MONTY TARGETS 2014 RYDER CUP AT GLENEAGLES AS PLAYER

                                                                           FROM THE BBC SPORTS WEBSITE

Colin Montgomerie has set his sights on playing in a winning European team at 2014 Ryder Cup match in his native Scotland - at Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire.

The Scot captained the team that defeated the United States at Celtic Manor this year, but poor form meant he was a long way from qualifying as a player.

Asked if he could compete again at the highest level, he said: "I would love to do that in 2012 and, more especially, to play in 2014.
"I will be 51 by the time Gleneagles hosts the Ryder Cup, but in golfing terms, I suppose, still quite sprightly."
Montgomerie is currently ranked 405th in the world but aims to rediscover the kind of form that earned him eight European Order of Merit titles and made him a colossus in the Ryder Cup arena, having earned 23.5 points from 36 matches.
"I've got to get myself back in the top 50 in the world," he told BBC Scotland.
"Every competitor in the Ryder Cup, all 24 of them, were in the top 50 in the world this particular time and I have got to get myself back into that category. "My world ranking has lapsed, so I've got to get myself back in and that means not just competing in tournaments but contending in them.
"If I can contend in them - and by that I mean top 10, top fives - then sometimes the door might open and I'll walk through it and win events and that gets me back into the Ryder Cup theme.
"But I have a long way to go before that. The standard is improving all the time, but I look forward to trying to challenge for that."
Montgomerie was not for altering his decision to stand down as Ryder Cup captain after one successful tilt.
"It is only right that one of my vice-captains will take over for the 2012 match and another of them will take over in 2014," he said.
"I think it is only right when one wins, one gets out. Where does one go? There's a time in these things to leave and that was it - to win and get out.
"But it doesn't finish me with the Ryder Cup, hopefully. I can still play and still earn my place on the team as a player.
"So let's hope that I can play, not just just in 2012 but 2014. That would really be the icing on any cake for me - to play in a winning Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles."
Montgomerie hopes Gleneagles, the next home venue, can repeat the success the event experienced in Wales.
"I don't there's many lessons to be learned," he said. "We all hope and pray that Gleneagles takes on that mantle through Ireland, which was a great success in 2006, on to Wales 2010 and then Gleneagles 2014.
"The event is improving on and off the course every year and I am sure that Gleneagles is in a well enough place.
"It is in an iconic setting, iconic hotel and grounds around that estate and I think it will do a fantastic job in staging the Ryder Cup here in Scotland."

Montgomerie said this would be a year he would cherish, despite his own slump in form.

"It was, in different ways, the most important year of my career by not really playing," he added.

"It was the worst year on the golf course but the best year off it in many ways and it was a real honour to be captain of the so-called European Tour for those two years and to captain such a fine 12 as we had on show in Wales.

"And let's hope that's maintained now through 2012 and, of course, coming into Gleneagles here in 2014 in Scotland."

CAITHNESS TRIO WIN NORTH ALLIANCE CHRISTMAS COMP

Robin Wilson's picture of the winning trio from Reay Golf Club (left to right), Ian Ross, Peter McCartney and John Disbury.

By ROBIN WILSON
The late thaw and decision to go ahead with the North Alliance's Christmas team competition caught out most of the members and only eight teams turned up at Brora last Sunday for the annual Christmas three-ball competition.
Probably with more snow than any other area, the Caithness trio from Reay Golf Club, Ian Ross, Peter McCartney and John Disbury were faster of the mark after their lay-off, coming in with the winning net score of 49, seven below of the par of 56 for Brora's 15-hole winter course.
As they got into their stride with early net birdies at the second (John Disbury), fourth (Ian Ross) and seventh holes (Peter McCartney) for an outward seven-hole net count of 24, the Reay trio got even better on the eight-hole homeward stretch.
They had four birdies over the last five holes for 25, finishing of their round with a closing birdie 2 from Ian Ross.
From three net returns of 51 the Thurso trio of club vice-captain Ali Cameron, Angus Simpson and Bryan Ronald were awarded the second prize on the inward half count back. The Thurso trio enjoyed a three-under-par net score of 26 for the last eight holes, one better than Mike Keay, Hamish Skinner, and Derek Wood from Tarbat who shared their 27 inward half count with Andrew Watt, Steve Holmes and Alec Gunn from Tain.
All the Brora net scores
P McCartney, I Ross, J Disbury (Reay) 49
A Cameron, A Simpson, B Ronald (Thurso) 51
M Keay, H Skinner, D Wood (Tarbat) 51
A Watt, S Holmes, A Gunn (Tain) 51
A J Gill, S Ashe, K Lorimer (Brora) 52
B Ferries, M Ferries, R Lockie (Tain) 53
A Gunn, G Gunn, W Mowat (Reay) 53
A Swanson, J Sangster, A Coghill (Thurso) 57

LOOKING BACK AT THE SAD STORY OF SEWSUNKER SEWGOLUM

FROM THE SUNSHIRE TOUR, SOUTH AFRICA WEBSITE

But for apartheid, South Africa could have had another world-beating golfer at the same time as Gary Player.
Sewsunker ‘Papwa’ Sewgolum, a South African of Indian origin, was a self-taught golfer who played the game with a cack-handed grip, hands positioned the opposite way to the traditional grip.
The unorthodox grip has another name – the Sewsunker grip – named after Sewgolum because he used it with such success.
Born in 1930 to a blind mother, Sewgolum came from a modest background. During his early childhood years he did not attend school, and spent much of his time hitting golf balls on the beach with whatever branches he could find that resembled golf clubs.
Later, to make ends meet, he became a caddie at the Beachwood Country Club. Although he was a better golfer than the men for whom he caddied, the racial laws of apartheid South Africa prevented him from demonstrating his prowess – even though, competing in non-white competition, he won the Natal Amateur at the age of 16.
Sewgolum was ‘discovered’ by a German, Graham Wulff, who lived in Howick in the Natal Midlands. Wulff was playing a round of golf with some colleagues one day when one of the men asked Sewgolum, who was caddying, which club he should use for an approach to the green. Sewgolum advised him to select either a six or seven iron.
The man took his advice, but played a poor shot and took his frustration out on Sewgolum. Sewgolum didn't take kindly to the abuse; he put the man's bag down and began to walk away. Wulff called him back. He asked Sewgolum whether he would have used the same iron to reach the green. “Yes,” the caddie replied.
He then placed a ball – something the caddies were strictly forbidden to do – and knocked his approach to within half a metre of the pin.
Wulff was impressed. So much so that in 1959 he took Sewgolum overseas to play in the British Open. He was also due to play in Germany, but crossed lines in planning meant he missed out on that opportunity.
Wulff then took him to the Netherlands to compete in the 1960 Dutch Open. Sewgolum won the tournament, successfully defended it the following year, became a three-time winner of the title in 1963, and finished as runner-up in 1964.
Back in South Africa, Sewgolum was only allowed to compete from 1963. He promptly won the Natal Open, defeating Harold Henning – and becoming the first person of colour to win a professional golf tournament in South Africa.
Henning was no slouch – he won more than 50 tournaments in his professional career, including victories in the US and Europe, and teamed up with Gary Player to win the World Cup Invitational in 1965.
As for Player, he was on a roll in 1965. Besides the World Cup Invitational, he won the US Open Championships to complete golf's Grand Slam of majors, took his third South African Open and fourth Australian Open, and notched up wins in the World Series, World Matchplay and NTL Challenge Cup.
In the 1965 Natal Open, however, Player played second fiddle to Sewgolum. Sewgolum’s second Natal Open victory was overshadowed, however, by the happenings at the prize-giving ceremony afterwards. Rain was pelting down, which prevented the trophy being presented outdoors, as was the usual case, and the ceremonies were moved inside.
The laws of the day were that Indian people were not allowed inside the Durban Country Club. An infraction of those laws could have resulted in the club losing its liquor licence.
Photographs of Sewgolum receiving his Natal Open trophy in the rain – while the club’s white patrons sat in comfort inside – flashed around the world, prompting an international outcry. A number of countries reacted by imposing sports sanctions on South Africa.
In 1965, Sewgolum came within a whisker of winning the South African Open, losing out to Retief Waltman by a single shot.
However, just when it seemed his career would take off, the apartheid government brought it to an appalling halt. In 1966 the government banned Sewgolum from all local tournaments, and by withdrawing his passport, prevented him from playing abroad – and, in effect, from making a living. Sewgolum died impoverished in 1978, not yet 50 years of age, from a heart attack.
In 2004, Sewgolum was posthumously awarded the Order of Ikhamanga, South Africa's highest honour for achievement in the performing arts and sport.
Today, a golf course in Durban is named after him. The Papwa Sewgolum Municipal Golf Course is an 18-hole flat woodland course situated in the suburb of Reservoir Hills.
In 2005, Wits University Press published Christopher Nicholson's biography Papwa Sewgolum: From Pariah to Legend.
A documentary film about his life, “Papwa: The Lost Dream of a South African Golfing Legend”, had its premiere in August 2005.
Unveiling a memorial plaque in honour of Sewgolum earlier in 2005, Durban Country Club chairman Ray Lalouette described the 1965 Natal Open awards ceremony as “an ignominious débâcle that must have been the source of much embarassment and humiliation for a fellow human being at a time when he should have been experiencing joy and jubilation.
“No matter what the background, or the rules of the land, it must have been an experience that caused hurt and shame for him and his family.
“It is therefore fitting and appropriate that I, as the current chairman, take this opportunity on behalf of the members of the Durban Country Club, to apologise to Mrs Suminthra Sewgolum and to Mr Sewgolum’s son, Rajen, and his family for the suffering you have endured as a result of that most unfortunate incident.
“We have commissioned this plaque to serve as a permanent reminder to all those (and especially golfers) who walk this way, that ‘Papwa’ Sewgolum was a remarkable man.”

STUART APPLEBY US TOUR COMEBACK PLAYER OF YEAR

Stuart Appleby has been voted the US PGA Tour's  "comeback player of the year" after going from his worst season to a magical win.
Appleby won The Greenbrier Classic by closing with a 59, making him one of only two players to hit golf's magic number in the last round. His historic win followed a year in which he finished outside the top 125 on the money list for the first time since his rookie season.
The Australian used a one-time exemption for career money to keep his card. His win helped him to finish 38th on the money list, and he topped off his year by winning the Australian Masters.
Players voted for Appleby over Rocco Mediate and Arjun Atwal.

PLAY GOLF IN AFRICA FOR A WEEK,

BRAG ABOUT IT FOR A YEAR!


OCTOBER 8 to 15, 2011

Based at a five-star hotel in Marrakech
Playing five different courses

Switch over to our sister website, http://www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk/, for all the details
                                                                                              

GRAEME McDOWELL WINS GOLF WRITERS' VOTE

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Graeme McDowell has added another victory to his dream season by winning the Golf Writers’ Trophy for 2010.
McDowell is the first player from Northern Ireland and the fifth Irish golfer to win the award that dates back to 1951.
The 31-year-old made history at Pebble Beach by becoming the first European winner of the US Open since Tony Jacklin 40 years ago and then, amid unbearable tension at The Celtic Manor Resort, clinched the winning point at The Ryder Cup. He also won The Celtic Manor Wales Open at The Celtic Manor Resort, the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama and the Chevron World Challenge by beating host Tiger Woods in a play-off.
McDowell was a clear winner in the annual poll of the members of the Association of Golf Writers but only after another highly competitive contest given the outstanding achievements from European golfers in 2010. The Ryder Cup Team, captained by Colin Montgomerie, finished second, just ahead of Martin Kaymer, the US PGA Champion and The Race to Dubai winner, with Lee Westwood, the newly crowned World No 1, in fourth place.“I am hugely honoured to win such a prestigious award and especially in a year when European golf as a whole has achieved such amazing things,” McDowell said.
Montgomerie added: “In my 24 years as a member of The European Tour, never, ever have we had the success we have had this year. We have completely dominated the world of golf in 2010. It is amazing the quality we have now and it is not going to stop here. We can look forward to even more success in 2011.”
A record number of votes were cast in this year’s poll, which reflected the breadth of achievement in European golf in 2010. Laura Davies, who won five times on the Ladies European Tour, and Matteo Manassero, the 17 year old Italian who became the youngest winner on The European Tour, both featured highly, while there was also support for Rory McIlroy, brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose, Miguel Angel Jimenez and British and US Senior Open champion Bernhard Langer.
Bill Elliott, chairman of the Association, said: “What a treasure chest our members had to choose from this year but, in the end, I suspect that the abiding image of an exhausted Graeme McDowell clinching The Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor just tipped it in his favour. Beating Tiger in California a week ago didn’t do the Ulsterman any harm either. Terrific stuff.”
McDowell, who like Westwood is a contender for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, is now looking forward to some time off to reflect on his remarkable performances in 2010. “To win a Major Championship and to hole the winning putt in The Ryder Cup, these are absolute, ultimate golfing dreams for me,” he said. “It has definitely been a life-changing experience the last few months and I feel incredibly lucky. I can’t get my head around it for sure now but I feel very fortunate and privileged that I’ve had the opportunity.
“Every golfer wants to win Majors but The Ryder Cup was another stratosphere, trying to win it not just for me but for 11 team-mates, for Colin, for all those fans, for Europe. I have never been so nervous. That 16th hole, they were the three greatest shots of my career. Under that pressure, it was an amazing feeling. Particularly, as I was told on the fairway, before I hit my second shot, that a half-point would not be enough and that I needed to win the match.
“It’s been a phenomenal few years for European golf in general, and in particular British and Irish golf. Look at the number of players at the top of the world rankings and, of course, right at the top is Lee, the Number One. He has been our most consistent player the last few years. He has worked extremely hard and thoroughly deserves to be up there. It has given all of us the belief that one day we may also reach that top spot.
“I cannot thank enough the team around me, my family and management, for their support this year and in the years ahead. I will have the same attitude in 2011 as I did in 2010, to work hard and to try and win some tournaments. How I perform will all be heavily scrutinised and that is understandable but I’ll never try and compare it to 2010. "I’m very aware of the pitfalls, complacency, expectation levels, really trying to change my game now that I’m a Major Champion and in the top-10 in the world. I’m looking forward to it and I know I have a huge amount of room for improvement, particularly in and around the greens and just sharpening up my whole game generally.”

DEATH OF RON BROWNLEE AT 1O1

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By Martin Dempster
Tributes have been paid to Ron Brownlee, a former secretary of both the Lothians Golf Association and the Edinburgh and East of Scotland Alliance, who died in an Edinburgh nursing home at the weekend at the age of 101.
An honorary member of Craigmillar Park Golf Club, where he celebrated his 100th birthday with family and friends a year past May, Brownlee was one of the best-known figures in local golf for a lengthy period of time.
"He was a great man and probably had the best memory of anyone I've ever known," said close friend Bruce Henry, who regularly took Brownlee out for lunch at golf clubs in the Lothians along with Graham Ewart and Bob Kilgour.

"We'd get 125 or so people turning up for an Alliance event yet Bob still knew every one of them by their first name. He lived a good and healthy life but will definitely be missed."

New Zealand-born Brownlee, a former Chief Inspector with Lothians and Borders Police, was a member at Craigmillar Park for 60 years and was club captain there, as well as Dunbar, where he served as Henry's vice captain.

TO READ MORE OF THE RON BROWNLEE OBITUARY,

CLICK HERE

IRISH OPEN TO RETURN TO KILLARNEY NEXT JULY

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
The European Tour and Fáilte Ireland have confirmed that the Irish Open will return to the Killeen Course at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club from July 28-31, 2011.
The announcement was made last night by European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady and Fáilte Ireland Chairman Redmond O’Donoghue at the Irish Links Society Dinner in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin.
It will be the fourth time in history that the tournament has been staged at the renowned County Kerry venue.
On the first two occasions, in 1991 and 1992, Sir Nick Faldo emerged as the champion while on the tournament’s return to Killarney in July of this year, Faldo’s fellow countryman Ross Fisher triumphed after holding off a determined final day challenge from home hero Padraig Harrington.
Fisher’s victory helped him secure his Ryder Cup debut later in the year and join an impressive list of 17 other players from both sides of the Atlantic who, since the birth of The European Tour in 1972, have both an Irish Open win and Ryder Cup honours on their respective golfing CVs:
Seve Ballesteros, Thomas Björn, Ken Brown, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Faldo, Sergio Garcia, Hubert Green, Søren Hansen, Padraig Harrington, Mark James, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Christy O’Connor Jnr, José Maria Olazábal, John O’Leary, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam.
George O’Grady said: “All our members have spoken very highly of Killarney Golf and Fishing Club and the tremendous welcome given to them, not only by the club but by the town of Killarney itself. There was a wonderful festival atmosphere generated by the record crowds over the course of the week and we are so pleased to be returning.”
Redmond O’Donoghue said: “We are delighted to once again be involved in this great event and to commit to being a major sponsor to ensure its continued success. The 2010 tournament saw a revival of the event to its former status and provided a fantastic opportunity to showcase Ireland to an audience of 394 million homes worldwide.
“The event attracted the best field seen for many years with 25 of Europe’s top 50 players participating. Some 82,000 spectators came to Killarney Golf and Fishing Club over the four days – the second highest attendance for a European Tour event after their flagship BMW PGA Championship which was attended by 88,000 spectators. We are happy to be able to confirm our continued involvement in the Irish Open for 2011.”
The prize fund for the 2011 Irish Open will be confirmed at a later date but to claim the lion’s share the eventual winner will have to conquer not only a high quality field but also the Killeen Course itself. The jewel in the crown of the three-course Killarney Golf Complex was originally designed in 1972 by Eddie Hackett and Billy O’Sullivan. The Killarney lakes and high mountain range provide a stunning backdrop to the course itself.
This year’s tournament attracted a bumper attendance of 82,000 over the four tournament days and with the final day of the 2011 tournament once again falling on the Sunday before the August public holiday in Ireland, it is expected that similar crowds numbers will make their way to the Killeen Course.

RICHIE RAMSAY BUYS HOUSE IN ATLANTA

RICHIE RAMSAY QUOTE

I've just bought a house in the States, in Atlanta. That hurt. Writing that cheque was tough but it's done now and I'm happy with it. It's pretty much right next to the Golf Club of Georgia in Atlanta and will let me practise more, especially my short game.

FROM THE LATEST EDITION OF BUNKERED
MAGAZINE - "The Last Word"