-edouard Russo (Fra) 74 72
147 Rudy Thuillier (Fra) 73 74, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 73 74, Andrea Maestroni (Ita) 73 74, Kenny le Sager (Fra) 72 75, Jean-Nicolas Billot (Fra) 74 73
148 Luis Claverie (Spa) 71 77
150 Stephan Gross junior (Ger) 75 75
151 James Ruth 75 76
154 Scott Drummond 76 78
156 Matthieu Van Hauwe (Fra) 78 78

Somers Shines at World Hickory Open Championship

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Australian Perry Somers is the new World Hickory Open Champion after overcoming the challenge from local professional Alastair Good in an intriguing battle at Gullane.
Somers, originally from Queensland but now a teaching professional in Germany, posted an eight-over par 76 on Gullane’s No 3 course for a 36-hole aggregate of 154, two clear of Good as the duo produced some excellent golf in testing conditions in East Lothian.
Good’s rounds of 79 and 77 gave him second place, with St Andrews New Club’s Ewan Glen winning the handicap section on 156.
Starting the day a shot behind, Good raced into the lead at the turn with an outward half of 36, but a lost ball at the 16th lead to a triple bogey as he relinquished first spot to the experienced Australian. Somers was out in 40, but an excellent inward half of 36, including a birdie two at the 11th, gave him victory, adding to the Hickory Championships he has won in Germany, France and the Czech Republic already this year.
“It’s a great honour to win the World Hickory Championship here at Gullane in Scotland and a real pleasure to play alongside Alastair Good today,” said a delighted Somers.
“Our golfing forefathers would be proud to see us continue their traditions and hopefully we can keep growing this event.”
“I’ve only been playing hickory for the last two years but as soon as I put on the plus fours and tie I feel inspired and in my element. I absolutely love the game but I reckon I was born 90 years too late!”
Loretto School’s Director of Golf Rick Valentine, winner of the team event yesterday, finished tied third after rounds of 84 and 82, with team-mate Timon Sitte fifth on 169.
Final Leaderboard
1. 154 Perry Somers (Australia) 78 76
2. 156 Alastair Good (Gullane) 79 77
T3. 166 Ewan Glen (St Andrews New) 84 82
T3. 166 Rick Valentine (Loretto School Golf Academy) 84 82
5. 169 Timon Sitte (Loretto School Golf Academy) 88 81

















Ross Duncan

Sicilian event added to European Seniors Tour next month

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR
The European Senior Tour will return to Italy for the penultimate event of the 2010 season when II Picciolo Golf Club hosts the Sicilian Senior Open from October 22-24.
It takes the number of events counting towards the 2010 Senior Tour Order of Merit to 20 and could play a significant role in deciding the winner of the John Jacobs Trophy, a fortnight before the season-ending OKI Castéllon Senior Tour Championship.
With a prize fund of €250,000, the Sicilian Senior Open marks the Senior Tour’s return to Italy after a one-year absence, following Peter Mitchell’s victory in the Lake Garda Italian Seniors Open at Palazzo Arzaga Hotel Spa and Resort in 2008.
The Italian Seniors Open was held at Circolo Golf Venezia from 2004, with Terry Gale, Gery Watine, former Ryder Cup Captain Sam Torrance and Simon Owen each capturing the title before the event moved to Lake Garda two years ago.

FARMER WINS RENFREWSHIRE ORDER OF MERIT

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION
Don Bremner: e-mail- donbremner@ranfurly9.freeserve.co.uk
Renfrew Golf Club was the venue for the Renfrewshire Golf Union’s final Order of Merit event. The Herbie Pirie trophy, presented to RGU by the Pirie family in memory of past RGU President Herbie Pirie, was contested for the first time and double points were available to the competitors who had won points during the season on the “Road to Renfrew” Order of Merit events. The club made the day possible after the recent fire by erecting tents, providing catering using barbecues and serving refreshments from the starting hut – a day to remember!
There were only two contenders for the Order of Merit title as the event begun. Kilmacolm’s Andrew Farmer had built up a big lead with wins in the Craigton Rosebowl and County Stroke Play and being well placed at Elderslie.
Michael Campbell from the home club had been runner up in the A P Scott Memorial and the George Taylor Stroke Play and well placed in other events during a solid season. However, Michael had to win the final event and Andrew to be well down the field for him to take the title.
As it transpired, Michael put in a great challenge in the morning round with a solid sub par 71. Steve MacNamara, also from Renfrew GC, equaled that score with a back nine of 32 but Andrew showed that he was going to be right there with a solid 72, the same score as RGU “A” team captain, Ronnie Clark (Erskine).
Michael’s challenge ran out of steam in the afternoon when he shot 76 and finished in fourth place. Ronnie Clark had a 74 for an aggregate of 146 and second place - his second round just pipping the same aggregate from Steve MacNamara.
Andrew Farmer sealed victory – both of the Herbie Pirie Trophy and the Blake Clark Trophy for the Order of Merit – with a great second round of 71 and a total of 143.

FINAL ORDER OF MERIT TABLE
1 Andrew Farmer Kilmacolm 1007.5
2 Ronnie Clark Erskine 805.8
3 Michael Campbell Renfrew 774.1
4 Craig Watson East Ren 476.6
5 Sam Binning Ran Cast 458.2
6 Stuart Robertson Coch Cast 342

RESULTS OF HERBIE PIRIE TROPHY
1 Andrew Farmer 143-300
2 Ronnie Clark 146-235
3 Steve MacNamara 146-235
4 Michael Campbell 147-200
5 Paul Alexander 149-142
6 David Ferguson 149-142

Pappas, Whittaker share

Nationwide Tour lead

MIDLAND, Texas -- South African Brenden Pappas and Arkansas resident Ron Whittaker birdied their final hole of the day to shoot 6-under 66's Thursday and share the first-round lead at the Nationwide Tour's MNB Golf Classic. Both players made their way around Midland Country Club with eight birdies and two bogeys to stand one shot ahead of seven others.
Brandt Jobe, Major Manning, William McGirt, Alistair Presnell, Nate Smith, Andrew Svoboda and Gary Woodland are log jammed at 5-under 67. Bubba Dickerson, 2001 U.S. Amateur champion, and Luke List, 2004 U.S. Amateur runner-up, headline a list of eleven others tied at 4-under 68, two back.

Pappas, playing in his fourth Nationwide Tour event of the year, charged to the top of the leaderboard with five birdies on his first nine holes, sharing the spotlight with Alistair Presnell, who finished his bogey-free round an hour before Pappas teed off.

Pappas rolled in two more birdies after he made the turn to go up by two strokes but gave them back with bogey's on the par-5 4th hole and 224-yard, par-3 eighth hole.

"I had a lesson with David Frost five days ago," said Pappas, who is a US PGA Tour member. "It was just on a couple of little setup things. It felt really good on the first nine but then all the old habits started to creep up on the back nine."

Pappas earned his 2010 US PGA Tour card by finishing T12 at Q-School last year. He has played in 19 US PGA Tour events this year with his best finish, T37, coming at the RBC Canadian Open.

Despite Pappas working on his swing with 10-time US PGA Tour winner David Frost, one thing he didn't need help with was his putting. Pappas needed just 24 putts in the first round.

"It's really nice to putt on some good firm greens," he said. "They're going to be nice and hard and fast the rest of the week if this wind keeps up and that's right in my wheelhouse."
Whittaker got off to a fast start with four birdies on his first five holes but suffered a bogey at the difficult par-3 8th hole. He recovered with a birdie four holes later but gave it right back on the par-4 13th hole before jumping back on the birdie train.
"I actually putted really well today," said Whittaker, who birdied three of his last five holes. "I hit the ball okay but my putter was the key to my round. When it's windy like this you have to putt well."

Whittaker, like Pappas, had 24 putts today. He rolled in a 40-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 third hole and then made a 20-footer for birdie from the fringe on the next hole.

Whittaker nearly won here in 2007. He finished regulation play tied with Brad Adamonis, Tjaart van der Walt and Vance Veazey at 10-under 278. Whittaker missed a six-foot putt for par on the first extra hole to be eliminated from the play-off. The play-off ended seven holes later when Adamonis made birdie over van der Walt.

"The wind was so strong today you could hit an eight iron 195 yards on one hole and then hit it 130 yards on the next hole," said Whittaker, who ended up winning the Chattanooga Classic the week after the playoff. "That's what makes this golf course so great. I have good vibes out here. This course sets up well for my game."

TO SEE ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES

CLICK HERE

Torrance's words of advice to

Monty's older heads

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By SANDY MACASKILL
Sam Torrance has offered a few words of advice to the wiser heads who will form the backbone of the team to compete against the Americans at Celtic Manor.
Essentially, the man who captained the European Ryder Cup team to victory at the Belfry in 2002, reccommends: don't force your experience down the rookies' throats.
Padriag Harrington might prick up his ears at this. The Irishman has said he will "offer rather than wait" for a team-mate to ask for help.
It is all part of the 'pod' system, you see. Harrington, one of Colin Montgomerie's captain's picks, has been chosen for his hard service rather than Ryder Cup form (which has been pretty unimpressive), and he is willing to "go the extra mile" to prove his worth.
But Torrance disagrees with Harrington's assessment that he should do so by being proactive in lending a helping hand. Better to keep quiet and wait until asked before venturing an opinion, believes the Scot.

"You certainly wouldn't go and offer advice," Torrance said. "Absolutely not. You might ---- them up. That is not what [the senior players] are there for."

But it is another matter if the player asks for assistance. In fact, the Ryder Cup offers an invaluable opportunity to pump other top players for advice.

"If a young fella is feeling a bit worried about a certain shot and he knows that one of the other guys plays it fantastically, 51 weeks of the year he wouldn't dare ask him that question but that one week he can, and he will get an honest answer," Torrance explains.

Monty is nothing if not his own man, but he values what his countryman has to say. He played a round recently with the 57 year-old, and Torrance confirmed that he had offered the current captain advice on how to go about the business of leadership. The message? Make use of the home advantage.

According to Celtic Manor's director of golf courses Jim McKenzie, Monty has refused to "trick up" the course so that it favours a European style of play. Admirable, but as Paul Azinger showed by thinning out the rough around 300 yards at Valhalla so big hitters like Boo Weekly could go loose off the tee, securing the home advantage is crucial.

Torrance was not afraid of tinkering. He made the Belfry fairways tighter and lengthened the rough. "That was setting up the course," he explained. "It is the same for both teams and all above board. I don't know if Colin won't do that, in fact I hope he does. Setting the course up to suit the Europeans is his job." Does he think he will?

"Absolutely." What else? Get off to a good start. Dismissing as good fortune rather than astute strategy what has been described as his "master stroke", sending his strongest players out first on singles day while Curtis Strange left his until last (meaning that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were unable to influence play), Torrance believes Monty's job will be done in the opening two days.

He said: "A captain's job is done in the first two days, selecting the pairings. He has to get them right, and make sure they gel. On singles day it is luck who you come up against, how the Americans put out their 12 and how you put out yours."

Torrance accepts that the European side are favourites, but warns people not to write off the Americans – "It is a myth that the Americans don't gel as well. I think they gel just as well" – and, finally, suggests that the best Ryder Cup captains are those who are flexible – and have a moment of inspiration, like his decision to pair Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia together.

"It is down to the situation. The best captains are those who are on their toes. I paired Westwood and Garcia on Friday, and they won 3 ½ out of four points after four days. They had never hit a shot together, they had never hit a practice together. Just on the Thursday it came to me: Garcia and Westwood are going to play together. No ------- idea why. It just came to me."

There you go, Monty: over to you.

Sam Torrance was speaking at opening of the Direct Golf UK driving range at Beckett's Farm, Solihull.

Thomas Bjorn backs Monty's everybody

plays on first-day plan for Ryder Cup

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By BERNIE McGUIRE
European  Ryder Cup vice-captain Thomas Bjorn believes captain Colin Montgomerie's decision to play all 12 team members on the opening day of competition will prove pivotal at the final day's singles.
Montgomerie has broken from tradition in announcing that each member of his team can prepare themselves to play on the first day of the biennial event against the United States.

The move was discussed with all four vice-captains, including Bjorn who whole-heartedly agrees with the decision.

"I'm quite sure it's easier for the players if they know what they are going to do when they get in there so they can prepare in that way," said Bjorn after signing for a three-under 69 on the opening day of the Vivendi Cup in Paris yesterday.

"It's going to be nice to know who your partner is when you're going to go out and play. So I'm sure Colin's thought about it that way and we'll go out there and play our practice and see if everybody is on form and then we'll stick to his plan."

"Over the years, Europeans have shown that the guys who play a lot of matches get very tired (before) for the singles," added Bjorn.

"We have such a strong team in depth, so if you can play all 12 every day, it gives a few of the guys a little bit more rest and prepares them for the singles. Sunday is a very important day. You play for 12 points and that's the day where you really want everybody to be fresh. So, if you can, yeah, it's a good idea to play everybody every day."

Despite past differences, Bjorn believes the bond Montgomerie is creating amongst everyone on the European team should lead to victory at Celtic Manor.

"I've spoken to him quite a lot over the last few weeks over the phone and when we see each other, and we get on well and we are quite confident that we have got a team that can win," said Bjorn.

"The team is behind him and is there 100 per cent for him and he feels very comfortable with that team and that's why he's in contact with us all the time, so that he feels he gets good information and he make some good decisions."