SCOT NOW 49th IN WORLD RANKINGS

Martin Laird tops $2million mark on US Tour

Martin Laird's joint third place finish in a Asian Tour-US PGA Tour co-sanctioned event at the weekend has pushed the Scot over the $2,000,000 mark in tournament earnings in 2010.
To be precise the Glasgow man has earned $2,137,928 and is 35th in the US Tour money table.
Aberdeen-born Michael Sim is 64th with $1,338,926.
LEADING TOTALS
1 Matt Kuchar $4,910,477.
2 Jim Furyk $4,809,622.
3 Ernie Els $4,558,861
4 Dustin Johnson $4,473,122.
5 Steve Stricker $4,190,235
6 Phil Mickelson $3,821,733.
7 Luke Donald $3,651,234.
8 Paul Casey $3,665,234.
9 Justin Rose $3,603,331.
10 Hunter Mahan $3,574,550.
Other totals:
35 Martin Laird $2,137,928.
64 Michael Sim $1,338,926.

FROM THE SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE

Martin Laird has broken into the world's top 50 for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old continued his rich vein of form with a third-place finish in the inaugural Asia Pacific Classic in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday. The Glaswegian's sixth top-10 finish of the year has catapulted him a further six places up the world rankings and into 49th spot.

If he can retain his place until December 31, Laird will tee-up in all four Majors and all World Golf Championship events in 2011.
THIS WEEK'S WORLD RANKINGS

1 Lee Westwood (Eng) 8.29pts
2 Tiger Woods (USA) 8.13

3 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 7.98

4 Phil Mickelson (USA) 7.83
5 Steve Stricker (USA) 7.20
6 Jim Furyk (USA) 7.09
7 Paul Casey (Eng) 6.14
8 Luke Donald (Eng) 5.70
9 Rory McIlroy (N Ire) 5.44
10 Graeme McDowell (N Ire) 5.43
11 Matt Kuchar (USA) 5.33,
12 Ernie Els (SA) 5.13
13 Dustin Johnson (USA) 4.99
14 Ian Poulter (Eng) 4.49
15 Hunter Mahan (USA) 4.48
16 Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 4.48
17 Retief Goosen (SA) 4.25
18 Zach Johnson (USA) 4.06
19 Padraig Harrington (Ire) 4.00
20 Louis Oosthuizen (SA) 3.91


Others:

23 Justin Rose

24 Miguel Angel Jimenez

27 Ross Fisher

30 Francesco Molinari

36 Robert Karlsson

44 Peter Hanson

49 Martin Laird

51 Henrik Stenson

68 Sergio Garcia
69 Michael Sim.
70 Brian Davis.
82 Stephen Gallacher.
83 Vijay Singh

100 Darren Clarke.
194 George Murray.
211 Richie Ramsay.
233 Paul Lawrie.
243 David Drysdale.
256 Peter Whiteford.
361 Raymond Russell.
384 Gary Orr
404 Colin Montgomerie.
409 Simon Yates.
415 Scott Jamieson.
440 Marc Warren.
454 Alastair Forsyth.
460 Jamie McLeary.
476 Andrew Coltart.
523 Alastair Forsyth.
576 Steven O'Hara.
600 Alan McLean.
607 Eric Ramsay.
619 Craig Lee.
639 Lloyd Saltman.
667 Callum Macaulay.
677 Elliot Saltman.
770 Chris Doak.

PETER SMITH OUT TO FOLLOW

FRASER MANN EXAMPLE

AT SENIOR Q SCHOOL

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
"Anything Fraser Mann can do, I can do better." That's the tongue-in-cheek approach of another former Northern Open champion Peter Smith as he prepares for the European Senior Tour Qualifying School at Pestana Golf Resort on the Algarve from November 11 to 18.
"Fraser played on the Senior Tour this past year after coming through the Qualifying School last November so that's a big source of encouragement to me," said Udny-born Smith who turned 50 last year and has recently returned to his native Aberdeenshire after several years divided between club posts in the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Smith, who has been appointed coach by Paul Lawrie to his Elite Foundation Team, played in this year's PGA Senior Championship with Sandy Lyle, Sam Torrance and Barry Lane as partners and was not in the slightest bit overawed.
"It was great to catch up with the players I knew and played with 20 years ago. I have to say I felt very comfrtable playing at that level again and it would be a dream come true to compete against them on a more regular basis on the over-50s circuit," said Smith.
Peter played on the European Tour from 1990 to 1993. He won the PGA of Holland Senior Cup last year and the New Zealand club pros' title earlier in this decade. Last year he was picked to play for Sir Bob Charles' New Zealand Senior Professionals' team against Kel Nagle's Australian seniors team in an inaugural Ryder Cup-style challlenge match.
Smith, who is looking for a golf club in the Aberdeen area to give him a base for coaching when he is not involved in tournament golf, has signed a sponsorship contract to carry the name of Steadfast Scotland, an Aberdeen-based multi-commodity supplier to the international oil and gas industry at the Seniors' Qualifying School.
Stage 1 over 36 holes will be held on November 11 and 12 with the Final Stage over four rounds at the Vale da Pinta course from November 15 to 18.
Smith realises that he has to be on his game to follow Fraser Mann's example. Only six players' cards for the 2012 European Seniors Tour are up for grabs. The next eight in the final totals at the Q School will gain restricted playing rights.

Rod who? wins US Seniors Tour play-off

CBS Sports.com wire reports
SAN ANTONIO -- Canadian Rod Spittle, who got into the event through the Monday qualifying competition, was the shock winner of  the AT and T Championship on Sunday for his first US Champions (Seniors) Tour victory. The little-known Spittle beat Jeff Sluman with a par on the first hole of a play-off.
Spittle, a 55-year-old Canadian, and Sluman closed with four-under 67s to finish at 12 under on the Oak Hills Country Club course. Spittle earned $262,500.
Spittle birdied Nos. 15-17, hitting a wedge shot to 2 feet on the 17th and parred the 18th, while Sluman birdied 15 and 16 and finished with two pars.
Sluman bogeyed the play-off hole -- the par-3 18th -- when he hit his tee shot into the front bunker. Spittle won with a 4-foot par putt.
Two-time Oak Hills winner John Cook (68), second-round leader Larry Nelson (70) and Chien Soon Lu (69) tied for third at 11 under. Nelson, the 63-year-old Hall of Famer who was looking for his first win in six years, fell out of the lead with a double bogey and bogey on consecutive front-nine holes.
Cook missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole. Cook, Spittle's teammate at Ohio State, led by two strokes after he birdied No. 8, but he had bogeys on 11 and 13.
Corey Pavin (66), Steve Haskins (67) and Jay Don Blake (70) tied for sixth at 10 under, and Charles Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer (69) was another stroke back along with Jay Haas (67).
The tournament was the final full-field US Seniors Tour event of the year. The top 30 on the money list earned spots next week in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco.
Next year, the AT and T Championship will move from A.W. Tillinghast-designed Oak Hills to a TPC course across town designed by Pete Dye. Oak Hills, opened in 1922, was the tournament site since 2002 and was the site of the US PGA Tour's Texas Open for 24 years until 1995.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FINAL TOTALS

Greg Norman group to buy Valderrama from Patino

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
Valderrama Golf Club, a former Ryder Cup venue, and its adjacent property in Sotogrande, Spain, has agreed to be purchased by the Greg Norman-owned Stripe Group.
Soto Properties, controlled by Spanish businessman Jamie Ortiz-Patiño, will sell the property for an undisclosed sum. The deal ISexpected to close within weeks.
The Stripe Group said it will purchase Valderrama to strengthen its position in the business of golf events in Europe. The course, site of the 1997 Ryder Cup, recently hosted the Andalucía Masters. Last year, the Stripe Group created the Dubai World Championship, the European Tour’s season-ending event.
It also plans to build a second course in nearby Castellar de la Frontera, near San Roque in southern Spain.
The member club remains under ownership of Ortiz-Patiño’s son, Felipe, for the next 40 years, according to Spanish newspaper Costa del Sol.
The Robert Trent Jones-designed course was constructed in 1974. In 1985 it was acquired by Ortiz-Patiño and expanded by Jones.
“Twenty-five years ago, we set out to create one of the world’s best golf courses,” Ortiz-Patiño said in a statment. “In passing this great course on to its next owner, it has always been my intention to find a buyer who will continue to follow my vision by constantly seeking to enhance the course and its surroundings. . . . In the Stripe Group, I have found such a buyer.”

Golf.com Interview:

Gary Player turns 75


By Jeff Ritter, Senior Producer, Golf.com
South African Gary Player won nine majors and nine more on the US Senior Tour. He is the only player to win a career Grand Slam on both tours.
Gary Player doesn't mince words. The nine-time major winner shies away from a question as often as he once shied away from a battle on the course ... which is to say, never. Reached recently at his home in South Africa, the Black Knight discussed the big 7-5, fixing Tiger's swing and why being excluded from the Ryder Cup never bothered him.

You turn 75 on November 1. How are you feeling these days?
I work all day on the ranch, I travel all around the world representing my companies, I play some events on the Tour, and I do a lot of course design all over the world. And I must say I feel as young now as I did when I was 40. But I also exercise like a fiend and I eat very well. It all goes hand in hand.

What will you do to celebrate?
I'll be in China on my birthday, at one of the golf courses I'm designing. It's at a club called Hidden Tiger, in Shanghai. We'll have a nice little meeting and I'll tell a lot of stories and it'll be a great time. As you get older, birthdays are nice, but it's not like Christmas or New Year's, you know?

Let's say as a birthday present I make you PGA Tour commissioner for a day. What changes would you make?
I would like to suggest that every pro, in his home state, has a day with junior golf, to spend the day with young boys and girls and encourage them to play golf in the future, because golf really needs a boost p.r.-wise.
The other thing I would do is, since we're in this economic crunch, we'd have two pro-ams a week like we do on the senior tour. We've got to start thinking of the public in a very strong way. At the moment, pro golfers are one of the few people who don't feel that there's a recession in the world. It's a miracle what's happening in golf. These are things that players wouldn't enjoy hearing me say, but that's what I would do.

You won nine majors on the regular tour and nine more on the senior circuit. Looking back, which of those titles is the most special?
The senior tour was a much more difficult grand slam to win than the regular grand slam. First of all, I'm the only one in the world that's ever done it. To me it was much more difficult to do because I had to do it after the age of 50, and that's not easy. Everybody's now realizing how tough the senior tour is, the standard of play. The fact that I'm the only one in the world to do it must mean it's pretty tough. I think that's my biggest thrill in golf — winning the senior grand slam.

What about an individual title? Do you have a favourite?
That's a really tough thing. I just think the grand slam on the regular tour and the grand slam on the senior tour are the two most special titles to me.

How often to you speak with Arnold and Jack today?
Quite a lot. Jack Nicklaus visits my ranch. I saw Arnold at the British Open at St. Andrews. I see them quite a bit, but I miss not seeing them more because they are two dear friends.

Tiger Woods had his worst year as a pro in 2010. Do you think he'll break Jack's record of 18 majors?
If he gets his backswing right he'll play better than he's ever played in his life. But his backswing is so pathetic, it's so bad, it's hard to play golf when you have a backswing like he has at the moment. I'm a big Tiger Woods fan, but it's very hard to play golf from the position he's in now because you hit the outside of the ball all the time, and when you hit the outside of the ball you can't play golf.
Tiger has got a strong enough mind, and I think his mind is strong enough to get over the problems he's had. He's got one of the strongest minds I've ever seen. The reason he's playing badly, in my opinion, is because his backswing is just really poor. And he will get the backswing right, and when he does he'll play better than he's ever played.

When was the last time you spoke to Tiger?
At Augusta. We didn't talk about much. Pleased to see you, hope you get over your problems, that sort of thing.

Do you wish you could've competed in the Ryder Cup?
I never really wished that. I was brought up not to compete in the Ryder Cup, and it just became part of my life to have nothing to do with the Ryder Cup. It never really bothered me. The Ryder Cup was one of the most boring events for many, many years — it's only started to become interesting since Europe started to beat America. Up until then it was really a one-way show. It was so one-sided, it wasn't even worth watching. And now it's become one of the most exciting events in golf. Prior to that, it was a bore.

Pro golf experienced a youth movement this season. Which young players most impress you?
Well, there's Rory McIlroy, there's Anthony Kim, Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa. And most of all, Martin Kaymer. He's brilliant. I think his attitude is just phenomenal. I like his manner, and the way he shaves every day. I know today it's the style for people not to shave. I see that in all athletes.
But you've got to remember that all businessmen who are writing up contracts, and companies that you're representing, they all shave. I think athletes are crazy — you've got do what the businessmen do. That's just my opinion.

Time to check in on your fitness. How many sit-ups have you done today?
I did 1,000 today.

What's your normal workout?
On my ranch I have a mountain with steps up to the top, and these steps are twice the size of a normal step. So I go up the mountain, I have a long lap pool that I use, I work out in my gym and I do sit-ups at least four times a week. But exercise is 30 percent and eating is 70 percent. I'm not a true vegetarian, but the food on my ranch is all organically grown, so there are no steroids or things like that.

Hutcheon, Doak, Lee in PGA Play-offs

FROM THE PGA E-BULLETIN
The culmination of the domestic pro circuit season heads to Little Aston this week as 21 of the PGA’s best players battle it out for the right to be No. 1 at the Srixon PGA Play-Offs.
And this year’s field looks to be the strongest yet, as the Play-Offs are contested for the fifth year.
This year’s Glenmuir PGA Professional champion David Mortimer (Fore Ireland) and runner-up David Shacklady (Mossock Hall) will be reunited in the Midlands following their play-off battle at Oxfordshire in the summer.
Ryder Cup Wales 2010 Welsh Open PGA champion Richard Dinsdale will look to add to his trophy haul in what has been a remarkable year for the Parc Golf Academy professional.
Going up against them are two former PGA Play-Off winners, 2007 victor Paul Streeter (unattached) and 2008 winner Chris Doak, who sealed his place after securing the prestigious Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship – the final counting event in the Scottish Region.
Also in the field are five other players who have all captured PGA National tournament titles in recent years. They are Jason Levermore (Clacton), Brett Taylor (Chelmsford), Andrew Pestell (Chelmsford), Mathew Morris (Walmley) and Steve Parry (North West Golf Academy).
With European Tour winner Andrew Sherborne (The Kendleshire) and Challenge Tour winner and three-time Scottish OOM champion Grieg Hutcheon (Banchory) also in the 36-hole showdown, predicting the victor is a tough call.
All of the players in the field have earned their place by right and while they will be competing for the £2,000 winner’s cheque and the honour of being the PGA’s No. 1 player, the prospect of securing up to three European Tour starts in 2011 is the real carrot.
The seven Order of Merit winners at Little Aston, plus Glenmuir champ Mortimer, already have the luxury of knowing they will be teeing up at Wentworth in the BMW PGA Championship. But the 13 players know should they win the shootout they will join them and also secure starts in the Barclays Scottish Open and the Celtic Manor Wales Open.
A handful of Challenge Tour starts are also up for grabs for the highest placed finishers.
Hutcheon, who has spent a decade combining his time on the domestic scene and the Challenge Tour, admits that the tournament is growing in stature and the prospect of playing three top European Tour events – he already has two in the bag – can have an incredible effect on whoever claims them.
“There are half a dozen or so events to qualify for and its massive for me and everyone else taking part,” he said.
"If you can get those European Tour starts next year and record some top-10 finishes then you can get your card. So it can be life changing stuff.”
The full field is:-
Greig Hutcheon (Banchory); Craig Lee (Aspire Golf Centre); Chris Doak (unattached); Steve Parry (North West Golf Academy); David Shacklady (Mossock Hall); John Wells (Cherry Burton); David Higgins (Waterville); Damien Mooney (unattached); David Mortimer (Fore Ireland); Richard Wallis (Walmer & Kingsdown); Craig Cowper (World of Golf); Jamie Harris (Nevill); Jason Levermore (Clacton); Brett Taylor (Chelmsford); Andrew Pestell (Chelmsford); Richard Dinsdale (Parc Golf Academy); Richard O’Hanlon (Lanhydrock); Andrew Sherborne (The Kendleshire); Mathew Morris (Walmley); Cameron Clark (Moor Hall); Paul Streeter (unattached).

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR 2011 OPEN

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R AND ATickets are now on sale for the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George’s, with discounts available for early purchases. The Open sees a return to the Kent coast for the first time since 2003, when the USA’s Ben Curtis, playing in his first Major Championship, overcame Vijay Singh and Thomas Bjorn to lift the Claret Jug in a thrilling climax.
Spectators who purchase before 31 December 2010 can take advantage of daily tickets at a special rate, with as much as £10 off the price spectators will pay on the gate.
And for those who do not want to miss a shot at Sandwich, season tickets offering entry on all eight days of the Championship are available at the price of £195 if bought before the end of this calendar year, a saving of almost 20%. Early purchase reductions also apply to a number of concessionary tickets.
Tickets purchased before 13 December will arrive in time for Christmas.
“We are pleased to be able to offer attractive discounts on most ticket types for next year’s Open,” said David Hill, The R&A’s Director of Championships. “Recognising the times we are in, we want to offer savings for early purchases to reward the many enthusiastic spectators we see coming back to The Open year on year.
“With Sandwich being within easy reach of London and the surrounding areas, we hope many golf fans in the south east will take advantage of these savings.”
For spectators looking to enhance their Open experience, new for 2011 is the International Marquee, a facility in which members of the general public can take a break from walking the course and sit down to enjoy quality food and drink, whilst keeping track of the golf on television. International Marquee access on the four championship days costs £40 and must be accompanied by a valid ticket permitting course access.
The Greenside Club ticket will once again provide admission to the course, access to a private marquee and reserved seats within the grandstand behind the 18th green, which provides unparalleled viewing of The Open’s 72nd hole. Inside the marquee, televisions offer uninterrupted live footage and real-time scores from the course and complimentary newspapers, tea and coffee will be provided.
Tickets will continue to be available to purchase on the day at the gate. A daily ticket purchased on arrival at the course on the four championship days (14-17 July 2011) will cost £60. Under-16’s will continue to be admitted free of charge and concessions will be available.
Half-price entry to The Senior Open Championship, which is being held the following week at Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, will be granted on production of a valid Open Championship admission ticket.
Further information can be found on Opengolf.com. Ticket enquiries should be directed through Opengolf.com or by calling the Ticket Office on +44 (0) 1334 460010.

Peter Lloyd's wife Anne

died this morning

Anne Lloyd, wife of the retired PGA Scottish Region secretary, Peter Lloyd, after a long illness, passed away this morning, surrounded by her family.
She was a well-known and much liked figure on the Tartan Tour, doing most of the recording at the Scottish events for many years.
Peter has been in touch with Scottishgolfview.com to pass on the following information with regard to the funeral arrangements for THURSDAY morning.

Funeral service at 10am at:
McLaren's Funeral Parlour, 45 Sunnyside Road, Coatbridge ML5 3DG.

Cremation Service at Daldowie Crematorium at 11am.

Thereafter (from approximately 12 noon) at:
Gartcosh Social Club G69 8AT
(Off M73 Junction 2A)

*Peter and Anne are pictured above in their heyday in the Scottish PGA Caravan at a tournament.