Saturday, December 04, 2010

NEL WINS SUNSHINE TOUR SCHOOL BY EIGHT SHOTS

FROM THE SUNSHINE TOUR WEBSITE
Colin Nel wrapped up the five-round South African PGA Tour Qualifying School today at Bloemfontein Golf Club, shooting an almost flawless five-under 67 to win by an impressive eight shots from playing partner in the final round, amateur stand-out Allan Versfeld.
Third was another amateur Dean O’Riley, who finished just a shot back on 12-under, matching Versfeld’s final-round 68.
Nel admitted afterwards that, although he was confident going into the final round with a healthy lead, there was still plenty to be nervous about: “I definitely had butterflies as I had never really been in that position before, but I was playing well and knew that I just had to play each hole at a time.
"This is a big win for me and gives me plenty of confidence going into next year. As they say, the cap is off now, hopefully other victories will flow from this.
“I have been seeing a sports psychologist for the last two months and that has really helped get my mind right. She (Sandra Sailer) has helped me stay in the present and play each hole on its merit. If I make a bogey, I have learnt to stay patient and not to push to make birdies straight away.”
In fourth spot was another amateur who has regularly represented South
Africa, J G Claassen, who added a best-of-the-day 66 to solid rounds of level-par 72s around the Schoeman Park and Bloemfontein Golf Club lay-outs during the first four rounds of play.
At the end of 90 holes of stroke-play under the most intense pressure, 30 players walked away with playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour for 2011 – among whom were 10 amateurs and six foreigners. Some of them will be starting the long road to professional success, while others will be seeking to get their careers back on track.
All of them know it’s not easy, but they’ll all tell you they’re living their dream.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 360 (5x72)
1 339 Colin Nel (RSA) 67 70 68 67 67
2 347 Allan Versfeld (RSA) (am) 68 70 73 68 68 
3 348 Dean O'Riley (RSA) (am) 69 69 72 70 68
4 354 J G Claassen (RSA) (am) 72 72 72 72 66
5 354 Bruce McDonald (ZIM) 71 70 70 75 68
6 354 J J Senekal (RSA) (am) 75 71 70 70 68
7 354 Luke Goddard (ENG) 70 70 71 72 71
8 356 Robert Wiederkehr (SUI) 68 73 72 72 71 
9 356 Jeremy Kavanagh (ENG) 69 71 72 73 71 
10 356 Patrick Spindler (RSA) (am) 74 72 68 70 72 
11 356 Walter Els (RSA) 68 67 73 76 72 »»
12 357 Danie van Niekerk junior (RSA) 72 73 72 72 68 »»
13 357 Lourens Kleynhans (RSA) (am) 70 72 75 72 68 »»
14 357 Derik Ferreira (RSA) 72 71 72 73 69 »»
15 357 J P van der Walt (RSA) 68 72 76 71 70 »»
16 357 Tyrone Ryan (RSA) (am)70 68 78 69 72 »»
17 358 Coenie Stoop (RSA) 72 71 73 75 67 »»
18 358 Divan Gerber (RSA) (am) 68 73 74 75 68 »»
19 358 Morne Buys (RSA) 75 72 72 70 69 »»
20 358 Lyle Rowe (RSA) 70 76 70 72 70 »»
21 358 Mark Fensham (RSA) 74 71 72 70 71 »»
22 358 Bryce Easton (RSA) 71 74 71 70 72 »»
23 359 Ryan Hood (RSA) 73 75 67 71 73 »»
24 361 Ockie Strydom (RSA) 75 73 72 71 70 »»
25 361 Peter Wilson (ENG) 69 78 75 68 71 »»
26 361 Derek Scullard (RSA) (m) 73 70 76 70 72 »»
27 361 Michael Dreyer (RSA) 71 73 73 72 72 »»
28 361 Sean Ludgater (RSA) 75 69 72 72 73 »»
29 361 Johan Bekker (RSA) (am) 70 71 74 71 75 
30 362 Alexandre Chopard (SUI) 77 74 68 71 72
MISSED THE CUT FOR 2011 SUNSHINE TOUR PLAYER'S CARD
31 362 Cameron Johnston (RSA) 71 70 75 73 73 »»
32 363 Sean McDonagh (ENG) 71 75 73 75 69 »»
33 363 Andre van Zyl  (RSA) (am) 73 76 69 75 70 »»
34 363 John McClean (RSA) (am) 73 74 69 76 71 »»
35 363 George Sauerman (RSA) 73 73 75 71 71 »»
36 363 Ryan Strauss (RSA) (am) 75 74 69 73 72 »»
37 363 Thomas Curtis (ENG) 70 75 73 72 73 »»
38 363 Johan Etsebeth (RSA) 69 72 71 73 78 »»
39 364 Stuart Clark (WAL) 77 75 70 71 71 »»
40 365 Hansie Dodds (RSA) (am) 76 77 72 70 70 »»
41 365 Regardt van Rooyen (RSA) 72 74 77 72 70 »»
42 365 Anton Raubenheimer (CAN) 72 72 74 74 73 »»
43 366 Ali Tsai (Taipei) 73 68 77 77 71 »»
44 366 Ryan Clarke (RSA) 73 73 75 74 71 »»
45 366 Ben Banks (ENG) 74 71 76 72 73 »»
46 366 Bennie van der Merwe (RSA) 68 76 73 71 78 »»
47 367 Johan Geldenhuys (RSA) 73 78 71 73 72 »»
48 367 Kenny Goosen (RSA) (am) 73 71 74 75 74 »»
49 367 Hendré Celliers (RSA) (am) 75 72 71 72 77 »»
50 368 Marius Beukes (RSA) 71 79 70 74 74 »»
51 368 Clifford Howes (RSA) 75 71 73 75 74 »»
52 368 Hertzog Landman (RSA) 76 71 73 73 75 »»
53 368 Jacques Taljaard (RSA) (am) 71 70 76 74 77 »»
54 369 Matt Krause (RSA) (am) 78 70 77 70 74 »»
55 369 Makgetha Mazibuko (RSA) (am) 78 70 73 74 74 »»
56 369 Leon De Lange (RSA) (am) 74 72 75 72 76 »»
57 369 Aubrey Barnard (RSA) (am) 74 73 70 75 77 »»
58 369 Rae Mackie (RSA) (am) 71 74 73 73 78 »»
59 369 Nicol van Wyk (RSA) 76 69 75 71 78 »»
60 370 Dewald Keys (RSA) 71 76 70 78 75 »»
61 370 Jaco Mouton (RSA) (am) 69 79 73 73 76 »»
62 371 James du Plessis (RSA) 73 78 70 73 77 »»
63 372 Armand van Graan (RSA) (am) 75 72 73 74 78 »»
64 373 Gert van der Merwe (RSA) (am) 74 79 68 73 79

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WESTWOOD LEADS BY FIVE WITH A ROUND TO GO

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Lee Westwood is on course to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge and will take a five shot lead into the final round despite an indifferent Day 3 at Sun City, South Africa.
The World No 1 carded a one under par round of 71 to go with his flawless second round 64 and 68 on Day 1 - ending the third round on 13 under par overall.
However, most of his closest rivals failed to match his effort as low scoring was hard to come by on a much more difficult day at the Gary Player Country Club.
Fellow Englishman Ross Fisher, three behind overnight in second place, went around in 73, including a double bogey on his penultimate hole that saw him slip back to eight under, alongside Tim Clark - one of just two players to shoot 68s.

THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
203 Lee Westwood (ENG) 68 64 71.
208 Tim Clark (RSA) 73 67 68, Ross Fisher (ENG) 67 68 73.
209 Miguel Angel Jiménez (ESP) 69 69 71.

210 Anders Hansen (DEN) 72 70 68, Ernie Els (RSA) 71 68 71, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 66 72 72.
211 Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 71 67 73
212 Retief Goosen (RSA) 72 70 70 
213 Robert Allenby (AUS) 70 70 73.
214 Justin Rose (ENG) 70 72 72.

216 Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 71 73 72.

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FROST HITS START OF EUROPEAN TOUR FINAL Q SCHOOL

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Frost at PGA Catalunya Resort near Girona in North-east Spain has affected the first day’s play at Qualifying School Final Stage, with delays on both the Tour and Stadium courses.
Tee times on the Stadium Course were delayed until noon local time, with a further 30min delay on the Tour Course. Play was then suspended for the day at 13.37hrs on the Tour Course due to frozen greens, with the first group having completed only three holes.
It means only the first few groups on the Stadium Course are expected to complete their first rounds today.
Spaniard Sebi Garcia has made a strong start, with three birdies in his opening six holes while Austrian Markus Brier, a former European Tour winner, is among a group of players to reach two under par after six holes.

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SOUTH KOREAN ROOKIE LEADS INDIAN OPEN

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
New Delhi: Korean rookie Baek Seuk-hyun produced a spectacular finish to take a one-shot advantage after the third round of the Hero Honda Indian O pen on Saturday.
The 20-year-old rookie enjoyed a stunning back nine, which included an eagle and four late birdies at the Delhi Golf Club, for a four-under-par 68 to lead from Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg, who also returned a 68.
Indian veteran Mukesh Kumar and unheralded Manav Jaini stayed in the title hunt with a 70 and 71 respectively to lie joint third, four behind, with Australia’s Unho Park (70) and South African Jbe Kruger (69) in the US$1.25 million Asian Tour event.
The tournament’s top draws, local hero Arjun Atwal and three-time champion Jyoti Randhawa, will enter the final day six shots off the pace but their hopes will come up against an inspired Baek.
The Thai-based Korean, who has a three-day total of 10-under-par 206, showed his mettle by fighting back superbly after he dropped three shots following his eagle on 11 when he holed out his approach from 152 yards.
“I was really excited. I played some bad shots on the 12th and 13th holes (for bogey and double bogey). But I came back with two birdies and then made a long birdie on 17 from 45 feet and another good birdie on the last. I’m happy,” said Baek, whose best finish was tied 10th in last week’s King’s Cup in Thailand .
“It’s only a one-shot lead. I know I will be nervous tomorrow but I’ll concentrate on my own game and not look at the crowds. Today, I just kept hitting my shots and didn’t think of anything and before I knew it, I was on the last hole. I think that’s the best way to play.”
Opting to leave his driver in the hotel room to negotiate the tight Delhi course, Baek turned in 35 with two birdies and a bogey before lighting up his back nine with the eagle on 11. “I hit the perfect tee shot and approach shot. I couldn’t see the pin and the crowds started cheering. I was just hoping it was near the hole. It was really exciting,” he said.
Qualifying School graduate Karlberg, who won the SAIL O pen at the Delhi course earlier this season, put himself in position for a unique double after fighting back from two early bogeys with six birdies.
“I got off to a bad start but after that I started to find my way back. I had a good streak with good shots and easy birdies from holes six to nine. Today I committed to shots much better and that was the difference to help me finish one shot better.
“I like it here and I showed today that even after a bad start I can come back,” said the Swede, currently third on the Order of Merit.
The slightly built Kruger, who has three runner-up finishes this season including in Thailand last week, fired two eagles on the card but was disappointed to drop a bogey on the last hole.
“I was probably not thinking on the last hole! I wanted to hit a little fade on the second shot but pulled it a fraction. The ball was sitting down in the rough and I literally duffed it,” he said.
“I think it’s all about the final nine holes tomorrow. I’m really trying. I got fortunate on 15 when I hit it on the green to make eagle from 15 feet. On eight, I got it to six feet with a rescue club for the eagle putt,” said the South African.
At 45 years of age, Mukesh knows this was possibly his last chance to finally win a Hero Honda Indian Open title although he will need a herculean effort to overturn a four-shot deficit.
“I’ve won everything in India but not the Open and this is something which is lacking in my career,” said Mukesh, who has won over 100 domestic titles. “I have to make the most of this opportunity as it could be my last chance. I have to putt well tomorrow. If I putt good, then I know I can win the tournament.
LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
206 - Baek Seuk-hyun (KOR) 68-70-68
207 - Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 70-69-68
210 - Manav Jaini (IND) 70-69-71, Mukesh Kumar (IND) 70-70-70, Unho Park (AUS) 72-68-70, Jbe Kruger (RSA) 68-73-69
211 - Ben Fox ( USA ) 70-69-72, Anthony Kang ( USA ) 72-67-72, Mark Foster (ENG) 72-69-70, Marcus Both (AUS) 68-74-69, Siddikur (BAN) 72-72-67
212 - Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 70-70-72, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 71-70-71, Kim Hyung-sung (KOR) 67-74-71, Ashok Kumar (IND) 69-73-70, Peter Karmis (RSA) 72-70-70, Arjun Atwal (IND) 73-69-70, Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 72-71-69, Kenichi Kuboya (JPN) 72-72-68
213 - Namchoak Tantipokakul (THA) 68-72-73, Shiv Kapur ( IND ) 71-73-69.
SELECTED TOTALS
216 Paul McGinley (Ireland) 71 74 71, Simon Griffiths England) 71 67 78.
222 Martin Rominger (Switzerland) 71 74 77.
223 Martin Redfern (England) 76 72 75.
225 Iain Steel (Malaysia) 74 73 78.
227 Ross Bain (Malaysia) 75 72 80.

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AUSTRALIAN OPEN ROUND 3: OGILVY LEADS BY FIVE

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
SYDNEY (AP) — Australian star Geoff Ogilvy shot a five-under 67 today to increase his lead to five strokes after the third round of the Australian Open.
Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, had a 16-under 200 total at The Lakes.
Australia's Matt Jones, a stroke behind Ogilvy after two rounds, was second after a 71. Australians Greg Chalmers (66) and Alistair Presnell (67) were tied for third, six shots behind Ogilvy.
Ogilvy's lone professional victory Down Under came in the 2008 Australian PGA.
The seven-time US PGA Tour winner bogeyed the final hole Saturday, a tough par-3.
"I played so well the past few days, so I guess I can't complain about that," Ogilvy said. "I've given myself a little bit of room from the field, which is good."
However, Ogilvy headed to the driving range after his round, upset with himself for pushing a 5-iron right of the 18th green.
"I would not normally rush to the range, but I wanted to get it out of my head straightaway," Ogilvy said. "Even if you shot 59 and you bogeyed the last, you wouldn't be happy. I just wanted to hit a few similar-type shots on the range and get it out of the system."
Greg Norman was 13 strokes back after a 70. He doesn't like The Lakes' new, slow undulating greens.
"They're too slow for me," Norman said. "I'm a fast-green putter and I can't get the right line or the speed with them, so you're always fighting and you've got to hit the ball too hard to really get comfortable.
"They've got so much undulation, they can't get them too much quicker. If you got them any quicker, balls would be rolling into the water and balls rolling off the greens.
The 55-year-old Norman said the greens were not fit for an Australian Open.
"It's a problem if you're going to have a golf championship here," Norman said. "For the members, it's not. For the members, you're going to have to keep them pretty slow for them or they'd never get around here. But obviously someone's feeling good with it."

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
The Lakes Golf Club, Sydney.
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from Australia unless stated.
200 Geoff Ogilvy 68 65 67
205 Matthew Jones 70 64 71
206 Alistair Presnell 67 72 67, Greg Chalmers 69 71 66
207 John Senden 66 71 70, Matthew Griffin 65 70 72
208 David Oh (USA) 72 69 67, Bronson LaCassie 68 72 68
209 Jordan Sherratt 72 68 69, Paul Sheehan 70 67 72, Peter O'Malley 71 68 70
210 Dudley Hart (USA) 68 69 73, Gareth Paddison (Nzl) 72 69 69, Steve Collins 69 72 69, Adam Stephens 72 71 67, Peter Wilson 73 69 68
211 Michael Campbell (Nzl) 71 71 69, Steven Bowditch 70 69 72, John Huh (Kor) 71 71 69, Peter Senior 68 74 69, Rohan Blizard 68 75 68
212 Ryan McCarthy 70 73 69, Rodney Pampling 68 76 68, Peter Nolan 70 75 67, Andrew Dodt 72 69 71, Tom Lewis (Eng) 70 72 70, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 74 68 70, Nathan Green 71 68 73, Adam Bland 70 71 71, Marc Leishman 68 74 70, Anthony Brown 71 70 71, Leigh Mckechnie 68 72 72
213 Michael Long (Nzl) 71 68 74, Greg Norman 74 69 70, Peter Fowler 72 73 68
214 Adam Scott 75 66 73, Chris Gaunt 73 72 69, Bobby Gates (USA) 71 70 73, Kieran Pratt 75 68 71, David Bransdon 72 71 71, Michael Foster 74 68 72
215 Craig Parry 71 71 73, Andre Stolz 70 74 71, Brent McCullough 72 73 70, Nick O'Hern 75 68 72, Ronald Harvey (Can) 73 72 70, Jamie Arnold 71 72 72
216 Michael Sim 70 72 74, Mahal Pearce (Nzl) 72 72 72, Marcus Fraser 70 71 75, Stuart Appleby 68 77 71
217 Jason Scrivener 70 73 74, Steven Jones 73 72 72
218 Brad McIntosh 71 70 77, Panupol Pittayarat (Tha) 70 72 76, Stephen Leaney 75 69 74, Adam Crawford 72 69 77
219 Peter Cooke 74 71 74
220 Hao Yuan (Chn) 73 71 76, Heath Reed 73 72 75
222 Ben Burge 73 71 78, Ryan Peake 74 71 77, Marcus Cain 73 72 77
223 Jordan Zunic 73 71 79

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