Russ Cochran on course for third seniors win

POTOMAC, Maryland. -- Buoyed by birdies on the first five holes, Russ Cochran shot a course-record 6-under 64 to take a one-shot lead at the US Senior Players Championship on Friday.
Cochran is at 6 under for the tournament and is trying for his third win in his past four events on the Champions Tour. Cochran, who will turn 52 at the end of this month, is also trying for his first major victory at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
"We got it going early and then like you do a lot of times, you kind of hold on for dear life after that," Cochran said. "But the start was great."

Michael Allen remains in second at 5 under after a second-round 67, and Mark O'Meara shot another 68 to stand alone at 4 under. First-round leader Tom Kite followed his first-round 67 with an even-par 70, leaving him in a tie with Jeff Sluman.

"The golf course is very difficult, and if you can play the weekend under par, you're going to be in very good shape," Sluman said after his second-round 67. "That's what you work for."

Loren Roberts and Jay Don Blake were five shots off the pace, while Mike Goodes and Joe Ozaki were tied for eighth, six shots behind. Champions Tour points leader Bernhard Langer shot 73, while rival Fred Couples withdrew from the tournament with a back ailment.

Cochran, who had a long, workmanlike career on the PGA Tour, has broken through over the last month on the Champions Tour with wins at the Songdo Championship and the SAS Championship, a surge he credits to becoming a more aggressive player.

On Friday, Cochran put that practice in motion. Starting on the back nine, he attacked friendly pin placements and quickly established himself at the top of the leaderboard.

"We kind of decided today we were going to be a little more aggressive if we could because there's not that many great bailouts," Cochran said. "So we hit it pretty much at the flag. The more times you feel like you can step up and at least make that aggressive swing and try to stay with your line, I feel better about myself and my game."

After his hot start, Cochran added a birdie at No. 2 and then took what the course gave him to finish his solid round.

"I've been streaky this year -- it allows me to be a little more patient throughout the rest of the round," Cochran said.

Sluman, who has played with Cochran for 20 years on both the PGA and Champions tours, has not been surprised at his friend's recent resurgence.

"He's playing with a lot of confidence and he's feewheeling it out there," Sluman said. "I don't think a lot of people realise what kind of player he was. I knew right from the get-go how talented he was."

Allen kept pace with Cochran for most of the day before a bogey at No. 7 dropped him into second place, where he hopes to make a move during the weekend play against a top five that boasts four major championship winners.

"It will be fun to go out and play those guys the next few days," said Allen, who won the 2009 Senior PGA Championship. "It's a challenging course and you can't just get away with cheaping it around here."

US PGA TOUR

McGLADRY CLASSIC
Seaside Course, Sea Island, Georgia
SECOND-ROUND LEADERS
Par 140 (2x70)
130 David Toms 64 66.,
131 Joe Durant 65 66.
132 Heath Slocum 66 66, Rich Barcelo 65 67.
CUT: Totals of 139 or better qualified
140 Greg Owen (Eng) 72 68.
146 Brian Davis (Eng) 74 72.

TO SEE ALL THE SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

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Scots up for the Challenge at Toulouse

By RODDY WILLIAMS
European Tour Press Staff
Jamie McLeary, Raymond Russell and Lloyd Saltman are well placed to mount a Scottish challenge over the weekend of the ALLIANZ Golf Open du Grand Toulouse in France.
McLeary lies joint eighth on three under par 139 after his five bogeys were cancelled out by three bogeys and a double bogey on his way to a 71 at Golf de Toulouse – Seilh. Russell and Saltman are a shot further back on one under par 140 after rounds of 69 and 73 respectively.
They trail leader Charles-Edouard Russo after the Frenchman defied the strong winds that swept across the Midi Pyrenees region of France to shoot a five under par 66 for a halfway total of 135, seven under par.
Russo, who hails from Bussy St Georges near Paris, a club that has bred 2007 Barclays Scottish Open Champion Gregory Havret, 2010 Scottish Amateur champion Romain Wattel and fellow Challenge Tour professional Francois Calmels, carded a five under par 66 to move to seven under par 135.
Capitalising on the calm morning conditions, Russo picked up three birdies in his first five holes before the wind got up to average speeds of 20mph. By then Russo, who started on the tenth, was on a roll and picked up further shots on the 17th , first and seventh holes before dropping his only shot of the day on the long eighth.
“The conditions were very hard,” he said. “After picking up shots early on, I kept going and took no risks, playing to the middle of the greens and I’m very pleased with five under.”
Russo has slipped down the Challenge Tour Rankings from a high of 16th after the Aa St Omer Open to his current position of 40th. The top 45 after the next three events will qualify for the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, after which the top 20 graduate to The European Tour.
“I like this course as I finished fifth last year and the long par fives suit me as I hit the ball a long way,” said Russo. “That should suit me as I try and get into the Grand Final.”


SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
135 C Russo (Fra) 69 66,
138 J Clément (Sui) 70 68, C Del Moral (Esp) 69 69,
139 J Sjöholm (Swe) 70 69, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 70 69, S Walker (Eng) 70 69, J Legarrea (Esp) 71 68,
140 J Grillon (Fra) 69 71, G Houston (Wal) 71 69, B Wiesberger (Aut) 70 70, J McLeary (Sco) 69 71, A Wagner (Arg) 69 71,
141 T Olesen (Den) 74 67, Å Nilsson (Swe) 69 72, O David (Fra) 68 73, L Saltman (Sco) 68 73, C Moriarty (Irl) 71 70, R Russell (Sco) 72 69,
142 S Jeppesen (Swe) 73 69, I Giner (Esp) 69 73, S Manley (Wal) 68 74, C Gane (Eng) 73 69, J Billot (Fra) 71 71, S Davis (Eng) 67 75, J Lopez Lazaro (am) (Fra) 71 71,
143 J Xanthopoulos (Fra) 73 70, W Besseling (Ned) 70 73, M Tullo (Chi) 74 69, W Ormsby (Aus) 71 72, A McArthur (Sco) 70 73, A Snobeck (Fra) 70 73, T Fleetwood (Eng) 70 73,
144 J Guerrier (Fra) 76 68, G Clark (Eng) 72 72, L Jensen (Den) 70 74, B Teilleria (Fra) 73 71, F Fritsch (Ger) 71 73, F Colombo (Ita) 71 73, R Steiner (Aut) 73 71, P Golding (Eng) 74 70,
145 A Hansen (Den) 72 73, B Nicolay (Fra) 73 72, R Eyraud (Fra) 73 72, A Tadini (Ita) 73 72, J Foret (Fra) 73 72, B Lecuona (Fra) 72 73, A Bernadet (Fra) 74 71, L Kennedy (Eng) 74 71, T Feyrsinger (Aut) 69 76, R Kakko (Fin) 72 73, K Le Sager (Fra) 72 73, S Jamieson (Sco) 73 72, D Perrier (Fra) 71 74,
146 J Colomo (Esp) 74 72, C Ford (Eng) 72 74, B Grace (RSA) 72 74, E Dubois (Fra) 74 72, C Lee (Sco) 69 77, M Hill (Fra) 75 71,
147 B Chapellan (Fra) 77 70, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 75 72, G Murray (Sco) 74 73, J Zapata (Arg) 74 73, S Gross Jr (Ger) 73 74, D Nouailhac (Fra) 73 74, L Slattery (Eng) 71 76, J Garcia (Esp) 73 74, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 73 74, M Thorp (Nor) 74 73, N Meitinger (Ger) 74 73, L Richard (Bel) 76 71, A Marshall (Eng) 76 71, R Wattel (am) (Fra) 73 74,
MISSED THE CUT
148 A Velasco (Esp) 71 77, M Baldwin (Eng) 72 76, O Whiteley (Eng) 74 74, J Ruth (Eng) 72 76, M Carlsson (Swe) 73 75, F Calmels (Fra) 73 75, A Hartø (Den) 72 76,
149 M Zions (Aus) 77 72, A Gee (Eng) 74 75, S Robinson (Eng) 76 73, L Bond (Wal) 76 73,
150 L Gagli (Ita) 73 77, F De Vries (Ned) 76 74, C Gallois (Fra) 77 73, A Ahokas (Fin) 73 77, A Högberg (Swe) 80 70, N Kearney (Irl) 75 75, A Perrino (Ita) 76 74, F Marty (Fra) 75 75, V Riu (Fra) 74 76,
151 O Floren (Swe) 79 72, C Macaulay (Sco) 78 73, M Ford (Eng) 75 76, N Porteboeuf (Fra) 74 77, M Quiros (Esp) 74 77, K Eriksson (Swe) 76 75, B Evans (Eng) 77 74, F Praegant (Aut) 78 73, B Ritthammer (Ger) 79 72,
152 A Kaleka (Fra) 75 77, G Rosier (Fra) 75 77, J Makitalo (Fin) 77 75, A Grenier (Fra) 74 78, S Tiley (Eng) 75 77, C Brazillier (Fra) 78 74,
153 D Gaunt (Aus) 77 76, B Hebert (Fra) 72 81, T Fournier (Fra) 76 77, A Levy (am) (Fra) 76 77,
154 D Vanegas (Col) 79 75,
155 L Claverie (Esp) 78 77, P Valmary (Fra) 81 74,
156 E Chaudouet (Fra) 79 77,
157 L Salgado (Fra) 79 78,
158 P Erice Ibanez (Esp) 76 82, T Stewart (Aus) 76 82,
** S Surry (Eng) 82 DQ,














135 C Russo (Fra) 69 66,

138 J Clément (Sui) 70 68, C Del Moral (Esp) 69 69,

139 J Sjöholm (Swe) 70 69, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 70 69, S Walker (Eng) 70 69, J Legarrea (Esp) 71 68,

140 J Grillon (Fra) 69 71, G Houston (Wal) 71 69, B Wiesberger (Aut) 70 70, J McLeary (Sco) 69 71, A Wagner (Arg) 69 71,

141 T Olesen (Den) 74 67, Å Nilsson (Swe) 69 72, O David (Fra) 68 73, L Saltman (Sco) 68 73, C Moriarty (Irl) 71 70, R Russell (Sco) 72 69,

142 S Jeppesen (Swe) 73 69, I Giner (Esp) 69 73, S Manley (Wal) 68 74, C Gane (Eng) 73 69, J Billot (Fra) 71 71, S Davis (Eng) 67 75, J Lopez Lazaro (am) (Fra) 71 71,

143 J Xanthopoulos (Fra) 73 70, W Besseling (Ned) 70 73, M Tullo (Chi) 74 69, W Ormsby (Aus) 71 72, A McArthur (Sco) 70 73, A Snobeck (Fra) 70 73, T Fleetwood (Eng) 70 73,

144 J Guerrier (Fra) 76 68, G Clark (Eng) 72 72, L Jensen (Den) 70 74, B Teilleria (Fra) 73 71, F Fritsch (Ger) 71 73, F Colombo (Ita) 71 73, R Steiner (Aut) 73 71, P Golding (Eng) 74 70,

145 A Hansen (Den) 72 73, B Nicolay (Fra) 73 72, R Eyraud (Fra) 73 72, A Tadini (Ita) 73 72, J Foret (Fra) 73 72, B Lecuona (Fra) 72 73, A Bernadet (Fra) 74 71, L Kennedy (Eng) 74 71, T Feyrsinger (Aut) 69 76, R Kakko (Fin) 72 73, K Le Sager (Fra) 72 73, S Jamieson (Sco) 73 72, D Perrier (Fra) 71 74,

146 J Colomo (Esp) 74 72, C Ford (Eng) 72 74, B Grace (RSA) 72 74, E Dubois (Fra) 74 72, C Lee (Sco) 69 77, M Hill (Fra) 75 71,

147 B Chapellan (Fra) 77 70, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 75 72, G Murray (Sco) 74 73, J Zapata (Arg) 74 73, S Gross Jr (Ger) 73 74, D Nouailhac (Fra) 73 74, L Slattery (Eng) 71 76, J Garcia (Esp) 73 74, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 73 74, M Thorp (Nor) 74 73, N Meitinger (Ger) 74 73, L Richard (Bel) 76 71, A Marshall (Eng) 76 71, R Wattel (am) (Fra) 73 74,

148 A Velasco (Esp) 71 77, M Baldwin (Eng) 72 76, O Whiteley (Eng) 74 74, J Ruth (Eng) 72 76, M Carlsson (Swe) 73 75, F Calmels (Fra) 73 75, A Hartø (Den) 72 76,

149 M Zions (Aus) 77 72, A Gee (Eng) 74 75, S Robinson (Eng) 76 73, L Bond (Wal) 76 73,

150 L Gagli (Ita) 73 77, F De Vries (Ned) 76 74, C Gallois (Fra) 77 73, A Ahokas (Fin) 73 77, A Högberg (Swe) 80 70, N Kearney (Irl) 75 75, A Perrino (Ita) 76 74, F Marty (Fra) 75 75, V Riu (Fra) 74 76,

151 O Floren (Swe) 79 72, C Macaulay (Sco) 78 73, M Ford (Eng) 75 76, N Porteboeuf (Fra) 74 77, M Quiros (Esp) 74 77, K Eriksson (Swe) 76 75, B Evans (Eng) 77 74, F Praegant (Aut) 78 73, B Ritthammer (Ger) 79 72,

152 A Kaleka (Fra) 75 77, G Rosier (Fra) 75 77, J Makitalo (Fin) 77 75, A Grenier (Fra) 74 78, S Tiley (Eng) 75 77, C Brazillier (Fra) 78 74,

153 D Gaunt (Aus) 77 76, B Hebert (Fra) 72 81, T Fournier (Fra) 76 77, A Levy (am) (Fra) 76 77,

154 D Vanegas (Col) 79 75,

155 L Claverie (Esp) 78 77, P Valmary (Fra) 81 74,

156 E Chaudouet (Fra) 79 77,

157 L Salgado (Fra) 79 78,

158 P Erice Ibanez (Esp) 76 82, T Stewart (Aus) 76 82,

** S Surry (Eng) 82 DQ,



Roddy Williams

John Parry leads the Ryder

Cup stars by four

Yorkshireman John Parry, pictured by Tom Ward, set up the prospect of back-to-back victories on the European Tour as he opened up a four-shot lead following a superb second round 65 on the Old Course, St Andrews at the 10th Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

On a day of low cloud, mist and drizzle which kept scoring low, the chasing pack failed to make much of an impact on the talented 23-year-old from Harrogate, who won the Vivendi Trophy in Paris the week before the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

Parry had seven birdies and no bogeys for a halfway total of 12-under-par, with his nearest challenger being Sweden’s Martin Erlandsson, who had a 68 at Carnoustie. Ryder Cup players Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer plus Spain’s Alvaro Quiros are a further shot back.

The tournament, conceived as a celebration of links golf, is played over three of the world’s best known and respected links courses - the Old Course at St Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and the highly regarded Kingsbarns Golf Links.

Parry, who as an amateur played in the same Walker Cup team as European Ryder Cup star Rory McIlroy, gave much of the credit for his excellent round to his putting. He said: “I pretty much holed every putt for two days. It's going to be a big help when you're doing that, especially in the wind because you're always going to be struggling to get up and down from different positions.

“I’ve never played the Old Course in conditions like this. I've always played it luckily in pretty calm conditions, so I wasn’t used to some of the lines off the tees. You're so many yards off the fairways that you can't carry some of the bunkers. You have to be in the other fairway to have a shot. All a bit bizarre.”

Now the big question is, can Parry hang on from the chasing pack over the last two days to record the biggest win of his life? The biggest threat seems likely to come from a posse of European Ryder Cup challengers - Ross Fisher, Martin Kaymer, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Vice-Captain Thomas Bjorn - who are all within seven shots.

Fisher, who shot 68 on the Old Course, showed that the Ryder Cup celebrations had not dampened his ability to mount a serious challenge. “I always set high expectations. I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t feel like my game is ready and in good enough shape to win. I always try to turn up every week knowing and believing I can win. I like the three courses. I have had a solid start and hopefully the weather is kind to us at Carnoustie and I can go out and shoot another decent score.”

Ireland’s three-time major championship winner Padraig Harrington, who also shot 68 on the Old Course, said: “It was a good score and certainly I would have taken it on the way out. This is my third team event in a row. There’s a lot going on when you’re playing in a team event. If it’s not just your own game, you have someone else to look after and watch over. I like the Dunhill. It’s a nice week.”

As well as shooting an admirable 69, Spain’s Alvaro Quiros had the pleasure of playing with his father Martin Quiros-Mena in the Alfred Dunhill Links Team Championship. He said: “Unfortunately he's playing bad, but I'm having fun watching him. It’s the first time that he has been in a place like this, so it's a very special thing for him.” His father said: “I’m thrilled that he is playing well. I’m not playing very well, but I like to think that I’m helping him.”

South African Hennie Otto had an albatross two at the 516yds, par five, 3rd Hole during his second round at Kingsbarns. He used an 8-iron from 189yds. It was the fourth albatross in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The others were by Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and Steen Tinning.

Partnering the professionals are an enthusiastic group of talented amateur golfers, who compete for the Team Championship. Celebrities from the world of entertainment include film and TV stars Matthew Goode, Hugh Grant, Samuel L Jackson, Kyle MacLachlan, James Nesbitt, John O’Hurley and Aidan Quinn. Also taking part are rock music legend Huey Lewis and Michael Flatley, the Irish/American step dancer who created Riverdance, and popular Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans.

Three of Britain’s sporting knights – Sir Ian Botham, Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Steve Redgrave - lead a locker room full of sporting heroes, including Dutch football legends Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit, former England player Jamie Redknapp, ex-Chelsea and Italy star Gianfranco Zola and Scottish defender Alan Hansen.

Rugby is represented by three great former internationals, All Blacks former captain Sean Fitzpatrick, Scotland’s Gavin Hastings and Argentina’s Hugo Porta, while cricketers Allan Lamb and Michael Vaughan of England and Steve Waugh and Shane Warne of Australia are in the field, along with immensely popular former Wimbledon tennis player Tim Henman and Austrian downhill skier Franz Klammer.

Parry’s brilliant 65 lifted him and amateur partner Simon Andrews to the top of the Team Championship leaderboard, tied on 17-under-par with Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and Lisa O’Hurley, wife of American comedian John O’Hurley. One shot back is 2008 winner Robert Karlsson and Irish businessman Dermot Desmond.

British actor Hugh Grant, playing with Simon Dyson, finished on 12-under and said: “We were nothing short of brilliant going out, but then we turned into the wind and it was a bit of a struggle. But luckily I have not just got a superb golfer for a partner this year in Simon, but also a really nice bloke and he helped me a lot out there. Our score after two rounds is not at all bad, and I just hope we can have a good day tomorrow and make the cut to play here at St Andrews again on Sunday.
"From my own point of view today, it was noticeable how my game suffered once the television cameras began to follow us in from about the 14th hole onwards. Yes, I know it is strange that I should be unnerved by film cameras, but there you are. On the golf course you are not in your comfort zone. “
Radio and TV presenter Chris Evans, playing with Oliver Wilson, finished on 5-under in his first Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He said: “We got to seven under par as a team after the front nine holes today, but then it was a battle coming in. We are doing OK as a team, but I let the side down a bit with some very bad putting today. In fact, my speciality is very bad putting. For me, in my first Dunhill it’s just a joy to be involved and to have this experience. It is an amazing tournament and experience. What is brilliant for us amateurs is seeing how the professionals do it from up close. We really don’t play the same game as they do. And that’s not just in how they hit the ball and how far.
"They have 20 different ways to chip it, and 20 different ways to hit every shot. I can hit a decent shot every now and again, but I can’t play that shot in 20 different ways. It’s remarkable to watch.”
Former tennis legend Tim Henman, playing with 2007 winner Nick Dougherty, on 8-under, said: “Nick did not have the best of days today. He had a lost ball and drove out of bounds on one hole and came back in 41, but it was tough on that inward nine. I reckon that’s the toughest conditions I’ve experienced and the back nine into the wind was playing very long.
"I was thinking to myself, as we were battling into the wind, that if you have a bad match in tennis it is usually all over in an hour or so but in golf you have to stay out there for five hours or more however you are playing. Full credit to Nick for sticking at it, and it is very interesting and instructive to see how patient the professionals are when they face tough conditions like those. I had four birdies in my round, which was very pleasing.”
Former Scotland footballer Alan Hansen, now a TV analyst, is on 8-under with professional Richie Ramsay. After their round at Kingsbarns, he said: “The highlight of the day was probably my birdie on the 11th where I had to play 470yds into the wind. I hit two great shots and then holed the putt. So at least I can take some positives out of today.
"Johan Cruyff was in our group today and he and I were saying how impressed we were with the quality of the pros. Some of the chipping today was outstanding from both our playing partners. The standard between amateurs like myself and the pros in this event is like night and day. But when you get conditions like today, even for those guys, it is just plain tough.”
The first Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was staged in 2001, but Alfred Dunhill’s support for golf at St Andrews, through the Alfred Dunhill Cup, an international team championship that took place from 1985 to 2000, goes back 26 years.

Lee Westwood played on through the pain today but it looks more likely that he will become world number one by taking time off next week than by finishing second at St Andrews on Sunday.
The Ryder Cup star, who suffered a recurrence of his calf injury during an opening 70 in the Dunhill Links Championship, added a level-par 72 at the Home of Golf. Needing a first or second-place finish to dethrone Woods this weekend, Westwood is outside the top 30 at halfway.
"It was pretty much the same as Thursday," he said. "I'm just struggling with it and I'm probably just going to get through this week and make a decision."
If he misses his defence of the Portugal Masters next week, however, the 37-year-old from Worksop will overtake Woods on the rankings - calculated over a two-year period - at the end of this month.
Former Ashes-winning England cricket captain Michael Vaughan, now retired, is playing in the celebrity pro-am and chatted with Westwood.
"I don't like pulling out of tournaments, but he said when you get something like that you just need to take the time off and make sure it's 110% when you come back," the golfer said.
Asked if it could mean another lengthy break after this week - the Ryder Cup was his first competitive action since August 6 - he replied: "Could be, yeah.
"My gut instinct is to get it better. I'm just consciously thinking about it and the longer the day goes on the worse it gets.
"It's not great and shutting down for the rest of the year is an option."
To access the live scoring for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, please direct your web browser to: http://www.alfreddunhilllinks.com and click on the Live Scoring link at the bottom of the page.

SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD
OLD COURSE, ST ANDREWS
Par 144 (2x72)
132 John Parry 67 65
137 Ross Fisher 69 68, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 68 69, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 68 69

138 Graeme McDowell 70 68

139 Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 67 72, Simon Dyson 69 70, Padraig Harrington 71 68

140 Andrew Coltart 69 71

141 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 72 69, Damien McGrane 72 69, Steve Webster 70 71, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 69 72, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 71 70, Martin Laird 66 75, Rhys Davies 71 70

142 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 67 75, Robert Coles 68 74, David Howell 69 73, Lee Westwood 70 72

143 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 68 75, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 77 66, George Coetzee (Rsa) 73 70, Darren Clarke 76 67, Ashley Hall (Aus) 75 68, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 71 72

144 Joost Luiten (Ned) 73 71, Colin Montgomerie 72 72, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 74, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 74 70, Victor Dubuisson (Fra) 69 75, Michael Hoey 71 73

145 Christian Cevaer (Fra) 72 73, Anton Haig (Rsa) 73 72, Rory McIlroy 71 74, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 73 72, Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 72 73, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 69 76, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 74 71, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 73 72, Paul McGinley 74 71, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 73 72

146 Scott Hend (Aus) 71 75, Peter Lawrie 70 76, Simon Khan 72 74

147 Peter Hanson (Swe) 74 73, Chris Wood 73 74, Alastair Forsyth 75 72, Nick Dougherty 72 75, Simon Thornton 73 74

148 Oliver Wilson 72 76

149 Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 76 73

150 Craig Scott (Aus) 73 77, Keith Horne (Rsa) 76 74

151 John Daly (USA) 75 76

152 Shiv Kapur (Ind) 74 78


CARNOUSTIE
Par 144 (2x72)
136 Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 68 68
139 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 66 73
140 Richard Bland 68 72, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 66 74, Marcel Siem (Ger) 69 71, Danny Willett 67 73
141 Gary Boyd 69 72, Stephen Gallacher 69 72, Alan McLean 68 73, Graeme Storm 68 73
142 Paul Waring 68 74, Thomas Levet (Fra) 70 72, Johan Edfors (Swe) 70 72
143 Andrew Butterfield 72 71, Paul Lawrie 71 72, Richard McEvoy 72 71
144 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 69 75, Stephen Dodd 68 76
145 Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 71 74, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 70 75, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 68 77
146 Jamie Elson 71 75, Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 71 75, Marc Warren 70 76
147 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 69 78, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 70 77, Shane Lowry 69 78, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 72 75, Kenneth Ferrie 67 80, Julien Quesne (Fra) 71 76
148 Martin Wiegele (Aut) 72 76, Robert Rock 70 78, Gary Murphy 73 75, Marco Ruiz (Par) 72 76, Pablo Martin (Spa) 69 79, Steven O'Hara 71 77, Charl Coetzee (Rsa) 68 80
149 Gary Lockerbie 72 77, David Drysdale 73 76, David McKenzie (Aus) 69 80, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 74 75, Peter Whiteford 76 73, Marcus Both (Aus) 73 76, Jamie Donaldson 68 81, Ross McGowan 70 79
150 Ariel Canete (Arg) 70 80, Mark Brown (Nzl) 72 78, Gregory Havret (Fra) 73 77, James Morrison 73 77
151 Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa) 73 78
152 Michael Jonzon (Swe) 73 79
153 Josh Geary (Nzl) 76 77
155 Keir McNicoll 77 78, Oliver Fisher 72 83
157 Mark Foster 75 82

KINGSBARNS
Par 144 (2x72)
140 Phillip Price 70 70
141 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 70 71, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 66 75, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 69 72, Tim Wilkinson (Nzl) 67 74
142 Anthony Wall 73 69, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 72 70, David Lynn 69 73
143 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 69 74, Alexander Noren (Swe) 72 71, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 72, Richard Finch 68 75, Phillip Archer 72 71
144 Bradley Dredge 73 71
145 Anthony Kang (USA) 69 76, James Kingston (Rsa) 69 76, Soren Hansen (Den) 72 73, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 70 75
146 Jason Norris (Aus) 72 74, Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 75 71, David Dixon 69 77, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 75 71, Markus Brier (Aut) 72 74, Dave Horsey 74 72, Matthew Griffin (Aus) 70 76
147 Richie Ramsay 69 78, Richard Green (Aus) 71 76, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 72 75
148 Gareth Maybin 72 76, Rick Kulacz (Aus) 72 76, Tano Goya (Arg) 73 75, James Kamte (Rsa) 71 77

149 Sam Hutsby 73 76, Benn Barham 72 77, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 74 75, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 77 72

150 Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 73 77, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 75 75, Sam Little 74 76, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 74 76

151 Dustin Garza (USA) 76 75, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 76 75, Scott Strange (Aus) 73 78, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 73 78, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 71 80, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 75 76

152 Francois Delamontagne (Fra) 79 73, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 78 74, Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa) 77 75

153 Leigh McKechnie (Aus) 77 76
154 Brett Rumford (Aus) 80 74, Michael Campbell (Nzl) 74 80

155 C Muniyappa (Ind) 77 78, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 77 78

159 Brandon Pieters (Rsa) 77 82

161 Jean Van de Velde (Fra) 82 79

Kent retain English senior

men'scounty title

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Kent are still the English Seniors County Champions. They retained the title by just half a point at Ferndown when they beat Dorset 7½ – 1½ thanks to a crucial putt from Ricky Moore, while Cheshire had to settle for runners-up again despite an 8-1 victory over Northamptonshire.
Both Kent and Cheshire knew only an emphatic victory in their final matches would be good enough to win the title and they achieved that, which meant they finished tied with five match points. That meant the decision went down to game points with Kent finishing on 18½ to Cheshire’s 18. Kent’s success means they have matched Cheshire’s record in the event, both counties having won the title on three occasions.
Kent’s hero was Moore, who holed a five-foot winning putt on the 18th green to halve his match with Brian Medlam which tipped the title in Kent’s way.

Everyone thought the championship would end in a tie. “So did I,” said Kent captain Nic Allen. “But Ricky’s vital putt in front of a large audience did it for us.”

“I’m very relieved,” added Allen. “I don’t know about it being nail-biting. I don’t think I’ve got any fingers left. This is my last year as captain and I’m very glad for the team. It was a good performance. We were one game point ahead and we knew we had to match Cheshire’s performance which we did.”

After completing a clean sweep of the morning foursomes, Kent were flying in the singles with Andrew Stracey, Chris Reynolds and Dave Jessup putting them within grasping distance of the title.

Chris Hurst made it 7-0 with a 2-hole win over David Lock but the final two games were in Dorset’s hands. Moore had been 2-up through 12 holes against Medlam, who then got his nose in front with two to play. It all came down to the last where Moore kept his nerve to hole from five feet to square the match and give Kent the vital half point they needed. Campbell Boal gained the South West Champions’ first point with a final green against Sam Smale to see Dorset into third place overall.

Cheshire, looking to win the title they last held in 2008, were also fast out of the blocks, winning all three morning foursomes. They were equally impressive in the singles, only one match eluding their grasp when Richard Cole gained Northants only point with a 2 and 1 win over Bob Walker in the top game.

Otherwise it was all Cheshire with Phil Slater leading the way with a 6 and 5 win over Rodney Haig, completing an impressive week for the seniors international with six wins out of six. There was little sign of the final scoreline as the first seven holes were halved but Slater won the next six to wrap up an emphatic victory with a birdie on the 13th.

Fellow international Roy Smethurst, not having the best of weeks with three defeats, turned it round against Brian O’Connell. The Cheshire man had six birdies on his card, one coming at the seventh but he lost the hole to an eagle. However, he was 3-up at the turn on his way to a 2 and 1 success.

Three Cheshire men finished with unbeaten records, Slater, Scotland’s George Payne and Ron Harrison, who collected his fourth point with a 4 and 3 win over Andrew MacDonald

But at the end of the day they came up short and that Moore putt proved a cruel blow, proving that half a point can be so vital at times.

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Having completed victories over Wales and Scotland – the latter shortened by the weather – England’s Under-16s boys' team will be seeking a hat-trick when they face Ireland Under-16s at Willesley Park, Leicestershire, this weekend, (October 9 and 10).
The eight-strong England line-up were all in action against the Scots last weekend at Dinsdale Spa in Durham, the match being cut short when the course became waterlogged. So the outcome was decided by the foursomes matches in which England came out on top 3½ – 1½.

England’s team for Willesley Park will be:
Jordan Ainley (Brokenhurst Manor, Hampshire), IoW & CI), Robert Burlison (Oxley Park, Staffordshire), Jamie Clare (East Sussex National, Sussex), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Hallamshire, Yorkshire), Patrick Kelly (Boston West, Lincolnshire), Max Orrin (North Foreland, Kent), Toby Tree (Worthing, Sussex), Nick Ward (Redbourn, Hertfordshire).


Ainley made his England debut in the 10½ – 1½ defeat of Wales at The Monmouthshire last month, winning both his matches. He also tasted success in tandem with Burlison against the Scots.


Clare also made his debut against the Welsh, while Fitzpatrick has been capped against Spain as well as Wales and Scotland in which he partnered Tree in a halved match.


Kelly and Ward, the Hertfordshire County Champion, also made debuts against the Welsh while they were a successful partnership against Scotland. Orrin played in the Irish match last year as well as against Spain, while he has played in all three Under 16 internationals so far this year.


Tree, the English Under 16 Champion, is another in his second year as an Under 16 cap, having played against the Home nations in 2009 and against Spain and Scotland this year.


Having won the Boys Home Internationals, Ireland will be looking to complete the double over England. The match will mark the farewell of England team manager Tommy Flinn, who is retiring after four years at the helm, during which Ireland are yet to defeat England at Under 16 level.


Saturday’s play will consist of four foursomes and eight singles with another eight singles on Sunday.

English senior men's county finals

Cheshire and Kent resume winning ways

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Cheshire and Kent got back to winning ways on day two of the English Seniors County Finals at Ferndown to stay on course for yet another title but Dorset are still in the hunt despite going down to Cheshire.
After facing each other and battling out an opening day tie, Cheshire and Kent each completed emphatic wins so the outcome after the third round of matches could be decided on games won.
After a delayed start due to several greens being flooded after overnight rain, two tees were used and Cheshire got off to a flier from the ninth, taking all three morning foursomes against day one winners Dorset, which left then requiring just two-and-a-half points from the six singles.
But it wasn’t easy to achieve. Dorset battled back to take the top two singles through John Smith and John Gordon, who pulled off a remarkable 5 and 4 victory over top international Roy Smethurst.
Starting at the ninth, Gordon won the 12th, 15th and 16th, all with birdies, while another at the first plus a concession at the second saw the tussle end on the fourth. But Cheshire weren’t to be denied and with seniors cap Phil Slater winning 5 and 3 and George Payne 5 and 4, plus a half from Ron Harrison they got over the line.
Slater made a blistering start against Brian Medlam, winning the ninth, tenth and 11th to go 3-up. He then lost the 17th but won the first, second and fifth, with a birdie, to get home 5 and 3. However, there was a sting in the tail when Campbell Boal fought back for Dorset with a 6 and 5 victory over Ian McGurn.
Kent were made to fight by Northants in the foursomes, each game being decided by 1 hole, two in Kent’s favour. But Kent took command in the singles with major wins for Sam Smale, Ricky Moore and Howard Moxon.
Smale was another to make a fast start against Andrew MacDonald, the Kent man winning the third, fifth, sixth only for MacDonald to take the eighth and tenth. But Smale found his feet again to win the 11th, 12th, 14th and 15th all with pars, for a 5 and 3 success.
Chris Reynolds found himself 3 down to Richard Cole after 12 holes but won the 13th, 14th and 15th as well as the last with a par, Reynolds getting home by 1 hole.
Chris Hurst was involved in a remarkable encounter with Northants Brian O'Connell. Hurst was 4 down with four to play but hit back to halve the game with a couple of birdies.

Josh Bogle wins Renfrewshire Junior Order of Merit
NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNIONDon Bremner: e-mail- donbremner@ranfurly9.freeserve.co.uk
The final counting event of the season for points for Renfrewshire’s Junior Order of Merit was the Junior Open at Kilmacolm Golf Club.
After 16 counting events, Whinhill’s Anton O’Donnell led with 740 points, having won at Whinhill, Eastwood, Greenock and Port Glasgow. He had been closely challenged all season by Josh Bogle from Ranfurly Castle whose Caven Trophy victory had given him double points and who had gone on to win the open events at Paisley and Old Ranfurly.
He went into the final event with 722 points, knowing that victory at Kilmacolm would be enough to close the 18 point gap and give him the title.
Anton recorded a creditable 76 but Josh was on form and returned 73 to win the event and the hundred points which guaranteed him the Junior Order of Merit trophy.

In the under-14 section, there was a runaway winner in Colin Edgar from Cochrane Castle who dominated all season, ending up with a massive 1,317 points. Second was Ranfurly Castle’s Calum Aitken.

US PGA TOUR

Wife's pep talk helps John

Rollins lead with a 63

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Georgia (AP) — Matt Kuchar couldn't stifle a yawn when he walked out of the scoring trailer. Zach Johnson couldn't remember which side of the Atlantic Ocean he was on, except for the warm sunshine at Sea Island.
Two days after they returned from long, wet week at the Ryder Cup in Wales, the opening round of the new McGladrey Classic was a blur.

"I think I was too relaxed to be nervous," Kuchar said.

That wasn't the case for John Rollins

Motivated by a pep talk from his wife and a meltdown that knocked him out of the FedEx Cup playoffs, Rollins kept bogeys off his card and opened with a 7-under 63 for his best round of the year and a one-shot lead over David Toms and rookie Troy Merritt.

Rollins birdied four straight holes late his round, starting with the tight 14th along St. Simons Sound and ending with a 6-iron to 3 feet on the par-3 17th. Nearly half the field broke par in gorgeous weather along the Georgia coast, a flawless start to a tournament making its debut in the Fall Series.

Kuchar and Johnson ordinarily wouldn't play the week after the Ryder Cup, except that they live at Sea Island. Kuchar just moved to this picturesque piece of land known as the Golden Isles, and slept in his home for the first time Wednesday night.

Getting over a Ryder Cup hangover might take longer than that.

There could not be two weeks any different for those who were in Wales last week, which includes tournament host Davis Love III, a vice captain at the Ryder Cup.

Sunshine was abundant. And except for about 400 people following Love, Kuchar and Johnson, it was relatively quiet.

"Definitely an intimate feeling," said Love, who opened with a 70.

Kuchar, who leads the PGA Tour money list and is closing in on the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average, moved about the Seaside Course easily and was challenging for the lead until his drive on the par-4 16th came up about a yard short of clearing the creek, leading to a double bogey. He still managed a 67, though he's not sure how.

"There were a number of times today I waned to reach down and mark my ball," he said, referring to preferred lies in effect last week at Celtic Manor Resort because of the waterlogged course.

As for the difference in weather.

"I'm glad I live here," Kuchar said.

Johnson also was groggy, although he gave himself enough chances to shoot a 70.

"I do remember misreading a lot of putts," Johnson said. "But the weather was perfect. The crowd was great. I didn't play bad considering what I was up against."

Reality of where he was came when he signed his card, and Johnson was picked for drug testing after his round.

Rollins, meanwhile, came to Sea Island with plenty of rest.

He was in good shape to advance to the third round of the FedEx Cup playoffs when he shot a 79 on the final day at the TPC Boston, giving him a month off that he didn't want.

Rollins and his wife talked about his season - a tie for third in Greenboro, 72nd on the money list, no danger of losing his card because of winning on tour last year. He didn't feel as though it were up to his standards.

It sounded as though he did most of the listening.

"I don't want it to seem like she was chewing me out or anything, but it was just sort of a wake-up call - 'Hey, if you want to play good and make these teams, put the work in and get it done.' So that's where we've gone," he said.

Rollins figured there was no need to wait until next year. He has four tournaments left, and he's trying to end his year with a win.

For most players, the Fall Series is only about finishing in the top 125 on the money list to keep the card for next year. Merritt, who won Q-school a year ago.

Merritt is 123rd on the money list. The group at 65 includes Joe Durant, who is at No. 131, and Michael Letzig at No. 145.

Justin Leonard, who was playing well enough toward the end of the FedEx Cup to warrant consideration for the Ryder Cup, opening with a 66, while Bill Haas shot a 67 a week after winning the Viking Classic. Because he won during the Fall Series, Haas' victory does not give him an exemption to the Masters. He is No. 26 on the money list, however, and the top 30 get to Augusta National.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 70
63 John Rollins
64 David Toms, Troy Merritt
65 Joe Durant, Rich Barcelo
66 Michael Letzig, Justin Leonard, Mathias Gronberg (Swe), Heath Slocum, Aron Price (Aus)
67 Brian Stuard, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind), Chris Stroud, Paul Stankowski, Jeff Quinney, Matt Kuchar, Todd Hamilton, Charlie Wi (SKor), Jeff Maggert, Steve Marino, Bill Haas, Dean Wilson, Brett Quigley
68 Chris Kirk, Pat Perez, Scott McCarron, Brian Gay, Steve Flesch, James Nitties (Aus), Graham De Laet (Can), Blake Adams, Richard S Johnson (Swe), Daniel Chopra (Swe), Robert Allenby (Aus), Bo Van Pelt, Tom Gillis, Jonathan Byrd
69 Billy Mayfair, Ben Curtis, John Mallinger, Webb Simpson, Tim Petrovic, Shaun Micheel, Ken Duke, Tim Weinhart, Rodney Pampling (Aus), Chris DiMarco, John Senden (Aus), Michael Connell, Cameron Percy (Aus), Cliff Kresge, J.B. Holmes, Kevin Stadler, Trevor Immelman (Rsa), Mathew Goggin (Aus), Alex Hamilton, Troy Matteson
70 Michael Bradley, Woody Austin, Kevin Johnson, Kevin Sutherland, Steve Wheatcroft, Roger Tambellini, Charles Howell III, Will MacKenzie, Chad Campbell, Henrik Bjornstad (Nor), Marc Leishman (Aus), Kris Blanks, Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, Michael O'Neal, Tom Pernice Jnr, Mark Wilson, Andrew McLardy (Rsa), Aaron Baddeley (Aus), Jarrod Lyle (Aus), Arjun Atwal (Ind), Johnson Wagner, Rocco Mediate, Carl Pettersson (Swe)
71 David Lutterus (Rsa), David Duval, James Driscoll, Matthew Jones (Aus), Justin Bolli, Roland Thatcher, Charles Warren, Brendon De Jonge, Ted Purdy, Steve Lowery, Lee Janzen, Scott Piercy, Brad Faxon, Chris Wilson, George McNeill, Jay Williamson
72 Spencer Levin, Jeff Gove, Greg Owen (Eng), Brenden Pappas (Rsa), Bob Estes, Nathan Green (Aus), Boo Weekley, Briny Baird, Jason Bohn, Henrik Stenson (Swe), Brent null Delahoussaye, Tim Herron, Lucas Glover, Joe Ogilvie, Fredrik Jacobson (Swe), Cameron Beckman, Brett Wetterich, Josh Teater, Cameron Tringale
73 D.A. Points, Chris Tidland, Vaughn Taylor, Martin Flores, Chad Collins, Vance Veazey, Alex Cejka (Ger)
74 Jerry Kelly, Brian Davis (Eng), Omar Uresti
75 Robert Garrigus, John Merrick, Parker McLachlin
77 Ryuji Imada (Jpn)
78 Greg Kraft
80 Chase Baldwin