HERE THEY ARE: THE 10 LONGEST DRIVERS ON EUROPEAN TOUR

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
By BEN HUNT
The saying goes 'drive for show and putt for dough' and it's certainly true that some of the European Tour's biggest hitters off the tee would do well to heed that advice. They may outhit Lee Westwood and Co by some considerable distance but when it comes to getting the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes, the Big Names come into their own.
Nonetheless, there's no denying the advantage of gaining extra yards and we list the top 10 golfers who have consistently out-driven their rivals.
1 Nicolas Colsaerts Average Distance: 307.7 yards
Not really a name you would expect to top the driving distance statistics, but the Belgium golfer holds that position. At 6ft 1in he is not the tallest on Tour and weighing just 11 stone you could be mistaken for thinking he lacks the ability to give the ball a decent clout. But the 27-year-old, ranked 142 in the world, is the longest hitter on Tour.
2 Scott Hend Average Distance: 306.6 yards
Australian Hend might not have too much to celebrate this season. His fifth place at the Iberdrola Open Cala Millor Mallorca was his best finish and helped out with his total prize money of around £74,000. But the 343 world ranked player is second in the long drive stats.
3 Alvaro Quiros Average Distance: 306.1 yards
The big-hitting Spaniard has had an excellent season and sits in 15th place in the Race to Dubai rankings. He won the Spanish Open and came second in the Qatar Masters and had top 10s in the Alfred Dunhill Links, Madrid Masters, WGC CA Championship and the Dubai Desert Classic.
4 Anton Haig Average Distance: 305.2 yards
One car tyre manufacture used the slogan "power is nothing without control", and nothing would be more fitting to apply to the South African. At 6ft 4in, Haig drives the ball as long way but his accuracy elsewhere is costing him. He is ranked down in 731st in the world.
5 George Coetzee Average Distance: 302.9 yards
Powerful South African Coetzee is in fifth spot with an impressive average of 302.9 yards. Coetzee was an excellent tennis player as a youngster which could explain his long-driving ability. His best finish this season was 10th in the Johnnie Walker Classic and a sixth place in the Portugal Open.
6 James Kamte Average Distance: 302.7 yards
Another South African who hits the ball a long way, Kamte is one of the shortest players on Tour at just 5ft 7in. He is currently ranked 484 in the world and his best moment on the Tour came this season when he finished in fourth place in the Joburg Open.
7 Daniel Vancsik Average Distance: 302.2 yards
The experienced Argentine has racked up nine wins since he turned professional in 1997. The 33-year-old's biggest victory came in the Italian Open in May 2009 where be beat fellow long-hitter John Daly.
8 Pelle Edberg Average Distance: 301.3 yards
The Swede was born on the golf course - at the family's hotel in Jonkoping that has two courses and he started hitting balls as a three-year-old. Now 31, Edberg plays the game with a smile on his face and is currently ranked 306th in the world. 9 Seung-yul Noh Average Distance: 300.9 yards
The 19-year-old South Korean has a great future ahead of him if his 2010 season is anything to go by. He picked up his maiden European Tour win at the Malaysian Open to shoot him up to 66 in the world. He also finished fourth in the European Masters.
10 Paul Waring Average Distance: 300.4 yards
Just topping the 300-yard mark is Englishman Waring. The Liverpool-born golfer turned professional in 2007 after coming through Qualifying School. His best result this season was at the Spanish Open where he finished sixth.

ERNIE ELS LEADS BY TWO SHOTS, RICHIE RAMSAY MISSES CUT

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Ernie Els will take a two-shot lead into the final day of the South African Open Championship after a second successive 65 put him in command in Durban.
The South African, pictured, did not drop a shot all day to finish the first 36 holes on 14 under par 130 and in pole position to win the title for a fifth time.
Fellow home favourite and former champion Retief Goosen is Els' closest challenger on 132 after adding a 68 to his opening 64.
French rookie pro Romain Wattel is a further shot back on 133 after a 66, sandwiched between two more South Africans, Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (67) and Charl Schwartzel (69) on 134.
With 36 holes scheduled for the final day after most of Thursday's play was abandoned due to persistent rain, the chasing pack still have plenty of time to overhaul World No 12 Els.
The field was cut to 50 instead of 65 ahead of 36 holes on Sunday, but Els is not concerned about the extra round.
"We use to do it when we were younger and when we were playing amateur golf," he said. "It wasn't a problem then so I don't think it will be a problem tomorrow.
"In fact, I like it because you stay in the game and you keep going. Sometimes when you play a round, you are going to sleep on it and now tomorrow you can just continue playing. I like that."
Speaking about his round, Els added: "It's never easy, but as I said yesterday, I felt really good.
"Again I feel like I'm hitting the ball quite nicely and that gives you some confidence on the tees.
"I don't want to look too far ahead. I'm quite patient this week, I'm playing within myself and I'd like to do that again tomorrow."
Teenager Wattel, who is playing his first European Tour event since turning professional after graduating through Qualifying School, was pleased with the way his first two rounds have gone.
"For the moment it's a nice position to be in," he said. "It's perfect and I couldn't have expected anything more than this. I played quite solid golf.
"It's really nice to see my name up there with such players. They've won Majors and are amongst the top players in the world, so to be up there with them is great."
With rain again forecast for tomorrow, Oosthuizen was hoping to at least play a further 18 holes to try to overhaul Els.
"I've been keeping track and hear there's rain," he said. "But hopefully it stays away and we can get at least another 18 in.
"I think everyone will be disappointed if we can't get 36 in."
Defending champion Richie Ramsay from Aberdeen missed the cut by four strokes after following up yesterday's 71 with a 74, while Spaniard Pablo Martin - who won last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship - also missed out after successive 71s left him two under and one outside the cut.
SCOTSWATCH. David Drysdale (138) and George Murray (141) are the only two Scots involved in Sunday's action. Drysdale has shot 67 and 71 so far to be sharing 22nd place.
Murray made it with nothing to spare in joint 50th place after a three-shot improvement for a 69 and a 141 tally. But Lloyd Saltman, because the cut mark was reduced, figured one shot on the wrong side of it with a pair of 71s for 142.
On the same non-qualifying mark as Richie Ramsay was Peter Whiteford with identical rounds of 71 and 74. They were joint 109th in the starting field.
Glasgow's Scott Jamieson finished joint 128th on 149 with scores of 74 and 75.

SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOARD

DURBAN COUNTRY CLUB
SECOND-ROUND LEADING TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72). Yardage: 6,732
130 Ernie Els (S Africa) 65 65.
132 Retief Goosen (S Africa) 64 68.
133 Romain Wattel (France) 67 66.
134 Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 65 69, Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) 67 65.
SCOTS' SCORES
138 David Drysdale 67 71 (jt 22nd).
141 George Murray 72 69 (jt 50th).
+Field was cut to leading 50 and ties for Sunday's final two rounds.
MISSED THE CUT
142 Lloyd Saltman 71 71 (jt 61st).
145 Richie Ramsay 71 74, Peter Whiteford 71 74 (jt 109th).
148 Alan McLean 75 73 (jt 120th).
149 Scott Jamieson 74 75 (jt 128th).
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THAI PIYA'S BIRDIE-BIRDIE FINISH TO LEAD AFTER ROUND 3

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR

Hua Hin, Thailand: Unheralded Piya Swangarunporn of Thailand birdied his closing two holes for a one-stroke lead at the US$600,000 Black Mountain Masters today, but hot on his heels are proven winners Tetsuji Hiratsuka of Japan and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee.
The 27-year-old Piya, chasing a maiden Asian Tour victory, battled to a four-under-par 68 in the third round at the Black Mountain Golf Club to head the stellar field on 14-under-par 202 while Hiratsuka enjoyed a career first with three eagles in a spectacular round of 67.
Thongchai carded a 68 to stay in the hunt in tied third place, three back, as he kept alive his hopes of winning for the second straight week. Overnight leader Lee Sung of Korea stumbled to a 75 to join Thongchai on 205 in the Asian Tour’s season finale.
Big-hitting Piya has won eight times on the domestic circuit but is excited to have a shot at winning his first Asian Tour title at Black Mountain .
“If I win, it will change my life. Everything will change. Since I turned pro (in 2002), I’ve been waiting for this chance,” said Piya.
Two top-10s this year on the Asian Tour showed the growing maturity in his game which relies heavily on his long driving ability. He has won a long driving contest in Thailand in 2006 with a massive 320 yard effort.
“This is the first time I’m leading. I need to keep playing the same game plan. It’s very exciting. I’m not going to think about the players behind me. If I’m not too nervous I will have a chance to win. I was a bit nervous today,” admitted Piya.
Hiratsuka, 39, is chasing a third victory of the year on the Asian Tour and soared high with three eagles in his round. He holed a monstrous 45 feet putt on the sixth, 15 feet on the 13th and drained a 12 footer at the last hole after a massive three wood approach shot from 256 yards out.
“It was a special day. I enjoy playing in Thailand (he won the Queen’s Cup in Samui in June) and I like it here as well. But I will have to watch out for Thongchai as he is the perfect golfer. We’ll have to keep an eye on him,” said Hiratsuka , who is a five-time winner in Japan .
Thongchai moved menacingly up the leaderboard with a five-birdie round but lamented missed opportunities on the greens once again. “I played solid but took 32 putts. It was a very good and steady round. You never know who will win but I’ve got a big chance,” said Thongchai, who holds a record three Order of Merit titles and 13 victories.
“Piya is a good golfer but sometimes you need a game plan. He hits it very long but you must have the experience to control the game. This week is very important as this is the Masters. If I win, it’ll be good for my record.”
Lee, who underwent an operation to place an implant to help him hear three weeks ago, struggled on the greens. “My putting was bad. I couldn’t putt and struggled after a bogey on the first hole,” said the Korean, who only managed one birdie.
Australia’s Marcus Both, who moved up to fifth place with a 69, has finished fifth and sixth in his last two tournaments but knows he requires a special round to pounce on his third Asian Tour title.
“I controlled the ball well considering it was windy and I only missed one green. I hit a lot of nice putts which lipped out a few times but that’s a good thing as a few would have to drop in eventually,” said Both.
THIRD-ROUND LEADING TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
202 Piya Swangarunporn (THA) 69-65-68
203 Tetsuji Hiratsuka (JPN) 65-71-67
205 Lee Sung (SKOR) 66-64-75, Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 68-69-68
207 Marcus Both (AUS) 70-68-69
208 Simon Griffiths (ENG) 66-71-71, Udorn Duangdecha (THA) 67-72-69, Zaw Moe (MYN) 69-72-67
209 Namchoak Tantipokakul (THA) 68-64-77, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 69-66-74, Daisuke Maruyama (JPN) 65-71-73, Chapchai Nirat (THA) 66-72-71, Mardan Mamat (SIN) 70-68-71, Anthony Kang (US) 66-73-70, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 67-72-70, Mo Joong-kyung (SKOR) 69-70-70
210 Matthew Rosenfeld (USA) 67-69-74, Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 70-66-74, Scott Hend (AUS) 70-68-72, Chinnarat Phadungsil (THA) 68-73-69.
SELECTED SCORES
212 Ross Bain (Scotland) 69 71 72 (jt 29th).
214 Chris Rodgers (England) 71 70 73 (jt 40th).
216 Simon Dunn (Scotland) 73 70 73 (jt 52nd).


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