LIAM BOND GAINS PASS MARKS IN 16TH Q SCHOOL ATTEMPT

Ian Woosnam is reputed to have taken seven attempts at the European Tour School before he graduated to a career that would take him to Ryder Cup honours as player and a captain, and also victory in the US Masters.
But Woosie's "record" has been eclpised this year by Welshman Liam Bond (pictured).
He will be battling with the likes of world No 1 Lee Westwood and 2010 major winners Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer over the next 12 months after securing his place in the 2011 European Tour – for the first time.
The 40-year-old Marriott St Pierre player finally gained pass marks on his 16th visit to Tour School, secured himself an early Christmas present after finishing in a share of sixth place after six rounds at the PGA Catalunya Resort in Girona.
Bond, winner of the Ryder Cup Wales Welsh Open PGA Professional Championship in 2006, finished with an aggregate 14-under-par – seven shots behind the winner Simon Wakefield.
The Chepstow-based player, who finished 116th on the Challenge Tour rankings last year but had a career-high of 31 in 2007, also earned more than £4,700 for his efforts in Spain.

MOLINARI BROTHERS BOOK PLACES IN 2012 MASTERS

FROM THE SKY SPORTS WEBSITE
Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, England's Ross Fisher, Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Swedes Peter Hanson and Robert Karlsson are among 12 players who have secured places in next April's Masters by finishing the year in the world's top 50.
The other six are American Sean O'Hair, Japanese trio Ryo Ishikawa, Yuta Ikeda and Hiroyuki Fujita, South Korean Kim Kyung-tae and South African Charl Schwartzel.
Ernie Els's fifth victory at the South African Open on Sunday has not changed his 12th position on the rankings, but runner-up Retief Goosen has climbed two to 15th.
Because there are no events next week the two final ranking lists for 2010 were both been issued on Sunday night.
Latest leading positions:
1 Lee Westwood 9.37pts, 2 Tiger Woods 8.07, 3 Martin Kaymer 7.37, 4 Phil Mickelson 6.85, 5 Jim Furyk 6.33, 6 Steve Stricker 6.25, 7 Graeme McDowell 6.23, 8 Paul Casey 6.01, 9 Luke Donald 5.72, 10 Rory McIlroy 5.69
11 Ian Poulter 5.65, 12 Ernie Els 5.44, 13 Matt Kuchar 4.82, 14 Dustin Johnson 4.60, 15 Retief Goosen 4.47, 16 Francesco Molinari 4.44, 17 Robert Karlsson 4.38, 18 Edoardo Molinari 4.20, 19 Hunter Mahan 4.11, 20 Louis Oosthuizen 3.79
Other leading Europeans:
23 Padraig Harrington, 27 Miguel Angel Jimenez, 29 Justin Rose, 33 Ross Fisher, 40 Peter Hanson, 49 Alvaro Quiros, 50 Martin Laird, 51 Henrik Stenson, 62 Matteo Manassero, 63 Simon Dyson, 69 Rhys Davies, 70 Anders Hansen, 73 Fredrik Andersson Hed, 74 Danny Willett, 77 Sergio Garcia, 78 Brian Davis, 84 Soren Kjeldsen, 87 David Horsey, 88 Oliver Wilson, 89 Stephen Gallacher, 93 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, 96 Gregory Bourdy, 97 Darren Clarke, 98 Raphael Jacquelin, 99 Jamie Donaldson, 100 Joost Luiten

TAYLOR SECOND? IT'S A FARCE, SAYS POULTER AFTER BBC VOTE

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By IAN CHADBAND
Darts man Phil Taylor’s joyous night at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards ceremony delighted at least 72,000 British sports fans – but apparently not an extremely irritated Ian Poulter.
Ryder Cup man Poulter said it was a 'farce' that Taylor came second.
While 50-year-old grandad Taylor was proving the star of the night in Birmingham, with the LG Arena crowd lapping up his obvious unbridled enjoyment of the whole occasion and telephone voters flocking to vote him as runner-up to winner, jockey A P McCoy, golf star Poulter was evidently in the camp who simply will never accept darts as a sport.
Poulter, who could not believe that Taylor (72,095 votes) attracted thousands more votes than his Ryder Cup colleagues, Lee Westwood (fourth with 58,640) and Graeme McDowell (fifth with 52,108), tweeted his thoughts that the voting was a farce.
“Darts comes second in the BBC Spoty voting? Get a grip!” said Poulter on Twitter. “BBC Spoty farce. Sorry, how could Graeme McDowell or Lee Westwood not win. GMac wins a major. Westy world no 1. That's *****”
Poulter also felt McCoy shouldn’t have won the award ahead of the two golfers, adding: “It's called sports personality of the year not years. A P is a legend for sure but he should have won it a couple of years ago.”
Evidently, Poulter was not in tune with the public feeling, though, as McCoy won by a landslide and the massive vote for Taylor demonstrated that many perhaps still believe that golf is merely a good walk spoiled and no more of an athletic challenge than tungsten tickling.

MONTY CALLS IN DAVIES, BJORN FOR ROYAL TROPHY MATCH

FROM THE BT YAHOO GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Europe captain Colin Montgomerie has brought in newcomer Rhys Davies and experienced Dane Thomas Bjorn to complete his team for next month's defence of the Royal Trophy against Asia in Thailand.
Bjorn, who twice won the Ryder Cup as a player and was European vice-captain during this year's victory at Celtic Manor, makes his return to the Royal Trophy after a four-year absence and joins up with Davies, 25, who earned his place after an impressive debut season on the European Tour.

Montgomerie will be player-captain for a second year after overseeing Europe's nail-biting 8 1/2 - 7 1/2 win in January.

The Scot agreed to lead the side for a second year at the request of his friend and five-times major winner Seve Ballesteros, who founded the Royal Trophy five years ago.

The Spaniard steered Europe to victory as captain in the first two editions but is still recovering after being diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour in 2008.

Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki will captain Asia for the fourth time and has kept faith in four players from the last contest, while giving debuts to two South Koreans and two Japanese.

The contest moves to the Black Mountain Golf Club in the Thai seaside town of Hua Hin after four successive years at Chon Buri's Amarta Spring Country Club.

It will take place from January 7 to 9 and features foursomes, four-balls and singles competitions.

Teams:
EUROPEColin Montgomerie (Scotland), Edoardo Molinari, Matteo Manassero (both Italy), Johan Edfors, Peter Hanson, Henrik Stenson (all Sweden), Thomas Bjorn (Denmark), Rhys Davies (Wales).


ASIA
Ryo Ishikawa, Yuta Ikeda, Shunsuke Sonoda (all Japan), Kim Kyung-tae, Noh Seung-yul (all South Korea), Liang Wenchong (China), Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand), Jeev Milkha Singh (India).