McIlroy criticises design of Sawgrass and Whistling Straits

So that's Rory off Pete Dye's

Chrismas Card list

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE

By KEVIN GARSIDE

These are heady days for European golf. Rory McIlroy mocks America by dismissing the 2011 Players Championship at Sawgrass, the richest prize in the game, and the respective winners of the US Open and US PGA, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer duel for the European Tour crown in the Race to Dubai. Take that, and that, and that.

So much for the shuffling of the American deck to accommodate Europe’s elite golfers at the ‘fifth major’, which pays out the game’s only £1 million-plus winners’ cheque. Though McIlroy, pictured, said he was “not sure” about his attendance at Sawgrass next year, his expression screamed, “You must be joking”.
“I don’t like the golf course for a start. So that’s one of the reasons that I’m undecided,” he said. “I find it very awkward off the tee. You’re hitting across fairways all the time. It creates angles, a bit like Whistling Straits. The tee boxes are sort of lining you up in the wrong direction.’’
The noise you can hear in the background is the sound of McIlroy falling off the Christmas card list of Pete Dye, who designed both Sawgrass and Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
A jackpot of £1.7 million is available to McDowell and Kaymer, were either to take the Race to Dubai title by winning here this weekend. With sums like that sloshing about one understands how the American tour is losing its attraction for Europe’s top players.
One imagined 2010 could not get much better for either McDowell or Kaymer, yet here they are giving each other the cold stare as they strive for more booty.
“Of course I want to look Martin in the eye and say, you know, let’s go, let’s get this on,” McDowell said. “The adrenalin is going to be there from the word go. There’s definitely an interesting atmosphere between the two of us.
“Yesterday, when we were messing around doing major championship photos there was definitely a quiet stand-off there. I can definitely feel from him that he’s extremely driven and he really wants this desperately.
"And I feel like I’m the guy with the momentum coming in here. I certainly hope he thinks I’m playing great and I can give him a run for his money.” Technically McIlroy leans towards Kaymer, who, he said, “has that German thing about him. He’s just very efficient.”
McIlroy is not alone in classifying McDowell as unorthodox, the kind of sawn-off swing you do not find in textbooks. The record book is the one that matters, and in that McDowell is the equal of Kaymer at one major apiece.
In terms of sentiment McIlroy is pulling for his fellow Ulsterman. “If there’s anyone that deserves it this year, it’s probably him, because I’ve seen how hard he’s worked,’’ he said.
“If you looked at them both just on their game as ball striking and everything, you would say that it [the long course] suits Kaymer more than it suits Graeme. But as I say, Graeme is on such a roll, I don’t think it matters what golf course he plays.’’
McDowell and Kaymer are paired together in tomorrow's first round , and go out last.

Meanwhile, Tim Finchem, the US PGA Tour commissioner, is looking to Tiger Woods to lead the golf revival in America. Under threat from falling TV ratings and the reluctance of Europe’s top players to commit to the US PGA events, Finchem is playing the Woods card ahead of TV contract negotiations.

The absence of Woods, who has played only 11 US PGA Tour events this year, from the America rosta has seen ratings shrink by up to 26 per cent. With television contracts up for renewal in 2012, Finchem needs Woods back on the fairways.

“The most dominating player in a sport in history, you want him playing because it makes a lot of things work a lot better,” Finchem said.

Woods proved his pulling power at the HSBC Champions Event in Shanghai three weeks ago, attracting by far the largest galleries on the course.

US Tour is stronger in depth,

says Paul Casey

FROM THE SKY SPORTS WEBSITE

Paul Casey reckons it is no longer an issue whether golfers play on the US PGA Tour, the European Tour - or both.
In recent weeks world number one Lee Westwood, rising star Rory McIlroy and US PGA champion Martin Kaymer all declined the chance to take up US PGA Tour membership.
But world number seven Casey, pictured, who is a member of both tours, told Reuters: "I think week-in week-out there is no doubt the US PGA Tour is stronger in depth.

"But there are also seven Europeans in the top 11 of the world rankings. That's got to be close to a record so the quality of the fields in Europe week-in week-out is extremely high as well.
"It doesn't matter, these guys are just focused on playing the biggest events around the world. I don't think it matters any more where your home tour is," added the 33-year-old from Surrey said.
"I still enjoy playing around the world and because I have got a place in the States it is very convenient for me to play there."
Casey added that missing the lucrative FedEx Cup series at the end of the American season would be the only downside for the Ryder Cup-winning trio.
"The thing they are going to miss out on is the FedExCup," he said. "That's a huge amount of money but then again they can make a huge amount in Europe too.
"I wouldn't say they're passing up on money. It's not about money anyway, it's about where you want to spend your time and where you want to play.
"They are still giving themselves opportunities to win all over the world so I don't think they're really limiting themselves. (But) a lot of Americans will be sad they don't get to see them as often and I understand that."
Casey will tee it up this week in the European Tour's season-ending $7.5 million Dubai World Championship. He is something of a Middle East specialist, having twice won the Abu Dhabi Championship.
He said: "I have been playing some great golf leading up to this but I admit I'm already working on things for next year - working on the swing and a lot of stuff to make sure I am ready for 2011.
"I'm here because I want to win, but trying not to worry about the swing is a little bit tricky."

'Racehorse' McDowell fancies his chance

 of catching Kaymer

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Graeme McDowell described himself as a racehorse, “coming up fast on the rails”, as he looked ahead to trying to catch Martin Kaymer as the Race to Dubai turns to a sprint.

McDowell, pictured, trails race leader Kaymer by €290,910 heading into the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World but after a run of first, joint third and fifth in three of his last four tournaments, has momentum on his side.

“I started off on a five week run with Martin nearly a million euro ahead of me, and I wasn't quite sure I would be able to catch him,” said McDowell.
“But I wanted to get here with an opportunity to win The Race to Dubai if I played well and I've given myself that chance now. I’m excited about it and trying to put a bit of polish on a good season really.
“Last week, tee to green, I played very well, struck the ball great. I've been feeling great and feeling like there's plenty left in the tank this weekend. I’m looking forward to it, and obviously the final group with Martin tomorrow, the adrenaline should be pumping from the word go.”
Asked to describe his battle with Kaymer, McDowell said: “I can definitely feel from him that he's extremely driven and he really wants this desperately bad this week. And I feel like I'm the guy with the momentum coming in here. I certainly hope he thinks I'm playing great and I can give him a run for his money this week.
“If you put it in horse racing expressions, he's had a 25 length lead and I'm coming fast up the inside rail now and we've got one fence left and I feel like I'm coming strong.”
Whatever transpires over the next four days, McDowell has already enjoyed a phenomenal season, following his victory in the Celtic Manor Wales Open with his first Major triumph, winning the US Open over famous Pebble Beach Golf Links to end a 40 year wait for a home winner.
And the good times continued to roll with his inspired performance at The Ryder Cup, culminating with him securing the winning point, and then victory in the Andalucia Valderrrama Masters.
Now he has a chance of winning The Race to Dubai. The odds are stacked in Kaymer’s favour with McDowell needing at least a top three finish to have any chance of claiming the Number One crown, but to win would be an achievement to rank up there with the best.
“After The Ryder Cup, I could have probably put my feet up and taken 80 for the rest of the year and still looked back and said, great season, dream season. I didn't want to do that because I wanted to try and finish strong and try and really put a bit of a shine on the year. You don't get many chances to win an Order of Merit, or Race to Dubai as it is nowadays.
“I've certainly put Order of Merits up there. Major Championships are definitely the pinnacle, but Money Lists are very, very important. They define careers. I mean, Monty with his eight, that's unbelievably impressive.
“I wanted to give myself a chance to do it. Martin has had an amazing season. But to give myself a chance to be within touching distance this week is pretty fun.”

Byrne and Stewart only Scots with double-digit ranking this week

Ross Kellett drops out of World top 100 amateurs

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
If the 2011 Walker Cup match, at Royal Aberdeen, were to be played next week instead of next year with the current top 10 Great Britain and Ireland players in the RandA World Amateur Golf Rankings gaining automatic selection, there would be three Scots in it - James Byrne (Banchory), Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) and Ross Kellett (Colville Park).
And that's despite Kellett, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, plummeting 54 places to No 136 this week, leaving Scotland with only two men in the top 100 - Byrne at No 17 and Stewart at No 64 - for the first time in a while.
The "fantasy" team from this week's rankings which skipper Noel Edwards would lead into battle at Balgownie would be (updated world ranking first):


17 James Byrne (Scotland).

20 Matthew Nixon (England).

21 Paul Cutler (Ireland).

48 Andrew Sullivan (England).

50 Tom Lewis (England).

64 Michael Stewart (Scotland)).

108 Jack Senior (England).

111 Kevin Phelan (Ireland).

113 Chris Lloyd (England).

136 Ross Kellett (Scotland).

Reserves

163 Rhys Pugh (Wales).

164 Laurie Canter (England).

Back to the real world and here are the Scots listed in the top 1000 - and some - with the figure at the end of each line denoting how many places a player has gone up or down in the rankings.
17 James Byrne +1
64 Michael Stewart +1
136 Ross Kellett -54.
175 Stuart Ballingall -5.
176 Kris Nicol -5.
309 Scott Crichton -3.
326 James White -3.
341 Scott Larkin -1.
472 Paul Shields +1.
509 Allyn Dick +1.
523 Steven Rennie no change.
536 Greg Paterson -3.
668 James Ross +4.
721 Gordon Yates no change.
728 Scott Gibson no change.
763 Grant Forrest no change.
765 Gordon Stevenson +5.
768 David Law +15.
770 Graeme Robertson +4.
7956 Matthew Clark +6.
828 Jordan McColl +1.
872 Jordan Findlay +35.
880 Andrew Gunson -1.
904 Neil Henderson -2.
908 Sam Binning -3.
994 Fraser McKenna -2.
1012 Adam Dunton -1.
1093 Ed Wood -4.
1078 Glenn Campbell -6.

Stephen's grandfather dies while he is in Dubai

I’ll stay and play for my grandfather, says Galllacher

FROM THE HERALDSCOTSLAND website
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/golf
By DOUGLAS LOWE 

Stephen Gallacher’s preparations for the lucrative Dubai World Championship were thrown into chaos yesterday when he was told that his 84-year-old grandfather, Barney, had died during the night after a heart attack.

The 36-year-old Scot, pictured, had played just five holes of a practice round on the Greg Norman-designed Earth Course that is hosting the season-ending tournament when he was told the news and he came off the course immediately.
Barney, also the father of Stephen’s uncle Bernard, the former European Ryder Cup captain, had been a regular follower of his grandson and was among four generations of the Bathgate family at Loch Lomond this year at the Barclays Scottish Open, where Stephen finished joint fourth.
“I’m utterly shattered,” said Stephen yesterday. “I didn’t know what to do, whether to stay or come home but my granny made up my mind by saying my grandfather would have wanted me to stay. It will be difficult to focus on golf because that’s the last thing on my mind at the moment, but I am going to stay and play.”
Gallacher qualified for the limited field event that begins tomorrow and ends on Sunday - there is no cut - with a No. 26 placing in the Race to Dubai order of merit and if he can remain in the top 30 he will be exempt for next year’s Open Champion ship at Royal St George’s.
He is one of only two Scots in the 60-player field chasing the €910,348 top prize, the other being Aberdonian Richie Ramsay who is lying No. 47 and will probably need a top-five finish if he is to make the leading 30 on the order of merit.
The current European No.1, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, who claimed his first major championship this year, the US PGA at Whistling Straits, has turned down membership of the US PGA Tour.
The 25-year-old, who was widely tipped to follow the example of world No.1 Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy in concentrating on the European Tour, finally made his decision in Dubai where, on Sunday, he hopes to be crowned the European Tour’s leading money-winner and maybe world No. 1 as well.
Kaymer, now an honorary member of the US tour along with US Open champion Graeme McDowell and Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, lives part of the year in Arizona, but even that was not enough to prompt him to play both circuits in 2011.
“I consider the European Tour as my home – that is where I feel comfortable,” he said. “I think you play against the best players in the world. You have all of the great players here and schedule-wise it doesn’t fit for me next year to play on the US PGA Tour.

“I have made my decision. I sat down last week with my manager and family and had a look at the schedule. I will play probably two or three more events in America, but mainly I will play in Europe.”

Westwood has put family first, while McIlroy has handed in his US Tour membership after just one season because he was "missing Europe."

As members of the US PGA Tour, the trio would have been required to play a minimum of 15 tournaments. The European Tour minimum has just been increased from 12 to 13.

NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE SNOWED OFF


The North-east Golfers' Alliance competition at Newburgh (on Ythan) today was cancelled because of snow on the course.
"The course was green at 8.15am and then the snow came on and within an hour it was covered and golf was out of the question," said Dave Wilson, acting joint secretary of the Alliance.
The meeting had been switched to Newburgh when the scheduled venue, Newmachar, was flooded last Friday.
The last competition before the winter break is at Portlethen next Wednesday (December 1). There is no news yet of an additional fixture being arranged for Wednesday, December 8.
The first NE Alliance competition of 2011 will be at Craibstone on January 5, followed by Peterhead (January 12), Buckpool (January 19) and Inverallochy (January 26).

Scottish boys champion Forrest to join San Diego University

The drain of young Scottish golf talent to United States colleges continues. Switch over to www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk to read Colin Farquharson's news about Scottish boys' match-play champion Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) signing up to join San Diego University next September.
And Colin will have news later this week of a Scottish girl following the trail to America in 2012