VEGAS AND WEEKLEY SHARE BOB HOPE CLASSIC LEAD

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
LA QUINTA, California (AP) — Jhonattan Vegas isn't exactly sure how his Venezuelan parents came up with the unusual spelling of his first name.
If the 26-year-old rookie manages to keep up his swift start at the Bob Hope Classic, the golf world will have to memorise it quickly.
Vegas shot a 5-under 67 in windy conditions Thursday for a share of the second-round lead with Boo Weekley.
Weekley had a 66 to match Vegas at 13-under 131 in the 90-hole tournament on four Palm Springs-area courses. Charles Howell III (66) and Chris Couch (65) were a stroke back.
Although Vegas bogeyed his final hole on the Nicklaus Private course, he leads the field with 17 birdies. With power and accuracy off the tee, Vegas used an improved short game to get on top early in just his fifth US PGA Tour event.
"It's good to be hitting the ball well and putting well, especially on a course like these ones where you've always got a lot of birdie opportunities," said Vegas, who played at the University of Texas before excelling on the Nationwide Tour last year.
Although many pros still don't know him - Weekley had never met Vegas before they shook hands in the media tent after the second round - others already call him "Jhonny Vegas." As for the unique spelling on his birth certificate, Vegas realises it might take a while to catch on.
"I'm happy they did it that way, because it's something different," Vegas said. "I mean, you only see one Jhonattan spelled that way, so once you see it, you know that it's me."
Vegas moved to the United States in 2002, spending nearly two years improving his English enough to attend college. He became the first Venezuelan to earn a US Tour card last year.
The sport is viewed with a raised eyebrow in Venezuela by President Hugo Chavez, who calls it a pastime of the rich. In hilly Caracas, the government has threatened to replace golf courses occupying valuable areas of flat land with housing that will be less vulnerable to rain and mudslides.
"I'd love the chance to tell people about golf in Venezuela," said Vegas, whose father runs a catering company. "Chavez has always said that golf is for elite people, I guess, and as we all know here, it's not that way. But I guess he's got that mentality, so I really hope to sit down with him and talk to him, and tell him it's not that way."
Vegas made the cut at last week's Sony Open in Hawaii, although he didn't get to play Sunday due to the weather-shortened field. He got off the islands in time to survey all four courses in Palm Springs before Wednesday's opening round.
The Hope Classic typically is dominated by low scores, and both leaders won't be surprised if the winner of the five-round event checks in at 30 under.
"We've played two of the easier courses, me and Mr Vegas, so it just all depends on what can happen tomorrow," Weekley said. "I feel like I can go out there and shoot 3 or 4 under, keep myself in the hunt ... and still have a chance somewhere down the line there."
Weekley birdied his final two Nicklaus holes, wrapping up a sharp round on perhaps the tournament's easiest course. The veteran changed putters after finishing in 27th-place tie at the Sony Open in Hawaii last week, and the switch already has produced remarkable results.
"From 12 or 15 feet, I feel like I can make it," Weekley said. "I would say for about the last year, I ain't felt that in a while. I was hoping that this would happen."
Howell shot his second 66 of the tournament, while Couch made three birdies on his final four holes. Keegan Bradley and Brian Davis are two strokes off the lead at 133, while 29 players - including David Duval and Matt Kuchar - were within five strokes of the lead.
LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
Plays from US unless stated
131 Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) 64 67, Boo Weekley 65 66.
132 Charles Howell III 66 66, Chris Crouch 67 65.
133 Keegan Bradley 66 67, Brian Davis (England) 67 66.
Selected score:
136 Martin Laird (Scotland) 68 68 (jt 18th).

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FISTFUL OF DOLLARS FOR CHRIS PAISLEY ON HOOTERS TOUR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Newcastle's Chris Paisley, who turned pro after the 2009 Walker Cup match at Merion, has collected his biggest cheque so far - $4,263 for finishing joint third in the NGA Hooters Tour event at Timacuan Golf Club, Lake Mary, Floriday today .
Paisley, pictured, who spent four years at the University of Tennessee and played out of Gray, Tennessee in this event on the US satellite tour, set the clubhouse target of 11-under-par 205 with rounds of 69, 69 and 67.
But he was overtaken by James Vargas (Miami) and Billy Hurley (Annapolis, Maryland). Vargas had rounds of 69, 65 and 69 for 14-under-par 202, which earned him the top prize of $12,462 by two shots from Hurley who scored 71, 65 and 68 for 204 for a prize of $6,167.
Paisley eventually figured in a triple tie for third place with Jhared Hack (Sanford, Florida) (68-70-67) and Ryan Gildersleeve (Clearwater, Florida) (71-66-68).
Paisley previous collected 700 Euros for finishing third at the Alps Tour Final Q School in November.
Scot Russell Knox, based at Jacksonville Beach, Florida, since his college days at Jacksonville University and one of the most prolific money-winners on the Hooters Tour since he turned pro, missed this latest event as he tried to Monday qualify for a US Tour event.
LEADING TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
202 James Vargas (Miami, Florida) 69 6568 ($12,462).
204 Billy Hurley (Annapolis, Maryland) 71` 65 68 ($6,167).
205 Chris Paisley (Gray, Tennessee) 69 69 67, Jhared Hack (Sandford, Florida) 68 70 67, Ryan Gildersleeve (Clearwater, Florida) 71 66 68 ($4,263 each).

NOW IT'S OFFICIAL: DAVIS LOVE III US RYDER CUP CAPTAIN 2012

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
 Davis Love III was in tears within minutes of being confirmed as the United States' Ryder Cup captain.
Love was unable to hold back the tears when asked how proud his late father would be of his appointment.
The 46-year-old lost his father in a plane crash in 1988 and said: "This is a thrill I never thought I would have and I would love to share it with him."
Love believes a key to winning back the trophy in Chicago next year will be getting his team relaxed.
"My main mission is to get the players prepared for Friday morning," he said after being confirmed as Corey Pavin's successor three months after the Americans' one-point defeat at Celtic Manor.
"What we have been missing is getting over the nerves of being ready to play on the biggest stage. We've just tried too hard and I'll be trying to get the players as relaxed and freed up as I can.
"I am a players' captain and I'm going to get them what they need to be successful.
"I'm not going to tell the best players in the world how to play golf. I'm going to let them show their talents."
FROM THE BBC SPORTS WEBSITE
Love left the door open to be a playing captain if he was in good enough form to qualify for his first team since 2004.
"If I qualify and I know that I am healthy I would like to play," said Love, who is ranked 111th in the world and last season finished fourth in the Players Championship and sixth at the US Open.
"Maybe I would play once a day and turn my radio in. It would be a nice problem to have.
"We'll cross that bridge if we get to it, but it would be a great story for our team if I get three or four points out of the deal.
"Between Jose Maria and myself, if we get hot with the putter, we could make our own team.
"What I ultimately want is the 12 best players. If I'm one of the best eight come the US PGA Championship in 2012 that would be great. I don't want to leave off a player who could help the team even if that player is me."
Allen Wronowski, president of the Professional Golfers' Association of America, said: "Davis Love III inherited a love for the game through his father, a premier PGA teaching professional, and carried that passion into becoming one of the finest competitors in the game.
"From his Ryder Cup rookie year in 1993 to today, Davis has performed so well under pressure and now brings that experience to lead our next United States team and win back the Ryder Cup."

THREE BOOK PLACES IN S AFRICA FOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R and A
Johannesburg, South Africa: Floris de Vries of the Netherlands and South Africans Martin Maritz and Neil Schietekat have earned their first Major Championship appearances, after claiming the three places at Royal St George’s available at International Final Qualifying Africa today.
Dutchman De Vries qualified comfortably, finishing four clear of the field. Yesterday’s round of 64 was followed by a three-under-par 68 for a 36-hole total of 10-under-par 132 on the 7,637yd, par-71 East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
He opened with two bogeys in the first three holes, but cemented his position at the top with birdies on the fifth, sixth, eighth, 13th and 18th holes.
“It feels really great,” said the 21-year old, who graduated to the European Tour this year, after taking fourth place in the 2010 Challenge Tour Ranking.
“I sort of knew after yesterday that I could do it as I was playing really well, but it’s a great feeling and I can’t wait.”
Maritz’s impressive second round of 67 left him in tied-second, two clear of fourth place. The highlight was a holed bunker shot on the par-four 17th for a second consecutive birdie.
It was an impressive return to form for the 33-year-old, who endured a disappointing finish at last week’s Joburg Open, where he closed with a six-over par 77 having signed for a 62 on the first day. Open Championship qualification also vindicated his decision to return to competitive professional golf after a three-year hiatus where he worked as a club professional in America.
“When I stopped playing full-time three years ago, there were two things I was a bit disappointed about. One was not winning a tournament and the other was not playing in a Major,” he said. “So this is just fantastic.”
Schietekat faced a tense moment in the closing stages of his round, when he bogeyed the par-three 16th hole. A birdie on the 18th hole, however, made sure of his Open berth.
“I woke up this morning and said to my dad that after playing the Amateur at Royal St George’s, it would be quite ironic if I played my first Major there,” he said. “So I just went out today and fired five-under and it went my way.
“I played this course every Tuesday and Thursday morning, when I was an amateur, and I have just got to know it really well, so I look forward to playing it in competition every year,” added Schietekat, who finished tied-17th at last year’s Joburg Open and tied for 33rd last week.
The 2011 Open Championship will be held at Royal St George’s on July 14-17.
Full, hole-by-hole scores from International Final Qualifying Africa can be found on www.Opengolf.com.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71). Yardage 7,637.
132 Floris De Vries 64 68.
136 Neil Schietekat 70 66, Martin Maritz 69 67.
138 Jacques Blaauw 70 68, Tyrone van Aswegen 70 68, Justin Walters 64 74.
139 Bradford Vaughan 71 68.
140 Douglas McGuigan 72 68.
141 Brandon Pieters 71 70, Jean Hugo 74 67, Willie van der Merwe 74 67.
143 Tyrone Ferreira 74 69, David Hewan 74 69,Tyrone Mordt 74 69, Andrew Marshall 69 74, Darren Fichardt 72 71, Colin Nel 73 70, James Kamte 73 70,
144 Neil Cheetham 73 71, Andre Bossert 72 72, Louis de Jager 70 74.
145 Oliver Bekker 70 75, Bennie van der Merwe 73 72.
146 Jbe Kruger 75 71, Anthony Michael 76 70.
147 Alex Haindl 73 74, T C Charamba 71 76.
148 Alan Michell 75 73.
149 Josh Cunliffe 75 74.
153 Theunis Spangenberg 79 74.


IFQs for the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George’s still to be played:


IFQ - Asia: Amata Spring, Thailand, February 24 and 25. 
IFQ - America: Gleneagles, Plano, Texas,  May 22 and 23.
IFQ - Europe: Sunningdale, Berkshire, June 6.

WESTWOOD EXPLAINS WHY PLAYERS' CHAMPIONSHIP IS OUT FOR HIM

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
World No 1 Lee Westwood has ruled out entering the Players Championship, world golf's so-called "fifth Major."
Westwood insists he will not be playing golf's richest event this year because of US Tour restrictions put on him.
The world No 1 is not a member of the circuit in America, preferring to devote more time to his family, and is therefore leaving the Players Championship in Florida in May off his schedule.
As a non-member, Westwood is allowed only three regular tournament appearances outside the majors and world championships, and he has decided Sawgrass simply does not fit in with his plans.
Stablemate Rory McIlroy has already said he might miss it too after deciding to end his US Tour membership this season.
"There is a five-week gap between The Masters and the Match Play in Spain (on May 19-22, one week after the Players) and I want to play a couple of events in there," said Westwood.
"I've said I will support the European Tour, so I am going to Asia."
The Worksop golfer's other starts in America will be the Honda Classic in Florida in March, because it is the week between two world championships there, the Houston Open to warm up for the following week's Masters, and his defence of the title in Memphis the week before the US Open in June.
"It's something I can't control," Westwood added.

IT'S THAT MAN SCHWARTZEL AGAIN! ABU DHABI LEADER WITH 64

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
South African Charl Schwartzel continued his brilliant start to the 2011 Race to Dubai to claim the first round lead at Abu Dhabi Golf Club today. 

Four days after retaining the Joburg Open, the World Number 23 shot 64 at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and is now a staggering 69 under for his last 17 rounds.
It might have been even better. The 26 year old was eight under after 12 holes, but bogeyed the 17th before picking up another stroke at the par five last.
“I got off to a really good start,” said Schwartzel (pictured by courtesy of Getty Images). “I've been struggling with my game, with my swing, for a while. Around a golf course like this, it's not best thing to be doing that.
“It just worked well today - drove the ball well and gave myself lots of opportunities and converted most of my chances, just a really solid round.”
As well as last week’s win, Schwartzel has been runner-up and had two fourth-place finishes in the first four European Tour events of the season.
“The sky's the limit, really,” said Schwartzel, when asked about his brilliant form. “If you really put your mind to it, to be realistic, my goal is to see if I can get in the top ten in the world.
“I feel I'm a good enough player to be in the top ten in the world. I don't like to think too far ahead, sort of play with each week what it gives you.
“Weeks like this where you've got a strong field, if you win the right week, you can jump the World Rankings quite a lot.”
One behind is Padraig Harrington, emerging from a winter when he made yet more changes to his golf game.
But that did not stop him carding a seven under par 65 in his first event of the season.
Harrington, without a European Tour victory since the 2008 US PGA Championship, had set the early pace helped by the luck of the Irish on the long eighth, his 17th.
The 39 year old's chip for eagle hit the flag at speed and dropped in.
"It was a shock it went in at that pace," he admitted.
Lying third after rounds of 66 were Swedes Alexander Noren and Niclas Fasth and US Open Champion and Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell, who in a spectacular run birdied the last five holes for an inward 30.
One further back were defending champion Martin Kaymer and England's Danny Willett while World No 1 Lee Westwood opened his year with a 69.
In a star-studded field including all four current Major champions, Masters Tournament winner Phil Mickelson marked his Middle East debut with a 71 including two birdies.
Constantly making adjustments to his swing, Harrington also has a new putting routine for the new campaign and just as important as the eagle was a closing 12 foot par putt after finding sand.
"The first putt of the day I was away with the fairies, but I made the most out of the round - another day that would have been 69," he said.
"One thing showed up in the States last year. I was about 156th in every putting category, so something needed to be done."
Harrington has never been one to leave any stone unturned in his quest to maximise his talent.
Westwood drove into the lake on the sixth for his only bogey, but was "delighted" overall.
"It's a course I battle with and it was nice to make that (15 foot) putt on the last - I felt I deserved to break 70," he commented before confirming that he will not be playing the Players Championship in Florida in May because of US PGA Tour restrictions placed on him as a non-member.
McDowell survived a rules inquiry after his round, with European Tour senior referee Andy McFee judging that the Ulsterman's ball had oscillated but not moved as he addressed it before his pitch to the last.
His 66 stood as a result and Willett was alongside him after another birdie at the 17th, but the 23 year old vicar's son finished with a disappointing bogey six and slipped back to joint sixth.

 WHITEFORD, MONTY ONLY SCOTS ABOVE POTENTIAL CUT MARK
It was not a good opening day for the Scots, apart from Peter Whiteford and Colin Montgomerie, tied for 23rd place with two-under-par 70s. All their compatriots scored 74 or over and need to pull up their socks to have a chance of making the weekend action.
Whiteford birdied the first, second and fourth, dropping his only shot on the outward half at the ninth for 34 to the turn. On the way home, he boge3yed the 17th but birdied the long 18th.
Monty, out in 34 with birdies at the fourth and ninth, got to three under par with a birdie at the 15th but dropped his only shot at the 16th.
Paul Lawrie (74: 35-39 was going along nicely with birdies at the third and 10th - out in 35 - but he came unstuck with bogeys at the 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th in an inward 39.
David Drysdale and Gary Orr also ended the day on 74. Drysdale (37-37) bogeyed the sixth, 14th and 16th and it took a birdie at the long 18th to avert a 75.
Orr (38-36) bogeyed the first and fourth before birdieing the sixth but hs shed shots at the ninth and 10th and, like Drysdale, he was grateful of a birdie at the closing hole.
Marc Warren (76: 38-38) started badly with bogeys at the second, fifth and sixth before he got a 2 at the short seventh but he faded again on the inward half with bogeys at the 14th and 18th.
Richie Ramsay also had a very disappointing opening round of 76. He began OK with a birdie at the long second and was still one under par at the turn, which he reached in 35. Then things began to go badly wrong. The Aberdonian bogeyed the long 10th, then the 11th, then the 14th ... before the crowning blow at the long 18th, which a lot of his fellow-competitors birdied, but Ramsay ran up a double bogey 7 for 41 shots home.
The last match out, which included Stephen Gallacher, was called off the course with just the 18th hole to play because of darkness. Gallacher is not doing well. He is three over for 17 holes, having bogeyed the third, 12th, 13th and 17th with only one birdie, at the sixth. He is tied 93rd at the moment.

LEADERBOARD
Par 72 (36-36).
64 Charles Schwartzel (S Africa).
65 Padraig Harrington (Ireland).
66 Alexander Noren (Sweden), Graeme McDowell (N Ireland), Niclas Fasth (Sweden).
67 Martin Kaymer (Germany), Danny Willett (England).
SCOTS' SCORES
70 Peter Whiteford (34-36), Colin Montgomerie (34-36) (jt 23rd).
74 Paul Lawrie (35-39), David Drysdale (37-37), Gary Orr (38-36) (jt 85th).
76 Marc Warren (38-38), Richie Ramsay (35-41) (jt 105th).



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NEWS FROM ASIAN TOUR Q SCHOOL FINAL STAGE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
Hua Hin, Thailand: Brazilian Lucas Lee shot a seven-under-par 65 to extend his lead after the second round of the Asian Tour Qualifying School Final Stage today but it was Korean Park Il-hwan who stole the limelight by shooting a magical albatross.
Lee’s two-day total of 17-under-par 127, which is the third lowest two round score on the Asian Tour, was six strokes better than Japanese Hirohito Koizumi and Pierre-Henri Soero, who hails from New Caledonia, an overseas French colony, at the Imperial Lakeview Golf Club.
David Johnson of the United States , who also played at Imperial Lakeview, closed with a 64 to lie in tied fourth place with Australians Kieran Pratt (67) and Adam Groom (68) on a 135 total.
Park, 18, a member of the gold medal winning team at the Asian Games in Guangzhou , China last year, hit a solid four-iron to about 202 yards before the ball trickled into the 18th hole for the Asian Tour’s 16th albatross. He closed with a 64 for a 136 total at Springfield Royal Country Club to lie in tied seventh place.
The Final Stage, presented by Sports Authority of Thailand, was played over two courses at the Jack Nicklaus-designed Springfield Royal and Imperial Lakeview. Players played on alternate courses for the first two rounds while the final two rounds will be played at Springfield Royal with the top-40 and ties earning their Asian Tour cards for the new 2011 season.
Lee, who played college golf at the University of California , Los Angeles (UCLA), was delighted with his massive lead highlighted by a huge 45 feet birdie putt on the eighth hole.
“I’m only half way through and there are still a lot of golf left. There are many low scores at Springfield and I’m going to have to play really well. I don’t have a number inside my mind. I just want to go out there and see how low I can shoot,” said the 24-year-old, who shot eight birdies against one bogey.
Soero shot four straight birdies from the second hole before making the turn in 31. He added further birdies on holes 11, 14 and 15 before dropping a shot on 18 to close with a 65 for a two-day total of 133.
“Everything worked well for me and it seemed like a flawless round except for the blemish on the last hole. Overall, it was still a good round and I’m looking forward to the next two days,” said Soero, who turned professional in 2007.
“I didn’t make it at the Qualifying School in the United States and didn’t want to play on the mini Tours again. I wanted to see something different and I believe playing in Asia will give me more experience in my career,” said the 27-year-old.
Pratt, 22, who was previously ranked 15th on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, closed with six birdies against one bogey at Springfield Royal and is determined to end his campaign on a high note.
“There’s a score out there for the taking and I’ll try to play solid golf in the next two days. Finishing in the top-40 is obviously the aim but I want to try and finish as high as I can,” said Pratt, who played with 14-time Major winner Tiger Woods of the United States at the Australian Masters last year.
Korean Park , playing from the 10th tee, was beaming with confidence after his albatross which led to birdies on holes one, two, seven and nine.
“It was an unbelievable round and I’m glad to be in the running to finish in the top-40. There are two more rounds to go and I’m looking forward to the next two days. I’m not nervous just excited,” smiled the young Korean.
The halfway cut was set at two-over-par 146 with a total of 112 players making the last two rounds. Highly rated Rashid Khan of India retired from the Qualifying School Final Stage due to illness.
SECOND-ROUND LEADERS
Par 144 (2x72)
127 Lucas LEE (BRA) 62-65
133 Pierre-Henri SOERO (FRA) 68-65, Hirohito KOIZUMI (JPN) 65-68
135 Kieran PRATT (AUS) 68-67, David JOHNSON ( USA ) 71-64, Adam GROOM (AUS) 67-68
136 PARK Il-Hwan (KOR) 72-64, Dion SIRIANNI (CAN) 69-67
137 Tim STEWART (AUS) 70-67, Do KIM (AUS) 71-66, Akinori TANI (JPN) 68-69, Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 69-68, Ross BAIN (SCO) 68-69, Daisuke KATAOKA (JPN) 68-69, Panuphol PITTAYARAT (THA) 65-72, Andy CHOI (KOR) 70-67
Selected scores:
141 Simon Griffiths (England) 67 74 (jt 43rd).
143 Chris Gill (England) 68 75 (jt 59th).
144 Miles Tunnicliff (England) 72 72 (jt 75th).
MISSED THE CUT
147 Neil Reilly (England) 74 73.
148 Nick Redfern (England) 78 70, Simon Dunn (Scotland) 71 77.
156 Justin Evans (England) 75 81.

LAMELY'S NINE-UNDER 63 LEADS BOB HOPE CLASSIC

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Even after Derek Lamely strung together the longest streak of birdies and eagles on the PGA Tour in nearly four years, he realised it's still very early in the Bob Hope Classic.
Lamely shot a 9-under 63 in the first round on Wednesday, playing a six-hole stretch in 7 under to take a one-stroke lead over J.J. Henry and Jhonattan Vegas.
Although Lamely finished fiercely at the Palmer Private course, the second-year PGA Tour player knows first-round scores mean little in the tour's only five-day event over four fairly generous courses.
"This is going to be definitely not a sprint," Lamely said after finishing his round under picturesque conditions in the Palm Springs area. "The golf courses are perfect. The weather is just so good. You've just got to go out and stay aggressive every hole. Hopefully you can get hot and make a bunch of putts, and I actually got that going today."
Lamely had five birdies and an eagle in his six-hole run for the best stretch on the US PGA Tour since Brandt Snedeker strung together an 8-under, seven-hole roll in early 2007 at Torrey Pines.
The 30-year-old Lamely was the only American rookie to win last year, although the Puerto Rico Open was an opposite-field event. After making major changes to his grip and swing shortly before winning in Puerto Rico, his biggest goal this winter is to win again in time to qualify for the Masters.
"At the end of last year, I started hitting it good, and I've been hitting it better and better as it goes on," Lamely said. "I keep getting better at the few things I've changed, so it's finally getting to the point where I can think my way around and just make some putts."
Boo Weekley led a pack of six at 65. The group includes Matt McQuillan, who only made it into the Hope field after Donnie Hammond withdrew Wednesday morning.
Henry holed a 132-yard wedge shot on his first hole at the Nicklaus Private course, but didn't get rolling until making six birdies in eight holes around the turn, finishing his season debut with his best round in seven career appearances at the Hope.
"I've probably never been this excited to start the year, both mentally and physically," Henry said. "I really felt refreshed and ready to go. (When) I got on the first hole, I had a perfect number with the wedge. You're a little nervous, haven't played a tournament in four months, and I hit this perfect shot that never left the flag."
Henry hasn't won a tournament since the 2006 Buick Championship, and hadn't played since the Deutsche Bank Championships, yet feels re-energized after taking most of the past four months off from golf while his oldest son started school.
Henry also used his fall (autumn) free time to follow around his beloved TCU (Texas Christian University) football team. Henry graduated from TCU in 1998, and he attended nearly all of the unbeaten Horned Frogs' games last season - including the Rose Bowl, which he watched from the sideline.
Vegas, the 26-year-old Venezuelan rookie, had an outstanding start to his fifth PGA Tour event, beating the previous best round of his short career by three strokes. He made the cut last week in the Sony Open in Hawaii, but still didn't get to finish after the field was further trimmed because of weather delays.
"I guess it was a little advantage not playing (in Hawaii) on Sunday, because I was able to get a flight Saturday night, and play this course on Sunday," Vegas said. "I actually got to see all four courses, which I think is huge for a rookie."
FIRST-ROUND LEADERS
Par 72. Yardage 6,930
Players from US unless stated
63 Derek Lamely.
64 J J Henry, Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela).
65 Boo Weekley, Fredrik Jacobsen (Sweden), Gary Woodland, Ricky Banres, Matt McQuillan (Canada), Kyle Stanley.
Selected scores:
67 Brian Davis (England) (jt 20th).
68 Martin Laird (jt 35th).

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WESTWOOD TO PLAY IN NEW INDONESIAN MASTERS IN APRIL

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
Jakarta: Indonesia will host its newest professional golf tournament on the Asian Tour in April with the inauguration of the US$750,000 Indonesian Masters at the prestigious Royale Jakarta Golf Club, officials announced today.
World number one Lee Westwood of England will headline the Indonesian Masters alongside Asia ’s top stars from April 21-24, 2011, with the first champion taking home a winner’s cheque of US$118,875.
Sponsors of the elite and full-field Asian Tour event include Royale Jakarta and Four Seasons Hotel. The Professional Golf Association of Indonesia (PGPI) will also sanction the Indonesian Masters.
The Indonesian Masters is earmarked to become the country’s premier golf championship on the Asian Tour, with plans to raise its prize fund and attract other international stars to Indonesia in the coming years.
Organisers lauded the event’s launch and believe that Westwood’s star presence will help mark a new milestone in the growth of professional golf in Indonesia and across Asia .
“Today heralds an exciting landmark for golf in Indonesia ,” said Kyi Hla Han , Executive Chairman, Asian Tour. “We are delighted to launch the Indonesian Masters, which will place Indonesian golf firmly on the world map and play a significant role in the expansion of the game here.
“With Lee Westwood competing in the inaugural edition, it will rubberstamp the Indonesian Masters as a premier event on the Asian Tour and reflect the importance of the game in this vibrant nation.
“The Asian Tour and our partners will make every effort to ensure the great success of the Indonesian Masters so that all of Indonesia can be proud of this new tournament.”
Westwood has en jo yed a phenomenal past two years where he was crowned the inaugural Race to Dubai winner on the European Tour in 2009 and subsequently became the world’s top player by dislodging Tiger Woods from his perch last season.
A winner of 32 international titles, the 37-year-old Englishman will be looking to add to his success in Asia where he has won previously in Japan , Macau and Malaysia .
“I am looking forward to competing in the inaugural Indonesian Masters. I have heard that Royale Jakarta is a magnificent golf course and I am really eager to compete on this venue,” said Westwood.
“Asia has always been good to me over the years as I have won several titles across the region and I hope to challenge for my first win in Indonesia . However, I know it will not be easy as the level of competition on the Asian Tour is really strong. Indonesia is a wonderful country to visit and I can’t wait to return.”
The Royale Jakarta Golf Club, located 15 minutes from Central of Jakarta, will become the permanent home of the Indonesian Masters. Designed by Bob Moore Jr. and JMP Group, the exclusive 27-hole golf club is one of Asia ’s newest jewels where it uses the latest type of Sea Isle Supreme Paspalum grass to meet and exceed international standards.
“Of behalf of the Club, we are excited to forge a new partnership with the Indonesian Masters and Asian Tour. We have every confidence that this tournament will create a ma jo r impact on the landscape of professional golf in Indonesia and ultimately showcase Royale Jakarta to the world,” said Royale Jakarta Golf Club Chief Operating Officer, George Chandra.
The Indonesian Masters will be broadcast “live” over four rounds to over 40 countries worldwide, reaching 440 million homes.
Han said the launch of the Asian Tour’s latest tournament was the continuation of several major announcements for the official sanctioning body for professional golf in the region. Amongst the recent developments include a 12-year agreement with IMG Media to set-up a joint venture company which will manage all television production and global distribution.

SALTMAN COULD BE COLD-SHOULDERED ON EUROPEAN TOUR

FROM THE SPORT.SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
http://sport.scotsman.com/golf/
By Martin Dempster
The last five months have been a bit of a roller-coaster for Elliot Saltman, the career high of earning a European Tour card at the same time as one of his brothers being book-ended by two lows that will almost certainly besmirch the rest of his career.
A disqualification from the M2M Russian Challenge Cup last September after he was accused of wrongly marking his ball by two playing partners left a dark cloud hanging over his head and now, following a lengthy wait, the 28-year-old has been found guilty by his peers of cheating.
Despite being confident he could clear his name, a disciplinary hearing in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday decided "unanimously" that Saltman had committed a "serious breach" of the rules and handed him a three-month playing ban from both the European Tour and the Challenge Tour.
Saltman has 28 days to decide whether to lodge an appeal against the ban, which is due to start immediately, but the decision taken by chairman Thomas Bjorn and his fellow members of the tournament players' committee is significant in itself.
The Scot, who turned professional in 2007 and was subsequently joined in the paid ranks by his two brothers, Lloyd and Zack, certainly isn't alone in being accused of cheating on the Tour in recent years but, unlike some other cases, sufficient evidence was deemed to be available to take action against him.
He is the first player on the European circuit to be handed a ban in nearly 20 years and, no matter whether the punishment might be shorter than some people expect for such an offence, a so-called cheating tag is almost impossible to shake off in golf.
Johan Tumba, the Swede handed the last ban, ten years in his case for altering his scorecard at the Qualifying School, has never been seen again on Tour and the same goes for David Robertson, the Dunbar man who got 20 years, as well as a whopping fine, for marking his ball wrongly during qualifying for an Open Championship.
(Editor's note: Robertson was eventually reinstated as an amateur and did play in tournaments for a spell).
With only three months to serve on the sidelines, Saltman is in a different boat to them in one sense but what kind of welcome can he expect from fellow players when he returns? Lukewarm at best would be my guess, though persona non grata also springs to mind.

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Editor's Note: If Elliot Saltman needs any encouragement to rise above this incident and have a very successful pro career, he should be inspired by the career of Vijay Singh who won three Major titles, was ranked World No 1 and later elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, despite having his early years in Fiji and Borneo besmirched by allegations of cheating.
From "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"
Two years after turning professional, in 1984, Singh won the Malaysian PGA Championship. However, his career was plunged into crisis after he was suspended from the Asian Tour in 1985 over allegations he doctored his scorecard. It was alleged that he lowered his score from one over to one under in order to make the cut, but Singh denies this, saying that in any case, it should only have resulted in disqualification from the event rather than a ban.