MAYFAIR, MARTIN TIED FOR US TOUR SCHOOL LEAD

FROM THE US PGA T0UR WEBSITE
ORLANDO, FLORIDA (AP) -- Billy Mayfair and Ben Martin are tied for the lead after five rounds at the US PGA Tour Final Qualifying School, one round away from earning their playing cards for next year.
Mayfair shot a 67 and Martin had a 71 on the Panther Lake Course at Orange County National. Both are 16 under through 90 holes of the tournament, one shot ahead of Bio Him.
The top 25 will earn US PGA Tour cards for 2011 after Monday's last round. The next 50 will get cards on the Nationwide Tour. The difference between Mayfair and Martin and the final spot is seven shots at the moment.
Mayfair has posted all five rounds in the 60s. Martin's 71 is his only round in the 70s.
Briny Baird, who lost his card for next year after finishing No. 127 on the money list, shot a 71. He is five shots off the cut-off.
Greg Owen, an unsung Englishman on the US Tour in recent years, is making a great bid to overcome the millstone of an opening round of 76. Since then he has shot 69, 70, 71 and 68. His fifth-round score lifted him up from joint 80th to joint 52nd place. Another 68 in the last round might just do the trick for Owen.
Lee Janzen is languishing in joint 107th place on 359.

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PETE COWEN NAMED UK COACH OF THE YEAR

FROM THE AOL SPORTS NEWS SERVICE
Pete Cowen, coach of World No 1 Lee Westwood, US Open champion Graeme McDowell and Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, has been named UK Coach of the Year at the 2010 UK Coaching Awards.
At a ceremony in London Cowen was also named High-performance Coach of the Year.
England cricket coach Andy Flower and Great Britain boxing performance director Rob McCracken were also in contention for the high-performance award.
Cricket coach Jack Birkenshaw won the lifetime achievement award.
Also on the short list for that were Elfyn Pugh from rugby union and Betty Gray from table tennis. Pugh has coached in the West Midlands and Staffordshire for over 40 years, while Gray continues to coach in Swansea at the age of 90.

LEWTON LEADS FROST-HIT TOUR SCHOOL WITH A 63

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Englishman Steve Lewton fired a flawless seven under par 63 to lead The European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage after a protracted first round in north-east Spain. Frost on PGA Catalunya Resort’s Tour Course meant Lewton did not get to tee off on Saturday, but the 27 year old was not caught cold as he fired seven birdies to take a one-stroke lead over Jean-François Lucquin and Andrew Tampion.
Lewton, who is a friend of Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter, led the qualifiers from Second Stage at Arcos Gardens earlier this week and continued that momentum in Girona, with back-to-back closing birdies putting an extra gloss on his impressive round.
“I played steady golf all day, didn’t miss any greens and hardly made any mistakes,” said Lewton. “Any time you do that and you hole a few putts, you’re likely to have a good day.
“The goal at the start of the day was to keep the bogeys off my card, so it was mission accomplished. I wasn’t really in any trouble, and when I was my putter rescued me.
“It’s obviously a long week so I’m not going to get too carried away about leading after the first day, but so far, so good. It’s my first time to the Qualifying School Final, but I know what to expect from other guys who have played here before. Both courses are very good, although the Tour course is probably the slightly easier of the two. You’ve obviously got to play well on both to stand any chance of going through, so we’ll probably have a fairer idea of where we are tomorrow.
“I’ve been playing pretty well for the past six weeks, so I was reasonably confident coming into the week. Obviously winning the Second Stage last week gave me a confidence boost, and I’ve carried that form here with me.”
Lucquin and Tampion are one stroke back after both players carded six under par rounds of 64 on the Tour Course.
Frenchman Lucquin, who held off Rory McIlroy in a play-off to win the 2008 Omega European Masters, produced a stunning finish to his opening round, picking up four shots in his final three holes.
Starting on the tenth tee, Lucquin was two under for his front nine after following a bogey on the 11th with birdies on the 13th, 16th and 18th holes.
The 31 year old then ignited his round with an eagle on the seventh hole, before ending the day with back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth to gather momentum as he seeks an instant return to The European Tour, having finished 139th in The Race to Dubai.
Australian Tampion is also hoping to bounce straight back on to The European Tour, having finished a lowly 268th on The Race to Dubai in 2010.
The 26 year old from Melbourne fired nine birdies in his 64, with his only mistake of the day coming when he found the water on the 15th hole – his sixth after also starting on the Tour Course’s tenth tee – to card a double-bogey 6.
He recovered immediately with a hat-trick of birdies, and believes his new-found patience is paying dividends.
“I didn’t have a good year this year, and my goal was to just go out and give myself as many chances as possible,” said Tampion. “It sounds simple, but if you are hitting 16 or 17 greens then not a lot can go wrong. I had 17 good, realistic birdie chances today and the only green I didn’t I hit was when I put it in the water and made double.
“I just kept giving myself chances, and then if you don’t hole it you walk on to the next and be patient. It’s a long week, and in these conditions you really do have to be patient.
“I felt this year I had no momentum. I’d make a birdie then follow it with a bogey. I’ve definitely learned from the experience. I’ve learned more this year than from when I’ve played well. Hopefully it is the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I can kick on and win some tournaments like I know I can.”
There are eight players a further two shots back on four under par after rounds of 66 on the Tour Course.
That group includes South African Branden Grace, who was buoyed by his maiden professional victory in the Coca Cola Championship hosted by Gary Player in his homeland last month.
“I managed to pick up birdies on 17 and 18 so it was a nice finish,” said Grace. “I left a couple of shots out there but I’m happy with that start.
“I’ve got the confidence after getting that first win as a pro and I feel I’m hitting the ball well. The momentum is going with me at the moment and that win over my home course of Fancourt was the ideal preparation for this week.”
Also on four under par is Welshman Liam Bond, Spaniard Jorge Campillo, Englishman Adam Gee, Argentine Cesar Monasterio, Australian Wade Ormsby and Scottish pair Jack Doherty and Elliot Saltman.
On the par 72 Stadium Course, which the leaders will tackle on Monday, Sweden’s Jens Dantorp and Denmark’s Thomas Norret carded three under par rounds of 69 to match Australian Rick Kulacz’s overnight clubhouse score.
Former Ryder Cup player Joakim Haeggman, who recovered from a double bogey 7 on the 12th hole, was among a group of nine players on the Stadium Course to sign for a round of 70.
The Tour School tournament will now last seven days to make up for the loss of so many hours' play on Saturday due to frost.
SCOTS' SCORES
TOUR COURSE
Par 70
66 Elliot Saltman, Jack Doherty.
67 Chris Doak.
68 Lloyd Saltman.
69 Raymond Russell.
71 Jamie McLeary
72 Scott Drummond.
STADIUM COURSE
Par 72
72 Marc Warren.
73 Alastair Forsyth.
75 Andrew Coltart.

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WESTWOOD WINS £800,000 PRIZE BY EIGHT AT SUN CITY

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By Kevin Garside
Lee Westwood is around £800,000 richer following his eight-shot victory in the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa today. That’s the kids’ Christmas stockings taken care of. Westwood left the 12-man field trailing at the Gary Player County Club in Sun City, the manicured terrain so favoured by England’s footballers during the doomed World Cup campaign, though without the low scoring manifest on the football field.
Westwood, pictured, survived the heat and the sleep deprivation initiated by the dawn rituals of the baboons that festoon the Sun City environs.
Someone in the faux Las Vegas complex believes the local fauna to be central to the experience. Westwood might beg to differ, despite winning by a hefty margin from Tim Clark.
At least he can catch up on lost sleep back home in Worksop before opening his shoulders next month in Abu Dhabi, where the European season begins its month-long desert swing.
Westwood’s closing 68, which included a chipped birdie at the last for a 17-under aggregate 271, sealed his second victory of an injury-hit year, adding to the St Jude Classic claimed at Memphis in June.
“It’s a title I’ve always wanted to win,” Westwood said. “I’ve come close a few times, lost in the play-offs, but it’s always very special. It’s sometimes even more pressure having a big lead because it’s yours to blow.
“But I got off to a fast start and I got a few in front, so I felt pretty comfortable. It was a nice back nine, still tricky with the strong wind and the way it was swirling around. The finish was tough, so I was just pleased to get it done at the end.”

FROM THE SUNSHINE TOUR WEBSITE, SOUTH AFRICA
Lee Westwood finished the Nedbank Golf Challenge the way a World No 1 should as he chipped in from 35 metres on the 18th to complete a dominating eight-shot victory in the $5-million tournament at Sun City, South Africa.
Both he and his nearest pursuer, Tim Clark, overshot the green on the final hole of the 7,162-metre Gary Player Country Club, and Westwood calmly stepped up and sank his chip.
“To chip in on the last when you’ve got a seven-shot lead,” said Westwood, “that’s the stuff that dreams are made of, I guess.”
His four-under-par 68 was the best round of the day – a score shared by Retief Goosen, who climbed from ninth to a share of third with his final round.
Clark carded a one-under 71, and that was the third of only four sub-par rounds on the final day, with Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez sinking a 15-footer for birdie with a matador flourish on the 18th to share third with Goosen.
The 17th caused a wobble for Westwood, but nothing that was enough to stop his solitary march to victory.
He hit his approach long and against the stand, and his chap after he was given relief rolled 10 feet past the hole. His putt was just weak and he ended up making bogey for the second time in two rounds – but his nearest opposition was coming from Clark, who hit his approach into the water and would also end up making bogey.
“I was a bit disappointed by the bogey,” he said. “I really didn’t want to make a bogey today. The seven-iron into the green I thought was perfect and the wind just dropped on me. It was always going to be a tough up-and-down from there.”
But perhaps the reality for Westwood was that his nearest actual opposition was playing thousands of kilometres away in the Chevron Challenge in California – and even victory there is not enough for Tiger Woods to regain the number one ranking.
“It’s still something I’m trying to come to terms with,” said Westwood. “There’s expectation whenever you turn up at tournaments and you have to fulfil that. But since I’ve become number one, I’ve finished second, third and first. So I think I can cope with it.”
Clark’s short game was sublime throughout the final round. “I was looking for bunkers because I was doing so well out of them,” he laughed.
And his chip on 17 after he misread the yardage booklet and hit his four-iron 20 yards short was so nearly in for what would have been a miraculous par. “Just playing to my strength,” he said.
Behind the leaders, the challenge by Ross Fisher faded with a stomach bug which weakened him for much of the final two rounds, and he slid to a final 75 and a share of fifth with Ernie Els.
Westwood’s caddie Billy Foster also had the stomach bug, as did Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, whose performance of the final three rounds was substantially compromised and he brought up the rear of the 12-man field with his two-over-par 290 after his final 74.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72) Prizemoney in South African Rand
271 Lee Westwood (England) 68 64 71 68 (122,200).
279 Tim Clark (S Africa) 73 67 68 71 (88,650).
280 Retief Goosen (S Africa) 72 70 70 68, Miguel Angel Jiménez (Spain) 69 69 71 71 (55,100 each).
283 Ernie Els (S Africa) 71 68 71 73, Ross Fisher (England) 67 68 73 75 (37,775 each). 
285 Robert Allenby (Australia) 70 70 73 72, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 66 72 72 75 (22,750 each).
286 Justin Rose (England) 70 72 72 72, Anders Hansen (Denmark) 72 70 68 76 (18,125 each).
287 Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 71 67 73 76 (16,200)
290 Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) 71 73 72 74 (15,450).

WARREN'S SOLID START TO FROST-HIT TOUR SCHOOL

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
On a frost-affected opening day at the Qualifying School – Final Stage, which has now been extended to seven days due to the unseasonal weather in northern Spain, Australian Rick Kulacz grabbed the clubhouse lead with a round of 69 at PGA Catalunya, near Girona. 
Play did not begin until 12pm, on Saturday, on the Stadium course and was abandoned at 1.37pm on the Tour course, where some greens were unplayable, but Kulacz made light of the heavy frost to finish on three under par – the same mark as Ireland’s Simon Thornton, who has completed 12 holes.
Both Kulacz and Thornton have fond memories of the Qualifying School – Final Stage, having earned their European Tour cards by finishing in 26th and 29th place respectively 12 months ago, and the man from Perth, Western Australia – where temperatures are rather higher than in Girona – rekindled his love affair with PGA Catalunya Resort with six birdies.
Kulacz squeezed into the top 30 last year courtesy of a stunning closing round of 64 on the Stadium course, and whilst he was unable to reproduce those heroics, the 25 year old was nonetheless pleased with his opening effort.
Kulacz, who has returned to the Final Stage after finishing in 134th place in The 2010 Race to Dubai, said: “I got off to a great start and hit it really well for the first eight holes, but then I started to get cold on the back nine and struggled a bit from tee to green. I was just trying to saving par, and getting up and down without too much damage done.
"I’m not used to these conditions, especially as it’s really hot in Australia at the moment. So it’s the complete opposite here. I played here last year and in some cold places in Europe this year, so I’m slowly getting used to it.
“I shot eight under on the final day last year to make it through, which came out of nowhere really as I hadn’t really played well all week, but just got it going on the last day and sneaked in there. It was a pretty tough year though. I didn’t really play well all season, and here I am again. I had a few good starts until April, but I didn’t play well for four rounds in a row, which hurt me in the end.
"If I’d played better in a couple of those rounds I could’ve been up the money list earlier, which would’ve taken the pressure off. But as soon as we hit Europe in May, I did struggle. I was flying back and forth from Australia, which probably wasn’t ideal, but I do like being at home. Maybe I’d change a few things, but it’s all a learning experience.
“That last round last year gave me some confidence that I can play well here. I like the courses here. The greens are a lot better on the other course now too, so I’m sure there will be some low scores. It’s such a long week, so it doesn’t matter too much about the first day – you just have to hang in there.
"It’s a really good start though, because I did battle out there. I got up and down and few times, so a 69 is a good score.”
Thornton notched three successive birdies from the sixth hole to join Kulacz on three under par, and the Irishman will return at 12pm on Sunday to complete his remaining holes.
In contrast, the English duo of Daniel Denison and Simon Wakefield, Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Denmark’s Daniel Lokke have the day off, and can relax and put their feet up after completing rounds of 70 to sit in a share of third place on two under par.
In fast-fading light Denison, who suffered a career-threatening injuries in a car crash in 2007, finished with a three-putt bogey, but was keen to accentuate the positives.
He said: “It was a good day. Obviously it was frustrating to finish with a bogey, but conditions were quite tough towards the end, because it was getting colder and the light was starting to fade. So overall I have to be pleased with a 70, especially as it’s probably the harder of the two courses.
“It’ll feel quite strange to have a day off tomorrow, but I’m sure I’ll pass the time by watching the football on TV, or some DVDs. I’m sharing a villa with Simon Wakefield and Charlie Ford and they both played well today, so it should be a happy house tonight!”
Wakefield kept the bogeys off his card in a round of 70 which included birdies at the fifth and 12th holes.
He said: “It was an enjoyable day once we got out there. Obviously the delays weren’t ideal, but that’s part and parcel of golf. Both courses are a good test of golf but the Stadium is probably the harder of the two, so to shoot 70 and not make any bogeys was pretty pleasing.
“I had to pull out of Q School last year because I went down with pleurisy and swine flu, which knocked me back a bit so I had to play on the Challenge Tour this season. I should’ve taken more time off to recover fully and get my fitness back, but that’s easier said than done.
“So I struggled a bit at the start of the season, and the standard on the Challenge Tour is almost as good as The European Tour these days. I didn’t really do myself justice, but everything happens for a reason and it’s made me more determined to get back onto the main Tour. So that’s why I’m here.
“I’ve been over in the States with my coach, and it went well. I played well at the Second Stage last week and was delighted to come through that, so I feel good about my game at the moment. I hit some great shots out there today, and it bodes well for the rest of the week.”
Lokke and Garcia-Heredia mixed five birdies with three bogeys in their respective rounds of 70, whilst two-time European Tour champion and 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup winner Marc Warren signed for a respectable round of 72.
Warren said: “It was a really solid start. I hit a lot of really good iron shots, and holed a lot of good putts. I also burned the edges of the holes a lot today, but that’s just the way it goes some time. So I’m really pleased with the start I’ve made.
“There was obviously some disruption this morning, and I’d pretty much finished my routine when they announced the delay, so just had to kill time. I felt a wee bit out of my rhythm at the start, but once we settled in I hit it better. It’s a bit strange to have the day off tomorrow, but I’ll just hit a few balls on the range and continue the changes I’ve been working on lately.”

SWEDE KARLBERG WINS INDIAN OPEN

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
New Delhi: Sweden ’s Rikard Karlberg proved he was the King of Delhi when he triumphed in the US$1.25 million Hero Honda Indian O pen with a grandstand finish today.
Karlberg earned a well-deserved second Asian Tour title of the season at the Delhi Golf Club, where he also won the SAIL O pen in April, by closing with a two-under-par 70 after two superb finishing birdies.
His two-shot victory from overnight leader Baek Seuk-hyun of Korea , who carded a final round 73, was worth US$198,125.
Baek, 20, birdied the last hole for lone second place where a career best cheque of US$135,625 was good enough to secure him a Tour card for next season.
Indian Manav Jaini, who held the lead on the back nine after turning in 31, dropped three bogeys on his homeward journey to settle for a share of third place after a 70 alongside countryman Shiv Kapur, who shot the day’s best of 67.
“It feels just amazing. I feel so comfortable when I’m here. Even when I was struggling today, I felt confident. I am really thankful for the support from the fans and I really like it here,” said Karlberg, who has now earned nearly US$600,000 in his rookie season on the Asian Tour.
Karlberg fought tooth-and-nail with playing partner Baek and Jaini, who was in the group ahead, and seized the initiative with a snaky 20-foot birdie putt on 17 which gave him a two-shot cushion.
However, the Swede, who turned 24 earlier this week, made matters interesting by sending his third shot into the sponsor’s marquee and with Baek in birdie range on 18, a two-shot swing and a play-off was on the cards.
After taking a free drop, the Swede sensationally holed out his fourth for an unlikely birdie before screaming in delight to the raptures of a large gallery around the 18th green. “I made great up and downs all week. The first day, it felt solid and then I struggled a bit. My short game has been unbelievable. I feel comfortable on the greens.
“It feels unbelievable. I came here with the goal to win as I wanted to get closer to Marcus Fraser to try to win the runner-up spot on the Order of Merit.
“To sink the chip, it feels amazing. If you gave me 100 times, I wouldn’t sink it so many. I was so lucky that the pin was in the way as it came out a bit hot. This is my biggest win and it feels just amazing,” said Karlberg, who totaled 11-under-par 277 for the week.After missing an easy two foot birdie chance on the first hole, the Thai-based Baek struggled by going to three over through 12 holes before salvaging a lifeline with an eagle on 14 to stay within one of the lead. A bogey on 16 derailed his hopes before his final hole birdie which earned him his biggest career cheque.
“I missed some tee shots which were really bad. It was good that my putting was working. I was really nervous until the par five where I made eagle. Rikard played really good the last two holes for those birdies,” said the South Korean rookie.
“I’m really happy to get my Tour card. I’ll go to Cambodia next week and try to win there. I feel really confident right now.”
The 27-year-old Jaini was disappointed to let slip the chance of glory at the Hero Honda Indian O pen . He charged into the lead with five birdies on his outward nine but dropped costly shots on the 10th, 16th and 17th holes.
“I’m very disappointed. I didn’t hit it badly through 18 holes. Just made a few wrong decisions. On 17 (which he bogeyed), I went for the flag when I should have gone for the heart of the green,” said Jaini, who was playing on his home course.
“I was 11 under (on the turn) and Rikard has just finished 11 under. Going into the back nine, I would have put money on myself to shoot level par. I guess it’s the pressure of big events which do get you sometimes. I didn’t feel the pressure at all. That was why I was attacking. I felt good about my swing and would have played the 17th the same way if I had the chance. I just leaked it a bit.”
Kapur was disappointed he didn’t put more pressure on the eventual winner despite his strong finish. “I’m happy but not completely satisfied. At the start of the day, I told myself that if I got to 10 or 11 under par, I’d give myself a chance. I gave myself opportunities. Story of the whole week, the putter wasn’t hot,” said the former Asian Games gold medal winner.
Arjun Atwal, India’s first winer on the PGA Tour, was amongst those who shared fifth place.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
277 - Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 70-69-68-70
279 - Baek Seuk-hyun (KOR) 68-70-68-73
280 - Manav Jaini ( IND ) 70-69-71-70, Shiv Kapur ( IND ) 71-73-69-67
281 - Mukesh Kumar ( IND ) 70-70-70-71, Marcus Both (AUS) 68-74-69-70, Siddikur (BAN) 72-72-67-70, Ashok Kumar (IND) 69-73-70-69, Arjun Atwal (IND) 73-69-70-69
282 - Unho Park (AUS) 72-68-70-72, Jbe Kruger (RSA) 68-73-69-72, Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 71-73-70-68
283 - Ben Fox (USA) 70-69-72-72, Mark Foster (ENG) 72-69-70-72, Peter Karmis (RSA) 72-70-70-71, Hwang In-choon (KOR) 69-76-69-69
284 - Kim Hyung-sung (KOR) 67-74-71-72, Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 72-71-69-72
285 - Anthony Kang (USA) 72-67-72-74, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 70-70-72-73, Kenichi Kuboya (JPN) 72-72-68-73, Shamim Khan (IND) 69-72-74-70, Guido Van Der Valk (NED) 76-69-70-70
Selected final totals
290 Paul McGinley (Ireland) 71 74 71 74 (jt 33rd).
292 Simon Griffiths England) 71 67 78 76 (jt 42nd.
300 Ross Bain (Scotland) 75 72 80 73 (jt 65th).
302 Nick Redfern (England) 765 77 75 79 (jt 67th).

OGILVY WINS AUSTRALIAN OPEN BY FOUR

FROM THE PGA OF AUSTRALIA WEBSITE
Newly-crowned Australian Open champion Geoff Ogilvy admits he fell out of love with golf as his game disintegrated following a great start to the year.
The 2006 US Open champ took out the season-opening PGA event in Hawaii in January before enduring a long form slump that threatened to derail his hopes of a maiden victory at his national championship.
But Ogilvy's comfortable win at The Lakes, Sydney today – he finished 19 under to clinch the Stonehaven Cup by four strokes – has ensured what was going to be an average year will end on a high note.
"To win the first week and then play relatively horrible golf for nine months (is disappointing)," he said.
"No year you win in the US is a bad year but when it's the first week and you don't play very well for the next six or seven months…I didn't enjoy golf that much this year, just because of how I was playing."
"I came into a bit of form late but ran out of tournaments."
"It's (the Australian Open win) definitely helped the year a lot."
"Any year you win a golf tournament is exciting (and) any year you win the Australian Open you're going to have to look back and think it's a pretty special year."
Ogilvy headed into the final day holding a comfortable five-stroke lead over his nearest rivals.
The tournament was his to lose and the 33-year conceded that made for an uneasy feeling.
"It's an odd feeling having a large lead on the first tee," he said.
"Today was probably the day I struggled the most with my game."
"Today I was least comfortable. The ball just wasn't going quite where I wanted it to go."
"I haven't had to test my short game out the first few days but today I had to, especially on the front nine."
"I got up and down a few times and made all the putts I needed to make."
In the calm conditions that had some players suggesting the course was too easy for such a prestigious tournament, Ogilvy played it safe and waited for those around him to falter.
"There's more of a mental challenge. You haven't given yourself the tournament but everyone else probably has," he said.
"I'd much rather go out with a lead but there's that slightly uncomfortable feeling about a large lead."
"My attitude was 'they have to come and get me, I don't have to do anything special'."
"I thought if I kept playing the way I was playing I was destined to make two or three birdies and that meant he (playing partner and eventual joint runner-up Matt Jones) had to shoot eight or nine under."
"It was never panic stations."
Ogilvy has had several near misses at the Australian Open in the past, including a runner-up placing to John Senden in 2006.
Etching his name alongside the likes of Australian golfing greats Greg Norman, Adam Scott and Steve Elkington hasn't been an obsession, but definitely a career goal.
"I'd love to win the (Australian) Masters – my goal is to win every tournament I play – but this is the real special one in Australian golf, this is the jewel," Ogilvy declared.
"This is right up there."
Asked what it meant to have his name up there with some of golf's biggest names, Ogilvy replied: "I don't mind where people put me in relation to the greats."
"I'd like to win lots of big tournaments because winning tournaments is enjoyable."
"It's a feeling of satisfaction. If I play like I think I can play, I think I'll have a reasonable career."
"The motivation isn't about how people talk about my career."

FOR ALL THE FINAL TOTALS, INCLUDING THAT OF ABERDONIAN MICHAEL SIM, ACCESS THE PGA OF AUSTRALIA WEBSITE BY

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US PGA TOUR FINAL Q SCHOOL - TWO ROUNDS TO GO

FOURTH ROUND TOTALS
Par 286
Ben Martin 66 68 67 69 -- -- 270
James Driscoll 68 68 69 66 -- -- 271
Zack Miller  70 68 67 68 -- -- 273
Scott Stallings 71 71 67 65 -- -- 274
Bio Kim 70 70 66 68 -- -- 274
Billy Mayfair 69 69 68 68 -- -- 274
Cameron Tringale 69 67 69 69 -- -- 274
Nate Smith 73 69 66 67 -- -- 275
William McGirt 69 72 68 66 -- -- 275
Paul Stankowski 69 72 66 68 -- -- 275
Billy Horschel 70 72 66 68 -- -- 276
Will Strickler  72 69 67 68 -- -- 276
Jarrod Lyle 70 68 71 67 -- -- 276
Richard Lee 73 68 67 69 -- -- 277
Jeff Quinney 74 65 69 69 -- -- 277
Kent Jones 70 68 71 68 -- -- 277
Charles Warren 70 67 70 70 -- -- 277
Brandt Jobe 72 65 71 69 -- -- 277
Sunghoon Kang  68 67 71 71 -- -- 277
Chris Baryla 72 61 73 71 -- -- 277
T21 Luke Hickmott 72 69 66 71 -- -- 278
T21 Scott Gordon 70 70 67 71 -- -- 278
T21 Justin Hicks 72 71 70 65 -- -- 278
T21 Joseph Bramlett 67 73 69 69 -- -- 278
T21 J.J. Killeen 71 68 70 69 -- -- 278
T21 Josh Geary 69 67 72 70 -- -- 278
T27 Gavin Coles 69 72 71 67 -- -- 279
T27 Gary Woodland 71 68 69 71 -- -- 279
T27 Michael Putnam 71 73 69 66 -- -- 279
T27 Michael Thompson 73 72 69 65 -- -- 279
T27 Kyle Stanley 65 70 69 75 -- -- 279
T32 Andres Gonzales (CC) -1 F -6 70 71 68 71 -- -- 280
T32 David Lingmerth (CC) -2 F -6 72 69 69 70 -- -- 280
T32 Tommy Biershenk (CC) -4 F -6 71 70 71 68 -- -- 280
T32 Danny Lee (PL) -6 F -6 74 72 69 65 -- -- 280
T32 Brian Bateman (CC) E F -6 70 69 69 72 -- -- 280
T32 Danny Wax (CC) E F -6 69 70 69 72 -- -- 280
T32 Joe Affrunti (CC) -2 F* -6 74 70 66 70 -- -- 280
T32 Seung Ho Lee (CC) 1 F -6 69 67 71 73 -- -- 280
T40 Dustin Garza (CC) -4 F* -5 73 70 70 68 -- -- 281
T40 Richard S. Johnson (CC) -2 F* -5 72 71 68 70 -- -- 281
T40 Camilo Benedetti (PL) -7 F -5 73 73 71 64 -- -- 281
T40 Jim Herman (CC) -3 F* -5 70 74 68 69 -- -- 281
T40 Matt McQuillan (CC) E F -5 70 67 72 72 -- -- 281
T40 Will MacKenzie (PL) -5 F -5 72 73 70 66 -- -- 281
T40 Carlos Franco (CC) 2 F -5 70 66 71 74 -- -- 281
T47 Jason Gore (CC) -4 F -4 70 72 72 68 -- -- 282
T47 Stephen Gangluff (PL) -3 F* -4 70 77 67 68 -- -- 282
T47 Nicholas Thompson (CC) -4 F* -4 72 71 71 68 -- -- 282
T47 Todd Bailey (CC) -2 F -4 71 69 72 70 -- -- 282
T47 Jim Renner (CC) -3 F -4 72 68 73 69 -- -- 282
T47 Blake Trimble (CC) -3 F* -4 73 70 70 69 -- -- 282
T47 Ryan Armour (CC) -3 F* -4 71 72 70 69 -- -- 282
T47 Sang-moon Bae (PL) -1 F -4 76 70 66 70 -- -- 282
T47 Clayton Rask (CC) -6 F* -4 73 72 71 66 -- -- 282
T47 Briny Baird (PL) -3 F -4 79 66 69 68 -- -- 282
T47 Brian Smock (PL) -3 F -4 74 71 69 68 -- -- 282
T47 Aaron Watkins (PL) -1 F -4 73 72 67 70 -- -- 282
T59 Shawn Jasper (CC) -3 F* -3 70 72 72 69 -- -- 283
T59 Tyrone Van Aswegen (CC) -4 F* -3 72 70 73 68 -- -- 283
T59 Rahil Gangjee (CC) -5 F* -3 71 71 74 67 -- -- 283
T59 Mathew Goggin (PL) E F -3 73 74 65 71 -- -- 283
T59 David Lutterus (PL) -3 F -3 74 72 69 68 -- -- 283
T59 Brett Waldman (CC) E F -3 68 72 71 72 -- -- 283
T59 Matt Davidson (CC) -2 F* -3 73 70 70 70 -- -- 283
T59 David Branshaw (CC) -1 F* -3 71 72 69 71 -- -- 283
T59 Stephen Dartnall (CC) -3 F* -3 70 74 70 69 -- -- 283
T59 Tim Wilkinson (CC) -4 F* -3 72 72 71 68 -- -- 283
T59 Alexandre Rocha (CC) -4 F* -3 72 73 70 68 -- -- 283
T70 James Nitties (PL) -3 F -2 72 75 69 68 -- -- 284
T70 Adam Blyth (CC) -3 F* -2 71 71 73 69 -- -- 284
T70 Cameron Percy (PL) -4 F* -2 74 75 68 67 -- -- 284
T70 Scott Weatherly (CC) 4 F -2 67 72 69 76 -- -- 284
T70 John Merrick (PL) -5 F -2 71 75 72 66 -- -- 284
T70 Matthew Giles (CC) -2 F* -2 71 74 69 70 -- -- 284
T76 Matthew Richardson (CC) -3 F* -1 74 69 73 69 -- -- 285
T76 T61 Dawie van der Walt (PL) -1 F -1 71 75 69 70 -- -- 285
T76 Michael Letzig (CC) E F* -1 73 71 69 72 -- -- 285
T76 Omar Uresti (CC) -1 F* -1 76 69 69 71 -- -- 285
T80 Dicky Pride (CC) 2 F E 69 73 70 74 -- -- 286
T80 Jason Schultz (PL) E F* E 73 74 68 71 -- -- 286
T80 Mark Hensby (PL) -2 F E 73 74 70 69 -- -- 286
T80 Scott Piercy (CC) 1 F E 71 70 72 73 -- -- 286
T80 Scott Brown (PL) -2 F E 73 73 71 69 -- -- 286
T80 Jimmy Brandt (PL) -2 F E 73 73 71 69 -- -- 286
T80 Casey Crain (PL) E F E 73 73 69 71 -- -- 286
T80 Chris Epperson (PL) -2 F* E 74 76 67 69 -- -- 286
T80 Jeff Klauk (CC) E F* E 71 73 70 72 -- -- 286
T80 B.J. Staten (CC) -4 F* E 72 73 73 68 -- -- 286
T80 Greg Owen 76 69 70 71 -- -- 286
T80 Grant Leaver (PL) -5 F E 75 70 75 66 -- -- 286
T92 Blake Parks (PL) -1 F* 1 73 74 70 70 -- -- 287
T92 Will Claxton (PL) E F 1 74 72 70 71 -- -- 287
T92 Ty Tryon (CC) 1 F* 1 73 70 71 73 -- -- 287
T92 Dan Woltman (PL) 1 F 1 73 73 69 72 -- -- 287
T92 Zack Sucher (PL) -1 F 1 73 73 71 70 -- -- 287
T92 Jon Mills (PL) -1 F 1 75 71 71 70 -- -- 287
T92 Craig Bowden (CC) -1 F* 1 71 73 72 71 -- -- 287
T92 Garth Mulroy (PL) -3 F 1 71 74 74 68 -- -- 287
T100 Richard T. Lee (CC) E F* 2 71 71 74 72 -- -- 288
T100 Jonas Blixt (CC) E F* 2 72 70 74 72 -- -- 288
T100 Lee Janzen (PL) -3 F 2 74 73 73 68 -- -- 288
T100 Brent Delahoussaye (CC) -1 F* 2 72 70 75 71 -- -- 288
T100 Scott Gardiner (CC) -1 F* 2 73 70 74 71 -- -- 288
T100 Marc Turnesa (PL) -2 F 2 73 73 73 69 -- -- 288
T100 Scott McCarron (PL) -1 F 2 72 74 72 70 -- -- 288
T100 Michael Sims (PL) -1 F* 2 75 74 69 70 -- -- 288
T100 Ron Whittaker (PL) -6 F* 2 76 74 73 65 -- -- 288
T100 Jake Younan-Wise (CC) 1 F* 2 72 72 71 73 -- -- 288
T100 James Hahn (PL) -2 F 2 70 75 74 69 -- -- 288
T100 Billy Hurley III (PL) -1 F 2 73 72 73 70 -- -- 288
T100 David Robinson (PL) 1 F 2 73 72 71 72 -- -- 288
T113 Brock Mackenzie (PL) -3 F 3 73 74 74 68 -- -- 289
T113 Chris Tidland (PL) -4 F* 3 74 74 74 67 -- -- 289
T113 Erik Compton (CC) E F* 3 70 72 75 72 -- -- 289
T113 Peter Lonard (PL) 1 F* 3 75 73 69 72 -- -- 289
T113 Skip Kendall (PL) -1 F* 3 76 74 69 70 -- -- 289
T113 John Mallinger (PL) 1 F 3 74 72 71 72 -- -- 289
T113 Patrick Sheehan (CC) E F* 3 75 70 72 72 -- -- 289
T113 Andy Bare (CC) E F* 3 68 77 72 72 -- -- 289
T121 Glen Day (PL) E F 4 75 72 72 71 -- -- 290
T121 James Sacheck (PL) E F 4 75 71 73 71 -- -- 290
T121 Aaron Goldberg (PL) 1 F 4 75 71 72 72 -- -- 290
T121 Martin Flores (PL) -1 F* 4 76 73 71 70 -- -- 290
T121 Elliot Gealy (CC) E F* 4 69 74 75 72 -- -- 290
T121 Patrick Nagle (PL) -1 F* 4 73 76 71 70 -- -- 290
T121 Mike Ruiz (PL) 1 F 4 72 74 72 72 -- -- 290
T128 Travis Bertoni (PL) 3 F* 5 75 72 70 74 -- -- 291
T128 Mike Hendry (PL) -1 F* 5 74 74 73 70 -- -- 291
T128 Todd Fischer (PL) -2 F* 5 76 72 74 69 -- -- 291
T128 Edward Loar (PL) 2 F* 5 72 76 70 73 -- -- 291
T128 Ted Brown (PL) 1 F* 5 71 78 70 72 -- -- 291
T128 Travis Hampshire (PL) E F 5 74 72 74 71 -- -- 291
T128 David McKenzie (PL) E F* 5 75 74 71 71 -- -- 291
T128 Steven Alker (PL) E F* 5 76 74 70 71 -- -- 291
T128 Brian Vranesh (PL) -1 F* 5 76 75 70 70 -- -- 291
T137 Johnson Wagner (PL) 3 F 6 72 75 71 74 -- -- 292
T137 Guy Boros (PL) -4 F* 6 77 71 77 67 -- -- 292
T137 Craig Barlow (PL) 3 F* 6 76 72 70 74 -- -- 292
T137 Darren Angel (PL) 1 F* 6 76 72 72 72 -- -- 292
T137 Brett Swedberg (CC) 1 F* 6 68 76 75 73 -- -- 292
T137 Jason Kokrak (PL) E F* 6 79 72 70 71 -- -- 292
T143 Terry Pilkadaris (PL) 1 F* 7 74 74 73 72 -- -- 293
T143 Tyler Leon (PL) 1 F* 7 74 74 73 72 -- -- 293
T143 Roberto Castro (CC) 6 F 7 71 68 76 78 -- -- 293
T143 Martin Ureta (PL) E F* 7 77 73 72 71 -- -- 293
T147 Geoffrey Sisk (PL) 1 F* 8 75 75 72 72 -- -- 294
Chris Baker (PL) -1 F* 8 75 75 74 70 -- -- 294
Won Joon Lee (PL) 4 F 8 72 73 74 75 -- -- 294
Ted Oh (PL) 5 F* 12 79 69 74 76 -- -- 298
Eric Onesi (PL) 2 F* 13 77 72 77 73 -- -- 299
Seath Lauer (PL) 1 F* 13 74 79 74 72 -- -- 299
Pablo Acuna (PL) -1 F* 16 76 76 80 70 -- -- 302
Jason Hill (PL) 4 F* 25 79 75 82 75 -- -- 311

WOODS LEADS CHEVRON CHALLENGE BY FOUR

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
THOUSAND OAKS, California (Reuters): Tiger Woods, with a renewed swagger in his step, is poised to cap a turbulent year on a high note after maintaining a four-shot lead in the third round of the Chevron World Challenge.
Seeking his first tournament win since the 2009 Australian Masters, the former World No 1 recovered from a faltering start to fire a four-under-par 68 at Sherwood Country Club, California.
Boosted by a three-birdie run on the front nine and two more in the last three holes, Woods closed in on his fifth victory at his own event by posting a 17-under total of 199 for 54 holes..
He struck a superb eight-iron approach at the par-4 last to within a foot, sparking huge roars from the gallery watching from the natural amphitheatre below the imposing clubhouse.
His playing partner, U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland, was alone in second after carding a 68 with Englishman Paul Casey (69) a further four shots back in third.
"I'm excited about tomorrow because of the way I've been playing," Woods told reporters after putting himself in prime position to complete his first wire-to-wire victory since the 2006 WGC-American Express Championship.
"I'm excited how I've been hitting the golf ball and how I've been managing my game around this golf course."
Woods has never lost a tournament in which he has led by at least three strokes going into the final round and he has coped well this week on Sherwood's lightning-fast greens.
"It was a pretty good day overall," said the 14-times major winner, who embarked on the fourth swing change of his career in August, a move which now seems to paying dividends.
"I thought I hit the ball a little bit better than I did yesterday. The greens were tough and a few more difficult pins today so they were tough to get at.
"But four under is a good score. I tied Graeme today, so no loss between my lead."
Four ahead overnight, Woods had his lead swiftly halved when he bogeyed the par-five second after pulling his second shot left into a water hazard to slip back to 12 under.
Ice-cool McDowell, who birdied that hole to close within two, picked up another shot at the par-three third where he rolled in a six-footer.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
Tiger Woods 65 66 68 -- 199
Graeme McDowell -66 69 68 -- 203
Paul Casey 73 65 69 -- 207
Hunter Mahan 72 67 70 -- 209
Sean O'Hair  72 67 70 -- 209
Luke Donald 70 66 73 -- 209
Rory McIlroy 66 70 73 -- 209
Ian Poulter 72 67 71 -- 210
Nick Watney 72 67 71 -- 210
Zach Johnson 75 67 70 -- 212
Stewart Cink  69 75 68 -- 212
Jim Furyk 72 73 71 -- 216
Steve Stricker  72 76 70 -- 218 
Bubba Watson 76 69 74 -- 219
Anthony Kim 79 66 74 -- 219
Matt Kuchar 75 71 74 -- 220
Camilo Villegas 70 75 76 -- 221
Dustin Johnson 69 72 80 -- 221

JIM FURYK VOTED US TOUR PLAYER OF YEAR

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE

THOUSAND OAKS, California (AP) — Jim Furyk was awarded a prize Saturday just as meaningful as that $10 million bonus he received from winning the FedEx Cup. He was voted by his peers as the US PGA Tour Player of the Year.

Furyk was the favourite to win the award with his three Tour victories, including the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup. He was second on the money list and in scoring average to Matt Kuchar.
"The year just keeps getting better is all I can say," Furyk said. "I'm not sure I want 2010 to end at this point."
Furyk, pictured, had gone more than two years without winning until his victory in the Transitions Championship in March, then won again a month later at Hilton Head. He ended the year with a par save from the bunker on the final hole at East Lake to not only win the Tour Championship, but the FedEx Cup.
He previously won Player of the Year from the PGA of America, an award based on points. This latest award was based on a vote of US PGA Tour players who had to choose from a short leet of Furyk, Kuchar, Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Ernie Els.
The US PGA Tour does not release vote totals.
"This one is very meaningful ... having all my peers and colleagues - basically the guys I play against week in and week out - and to have them vote for me as player of the year is what's special," Furyk said.
While the Furyk vote was not surprising, the US PGA Tour rookie of the year is sure to raise questions.
Rickie Fowler won the award over Rory McIlroy, Puerto Rico Open winner Derek Lamely and Alex Prugh. McIlroy not only won Quail Hollow, he was third in two majors.
Fowler was a rookie in the purest sense, fresh out of Q-school at age 21. He had two runner-up finishes, at the Phoenix Open and Memorial, and was selected for the Ryder Cup team. In his singles match, he won the last four holes to earn a halve that gave the Americans a chance to win until Graeme McDowell won the final singles match.

Fowler is the youngest US Tour rookie of the year since Tiger Woods won the award at age 20 in 1996.

"It's pretty cool," Fowler said. "I guess I'm one year behind Tiger, but looking to try and make up some ground. It's been a lot of fun."

McIlroy brought stronger credentials.

He not only won the Quail Hollow Championship by closing with a 62, he tied for third at the British Open and the US PGA Championship. McIlroy tied a major championship record at St. Andrews when he shot 63 in the first round.

McIlroy had been on the European Tour exclusively the last two years, and perhaps the US PGA Tour players did not see him as a true rookie. However, the award went to Vijay Singh in 1993 at age 30, and to Todd Hamilton in 2004 at age 38 after a long career on the Japan Golf Tour.
McIlroy recently said he would not keep his US PGA Tour membership next year to focus more on Europe and cut down on his schedule. Whether that had a role in the players' vote could not be known without polling every player.

"I don't think so," US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. "A guy finishes as strong as Rickie did on the FedEx Cup and the money list, players vote for different reasons. But certainly, both guys had great years. Personally, I like to have a little controversy. So if you guys want to write that it's a controversy, that's good, because it brings more attention to who won."

Neither Fowler nor McIlroy reached the Tour Championship. Fowler finished 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings, while McIlroy was 36th.

Furyk won his second major award. He also won the Vardon Trophy in 2006 when Woods did not play the required number of rounds.

Also, Jamie Lovemark won the Nationwide Tour award, typically given to whoever wins the money list.