Stage 2 four-rounders from November 26 to 29

Twenty Scots at four Q School venues in Spain

Aberdonian Richie Ramsay's ability to hold his own alongside the best in the world in the HSBC Champions tournament will surely inspire the 20 Scots who will be contesting Stage 2 of the European Tour Qualifying School at four southern Spain venues from November 26 to 29.
Their first goal is to reach the Final Stage at PGA Catalunya, Gerona in North-east Spain from December 4 to 9.
The Stage 2 venues for the 20 Scots are:

COSTA BALLENA
John Gallagher (Swanston).
Mark Kerr (Marriott Dalmahoy).
Lloyd Saltman (Aegon).
Jack Doherty (North Gailes).

ARCOS GARDENS
Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst).
Joel Hendry (Hank Haney IJGA, US).
Chris Doak (unattached).
Ross Bain (Dubai).

HACIENDA DEL ALAMO
Wallace Booth (Comrie).
Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw).
Elliot Saltman (Aegon).
Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie).
Andrew McArthur (unatt).
Stephen Gray (Hayston).
Craig Lee (Aspire).

EL VALLE
Gavin Dear (Murrayshall).
Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan).
Keir McNicoll (Carnoustie).
Graham Fox (East Kilbride).
Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle).

Warren peace as he wins Nashua Masters by two

FROM THE SUNSHINE TOUR WEBSITE
Warren Abery dropped two shots in a row on the eighth and the ninth holes in the final round of the Nashua Masters, but he birdied the 10th and 12th to coast to a two-stroke victory at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club, South Africa today.
 “I really played the back nine well all week,” said Abery, “so I said to my caddie as I got rid of the frustrations after the ninth while walking to the tee-shot on number 10: 'So let’s turn the corner and keep at it because it’s going to be difficult out there for everyone.' ”
So, while he was bogey-free on his way home, all his closest competitors buckled under the pressure and in the stiff wind that picked up during the round.
In second, Branden Grace and Oliver Bekker each made two bogeys on the homeward nine – coincidentally the margin between Abery’s 13-under final total after his closing one-under 69 and the 11-under on which they each finished.
Also in second was Alex Haindl, who carded the only bogey-free round of the day with his five-under-par 65.
Alone in fifth was Alan Michell who finished on 10-under for the tournament, while David Hewan was in sixth on nine-under.
For Abery, the fact that he calls the Wild Coast Sun Country Club his “favourite place in the whole world” made for a relatively calm march to victory while the rest of the field battled the elements and their own games.
“It was fun,” he said. “I had my whole family here, and it’s just been a fun week, and an added bonus was the win.”
He knew that he was under threat from Bekker in particular, who moved into the lead after he made his seventh birdie of the day on 12.
“I knew there was a difficult stretch coming home, and my experience really paid off,” he said.
It was the second time Abery has won the Nashua Masters, having won the 2006 title, and it was his sixth Sunshine Tour victory.
It came after he had taken four months off in the middle of the year to be with his wife Kirsten during and after the birth of their daughter Jessica.

“I have come back feeling so relaxed, and understanding that there is more to life than golf,” he said.

While he says he didn’t miss the game during the break, he is keen to convert the current good form into some good results during the final big-money events of the 2010 Sunshine Tour.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
Players from S Africa unless stated.
Prizemoney in South African Rand
267 Warren Abery 66 67 65 69 (190,200).
269 Alex Haindl 64 69 71 65, Oliver Bekker 67 66 70 66, Branden Grace 62 67 69 71 (93,320 each).
270 Alan Michell 62 67 71 70 (49,560).
271 David Hewan 70 61 70 70 (42,480).
273 Martin Maritz 70 66 70 67, Adilson da Silva (Brazil) 69 67 69 68, Jake Roos 64 70 68 71 (30,280 each). 
274 Mark Murless 68 65 72 69 (23,520).
275 Mark Williams 70 64 69 72 (21,480).
276 Doug McGuigan 68 67 73 68, Bradford Vaughan 71 67 70 68, Ulrich van den Berg 68 72 68 68, Tyrone Ferreira 68 70 67 71 (18,390 each). 
277 Charl Coetzee 69 65 75 68, Theunis Spangenberg 66 73 70 68, Ryan Cairns (Zimbabwe) 67 67 72 71, Brett Liddle 68 69 69 71, Jacques Blaauw 64 67 74 72, Colin Nel 69 67 68 73, George Coetzee (RSA) 66 70 68 73 (14,760 each). 
278 Chris Swanepoel 69 67 75 67, Willie van der Merwe 71 68 71 68, Vaughn Groenewald  68 70 71 69, Louis Calitz 71 66 70 71, Clinton Whitelaw 68 67 71 72, Omar Sandys 70 68 68 72, Jean Hugo 67 66 72 73, Neil Schietekat 69 68 68 73, Alan McLean (Scotland) 65 68 71 74, Ben Mannix (England) 69 64 71 74, Attie Schwartzel 67 67 70 74 (11,225.45 each). 
Selected scores:
281 Neil Cheetham (England) 68 68 72 73 (5,880).
288 Jeff Inglis (England) 68 71 76 73 (2,520).

Richie Ramsay's post-HSBC Champions Press Interview

EDITED BY COLIN FARQUHARSON

RICHIE RAMSAY: I started off a little bit nervy to be honest, and then I played some good golf towards the last few holes on the front nine and that settled me down. And also, again, playing with Ernie, that putt on 9, after hitting a really good chip, he's like, "Knock it in, Rich." That settled me down a bit.
To be honest, I played lovely with only one blip: I three-putted 17, but again, I played 18 fantastic. I hit a great shot in for my third and it's pitched on the bank. If it grabs an ounce of spin, it's stiff, and it actually bounced forward. If you don't pitch it inside the flag just five yards past, it's just rock solid.
Q. With Francesco and Lee fighting for first, and a few shots between you and third place, sort of a matter of trying to seal third spot?
RICHIE RAMSAY: It was all about just doing the best that I can do. And I think today, starting off, I didn't play that great, and then I felt a lot more comfortable the longer and longer I went on.
 I just played really nicely all week. I didn't really hole anything from any kind of length. I just holed out really well from about five or six feet. So there's definitely more in the tank there.
But, to finish 19-under par! Unless you're here, you don't appreciate how hard (difficult) the course is. The greens are not far off being US Open greens - the speed and the slope is really tough. If you miss it in the wrong place ... 
I think that was in my favour really, because playing links golf is my forte. I practise a lot at the the Golf Club of Georgia and they trim the greens down to that speed. You're just standing there and the ball is trickling and trickling.
The goal at the start of the season was to make The Race to Dubai. I've surpassed that. And I don't need to worry about anything. I spoke to my girlfriend last night on the phone and she was awful tired, because she's --
Q. She give you a score to shoot?
RICHIE RAMSAY: No. She kind of politely said, "Try and make as much as you can." (Laughter) She does have two jobs and she works really hard and support my golf.
Q. What's her name?
RICHIE RAMSAY: Angela Hudinski. Hopefully she'll be able to come to Dubai as a little treat and just a thank-you for all of the support she's kind given me.
All in all, it was a fantastic week; and to be able to pitch up in Singapore next week with no pressure on me and just go ahead and play - it will be terrific.

Transcript courtesy of ASAP Sports.

Torrance mistake opens door for Cunning climax

By STEVE TODD
European Seniors Tour Press Officer
American Mike Cunning fired a magnificent final round 64 to win the OKI Castellón Senior Tour Championship as Boonchu Ruangkit sealed the 2010 European Senior Tour Order of Merit on a dramatic day in Spain today.
Cunning had started the day three strokes behind joint overnight leaders Sam Torrance and Chris Williams but a titanic battle over the back nine saw him triumph, after a rare mistake from Torrance opened the door.
The 2002 Ryder Cup captain was one shot behind Cunning with two holes to play but pulled his approach shot to the 17th some 30 yards wide of the green. He then found the greenside bunker with his third shot and splashed out 20 yards past the hole, eventually making a bogey 6.
That effectively ended the Scot’s chances of continuing his sequence of winning in each of his full seasons on the Senior Tour – a record that stretched back to 2004 - as Cunning’s lowest Senior Tour round saw him finish on 14 under par 202 – one stroke clear of Spaniard José Rivero, who closed with a 66.
Torrance won the OKI Castellón Senior Tour Championship at Club de Campo del Mediterráneo in 2008 and sealed the Senior Tour Order of Merit at the venue last year but he had to settle for a share of third place with Paraguay’s Angel Franco this time round.
Instead it was Cunning who ended the season on a high, capturing his second Senior Tour title to go alongside his debut victory in the Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by The Stapleford Forum at the start of the 2009 campaign.
“It’s a very special way to end the year, winning the last tournament of the season when I really needed to play well,” said the 52 year old.
“I was 42nd in the Order of Merit going into this event and my exemption from winning in Brunei was due to run out so I needed to force my way into the top 30 but to do it like this is special.
“I’ve played most of my life in Asia and that felt like home for me but it’s great to actually get a win on European soil. After two years of playing over here now it feels very special to win over here.”
Cunning posted nine birdies and just the single bogey on the fifth hole when his approach spun into the bunker and he failed to get up and down. It was a magnificent back nine of 31 that propelled him to the €64,433 first prize and moved him up to 14th in the end of season standings.
“I never seem to make it easy on myself,” said Cunning. “I actually chose to play in Japan last week and went from Spain to Japan and back to Spain so I’ve had some miles in planes these last few weeks. I was obviously a bit tired but something just clicked in my swing.
“I only made two bogeys all week and I putted really well today. It was one of those rounds that you dream about at night. To shoot 64 in the last round was kind of neat – I wasn’t expecting that at all.
“I was in the last group here last year but I played terrible in the wind on the final day and I shot a 78 to finish back in 18th. Today I went the other way up the leaderboard!”
The battle for the Order of Merit proved more straight forward by comparison, as Ruangkit showed exactly why he has been the dominant force this season with another remarkable run of birdies.
Ruangkit, who has won four times in 2010, began the day in 24th position knowing that Williams could snatch the John Jacobs Trophy if the South African won the season finale or finished second and Ruangkit ended up in a worse position than 28th.
That never looked likely as Ruangkit ended the year as impressively as he began it, with nine birdies in a superb 65 to share eighth place with defending champion Mike Harwood, Scotland’s Ross Drummond and Order of Merit rival Williams, whose challenge faded with a costly double bogey five on the fifth which contributed to his closing 73.
After consecutive victories in Brunei, Thailand, South Africa followed by his fourth title in Spain last month, Ruangkit follows Carl Mason (2007), and Ryder Cup winning Captains Ian Woosnam (2008) and Sam Torrance (2009) as winners of the Senior Tour Order of Merit.
“I feel very proud and happy to have won the John Jacobs Trophy,” said the 52 year old. “This is great for Thai golf and hopefully will help a new generation of Thai players.
“I didn’t really feel the pressure today. I thought if Chris Williams won he deserved to win the prize so I just focused on my game and tried to get the job done.
“This is a big moment for me in my career and I feel very proud to follow players like Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance as winners of the Order of Merit.”
Ruangkit finished his rookie season with earnings of €266,609, with Williams in second place, €39,259 behind. Franco, former Ryder Cup player Gordon Brand junior and Mason completed the top five.
SCOREBOARD TO COME
Par 216 (3x72)
202 M Cunning (US) 69 69 64
203 J Rivero (Spain) 66 71 66
204 A Franco (Paraguay) 70 68 66, S Torrance (Scotland) 72 63 69
205 J Quiros (Spain) 68 71 66
206 D Merriman (Australia) 71 66 69
207 T Johnstone (Zimbabwe) 70 69 68
208 B Ruangkit (Thailand) 72 71 65, C Williams (S Africa) 68 67 73, M Harwood (Aus) 70 70 68, R Drummond (Scotland) 71 70 67
210 N Job (Eng) 72 64 74, I Woosnam (Wal) 71 71 68
211 G Ralph (Eng) 71 71 69, J Bruner (USA) 70 72 69, G Brand junior (Sco) 73 68 70
212 G Brand (Eng) 74 72 66, M Belsham (Eng) 73 69 70, D Smyth (Irl) 73 69 70, C Mason (Eng) 74 67 71, G Wolstenholme (Eng) 73 70 69
213 K Spurgeon (Eng) 71 69 73, J Rhodes (Eng) 69 73 71, D Russell (Eng) 72 69 72
214 D Hospital (Spain) 71 72 71, P Fowler (Aus) 74 71 69, M Farry (Fra) 71 71 72
216 A Oldcorn (Scotland) 73 73 70, H Carbonetti (Arg) 72 71 73
217 A Sowa (Argentina) 72 73 72, B Longmuir (Sco) 75 72 70
218 B Lincoln (S Africa) 77 71 70, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 71 73 74, L Carbonetti (Arg) 73 68 77
219 J Harrison (England) 70 73 76, B Smit (RSA) 74 74 71, B Cameron (Eng) 72 72 75
220 P Mitchell (Eng) 77 73 70
221 M Clayton (Aus) 69 78 74
222 G Ryall (Eng) 75 74 73
230 V Garcia (Esp) 76 77 77
243 G Hopkins (USA) 82 79 82

Allen's 61 breaks Monty San Francisco record

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITESAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Michael Allen shot a course-record 10-under 61 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion John Cook in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
The 51-year-old Allen had 10 birdies, the last on the par-4 18th, in his bogey-free round at Harding Park for the lowest round of his career. He also matched the best round of the year on the Champions Tour."I got off to a good start ... and I just kind of kept going," said Allen, who had a 14-under 199 total. "I had some nice shots and I finally read a couple of putts right and got them to go in. I was feeling pretty good with the putter."

Cook, the winner last year at Sonoma Golf Club, shot a 67.

David Frost (65) was two back at 12 under.

Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer (67), Russ Cochran (68) and Tom Lehman (69) were 10 under.

Fred Couples (70) was 5 under, all but ending his chances of catching Langer in the two-man Schwab Cup race for the $1 million annuity. If Couples rallies to win Sunday, Langer would still take the top prize with a two-way tie for fourth or better.

Allen entered the day five shots behind Cook and had just seven birdies in the first two rounds. He birdied three of the first four holes Saturday, closed the rounds with four more over the final six.

The score of 61 broke the course record of 64 set by Colin Montgomerie in the World Golf Championship's 2005 American Express event. Ken Venturi also shot 64 at Harding Park before the course was restructured.

It's also the lowest score ever posted in the Charles Schwab Cup Championships, breaking Cook's year-old mark of 62.

Cook, who has three runner-up finishes this year, was stunned at Allen's day.

"I didn't see 10 under out there today, I can promise you that," Cook said. "I played pretty good and got clipped by six."

Allen grew up in the Bay Area, his mother still lives in the area and he spent the past week visiting many friends, several of whom lined the 7,135-yard course at Harding Park.

"This whole tournament being here in San Francisco is special to me," said Allen, the 2009 Senior PGA Championship winner. "I got here in time for the Giants' win, which was phenomenal. It's been a great week for me."

Cook posted his eighth consecutive round in the 60s but trails Cook after leading each of the first two days. Cook birdied the par-5 10th to get to 4 under on the day, then parred out, missing a 10-foot downhill putt on No. 18 that would have tied him for the lead.

Players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls because of the conditions of some of the fairways. With rain forecast for early afternoon Sunday in the Bay Area, things could get tougher.

"Hopefully the course will drain enough that you can find some spots to put the ball," Cook said. "The greens will be fine ... unless it just hammers down rain. These greens will be fine but the fairways will be difficult."

The weather didn't bother Frost, who birdied five of the first seven holes on the back nine. That got Frost to 13 under but a bogey on No. 18 dropped him two strokes off the pace.

Langer was in position to make a run Sunday as well. The points leader overcame a bogey on No. 2 and matched his best round of the tournament while pulling within four shots of the lead.

Couples hoped to become only the second player in tour history to overtake the points leader in the final tournament. Tom Watson did it in 2005 when points were tripled in the Schwab Cup Championship.

Instead, Couples has struggled to even stay close to Langer. His 70 on Saturday included only two birdies and one bogey.


THIRD-ROUND TOTALS FROM THE US CHAMPIONS TOUR, CLICK HERE

Ritchie Ramsay's jt third finish earns him place in field at Dubai

Francesco Molinari wins by one from Lee Westwood

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Francesco Molinari claimed a stunning wire-to-wire victory at the World Golf Championships – HSBC Champions following a titanic battle with World No. 1 Lee Westwood.
Molinari - who claimed his only previous European Tour win at the 2006 Italian Open - carded a final round 67 to retain the one-shot lead he took into the final round at Sheshan International GC.

Westwood produced a superb display throughout the week to illustrate why he has moved to the top of the Official World Golf Rankings.

But Molinari - who turns 28 on Monday - kept him at bay to secure the perfect early birthday present.

“It feels really special right now,” said the Italian. “I'm obviously amazed with the way I played and, you know, to have the number one player in the world trailing you by one shot, it's not easy.

“In a sense I feel for Lee because he probably deserved to win the tournament as well.

“I’ve been in his position a few times so I know it’s not easy, but finally it was my time.

“It’s definitely the best I’ve putted and chipped and I think that was the difference compared to the many second places I’ve had in the past.

“It was just the perfect week.”

Molinari’s win continues a wonderful season for Italian golf.

His brother Edoardo claimed victories at The Barclays Scottish Open and Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, while 17 year old Matteo Manassero triumphed at the Castello Masters last month.

“It keeps getting better and better,” said Molinari. “I don’t know where we are going to go from here.

“It’s great to have three European Tour winners in the same season and it’s something no-one could have expected.”

Westwood was keen to take the positives from a week in which he cemented his position as World No. 1.

“There’s not really any negatives other than the fact I didn’t win the tournament,” he said. “I finished 18 under par, nine clear of third, had only two bogeys on the week.

“Sometimes somebody just plays a bit better and that’s what Francesco did.

“He’s renowned for his long game, but his short game was there, certainly over the weekend when we played together.

“The greens he missed, he chipped it up and he’s renowned for struggling on the shorter putts, but other than one today he was flawless over the last two days.

“I thought he deserved to win. But it’s been a very good week and I’ve played well so I’m pleased.”

Molinari was the first to strike on Sunday morning, with a birdie at the second taking him two clear of Westwood.

The leading duo matched each other shot for shot for the remainder of the front nine, picking up birdies at the third, fifth and eighth holes, before Westwood reduced his arrears with a three at the tenth.

Molinari spurned an opportunity to extend his lead at the par five 14th when he missed a short putt for a four.

The 15th also passed by without a change to either man’s score, although Westwood was forced to hole a superb 12 footer to salvage his par.

Molinari was to pull clear again at the next - a short par four - after Westwood ran into trouble attempting to drive the green.

The Englishman was left with a treacherous pitch over a greenside bunker and had to settle for a par. Molinari, meanwhile, opted to lay up with his tee shot and the move paid off as a superb wedge set up a simple birdie chance, which he duly converted.

Westwood looked set to slip further back at the par three 17th after finding the sand, but he once again showed his mettle with a gutsy par putt to remain two behind.

He then found the green in two at 18 to increase the pressure on Molinari, but was unable to sink his eagle putt.

Richie Ramsay and Luke Donald shared third place on nine under, the Aberdonian securing his place in the Dubai World Championship as a result.

Ramsay, who earned 267,006 Euros, said: “I’ve shown everyone that I can compete on a very tough golf course that’s playing quite long so it’s great to see that I can do that. I knew one good finish would get me into the Race to Dubai and with the prize fund here and the calibre of players the one place I wanted it was here.

“The plan has worked out fantastically well.”

The top five comprised entirely of European Tour members, with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy firing seven birdies in a closing 67 to finish a shot behind Ramsay and Donald.
FINAL TOTALSPar 288 (4x72)
269 Francesco Molinari (Italy) 65 70 67 67 (860,153 Euros)
270 Lee Westwood 66 70 67 67 (473,836 Euros).
279 Richie Ramsay 69 68 71 71, Luke Donald 68 70 68 73 (267,006 Euros each).
280 Rory McIlroy 71 71 71 67 (179,199 Euros).
281 Peter Hanson (Sweden) 73 69 70 69, Tiger Woods (US) 68 72 73 68, Retief Goosen (S Africa) 70 74 69 68, Ernie Els (S Africa) 72 65 71 73, Paul Casey 73 71 67 70, Richard Green (Australia) 72 68 73 68, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Sweden) 69 71 71 70 (104,447 Euros each).
282 Ian Poulter 70 70 73 69, Jaco Van Zyl (S Africa) 71 66 72 73, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 67 74 72 69
283 Seung-yul Noh (S Korea) 67 72 71 73, Ross Fisher 69 70 69 75, Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 74 70 67 72, Pablo Martin (Spain) 68 73 71 71, Padraig Harrington 70 70 70 73
284 Hunter Mahan (USA) 70 73 71 70, Nick Watney (USA) 72 68 74 70, Robert Allenby (Aus) 72 68 72 72, Bill Haas (USA) 72 71 72 69
285 Anthony Kim (USA) 73 72 70 70, Adam Scott (Aus) 69 73 73 70, Brendan Jones (Aus) 76 72 69 68, Rickie Fowler (USA) 71 74 72 68, Tim Clark (Rsa) 72 70 70 73
286 Ben Crane (USA) 71 71 74 70, Yuta Ikeda (Jpn) 67 75 76 68, K J Choi (S Korea) 72 71 71 72, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 72 69 74 71
287 Katsumasa Miyamoto (Jpn) 69 75 77 66, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 71 73 73 70, Richard S Johnson (Swe) 70 70 77 70, Graeme McDowell 74 71 73 69, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 73 72 70 72
288 Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 73 74 73 68, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 71 73 71 73
289 Ryo Ishikawa (Jpn) 72 71 71 75, Phil Mickelson (USA) 69 71 76 73, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 72 70 75 72, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 72 71 76 70, Kyung-Tae Kim (Kor) 72 69 75 73
290 Ryan Palmer (USA) 69 72 74 75, Hiroyuki Fujita (Jpn) 75 75 70 70
291 Arjun Atwal (Ind) 73 71 73 74, David Horsey 71 74 74 72, Heath Slocum (USA) 71 72 78 70
292 Camilo Villegas (Col) 75 70 78 69, Y.E. Yang (Kor) 69 74 73 76
293 Matteo Manassero (Ita) 71 70 81 71, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 73 68 80 72, Rhys Davies 76 70 72 75, Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 74 78 70 71, Jason Bohn (USA) 72 75 72 74
294 Michael Sim (Aus) 72 79 74 69, Shunsuke Sonoda (Jpn) 72 77 78 67
295 Michio Matsumura (Jpn) 71 74 75 75, Tetsuji Hiratsuka (Jpn) 71 71 80 73, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 75 76 73 71
297 Anders Hansen (Den) 71 74 79 73, Alistair Presnell (Aus) 74 75 74 74, Liang Wen-Chong (Chn) 79 73 76 69, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 72 76 73 76
298 Pariya Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 74 80 72 72, Danny Willett 77 69 75 77
299 Bill Lunde (USA) 78 72 79 70, Simon Khan 76 73 76 74, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 72 73 74 80
301 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 69 80 80 72, Kang-Chun Wu (Chn) 75 77 75 74
303 Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 78 75 73 77
304 Li Chao (Chn) 79 79 75 71
306 Mardan Mamat (Sin) 75 76 75 80
308 Hao Yuan (Chn) 79 75 79 75


CLICK HERE FOR IN-DEPTH SCOREBOARD ON EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE