Royal Co Down named Ireland's best

 FROM THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By Peter Hutcheon
Northern Ireland golf has been given another huge boost with the news that Royal County Down has reclaimed its position as the top course in Ireland.
The famous old links at Newcastle, Co Down is back on top of the prestigious annual Golf Digest Ireland top 100 after losing the number one spot last year to Portmarnock.
With Graeme McDowell joining Rory McIlroy in the top 10 of the world rankings following his victory at the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama at the weekend, it’s another shot in the arm for the local game.

McDowell and Darren Clarke last month said that a deal to bring a European Tour event to Northern Ireland was very close to being completed.

Last year Clarke’s manager Andrew Chubby Chandler was on the verge of bringing the British Masters to Nick Faldo’s brilliant new design at the Lough Erne Resort, although the deal fell through at the last minute because of the lack of a main sponsor.

Lough Erne, incidentally, is a new entry on the Golf Digest Ireland list, coming straight in at an impressive number 22.

The list is compiled annually by a panel of golf architects, administrators and players, including former Walker Cup captain, Bangor’s Garth McGimpsey.

There are 22 Ulster clubs in the top 100, six of them — Letterkenny, Ardglass, Farnham Estate, Royal Portrush’s Valley course and Lough Erne — all new entries.

Royal Portrush’s Dunluce links has risen one place to third.

Notable courses missing from this year’s list include The Heritage, Fota Island, New Forest, Castleknock and Moyvalley with a total of 21 new entries.

“Since we started this process of grading courses, it has served to highlight the splendid work clubs throughout the country have been doing to upgrade their facilities,” said a Golf Digest Ireland spokesman.
“This year, the panel has been modified from 2009 with the addition of some fresh blood to help ensure this massive undertaking got the attention it deserves.
“Eddie Connaugton, an esteemed agronomist; Kate McCann, an experienced Curtis Cup Player; Valerie Hassett also of the Curtis Cup ; Cecil Whelan, founder of the famously charitable Links Society and a man this magazine voted as one of the Top 50 most influential people in Irish golf; and Ally McIntosh, the course designer and a writer of regular architecture columns in these pages are all new to the panel, but have the kind of expertise in the industry that is indispensable.”

“They joined our existing panelists Declan Branigan, agronomist and course-designer; Mark Gannon, a Royal and Ancient selector; Michael McCumiskey, the Secretary of the PGA Irish Region; Garth McGimpsey, a former Walker Cup captain; John Quigley, of the Association of Irish Golf Club Secretaries and, of course, the panel’s chairman: Pádraig O hUiginn.”

The panel visited 105 clubs which contacted them with details of upgrades and improvements.

IRELAND'S TOP 20 - ACCORDING TO GOLF DIGEST IRELAND
1 Royal County Down (+1 from last year).
2 Portmarnock (-1).
3 Royal Portrush (+1).
4 The European Club (-1).
5 Ballybunion Old (no change).
6 Waterville (no change).
7 Lahinch (+1).
8 Adare (-1).
9 Co Louth: Baltray (no change).
10 Tralee (+1).
11 Co Sligo (+5).
12 The Island (+6).
13 Mount Juliet (-1).
14 Killeen Castle (new course).
15 K Club: Palmer course (-5).
16 Ballyliffin: Glashedy Links (-1).
17 Enniscrone (+3).
18 Royal Dublin (-5).
19 Donegal: Murvagh Links (+3).
20 Portstewart: Strand (+4).

Alan McLean in the Nashua Masters picture
FROM THE SUNSHINE TOUR WEBSITE
Rookie Jake Redman equalled his best round on the Sunshine Tour when he carded a seven-under-par 63 today in the second round of the R1.2-million Nashua Masters.
After his opening one-under 69, he found himself elevated into a share of fifth at eight-under-par, three behind the lead set by Alan Michell and Branden Grace.
And even Redman’s superb 63 paled into the background as David Hewan, after an inauspicious level-par start in his opening round, came storming home in a bogey-free nine-under 61 to climb into a share of third place, two shots off the lead.
Redman’s round started off with an eagle on the 10th, he followed that with a birdie on the 12th and then a second eagle on the 16th took him to the turn in five-under 30.
He picked up three more birdies in the next six holes, but his fourth bogey on his homeward nine was sandwiched by two bogeys which somewhat undid all his good work.
“It was a bit unfortunate, that ending with the last three holes,” he said, “but I hit good shots. I just got a bit unlucky. I’m pretty happy, though,” he added.
Both he and Hewan completed their rounds in a persistent drizzle after the middle portion of the day had dried up somewhat from the damp start to the day.
“It was quite hard coming back at the end in the rain,” said Hewan, who had five birdies on the front nine for which he carded a five-under 30.
“I had two chip-ins on par-threes,” he said. “If you make three twos on the front nine, it’s always going to look pretty good on the card.
“The back nine, I made two on 11, and then parred 13 and made three out of four coming home,” he said.
“The mind’s telling you when you get to seven-under, ‘Just hold it there,’ but if the putter’s working, the putter’s working,” he laughed.
Jacques Blaauw closed with a birdie on 18 to move into third with Hewan. “It was a bit tough out there with the rain,” he said, “but I’m happy enough to have ground out a 67 and be there for the final two rounds.”
Redman shared fifth with Garry Hill, who added a three-under 67 to his opening 65.
Grace and Michell both started in the morning, and their rounds were mirror-images in terms of weather conditions to those experienced by Redman, Hewan and Blaauw.
Ominously for all of the leaders, Jean Hugo, who has won three times on the Sunshine Tour this year, quietly went about compiling a bogey-free 66 to move to seven-under at halfway, four off the pace.
Scot Alan McLean is only four shots off the pace in joint seventh place after scores of 65 and 68 for 133.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70)
Players from S Africa unless stated
129 Alan Michell 62 67, Branden Grace 62 67.
131 David Hewan 70 61, Jacques Blaauw 64 67. 
132 Garry Hill 65 67, Jake Redman 69 63. 
133 Alan McLean (Scotland) 65 68, Warren Abery 66 67, Alex Haindl 64 69, Mark Murless 68 65, Oliver Bekker 67 66, Jean Hugo 67 66, Ben Mannix (England) 69 64.
134 Jake Roos 64 70, Grant Muller 67 67, Ryan Cairns (Zimbabwe) 67 67, Mark Williams 70 64, Attie Schwartzel 67 67, Charl Coetzee 69 65, Kevin Stone 65 69, Divan van den Heever 67 67.
135 Steve van Vuuren 66 69, Clinton Whitelaw 68 67, Doug McGuigan 68 67, Steven Ferreira 70 65, Sean Farrell (Zimbabwe) 69 66. 
136 Des Terblanche 66 70, Chris Swanepoel 69 67, Louis Moolman 67 69, Colin Nel 69 67, T C Charamba (Zimbabwe) 65 71, Neil Cheetham (England) 68 68, Adilson da Silva (Brazil) 69 67, George Coetzee 66 70, Louis de Jager 69 67, Martin Maritz 70 66.
MISSED THE CUT (140 or better)
141 Ryan Thompson 70 71, Mike Curtis (Zimbabwe) 67 74, Merrick Bremner 69 72, Matthew Carvell 69 72, Francois van Vuuren 67 74, Roberto Lupini 71 70, Nic Henning 70 71, Jaco Ahlers 70 71, Morne Buys 71 70.

Tiger's agent failed in bid to stop new book

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
TRUTH AND RUMOURS
By Alan Bastable
If Tiger Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, had had his way, the new book about Tiger's relationship with his father Earl, "His Father's Son," would have vanished into the ether.
According to Geoff Shackelford’s Q and A with the book's author, Tom Callahan, Steinberg was so concerned about the prospect of yet another Tiger tome, particularly in the wake of the scandal, that he all but offered Callahan a quid pro quo to make it go away.
Says Callahan:
"When the word was out that I was interviewing the family, Mark Steinberg of IMG called and asked me, as a favour, not to write the book. “I’ll tell you what, Mark,” I said, “I’ll give it just as much consideration as you would give me if I called and asked you for a favour.” Then he said, “I can’t make any promises, but you’d be high on our list to write Tiger’s book eventually.”
"I laughed. 'Stop it, Mark,' I said. 'I’d be the last guy you’d want because I wouldn’t give you control.'
At which point a trap door opened, sending Callahan into the IMG dungeon.


Can golf unite Obama and Boehner?


President Obama and incoming Speaker John Boehner may not see eye to eye on the economy, or much of anything else for that matter, but they do share a passion for golf. Several blogs have already called for a friendly match between the two party leaders, and while that could happen, a buddy’s weekend in Myrtle Beach seems less likely.

Boehner has said their Oval Office chit-chat is mostly focused on golf, a sport that the Ohio Republican is better at than the President.

“First thing that happens is, you know, I come in and he’ll say, ‘Boehner, you’re almost as dark as me,’ ” Boehner told Fox News host Sean Hannity last month. “You know, I listen. We talk about golf. We’ll talk about our skin color.

“There’s no animosity, but there’s not much of a personal relationship or a working relationship,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said on Wednesday.

Oosthuizen tears ankle ligaments on hunting trip


If you thought Louis Oosthuizen's seven-shot win at the Open showed his grit, wait til you hear this story. Oosthuizen revealed this week that in the wake of his fourth-place finish at the Dutch Open in September, he returned to his native South Africa for a spot of hunting, which quickly devolved into a scene from MacGyver. Doug Ferguson of the AP reports:
Oosthuizen wounded a buck and was running after it when he tripped in a pothole and tore the ligaments in his left ankle. Instead of going straight to the hospital, Oosthuizen figured out a way to keep hunting.
"It was the first day of the hunting trip, and I strapped it up," he said. "But I  didn't properly strap it up. I felt like I had cement around my ankle, that's how bad I strapped it.
"So I was still hunting for another two days, but off my feet. I was on the back of a pick-up, so I didn't walk or run or anything."
Even though he made it to the HSBC Champions, Oosthiuzen is playing with a brace — until the end of January, at least.

In search of new look, Pinehurst gets old look


There are certain things you can’t knock about the Pinehurst Resort: its charm, its purity, its decadent breakfast buffet.
Its famed No. 2 course, however, has never been immune to criticism. “The trouble with Pinehurst,” Ben Hogan once carped, “is that when you try to think of one great hole, you can’t. Nothing jumps into your mind.”
In an effort to boost the lay-out’s character deficiency and return it to its hairier, more rugged Donald Ross desigmer roots, the resort has brought in throwback design specialists Ben Crenshaw and Ben Coore.
The course—site of the both the 2014 U.S Open and Women’s Open—is preparing to shut down for four months to let the duo do their thing, reports Luke Decock at the Charlottle News and Observer:
The most visible—and notable—effect of the changes is that the 2014 US Open could be played entirely without rough. That goes, of course, against everything the U.S. Golf Association typically wants in an Open venue course, where narrow fairways and ankle-high rough rule the day.
At the 2005 Open at Pinehurst, the USGA decided upon a slightly less penal cut for No. 2's rough in an attempt to encourage players to go for the greens, bringing more of Ross' trickery into play. The latest renovations are a logical extension of that theory.
Although the final decision on whether to let any of the grass grow to rough length is up to the USGA, not Pinehurst or Crenshaw and Coore, the idea is that shots hit awry or through the fairways will go into what Coore called the “great mystery area,” where players may find perfect lies or may end up pinched against a tuft of wire grass or nestled into a bed of pine straw.

Mystery areas? Sounds intriguing, if potentially problematic, especially down the stretch at a major. Dustin Johnson, you’ve been warned.

Russell lying joint 2nd in Allianz Tour Finale

Raymond Russell shot a four-under-par 68 today in the second round of the Allianz Tour's Finale de Barbaroux at Barbaroux Golf Club ... but the Scot lost ground on the leader, 2006 British amateur champion Julien Guerrier (France) who shot a 66 to lead by four shots with a tally of 10-under-par 134.
Russell's 138 aggregate sees him in joint second place with three other players on 138.
Raymond had two eagle 3s over the space of three holes - the par-5 third (510yd) and the par-5 fifth (535yd). He gave some of the shots back with bogeys at the sixth, short eighth and ninth but did birdie the seventh in a two-under--par 34 to the turn.
Coiming home Russell birdied the 16th and longt 17th for 34 and a 68.
Gavin Dear, the second Scot in the field, had a repeat 71 for 142. His round included a double bogey 6 at the 10th and other shots dropped at the second and short eighth in halves of 36 and 35.
The Perthshire man did birdie the long fifth, the six, the long 12th, the 16tgh and long 17th.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
134 Julien GUERRIER (FRA) 68 66 »»
138 Benoit TEILLERIA (FRA) 72 66, Anthony SNOBECK (FRA) 71 67, Raymond RUSSELL (SCO) 70 68, Edouard DUBOIS (FRA) 69 69. 
139 Victor RIU (FRA) 70 69, Agus DOMINGO (ESP) 70 69, Victor DUBUISSON (FRA) 69 70. 
141 Pedro ERICE (ESP) 73 68, Adrien BERNADET (FRA) 71 70, Alexandre KALEKA (FRA) 68 73.
142 Baptiste CHAPELLAN (FRA) 73 69, Nicolas JOAKIMIDES (FRA) 72 70, Francois CALMELS (FRA) 72 70, Julien GRILLON (FRA) 72 70, Raphael EYRAUD (FRA) 71 71, Gavin DEAR (SCO) 71 71.
143 Julien XANTHOPOULOS (FRA) 74 69, Benjamin HEBERT (FRA) 73 70, 
Kenny LE SAGER (FRA) 72 71.
144 Olivier DAVID (FRA) 75 69, Matthew BALDWIN (ENG) 75 69, Xavier PONCELET (FRA) 74 70, Julien FORET (FRA) 71 73, Olivier SERRES (FRA) 71 73, Alan BIHAN (FRA) 68 76.
Selected scores:
145 Matthew Cryer (England) 72 73.
146 Sam Robinson (England) 70 70.
148 Jason PALMER (England) 76 72.

Olé for José in Euro Senior Tour finale

FROM STEVE TODD
European Seniors Tour Press Officer
Former Ryder Cup player José Rivero fired an opening round six under par 66 to lead the OKI Castellón Senior Tour Championship by two shots as he looks to end the 2010 season on a high in his homeland.
The Spaniard is without a top ten finish this year but produced his lowest round of the campaign with a fine display of shot making around Club de Campo del Mediterráneo, which is hosting the European Senior Tour finale for the third consecutive year.
Rivero, who is one of three invites to the €400,000 event, missed only two fairways, carding seven birdies and only one bogey, which came on the closing hole when he found the rough and then pushed his approach shot into a greenside bunker.
The three-time Senior Tour winner has seen an improvement in his form in his last three events, posting his only two top 20 finishes of 2010 in the Cannes Mougin Masters (tied 16th) and Benahavis Senior Masters (tied 17th).
He attributed his position at the top of the leaderboard in Castellón to a similar improvement in fortune on the greens.
“I played very well today and my whole game was solid from tee to green,” said the 55 year old, who played in The Ryder Cup in 1985 and 1987. “I only missed two fairways, one of which was the 18th, which is a complicated hole and I made a five.
“The rest of the round my game was very good. I didn’t make many long putts, apart from a ten metre birdie on the 1oth, but I seemed to hole a lot.
“Nothing has really changed in my game other than the putts went in today. In Benahavis and Cannes I played well but putted badly so that was the difference today.
“Hopefully I can continue over the weekend as I would love to end the season strongly and finish in a better position.”
Rivero is two shots clear of compatriot Juan Quiros and South African Chris Williams, who strengthened his Order of Merit chances with an opening round 68.
The man Williams is trying to overhaul, Thailand’s Boonchu Ruangkit, is in tied 20th position following a level par 72 which included a costly double bogey five on the 16th hole.
Ruangkit is currently €39,259 ahead of Williams in the Order of Merit and can guarantee the John Jacobs Trophy if he finishes inside the top three but looks like facing a stern examination from Williams, who is searching for his maiden Senior Tour title.
Williams, who was playing alongside his rival Ruangkit and defending champion Mike Harwood, made the perfect start with back-to-back birdies and after dropping shots on the fourth and seventh holes he hit back with birdies on the eighth, ninth, 13th and 17th holes.
He said: “It was great to start with two birdies and then I had a couple of hiccups but I’m happy with how it went today.
“I hit most of the greens out there today. It was difficult playing with Boonchu as your mind could play all sorts of games on you but I just tried to stick to my own game plan. He was unlucky with the double bogey on 16 as he just caught it a bit heavy then chose the wrong club but he’s a great player and rarely misses a fairway.
“He’ll be around the top ten at least so I know what I have to do and it is a good start.”
Sharing second place with Williams is Quiros, whose bogey-free back nine of 32 – which included back-to-back closing birdies – saw him also sign for a four under par 68.
Quiros produced a remarkable shot on the 14th when he removed his shoes and socks to play from the water hazard protecting the green and managed to save par against the odds.
“I almost broke the club as I hit it against stones in the stream but it was a very good shot and I managed to make my four,” said Quiros. “I wouldn’t have been surprised to have made seven there given the position I was in.
“On the front nine I had a disaster with the driver – I can’t remember being that bad before – but on the back nine I played perfectly. The 14th was the only green I missed.”
Former Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam was enjoying a return to form after posting seven birdies but a double bogey on the 18th undid much of his good work and he had to settle for a 71 to lie five strokes off the pace.
Sam Torrance, the 2002 Ryder Cup winning Captain who captured the title in 2008 and won the Order of Merit last year, is a further shot back after a 72.
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72. Yardage: 6,800.
66 J Rivero (Spain) 
68 J Quiros (Spain), C Williams (S Africa) ,
69 J Rhodes (England), M Clayton (Australia), M Cunning (US) 
70 J Harrison (England), M Harwood (Australia), J Bruner (US), A Franco (Paraguay), T Johnstone (Zimbabwe)
71 I Woosnam (Wales), K Spurgeon (England), D Hospital (Spain), D Merriman (Australia), G Ralph (England), R Drummond (Scotland), D O'Sullivan (Ireland), M Farry (France) 
72 S Torrance (Sco) , B Cameron (Eng), H Carbonetti (Arg), N Job (Eng), D Russell (Eng), A Sowa (Arg) , B Ruangkit (Tha) 
73 D Smyth (Irl), L Carbonetti (Arg), G Brand junior (Sco), M Belsham (Eng) , A Oldcorn (Sco), G Wolstenholme (Eng) 
74 C Mason (Eng), G Brand (Eng), B Smit (RSA), P Fowler (Aus)
75 G Ryall (Eng), B Longmuir (Sco)
76 V Garcia (Spain) 
77 P Mitchell (Eng), B Lincoln (S Africa)
82 G Hopkins (US)

Langer's ace but John Cooks up a 64

SAN FRANCISCO -- Defending champion John Cook shot a 7-under 64 at Harding Park to take the first-round lead in the Champions Tour's season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
Cook, the winner last year at Sonoma Golf Club, had a one-stroke lead over Fred Funk and Tom Pernice junior.
Tom Lehman opened with a 66, Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer topped a group at 67, and Fred Couples had a 69. Couples needs to win to catch Langer in the two-man race for the $1 million annuity. Even if Couples wins, Langer would take the top prize with a two-way tie for fourth or better.
Cook birdied six of the first 12 holes, making four in row on Nos. 9-12, also birdied No. 16 and overcame an errant approach shot on No. 18 to save par and keep the lead.
"I hit a lot of good quality shots, made some birdies with a 4-iron and 3-iron, took advantage of a couple par 5s and that was it," Cook said. "For the most part, I kept the ball in front of me and played pretty well. I have no complaints."
Langer aced the 183-yard par-3 third, but had three bogeys.
Cook hasn't won since his record-setting run in Sonoma when he shot a tournament-record 22-under 266. He has finished second three times this season and was third last week in the AT&T Championship in San Antonio.
Playing in the next-to-last group, Cook took advantage of the unseasonably warm and calm weather on the picturesque course that hosted the 2009 Presidents Cup. Players also were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls because of the conditions of some of the fairways.
That helped keep scores low overall. Twenty players broke par, while another five were at even par.
Cook, who grew up in Southern California, welcomed the weather but expects the course to play tougher as the week goes on. Temperatures are expected to dip 10 degrees and there's a chance of rain Sunday.
"Need to be a little sharper throughout the week because this golf course, my feeling is it's going to rear its head at some point," Cook said. "The fairways just aren't conducive for a real good championship. I don't know how many times I went up to my ball and went, 'Wow, I'm glad I don't have to play this.' If you don't play ball in hand, it's just luck."
Couples, who captained the winning U.S. Presidents Cup team last year, played steady for most of the afternoon. He holed out for an eagle on the 550-yard, par-5 10th, but bogeyed No. 15.
Funk, who underwent knee replacement surgery last November, matched Cook with seven birdies but bogeyed No. 18 to fall a stroke back. Lehman also bogeyed the final hole, the only blemish on his scorecard.
"It was one of the best rounds I've had," said Funk, who won the JELD-WEN Tradition in August. "In the last three weeks I've been hitting it like this. Pretty stress-free except for missing that last one. The bogey on 18 didn't taste too good."
Pernice is nearing the end of a rigorous schedule. He has played 10 events on the Champions Tour this year and another 21 on the US PGA Tour.
"I like the challenge. I like to word hard," said Pernice, winless this year. "I just feel that as long as my game is still able to compete, I want to play against Phil [Mickelson] and Tiger [Woods] and those guys. I'll try to do it as long as I can."


CLICK HERE FOR THE US PGA SENIORS TOUR'S IN-DEPTH SCOREBOARD

HSBC CHAMPIONS TOURNAMENT

RICHIE RAMSAY: Rounds of 69 and 68 in HSBC Champions Tournament in China.

Richie Ramsay sharing third place in Shanghai

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Francesco Molinari maintained his slender lead over World Number One Lee Westwood at the World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions with a second round 70 today.

The Italian was not in the same scintillating form as on Thursday, when he posted a seven under 65, but his two under par round was enough to hold on to a one stroke lead at the halfway stage.

The Ryder Cup star holed a 15 footer at the fourth for birdie after an early gain at the second and was three under for the day when he picked up another shot at the seventh.

But he bogeyed the ninth to turn in 34 and saw another shot dropped when his tee shot found the bunker at the par three 12th and he failed to get up and down.

Searching for a first European Tour title in four years, Molinari responded at the par five 14th with an approach to five feet and birdied to complete his scoring and sit nine under par after two rounds.

Westwood continued to display the consistent form that has helped him end Tiger Woods' five-year reign as World Number One.

The Englishman also recorded a two under par 70, holing a six foot birdie putt on the eighth after seven consecutive pars.

He then rescued par from 15 feet on the ninth, but a wild drive down the left on the 11th did cost him a bogey.

But like Molinari, he hit his approach close at the 14th and birdied before almost chipping in for eagle at the short par four 16th, eventually tapping in for a simple birdie.
"The course played a little bit tougher than yesterday and the flags were a little bit trickier," said the 37 year old. "I putted fairly nicely - not as well as yesterday, but all in all I'm pleased with 70.

"Eight under is a decent score and I've obviously got a chance going into the weekend."

Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay moved into a share of third with a four under 68 to sit level with South African pair Ernie Els and Jaco Van Zyl on seven under.
Els, seeking a second WGC title of the year, cleared the water with his second shot at the par five 18th, and then rolled a beautiful 40 putt to within a foot of the hole for the simplest of birdies and a best-of-the day 65.
Colin Farquharson writes: The 27-year-old Ramsay has had nine birdies and two bogeys over the first 36 holes. He birdied the long second, fifth and seventh on his way to an outward half of 33. His only bogey on the second day came at the 11th but he finished on a high with further birdies at the 16th and long 18th.

If it was a joy day for one of the two Aberdonians in the field, it certainly wasn't for the other - 26-year-old born Granite-City born Aussie Michael Sim, pictured left. He had a disastrous second-round 79 (his highest 18-hole score of the year) for 151 and is 16 shots off the pace. Sim turned in two-over-38 with a birdie at the third but a double bogey 6 at the seventh and a bogey at the ninth.
The inward nine cost him 41 shots, five over par. He had a bogey at the 11th, a double bogey 6 at the 15th before getting only his second birdie of the day at the 16th. His cup of woe overflowed at the short 17th which cost Sim a triple bogey 6.  

SECOND ROUND TOTALS
International GC, Shanghai, China
Par 144 (2x72)
135 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 65 70

136 Lee Westwood 66 70
137 Richie Ramsay 69 68, Ernie Els (Rsa) 72 65, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 71 66
138 Luke Donald 68 70
139 Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 67 72, Ross Fisher 69 70
140 Nick Watney (USA) 72 68, Tiger Woods (USA) 68 72, Phil Mickelson (USA) 69 71, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 70 70, Robert Allenby (Aus) 72 68, Richard Green (Aus) 72 68, Ian Poulter 70 70, Padraig Harrington 70 70, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 69 71
141 Ryan Palmer (USA) 69 72, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 71 70, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 73 68, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 69, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 71 70, Pablo Martin (Spa) 68 73, Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor) 72 69, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 67 74
142 Peter Hanson (Swe) 73 69, Rory McIlroy 71 71, Ben Crane (USA) 71 71, Adam Scott (Aus) 69 73, Yuta Ikeda (Jpn) 67 75, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 72 70, Tim Clark (Rsa) 72 70
143 Heath Slocum (USA) 71 72, Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) 72 71, Hunter Mahan (USA) 70 73, Bill Haas (USA) 72 71, K J Choi (Kor) 72 71, Tetsuji Hiratsuka (Jpn) 72 71, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 72 71, Y.E. Yang (Kor) 69 74
144 Katsumasa Miyamoto (Jpn) 69 75, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 71 73, Arjun Atwal (Ind) 73 71, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 74, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 74 70, Paul Casey 73 71
145 Michio Matsumura (Jpn) 71 74, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 74, Graeme McDowell 74 71, David Horsey 71 74, Rhys Davies 75 70, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 73 72, Anthony Kim (USA) 73 72, Camilo Villegas (Col) 75 70, Rickie Fowler (USA) 71 74, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 72 73
146 Danny Willett 77 69
147 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 73 74, Jason Bohn (USA) 72 75
148 Brendan Jones (Aus) 76 72, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 72 76
149 Alistair Presnell (Aus) 74 75, Shunsuke Sonoda (Jpn) 72 77, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 69 80, Simon Khan 76 73
150 Bill Lunde (USA) 78 72, Hiroyuki Fujita (Jpn) 75 75
151 Michael Sim (Aus) 72 79, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 75 76, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 75 76
152 Kang-Chun Wu (Chn) 75 77, Liang Wen-Chong (Chn) 79 73, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 74 78
153 Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 78 75
154 Pariya Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 74 80, Hao Yuan (Chn) 79 75
158 Li Chao (Chn) 79 79.

CLICK HERE FOR THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE IN-DEPTH SCOREBOARD

MANASSERO IS EURO TOUR GOLFER OF THE MONTH

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR

Italian teenage sensation Matteo Manassero, pictured below by courtesy of Getty Images, has won The European Tour Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month award for October following his victory in the Castello Masters, which rewrote the record books.

His superb tally of 16 under par 268, which featured all four rounds in the 60s, saw him win his maiden Tour title by four shots and in the process become the youngest winner in European Tour history at 17 years and 188 days, beating the previous record of New Zealander Danny Lee who claimed the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic aged 18 years and 213 days.

 Notably his win – for which he receives an engraved alms dish and a magnum of Moët and Chandon champagne – also saw Manassero become the youngest person to become a full European Tour Member, eclipsing the legendary Severiano Ballesteros who was 17 years and 200 days when he became a full Member at the end of the 1974 season.

BRILLIANT PAGUNSAN STRETCHES LEAD AT BALI

 NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
New Kuta, Bali , November 5: Filipino star Juvic Pagunsan raced into a three-shot lead after a solid four-under-par 68 in the third round of the inaugural US$60,000 Bali Open today.
Overnight leader Pagunsan, who started the day one ahead of the field, was in near brilliant form as he sank three birdies and one eagle in his o pen ing 10 holes at the New Kuta Golf Resort before dropping a bogey on the 15th hole. He finished with a flourish, shooting another birdie at the 18th hole.
Former Ryder Cup star Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden stayed neck and neck with playing partner Pagunsan with a front nine 32 but called a pen alty of himself on the 12th hole after he mistakenly replaced his ball in the semi-rough,which sparked three straight bogeys.
He signed for a 70 in what is the final Asian Development Tour event of the year which will reward the top-three finishers on the Order of Merit an Asian Tour card for next season.
Indonesia’s Rory Hie, Korea’s T.J. Kim and Thailand’s Thanyakorn Khrongpha have uphill tasks in their bid to break into the top-three after lacklustre third round performances.
With third-ranked Akhmal Tarmizee of Malaysia missing the halfway cut, it left the door o pen for them but seventh-ranked Hie, who need nothing less than a win this week, ended the third round in tied 19th position after a 79 while fourth-ranked Kim, looking for a top three finish, shot a 74 to slip to equal 12th position.
Thanyakorn, searching for a second place finish, failed to move up the leaderboard with a 74 leaving him in tied 19th place.
Pagunsan, whose lone Asian Tour victory was achieved in Indonesia three years ago, will not rest on his laurels. “Three shots is not a big lead. It can disappear in one hole here,” said the Filipino. “I played really well on the front nine and I’ll stay aggressive in the last round.”
Shot of the day came at the par five ninth hole when the sweet-swinging Pagunsan hammered a three wood approach from 270 yards out to eight feet for his eagle. “That was really nice, certainly the shot of the day,” said Pagunsan.
Sandelin praised Pagunsan’s play. “It’s the first time I’ve played with him and he is playing really well. But it’s not over until it’s over,” said the five-time European Tour winner.
“I don’t know what happened to me on the 12th. I replaced my ball (due to the preferred lie ruling) but realised it was in the semi-rough by six inches and called a penalty on myself. Then I bogeyed the next three holes. If I can play like how I did in the first 11 holes tomorrow, then I will have a chance,” added the Swede.
Kim is six shots back of third placed Simon Dunn of Scotland and knows he must produce some fireworks to finish third. “It was hot and really tough out there. I knew at the start of the week that I needed to finish in the top three to get my Asian Tour card and I came here with high expectations. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to score despite feeling good about my game this week. I’ll need to go really low to have a chance tomorrow,” said the 40-year-old.
Merit leader S. Siva Chandhran, who has an unassailable lead, is not competing in Bali this week while second-ranked Hsu Chia-jen, who ended the third round in tied 12th place, should be safe for a top-three finish on the rankings.


Leading third round totals
Par 216 (3x72)
207: Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 72-67-68
210: Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 71-69-70
215: Simon Dunn (Sco) 75-69-71
216: Chang Tse- peng (Tpe) 71-74-71, Masaki Sakata (Jpn) 73-68-75
217: Michael Bibat (Phi) 73-76-68
219: Brian Wilson (Aus) 72-78-69, Martin Rominger (Swi) 74-74-71, Lam Zhiqun (Sin) 73-70-76
220: Bryan Saltus (USA) 74-74-72, Stephen Lindskog (Swe) 72-75-73
Selected scores:
221 Nick Redfern (England) 75 76 70 (jt 12th).
225 MIles Tunnicliff (England) 74 76 75 (jt 30th).
228 Justin Evans (England) 72 82 74 (jt 40th).
MISSED THE 36-HOLE CUT (156 or better)
157 Nick Pugh (England) 78 79.