SGU ORDER OF MERIT 72-HOLE EVENTS IN 2011

Glasgow Golf Club's Edward Trophy open tournament moves from first to last in the order of play for the 2011 Scottish Golf Union Order of Merit 72-hole events.
Instead of being played at Glasgow Gailes on the same late April weekend as the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon, its new dates are September 3 and 4.

COMPLETE LIST OF ORDER OF MERIT 72-HOLERS

Craigmillar Park Open - April 9-10 - Craigmillar Park, Edinburgh.
Battle Trophy - April 16-17 - Crail Golfing Society, Fife.
Scottish Stroke Play Championship - May 27-29 - Blairgowrie. 
St Andrews Links Trophy - June 3-5 - St Andrews.
British Amateur Championship - June 13-18 - Hillside and Hesketh, Lancashire. 
Tennant Cup - June 18-19 - Killermont, Glasgow and Glasgow Gailes, Ayrshire.
East of Scotland Open Amateur Championship - June 25-26 - Lundin, Fife.
Cameron Corbett Vase - July 2-3 - Haggs Castle, Glasgow.
Sutherland Chalice - July 9-11 - Dumfries and Galloway.
Newlands Trophy - July 16-17 - Lanark.
Scottish Amateur Championship - July 25-30 - Western Gailes, Ayrshire.
Leven  Gold Medal - August 6-7, Leven Golfing Society, Fife.
North-east District Open Amateur Championship - August 13-14 - Inchmarlo, Aberdeenshire.
North of Scotland Open Amateur Championship - August 20-21 - Nairn Dunbar.
South-east District Open Amateur Championship - August 27-28 - Musselburgh.
Edward Trophy - September 3-4 - Glasgow Gailes, Ayrshire.

THE WAY THEY WERE: GRAEME McDOWELL AT BARASSIE 2000

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
In July 2000, my golf-reporting duties took me to the European youths team championship, hosted by the Scottish Golf Union at Kilmarnock Barassie.
That tournament for Under-21s is no more and the R and A Golfer’s Handbook does not carry the results for youths championships, having set the lead in scrapping the British youths championship a few years back.
I am relying on my memory when I say that England beat Scotland in the final which went to extra holes on the Saturday evening with Tom Whitehouse the English hero.
The England team was:
David Griffiths, Richard McEvoy, Phil Rowe, Tom Whitehouse, Zane Scotland and Jamie Elson.
The Scotland six were:
------------------------------------------------------

GRAEME McDOWELL pictured (above) in 2011 and (below) in 2000 at Barassie.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Rhind, Marc Warren, Christopher Campbell, Barry Hume, Joel Hendry and Steven O’Hara.
But all these young men, full of high hopes of fame and fortune, have been eclipsed over the decade since then by a member of the Ireland team, who finished fifth behind Sweden, Italy, England and Scotland in the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying. Where they finished in the match-play stages, I cannot recall and not even Google can find that out for me.
That summer of 2000 the 20-year-old destined for stardom was Graeme McDowell, pictured above, from Portrush, Northern Ireland and, just for the record, his team-mates were Michael Hoey, David Jones, Justin Kehoe, Colm Moriarty and Michael McDermott.
Graeme was 29th best in the Barassie stroke-play with rounds of 74 and 71 for 145, a stroke behind two Italian brothers who were Ryder Cup team-mates last year – Francesco and Edoardo Molinari.
McDowell, at the time, was halfway through a four-year spell playing on the highly competitive American college circuit as a student at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Graeme was a good player in the making at Barassie in 2000 but he pinpoints the US experience as the catalyst in making him the world’s No 4 ranked professional he has become in 2011.
It should be stated that by the time he played at Barassie McDowell had already won the Irish men's amateur championship and the Irish open amateur youths title.
Winner of seven European Tour events … US Open champion last year … conqueror of Tiger Woods in late 2010 in the Chevron World Challenge.
McDowell has won close on 11 million Euros since he turned pro in 2002 when he completed his university course. And that's not counting the money he gets from companies such as Srixon whose clubs he has switched to this year.

PAUL OHARA LYING JOINT 30TH AFTER TURKEY PLAY HOLD-UP

A thunder and lightning storm over the Belek course in Turkey forced a three-hour suspension of play from 13.36hr to 16.26 on the second day of the EPD Tour event, the Tat Classic.
Not all the players were able to complete two rounds after the resumption of play.
Paul O'Hara from Motherwell repeated his opening 73 for a 36-hole tally of 146. He deviated from par at only three holes - bogeys at the third and fifth, and a birdie at the 13th.
The Scot is lying 30th meantime
Englishman Ben Welch is one of three men back in the clubhouse with two-round totals of 138 (six under par). Welch has had a pair of 69s top be at six under par.
Leader out on the course is Germany's Christoph Gunter who had a 66 in the first round and is seven under par for the tournament with nine holes to play in his second round.
LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
138 Ben Welch (England) 69 69, Wouter de Vries (Netherlands)70 68, Nicolas Sulzer (Switzerland) 70 68.
139 Henri Lipsanen (Finland) 70 69.
Selected score:
146 Paul O'Hara (Scotland) 73 73 (jt 30th).

TO READ ALL THE SECOND-ROUND SCORES AND POSITIONS
ON THE EPD TOUR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

CALLUM NICOLL QUALIFIES FOR PLACE IN DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Khaled Attieh (amateur) and Callum Nicoll, winner of the Scottish Young Professionals' championship in 2006, held their nerves when it mattered most to win the 2011 Omega Dubai Desert Classic qualifying round in their respective divisions at the Emirates Golf Club on Sunday.

The two qualifiers, who shot an identical one-under-par 71, will join a star-studded field spearheaded by World Number One Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest golfer of the modern era, when The European Tour event gets under way from February 10 to 13.

Attieh, who became the second Saudi golfer to win the qualifier after Othman Almulla, fired four birdies and an eagle (on the 10th) in his round which also contained a triple bogey and two bogeys while Nicoll mixed three birdies – two on the front nine – with two bogeys in a consistent round.
The Saudi ace, who is a class 10th student at Dubai American Academy, appeared on cruise control when he raced to three-under-par after recording a magnificent eagle on the 10th. But golf can be full of surprises. A disaster struck on the 12th when an erratic approach shot by Attieh went out of bound, resulting in a triple bogey.
Attieh, however, remained unruffled despite squandering a two-shot lead over Dubai Creek’s Andy Andrews, who, in the end, settled for runner-up place three shots off the pace.
The 16-year-old showed great strength of character in getting the job done in a superb fashion. He responded with a birdie on the 13th and though he bogeyed the 15th, he picked up the vital shot on the 17th when he holed in from two feet and finished a memorable round with a solid par.
“I think I played solid on the front nine and that set tone for the round,” said Attieh, who has already made a mark on the regional circuit, posting creditable second-place finishes in both Pan Arab and GCC Championships besides winning the Saudi Open last year.
Attieh, who is a member at the Arabian Ranches Golf Club, does fancy his chances of making the cut at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, but that “first shot off the first tee” will be important. “I have watched Tiger Woods playing here in Dubai and can certainly say the experience of joining him in the field would be quite scary. But I am looking forward to it.”
Scotland’s Nicoll, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, who teaches at the Els Club, Dubai, also feels he has a realist chance of making it to the weekend. Playing only for the third time at the Majlis course, the 28-year-old from Irvine strung together a very consistent round.

“The conditions were fine and enjoyed playing on the course,” said Nicoll, who is no stranger to playing in big tournaments, having missed on The Open Championship qualifier in 2007 by two shots.

“I think I am going to enjoy playing in such a great field. If I can play to my potential, I do a see a realistic chance of making the cut,” said Nicolle, who finished three shots ahead of David Gray (DCGYC) and Richard Sheridan of Butch Harmon School of Golf.

In all 49 players, including 20 amateurs, featured in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic qualifying round, organized by ‘golf in DUBAi.’

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, presented the prizes and wished both the qualifiers good luck for their big challenge ahead.

DALY, GARCIA, QUIROS TO PLAY IN QATAR MASTERS

NEWS RELEASE
Doha (QATAR): Two-time Major winner John Daly will make an exclusive Middle East appearance in a powerful field for the 2011 Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy at Doha Golf Club.
Daly, winner of the 1991 USPGA Championship and the 1995 Open Championship, joins a world-class line-up for the 14th staging of Doha’s annual European Tour date as the Desert Swing reaches Qatar.
The controversial American – as colourful as he is supremely talented – is always a favourite with the galleries and his big-hitting style may well be suited to the 7,388yd desert course at Doha Golf Club.
He joins the world’s top two ranked players Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, World No 5 Steve Stricker and World Number 10 Ian Poulter in one of the strongest fields in the event’s history.
Speaking at a pre-event press conference, Commercialbank Group CEO Andrew Stevens added that Daly would also be joined by Spaniards Sergio Garcia and Alvaro Quiros – the 2009 champion – in the 132-man field.
“We are all delighted that John Daly has chosen Doha for an exclusive playing appearance on the famed Desert Swing,” he said. “But while John may be a new name for Doha, we know how much fans here also like to see some of the colourful characters who have lit up the tournament in the past and in Spanish duo Sergio Garcia and Alvaro Quiros we have two of the best.
“Sergio remains one of the most popular and successful players in the game, while our 2009 champion Alvaro returned to finish as runner-up here in 2010 and will be one of the favourites to make it a Doha double.”
Like Daly, World Number Five Stricker will make his first appearance in Qatar. The American very rarely leaves his home Tour and it is a major boost to the event to have him agree to make the journey to compete in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters.
Organised by the Qatar Golf Association (QGA) in collaboration with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and title sponsors Commercialbank, the tournament will feature 132 players competing for a share of $2.5 million in prize money as well as the coveted Mother of Pearl Trophy.

CASTLE STUART LINKS TO HOST BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

 Castle Stuart Links, with its distinctive clubhouse, venue for the Barclays Scottish Open in July.

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
The European Tour has entered into an agreement with Castle Stuart Golf Links, situated between Inverness and Nairn on Scotland’s Moray Firth coast, which has been confirmed as the venue for the Barclays Scottish Open. The 2011 Championship will be played from July 7-10.
Castle Stuart Golf Links will be the seventh Scottish course to play host to the prestigious tournament since 1972; following in the footsteps of Downfield, St Andrews, Haggs Castle, The Gleneagles Hotel, Carnoustie and Loch Lomond Golf Club, which staged proceedings over the last 15 years from 1996 to 2010.
The ground-breaking trip to the Highlands also begins a two-week festival of links golf which spans the entire length of the United Kingdom, as it is followed by The 140th Open Championship at Royal St George’s in Kent, England; the fortnight perfectly showcasing the best of what is new in links golf at Castle Stuart as well as celebrating the heritage of the links game at Sandwich.
The prize fund for the 2011 Barclays Scottish Open remains at £3 million and to claim the first prize of £500,000, the players will have to conquer a new golf course which has received worldwide praise since its official opening in the summer of 2009.
Co-designed by Managing Partner Mark Parsinen – who was also responsible for the design of Kingsbarns in Fife – and American golf course architect Gil Hanse, the course was voted as Best New Course for 2009 by Golf Magazine USA while Ron Whitten, writing in the December 2010 issue of Golf Digest USA, stated that “Castle Stuart might be the most perfectly conceived and executed design ever built.”
Italian Edoardo Molinari will defend the title against a stellar field including Graeme McDowell, the 2008 champion, and Phil Mickelson, winners of the US Open and the Masters Tournament respectively in 2010, and three time Major Champion Padraig Harrington, who have all, at this early stage, committed to playing at Castle Stuart in July.
European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady said: “It is always exciting to break new ground and everyone at The European Tour is delighted to be staging one of our most prestigious events at a new venue which has been so widely acclaimed.
“Our Members already enjoy competing at Kingsbarns on The European Tour International Schedule and I am sure they will eagerly anticipate testing their skills against the Mark Parsinen-designed course at Castle Stuart. Loch Lomond were extremely courteous and supportive during our negotiations to move forward with the Championship and we will all take away some wonderful memories of our time there and we wish them well in the future.
“This year’s venue might be young, but we are delighted to maintain our strong relationship with Barclays for whom this is the tenth year of its title sponsorship of the event. Such a level of involvement speaks volumes for their overall commitment, not only to The European Tour but to golf worldwide. We congratulate Barclays for the vision in supporting the Barclays Scottish Open at such an outstanding venue for championship golf.”
Course co-designer Parsinen commented: "I fell in love with links golf in the British Isles 40 years ago and have spent the past 15 honing certain links sensibilities, firstly with the crafting of Kingsbarns in Fife and now with Castle Stuart in the Highlands.
“All of us involved with Castle Stuart know what a privilege it is to host the Barclays Scottish Open as the first stop in a two week celebration of links golf in the British Isles."
Tim Peat, Managing Director, Barclays Capital, said: “Scotland as the home of golf has a history of developing and presenting world class golf courses and tournaments, and the Barclays Scottish Open has always sought to reflect that pedigree.
"I would like to thank Loch Lomond Golf Club, its management, owners and members for hosting the Barclays Scottish Open over the past nine years. Loch Lomond's exceptional green keeping combined with its superb organisation and hospitality has delivered memorable and exciting golf and made the Barclays Scottish Open an essential part of the golfing calendar.
“We have always received requests from professionals to host the Barclays Scottish Open at a links course and we are delighted The European Tour has selected Castle Stuart. We look forward to working with the team at Castle Stuart and our partners at The European Tour to continue to deliver a world class tournament. We are confident this new links course will be a fantastic venue for the golfing public and our clients to watch the world’s best golfers compete for the Barclays Scottish Open.”
This will be the tenth year that Barclays has participated as title sponsor and will continue its involvement with The European Tour, a commitment which also extends to its title sponsorship of the Barclays Singapore Open at Sentosa Golf Club, a co-sanctioned event with the Asian Tour, which was won last November by Australia’s Adam Scott.
As well as the support of Barclays, the tournament has also garnered widespread backing from the public sector agencies in the local area, namely Highland Council, the Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Visit Scotland, Event Scotland and Scottish Development International, all of whom who have pledged their support and assistance.
Advance tickets are now on sale for the 2011 Barclays Scottish Open with significant reductions available on tickets purchased before the end of March. For full details of these ticket offers and other events on The European Tour, please visit www.europeantourtickets.com or telephone the Ticket Hotline: +44 (0) 800 023 2557; fax +44 141 887 0223. Please send postal enquiries to European Tour Tickets, Mirren Court Three, 123 Renfrew Court Three, Paisley, PA3 4EA.

FIVE STRAIGHT BIRDIES HELP JOHN COOK WIN ON HAWAII

KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — It was a run that John Cook had never experienced in his long, successful career.
Cook birdied five straight holes after the turn to win the US Champions (Seniors) Tour's season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship on Sunday, shooting a second straight 8-under 64 for a two-stroke victory over Tom Lehman.
"I've hit some runs of birdies but never on Sunday on the back side to win a championship," Cook said.

The 53-year-old Cook had eight birdies in his bogey-free round for a 22-under 194 total and his second straight victory. He finished last season with a successful title defence in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

The last player to win the last event of a season and the first of the next on the Champions Tour was Gil Morgan in 1997-98.

After two birdies on the front side, Cook scorched the back nine, dropping putt after putt. He birdied six holes during a seven-hole stretch to take home $305,000 and the hook-shaped trophy.

The win was Cook's sixth on the 50-and-over circuit and his first in the islands since the 1992 Hawaiian Open at Waialae, which he considers one of his favourite wins.

Cook was relaxed and focused on Sunday, only distracted by the Pacific behind him.

"I get caught looking at the surf," he said. "There's a nice little left (surf break) behind the 17th green. I said, 'Boy that would be nice right now - dig into one of those.'"

Cook began the day three strokes behind second-round-leader Russ Cochran and surged to the top of the leaderboard with his five birdies after making the turn by aggressively firing for the pins. The run was capped by a 30ft birdie putt on the par-5 14th.

After going up-and-down for a rare par on No. 15, he got back to the birdie clinic by sticking his 7-iron shot to 3 feet to reach 22 under at 16, which he called "the killer."

He tapped in for par on 17 for his first two-putt hole on the back nine and missed a 10-foot birdie try on the final hole. But even with a big lead, he never felt he had it in the bag.

"I grind to the end. That's the way I practise. That's the way I've learned. That's the way it was instilled in me, playing whatever sport I was playing," he said. "You just grind until the end.

"You just never know. But I know one thing: Playing the last hole with a three-stroke lead is better than a one-shot lead."

Lehman, who closed with a 64, had an eagle, eight birdies and two bogeys.

"I felt I was playing real well, but John Cook just kept making birdies," Lehman said. "I don't know what he shot over the last 10 or 11 holes, but it had to be low."

Defending champion Tom Watson couldn't overcome his three bogeys on the front nine and shot a 68 to finish third at 19 under, two strokes ahead of Cochran (72) and Jeff Sluman (68).

"After three-putting nine, that kind of put me behind the eight-ball because if any one is playing well, you're going to shoot well on the back nine like John and Tom did," Watson said.

At 61, Watson was vying to become the seventh oldest winner on the Champions Tour.

"I had too many defeats today and not enough victories when it came to my shot-making," said Watson, who missed three short putts.

Every one was expecting a showdown between Watson and Cochran. But it was Cook who took control.

Cook pumped his fist twice after taking the outright lead for the first time at 18 under by bending in a left-to-right putt from about 30 feet on the par-4 11th where he nearly tumbled into the bunker.

He had an ugly, downslope lie a few inches of the bunker on his second shot. But his sweet putting came to the rescue.

Standing in the shadow of the palm tree, Cook holed a 3 1/2-foot birdie putt to open up a three-stroke lead on 13.

Lehman made a move early with four birdies in the first seven to reach 16 under. He made back-to-back bogeys before the turn, but went birdie-par-birdie-eagle starting on No. 11 to put him back near Cook. Lehman birdied the final two holes to slip into second place.

"To shoot 20-under par and not win is tough to swallow," he said.

Players had a third day of low-scoring conditions with just a gentle tradewind to contend with. Hualalai, surrounded by lava rock fields, $5 million homes and humpback whales in the ocean, has historically the been the easiest course on the Champions Tour.


LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from US unless stated
194 John Cook 66 64 64.
196 Tom Lehman 66 66 64.
197 Tom Watson 64 65 68.
199 Jeff Sluman 65 66 68, Russ Cochran 62 65 72.


TO READ ALL THE FINAL TOTALS ON THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE


CLICK HERE

ROOKIE VEGAS FROM VENEZUELA WINS BOB HOPE PLAY-OFF

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
LA QUINTA, California (AP) — Jhonattan Vegas' path to the US PGA Tour started in the remote reaches of Venezuela, where the toddler imitated his father's golf swing with sticks and stones while growing up in an oil-drilling camp.
Maybe that's why Vegas never gave up hope when he missed a 9ft putt that could have won the Bob Hope Classic on the final regulation hole on Sunday - or even when he put his first-hole play-off tee shot into the water moments later.

The 26-year-old rookie, pictured, needed a wealth of patience and perseverance just to make it to Palm Springs from that camp in the Orinoco River valley.

And when Gary Woodland made a few mistakes of his own, the man they're already calling Jhonny Vegas hit the biggest jackpot of his pioneering career.

Vegas made a 13ft par putt on the second play-off hole to win the Hope Classic, holding off Woodland for his first US Tour victory in just his fifth start.

Vegas is the first Venezuelan to win a US PGA Tour event, but his remarkably steady performance over 92 holes in the five-day event suggests he's capable of winning again - and maybe even energising an unpopular sport in his homeland.

"Just to think about winning on the US Tour, that's something," Vegas said. "But to make it happen is something else, and it's a crazy feeling. It was tough today to stay neutral and play golf, and that's why. To my country, I hope this means a lot. I really hope it means people changing (their minds) about the sport."

Vegas improbably became the first rookie to win the 52-year-old tournament with a spectacular up-and-down par after knocking his 92nd tee shot into the water 160 yards from the hole.

With the light fading rapidly behind the San Jacinto Mountains, Vegas got help from two poor shots by Woodland, who also was seeking his first tour win. Woodland's approach shot landed in a bunker, and his sand shot trickled to the opposite side of the green.

After his drop, Vegas confidently put a nine-iron right behind the pin. Woodland missed a par putt, and Vegas holed his $900,000 putt.

"Seemed like we were out there forever," said Woodland, a former college basketball player from Kansas. "We were grinding all day. Jhonattan got off to a pretty good start, and I was just trying to catch him all day, so the play-off was no different. It was just sudden death, but who made the first mistake? And it looked like I did."

Vegas and Woodland eliminated defending champion Bill Haas with birdies on the first play-off hole after all three finished the final round at 27-under 333. Vegas is the third straight player to get his first US PGA Tour victory at the Hope, joining Pat Perez and Haas.

Vegas and Woodland closed with 3-under 69s and Haas shot a 66.

Playing one group apart, Haas and Vegas both missed short putts on the final regulation hole. A few minutes after Haas botched a 6-footer for birdie, Vegas couldn't connect, making his only bogey of the final day. Woodland, who shared the lead with Vegas after each of the final three rounds, got into the playoff with a birdie on the final regulation hole.

Vegas cut a confident figure on the Palmer Private course, wearing a neon-peach shirt with starkly white pants and Nike hat. He was followed by his mother and his father, Carlos, who got his son into the game while selling food and tending a nine-hole course in that oil camp.

Vegas left home at 17, moving to Houston to study golf and English before playing at the University of Texas.

"Life for me hasn't been always the best," Vegas said. "I had to fight to get where I am. I'm a fighter, and if I set a goal in front of me, I'm just going to die just to get there, and fight hard to accomplish what I set out in my mind."

Vegas' victory should give a boost to his desire to revive the sport in his native country, where golf has been under criticism from President Hugo Chavez, who has closed six courses in the past seven years. Vegas has expressed a desire to speak with Chavez, hoping to change the president's mind about the sport that Chavez has decried as a pastime of the rich.

"I hope they know about the story, and that it is possible (for someone like me) to get to the US PGA Tour and win," Vegas said of his fellow Venezuelans. "I hope people realise that all over the world."

The Masters will have a bit of Vegas flair this year - and not just from Jhonattan. His father wouldn't miss it for the world.

"I know it's a dream that my dad and my American friends have to go to the Masters, just to walk around," Vegas said with a broad smile. "That's what they told me. It's like, 'Before I die, just please get me to the Masters."

Ryan Palmer shot an 8-under 64 in the final round to finish fourth at 26 under, while Brian Gay's 10-under 62 shot him up from 37th place to a tie for fifth with Kevin Na (67) at 24 under

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 360 (5x72)
333 Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) 64 67 67 68 69, Gary Woodland (US) 65 69 64 66 69, Bill Haas (US) 69 68 68 62 66 (Vegas won play-off at second extra hole).
334 Ryan Palmer (US) 67 71 65 67 64.
Selected totals:
339 Brian Davis (England) 67 66 71 68 67 (jt 22nd).
340 Martin Laird (Scotland) 68 68 64 66 74 (jt 22nd).

+Martin Laird slumped from close-up third with one round to go to joint 22nd place after a mediocre final round of two-over-par 74. The Glasgow man had a double bogey 5 at the short fifth and bogeys at the 13th and 17th, which more than cancelled out his birdies at the first and 10th. He earned $52,000 in his US Tour seasonal debut - but it could have been a lot more. The winner pocketed $990,000.

TO READ ALL THE FINAL TOTALS AND CHECK THE SCORECARDS
ON THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE