PGAs of EUROPE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Captain Fantastic Leads England

from the Front

FROM THE PGAs OF EUROPE WEBSITE
Jon Bevan assumed the role of Captain Fantastic to put England on course for victory in the PGAs of Europe International Team Championship at Vale do Lobo on Portugal's Algarve coastline.
The England skipper, who had not contributed in the first two rounds of the 72-hole tournament in which the best two scores of the three-man team count, came good at the third attempt.
An experienced PGA Cup player, Bevan, posted a four-under-par 64 as England, who began the penultimate round just one stroke ahead of second-placed France, quadrupled their lead in pursuit of the €6,000 first prize.
He was ably aided and abetted by David Shacklady who maintained his fine form in the €35,000 tournament by carding his third successive sub-par round. This time he weighed in with one-under as England extended their lead over the French and maintained their four-stroke advantage over Scotland who share second place.

This looked an unlikely scenario for the Scots until Jim McKinnon ended his round with a birdie blitz. Four of them came in the last five holes as McKinnon posted a three-under-par 65 to go one better than team-mate Sam Cairns and keep his team’s hopes of a record seventh title.

By contrast, the French go into the last round chasing their second ITC success thanks to splendid efforts by Rogez Sabarros (two-under) and Jean Pierre Cixous (level). The pair made up for a rare failure from skipper Benjamin Nicolay whose six-under-par round of 62, on a course shortened by waterlogging, was the best of the second round.

“They showed how well they can play,” said Nicolay. “So I wasn’t really needed. But it’s good that everyone’s contributing and that gives us a good chance in the final round.”

Nicolay’s tournament best was matched in the third round by Ireland’s John Kelly, a score that fired his team to six-under and put them in there with a chance of making a concerted challenge in the final round. Kelly, who posted two birdies on the outward nine and four on the inward, was fulsome in his praise of team-mates Eamonn Brady and Glen Robinson for keeping the Irish in contention.

“We’re nicely placed for the final round,” said Kelly. “That’s because anything is possible in a tournament with this format. The fact you’ve got two team-mates is a great help. “It gives you licence to go for things you might otherwise not try, which is what happened today.

“ If I scored six-under on my own, I’d be delighted. But in this format, it’s not that special.” Kelly also praised PGA tournament director Ben Groutage for his revamped weather-beating schedule that is set to ensure all 72-holes are played.

Heavy rain prior to the second round left parts of the Ocean Course water-logged but adjustments to two holes, shortening par fives to par threes, and an earlier start on day three, means no play has been lost.

He added: “Ben Groutage and his team have worked wonders and we’re indebted to them for still being in the tournament with a chance of winning it. If it had been reduced to 54-holes as it could have been, that would have been it for us.”

The ITC is supported by Associacao Turismo do Algarve along with Glenmuir, The Tivoli Victoria, Vale de Lobo Golf Club and the Ryder Cup European Development Trust.


Round 3 Team Leaderboard - Click Here
Round 3 Individual Scores - Click Here

Chris Doak cruises through to Euro

 Tour Final Q School

Scottish PGA champion Chris Doak comfortably booked a place in the European Tour Final Qualifying School at PGA Catalunya by finishing joint seventh among the 23 qualifiers with 72-hole totals of 289 or better at Arcos Gardens, one of the four Spanish venues used for the Stage 2 eliminator.
Doak, pictured, had rounds of 72, 74, 69 and 69 for four-under-par 284 in the last Stage 2 event to finish, carried over to this morning following bad weather on Monday.
Elgin-born but US-based Joel Hendry, twice a winner of the Scottish youths title as an amateur, failed by four strokes to make the cut.
PGA Cup player Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) did not come back for the extra morning's play. He knew he did not have a chance of making the top 23 after rounds of 74, 79 and 78 and withdrew from the competition.
Ross Bain, who campaigns on the Asian Tour, did likewise after scores of 72, 77 and 77.
QUALIFIERS
Par 288
1 Steve LEWTON (England) 71 70 71 68 280 (£1,500).
2 Birgir HAFTHORSSON (Iceland) 70 74 70 68 282 (£800).
2 Christophe BRAZILLIER (France) 67 73 71 71 282 (£800).
4 Romain WATTEL (France) 66 76 69 72 283 (£375).
4 Wade ORMSBY (Australia) 68 73 68 74 283 (£375).
4 Tom SHERREARD (England) (am) 70 73 70 70 283.
7 Sion E BEBB (Wales) 73 74 68 69 284 (£50).
7 Chris DOAK SCO 72 74 69 69 284 (£50).
7 Francis VALERA ESP 72 73 70 69 284 (£50).
10 Jesus LEGARREA ESP 71 73 74 67 285.
10 Matthew NIXON (England) (am) 71 77 68 69 285
12 Daniel BROOKS (England) 73 76 68 69 286
13 Santiago LUNA (Spain) 70 73 72 72 287
13 Liam BOND (Wales} 72 74 70 71 287
13 Anthony GRENIER (France) 72 76 69 70 287
16 Tim SLUITER (Netherlands) 73 72 70 73 288
16 Espen KOFSTAD (Norway) 69 75 73 71 288
16 Manuel QUIROS (Spain) 70 73 72 73 288
16 Niclas JOHANSSON (Sweden) 70 75 70 73 288
16 Matthew CRYER (England) 69 74 70 75 288
16 Julien GRILLON (France) 72 74 71 71 288
16 Matthew SOUTHGATE (England) (am) 76 75 68 69 288
23 Javi COLOMO (Spain)72 74 68 75 289
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Phillip ARCHER ENG 72 74 72 72 290 2 5th Alternate
Agustin DOMINGO ESP 70 75 71 74 290 2 9th Alternate
Louis MOOLMAN RSA 69 76 74 71 290 2 1st Alternate
Julien QUESNE FRA 75 74 73 69 291
Marcus PALM SWE 76 75 71 69 291
Paul GRANNELL ENG 70 75 74 72 291
Florian PRAEGANT AUT 74 71 75 72 292
Farren KEENAN ENG 76 69 74 73 292
Matthew BALDWIN ENG 71 74 74 73 292
Marc PEREZ GELMA ESP 72 72 74 74 292
James HEATH ENG 71 74 77 70 292
Adam RUNCIE WA 72 77 70 73 292
Matt EVANS ENG 69 76 71 76 292
Joel A HENDRY SCO 71 76 72 74 293
Tim DYKES WA 70 78 72 73 293
Thomas SUNDSTRÖM FIN 76 76 70 72 294
Jordi GARCIA ESP 73 80 69 73 295
Ben PARKER ENG 68 77 76 74 295
Jerome Lando CASANOVA (AM) FRA 69 78 73 75 295
Tim STEWART AUS 69 82 70 75 296
Grant JACKSON ENG 76 78 69 73 296
Niklas LEMKE SWE 71 78 77 70 296
Jason PALMER ENG 74 77 70 76 297
Michael LOWE ENG 73 75 72 77 297
Steven UZZELL ENG 76 76 70 76 298
Gareth SHAW NIR 74 74 75 78 301
Jean-Nicolas BILLOT FRA 72 76 74 80 302
Craig MATHESON SCO 74 79 78 WD
Nicolas SULZER SUI 75 76 70 WD
Sebastian FERNANDEZ ARG 74 85 74 WD
Jake ROOS RSA 75 75 71 WD
Max GLAUERT GER 70 82 71 WD
Tony RAILLARD FRA 72 82 75 WD
Dok Rea NOH ESP 71 77 78 WD
Jochen LUPPRIAN GER 77 80 75 WD
Christoffer LANGE DEN 75 77 78 WD
Tiago CRUZ POR 74 85 75 WD
Lars BROVOLD NOR 75 86 71 WD
Ross BAIN SCO 72 77 77 WD
Jonathan CALDWELL NIR 71 79 78 WD
Garry HOUSTON WA 75 80 DQ

NEWMACHAR GOLF CLUB
21st Anniversary Four-Day Open Tournament
Tuesday, August 9 to Friday, August 12, 2011

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY NEWMACHAR GOLF CLUB
Newmachar Golf Club are pleased to announce they will be holding a 4-day open, to mark its 21st anniversary, from Tuesday 9th to Friday 12th August 2011.
Format for this event will consist of two qualifying rounds on the Hawkshill course, where the top 16 in each section (1 scratch and 2 handicap sections) will progress to the knockout match-play stages. Consolation rounds for non qualifiers will take place over the Swailend course on the Thursday and Friday.
Total Prize fund will be over £3000, with the matchplay winners taking home £400 for scratch and £350 in each of the 2 handicap sections.
Leading qualifiers and individual qualifying round winners, in each section, will take home £50 and £30 respectively. Consolation round prizes will start at £120 for the winner, down to £40 for 5th place.


Entry Fee will be £35 for members and £70 for visitors
Entries will be taken at Newmachar Golf Club on 01651 863002 (option 1), from Jan 5th through to July 19th, and will be limited to 150.
Further information will be available from
Email: Rich.barr@hotmail.co.uk
Email: robert.lamb6@btopenworld.com
Website: www.newmachargolfclub.co.uk
Facebook: Newmachar GolfClub

Matteo Manassero wins EuropeanTour

Rookie of the Year award

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
Italy’s Matteo Manassero is today named The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for 2010 following a record-breaking start to his professional career highlighted by him becoming the youngest player to win in the history of The European Tour.
Manassero, image by courtesy of Gerry Images (c), launched his professional career in the BMW Italian Open at the beginning of May and in 14 starts since then has won the CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar at the age of 17 years and 188 days; earned €890,401 to finish in 31st place in The 2010 Race to Dubai; and played 54 rounds for which he was 73 under par with only seven scores over 72.
“It is a big honour to win the Rookie of the Year award,” said Manassero, who follows many of golf’s greatest names such as Sir Nick Faldo, Tony Jacklin, Sandy Lyle, José Maria Olazábal and Colin Montgomerie, as well as many of today’s biggest stars including Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Europe’s new Number One, The Race to Dubai winner Martin Kaymer, as a recipient of the Award.
“I never expected to win on Tour so quickly and to win the Rookie of the Year Award is a perfect way to end my first season as a professional. It is such a special award because you only get one chance to win it so it is a great honour.
“When you see the amazing players that have won the Award in the past, you see how important these players were in golf’s history and to have your name beside them is exciting.
“Then you see that Martin Kaymer won the Rookie of the Year only three years ago and now he is the Number One in Europe after winning The Race to Dubai. I hope I can follow in Martin’s footsteps one day.”
Manassero creates another piece of history by becoming the first Italian to win the Award which is judged by The R and A, the Association of Golf Writers and The European Tour. He is also the tenth golfer from Continental Europe and 46th recipient in total of The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award which was launched in 1960.
He became the youngest winner of the Amateur Championship in 2009, and the youngest player to claim the Silver Medal for leading amateur in The Open Championship that same year when he finished tied 13th at Turnberry.
In April of this year he became the youngest amateur to compete in the Masters Tournament and, furthermore, the youngest player to make the halfway cut.
He created another record when in only his 11th European Tour event as a professional he achieved his maiden victory at the CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar at the age of 17 years and 188 days to become the youngest winner in the Tour’s history, beating the previous record of New Zealand’s Danny Lee who won the Johnnie Walker Classic aged 18 years and 213 days in 2009.
Manassero also became the youngest person to become a full European Tour Member, surpassing the legendary Seve Ballesteros who was 17 years and 200 days when he joined the Tour at the end of the 1974 season.
Manassero was not without competition for The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award with the English trio of Gary Boyd, James Morrison, winner of the Madeira Islands Open BPI - Portugal, and John Parry, who captured the Vivendi Cup 2010, all enjoying excellent first seasons.
But it was the 25 year old Welshman Rhys Davies, who graduated from the 2009 European Challenge Tour alongside Boyd and Parry, who provided the sternest challenge to Manassero as he climbed to 18th in The Race to Dubai during an outstanding season which included a victory in the Trophée Hassan II tournament.
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “Matteo’s arrival on The European Tour coincided with what many observers of the game regard as the most exciting season in our history. He has increased the interest in golf, especially with youngsters in Europe, and indeed throughout the world. He is another exceptionally outstanding winner of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award.”
Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A, said: “Matteo Manassero’s accomplishments in such a short time on Tour, and especially in view of his young age, have been absolutely remarkable. He has true star quality and is an excellent addition to the crop of young players currently emerging throughout Europe.”
Bill Elliott, Chairman of the Association of Golf Writers, said: “Rhys Davies’s record would normally have won the award easily but his younger Italian rival’s record is compelling. To achieve what he has after turning professional in May is astonishing.
"To do so while coming across as a polite, decent and intelligent teenager is reassuring for those of us who care about such things. If he matures as we all hope he will, then The European Tour has another genuine global star.”

Scott is Australian Player of Year for fifth time

On the eve of defending his Australian Open title, Adam Scott has won the Australian Golf Digest Player of the Year award for the fifth time.
Another Queenslander, Katherine Hull, won the women’s golfer of the year title.
Other award winners included,
Max Garske; Services to Golf.
Kevin Conlong; Trainee of the Year.
Peter Senior; Senior of the Year.
Steve McRae; Coach of the Year.
David Warwick of Avondale Golf Club; Superintendent of the Year.
Kristie Smith; Rookie of the Year.
Stacey Keating; Amateur Player of the Year.

MURRAY AND O’HARA LINK UP WITH

SCOTLAND SQUAD TRAINING CAMP

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION

European Tour players George Murray and Steven O’Hara will link up with the Scotland Men’s Elite Squad training camp on Thursday as part of the SGU’s warm weather training programme in the United Arab Emirates.

Murray, pictured, who finished eighth in the Challenge Tour rankings this season, is travelling to Abu Dhabi en route to South Africa where his first European Tour season will begin at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Leopards Creek (December 10 to 13).
He will be joined by O’Hara, who secured his 2011 card by finishing 114th in the European Tour standings, as both players begin their preparations for the new season working alongside Scotland’s leading amateurs.
The squad will also be working with putting specialist Phil Kenyon, who coaches Italian Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari, as they sharpen up their short games on the superb facilities provided by the Al Badia Golf Club by InterContinental Dubai Festival City.
“As part of the agreement with our partners in the United Arab Emirates we have offered Scotland’s tour professionals the opportunity to come and use the facilities in return for their input into our ongoing player mentoring programme. We see this as a vital element in the professional transition roll out and aim to build on this in the future.”
“The support will help George and Steven hit the ground running for the start of the new season while our squad players will benefit from practicing alongside them and learning from their experiences on both the Challenge Tour and European Tour.”
“There is no extra cost to the SGU. The players will pay their own way for the flights but Yas Links Golf Club will allow them use of their facilities which we are extremely grateful for.” explained Paulding.
"George and Steven are both looking forward to joining up with the squad for a few days and the experience will benefit all parties to help Scottish golf in the year ahead." added Brian Marchbank from 110sport Management.
The ten squad players also met up with Richie Ramsay at the Dubai World Championship to get an insight into his practice and course management methodology and national coach Ian Rae believes the training camp has already been a great success:
“The facilities in Dubai are fantastic and the players are really making the most of the opportunities we have been given. The squad is working very hard every day on a number of different aspects and it was good for them to get an insight with Richie during an event.”
“We’re looking forward to working with Phil Kenyon for a few days and concentrating on our putting, which is being enhanced by the wonderful short game areas we are practicing on. The Emirates Golf Federation is looking after us very well and we’re very excited about developing a long term partnership with them.” concluded Rae.
The warm weather training camp is also being supported by Scotland squad sponsors Aberdeen Asset Management, InterContinental Dubai Festival City and WSM Sponsorship, strategic partners of the SGU who have been an integral part of the new alliance with the Emirates Golf Federation.