GREAT START BY MARTIN LAIRD (66), RUSSELL KNOX HAS 3 TO PLAY

Martin Laird posted a bogey-free 66 to be two shots off the pace being set by England's Paul Casey in the first round of the Transitions Championship at Palm Harbour, Florida.
Laird, pictured left, started at the 10th and birdied the 10th, long 11th and also the 16th to turn in three-under-par 32. The Glasgow man maintained his momentum by using his long-hitting powers to birdie two long holes, the first and the fifth.
There is a second Scot in the field - Inverness exile Russell Knox, a leading light on the NGA Hooters Tour but making his US PGA Tour debut after winning a place in the field at the Monday qualifier.
Knox admitted he was going to be very nervous, at least for the opening holes, and so it proved. He bogeyed the third before he settled down with a birdie at the long fifth but promptly gave the shot back with a bogey at the seventh to turn in one-over-par 31.
But the Highlander, who has lived at Jacksonville Beach, Florida since he played four years on the US college circuit as a student at Jacksonville University, settled down after the turn and birdied the 10th and 15th to be one under par with three holes to play.
He will play the 16th, 17th and 18th on Friday morning because he and others at the tail end of the field were called in as darkness fell. Play had started an hour late because of thick fog.

PAUL CASEY SETS PACE WITH A SEVEN-UNDER-PAR 64 IN TRANSITIONS TOURNEY

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE

PALM HARBOR, Florida (AP) — Paul Casey changed his schedule leading up the Masters, and it's starting to look like a good move.
Once the fog lifted, Casey (pictured) played bogey-free on the tough Copperhead course at Innisbrook today for a seven-under-par 64 to take the lead in the Transitions Championship.

"The state of my game is going in the right direction," said the US-based Englishman.

Casey made back-to-back birdies late in his round to surge past Nick Watney, who is coming off the biggest win of his career last week in the World Golf Championship at Doral. Watney had seven birdies in 12 holes before missing a few greens toward the end of his round and settling for a 66.
John Senden would have joined Watney except for his second hole of the day. The Australian opened with a birdie and was in position for another on the par-5 11th.
But at the top of his swing with a 3-wood from the light rough, he noticed the ball move and couldn't keep from hitting it. Once he hit his third to the green, he mentioned the slight movement to his caddie and called a rules official. Senden called the one-shot penalty on himself and ended up with a 67.
"I felt like I needed to talk about it because it was bugging me, you know what I mean? And you have to do the right thing with this game of golf, right?" he said.
Also at 67 were Honda Classic winner Rory Sabbatini and Justin Leonard, who believes he is close to breaking out of a two-year slump.
The conditions could not have been much better - plenty of sunshine, minimal wind and true greens. The Copperhead course at Innisbrook is among the strongest on the Florida swing, and the tournament has been attracting strong fields.
The gallery was as large as it has been in years. Most of them followed a featured group of Watney, Bubba Watson, and US PGA champion Martin Kaymer, the No. 1 player in the world making his debut at Innisbrook.
"It's a fantastic golf course, one of the best I've played in America, to be honest," Kaymer said after a 68. "It's very difficult. You have to hit a lot of good tee shots."

Casey made it look easy at times.

He putted for birdie on all but three holes and took only 28 putts in a clean round, which he described as his best ball-striking round of the year. That would include the Volvo Champions in Bahrain, which he won earlier in the year.

Casey wasn't planning on being at Innisbrook. He won the Houston Open two years ago, but decided to take a few weeks off before the Masters this year.

"If you look at my history in terms of how I've played ... I've always struggled after victories," he said. "I don't know why - fatigue, whatever it is. But I've performed poorly. So we want to go back to being nice and fresh before the majors."
Watson had a 70 with a new look - dark sunglasses. He had to withdraw from Doral last week because of a bad sinus infection that caused his eyes to water so much he couldn't see. Watson blames it on pollen, and say he gets it every year he comes to Florida.
"I got into Doral this year, so it started a week early," he said.
He wore the sunglasses to help keep the pollen from getting in his eyes, although he took them off to hit shots. It was a different look for the big hitter with the pink shaft in his driver.

"I look good in anything," Watson said.

Nobody could see anything in the morning, with fog so thick that play was delayed more than an hour until the sun burned it off. It was unlikely everyone could finish the first round.

Watney showed no effects from the hangover of winning at Doral. He was so tired on Tuesday that he stopped after five holes of his practice round, but he came out firing when the tournament began.

"The ball just seemed to be going where I was looking, which is a really good feeling," he said. "I wasn't sure what to expect, but I started off great, and kind of ran out of steam there at the end."

U.S. Amateur champion Peter Uihlein, No 1 world-ranked amateur and a junior (third-year) student at Oklahoma State University, who is playing on his second US PGA Tour event, opened with a 70.
Japan's Ryuji Imada said he would donate $1,000 for each birdie he makes at Innisbrook this week to the American Red Cross Japanese Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund. He didn't make any in the first round and shot 74.
Rory Sabbatini is playing his 10th consecutive tournament.
LEADERBOARD
Par 71. Yardage 7,340.
Players from USA unless stated

64 Paul Casey (England).

66 Nick Watney, Martin Laird (Scotland), Garrett Wills, Scott Stallings.

67 Joe Durant, Jon Senden (Australia), Gary Woodland, Ryan Moore, Rory Sabbatini (S Africa), Justin Leonard, Webb Simpson, Jim Furyk, Stuart Appleby (Australia), Brian Gay.

Selected scores:

68 Martin Kaymer (Germany), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Matteo Manassero (Italy), Vijay Singh (Fiji).
70 Brian Davis (England), Justin Rose (England), John Daly (T49).

73 Padraig Harrington (T107).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

 The sign that has appeared at the turn-offs for Craibstone Golf Centre, Bucksburn near Aberdeen.
But who are the mystery buyers who put up the sign at the course that has been closed for two or three weeks since the previous owners went bust?
Popular suggestion is that it is the Bucksburn company, Charles J Marshall (Aberdeen) Ltd, known locally as "Marshalls Trailers."
If so, it would be a completely new field of business for the company.
Can golf courses be made to pay? The new owners must think so.
Presumably they will go public with their plans shortly.
If any of its management read this, please E-mail a News Release to Colin Farquharson at Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Hopefully, the new owners will be able to put the "E" back on the end of Craibstone on the wall of the clubhouse. Today's pictures by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

MONTY (69) LEADS THE SCOTS IN SICILIAN OPEN FIRST ROUND

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
José Manuel Lara overcame an early double bogey to finish day one of the Sicilian Open tied for the lead with Stephen Dodd.
The Spaniard produced nine birdies to finish with a six under par 65, matching Dodd’s earlier effort at Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa.
The 33-year-old Lara was in danger of losing his card six months ago, but victory at the Austrian Open presented by Botarin restored his self-belief.
“It changed everything for me,” he said. “Before I won there I thought I was going to lose my card and didn’t know what I was really going to do but after winning there I have been able to look to the future.”
After picking up a shot at the third Lara’s round threatened to unravel when he took 6 at the 422 yard next.
“It was a strange one,” he added. “I basically got a flier from the rough and the ball just went so far – straight behind a tree and I couldn’t do anything from there.”
However he responded with a birdie at the next and by coming home in a five under 31 the World No 342 - who missed 21 cuts prior to his victory last year - was able to claim a share of the lead.
He was joined by Welsh veteran Dodd, who mixed six birdies with two bogeys before a late eagle on the par five 16th.
The 44 year old has won three times on The European Tour, but not since 2006 and has not finished better than 40th in four events this season.
“I did a lot of good things out there today,” Dodd said. “I kept in play most of the time, hit some good iron shots and I putted well which is always a key for any good round.”
France’s Rapahaël Jacquelin and England’s Anthony Wall sit a shot further back on five under, ahead of Wall’s compatriots Chris Wood and Steve Webster and Australian duo Daniel Gaunt and Matthew Zions.
Challenge Tour graduate Gaunt led for most of the morning after starting his day with a hattrick of birdies en route to an outward 30.
But his progress was checked with three bogeys on the back nine, including one at the last, as he signed for a 67.
“Got off to a good start, drove the ball ok for the first few holes,” said Gaunt. “I’ve been hitting it really good in previous tournaments not holing putts and not getting a score so I’m pretty happy with the way I putted.”
Wood - still searching for a first European Tour title after 14 top-ten finishes - had five birdies and one dropped shot at the difficult 16th, while Zions eagled both par fives on the back nine.
SCOTSWATCH
Former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie gave himself every chance of a first top-ten finish for three years with a two under 69, but former Open champion Paul Lawrie shot a one-over 72.
Scott Jamieson and Stephen Gallacher matched the par of 71 while Alastair Forsyth and Marc Warren, out in 34, were alongside Lawrie in joint 64th place on 72.
Lloyd Saltman and Gary Orr hit the 73 mark - one better than Peter Whiteford and George Murray.
Steven O'Hara, 39 shots (three over the card) for the second nine, brought up the rear for the Scots with a 75.
Richie Ramsay withdrew with a neck injury on the eve of the tournament.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE SCOREBOARD

SICILIAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SCOREBOARD

FIRST ROUND LEADERS
Par 71 (35-36)
65 Stephen Dodd (Wales) 33-32, Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 34-31.
66 Raphael Jacquelin (France) 34-32, Anthony Wall (England) 32-34.
67 Daniel Gaunt (Australia) 30-37, Chris Wood (England) 33-34, Matthew Zions (Australia) 35-32, Steve Webster (England) 32-35.

SCOTS' SCORES
69 Colin Montomerie 36-33 (T16).
71 Scott Jamieson 35-36, Stephen Gallacher 37-34 (T43).
72 Alastair Forsyth 3-36, Paul Lawrie 37-35, Marc Warren 34-38 (T64.
73 Lloyd Saltman 35-38, Gary Orr 36-37 (T86).
74 Peter Whiteford (37-37, George Murray 36-38 (T110).
75 Steven O'Hara 36-39 (T122).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

DAVID LAW IN FINAL OF NORTHERN AMATEUR OPEN IN S AFRICA

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Aberdeen Hazlehead's David Law is through to the final of the Northern Amateur Open at Randpark South Africa.
The 2009 Scottish men's and boys' match-play double champion beat South African Zander Lombard 3 and 2 in the morning quarter-finals and then another South African, Jared Harvey, 2 and 1 in the afternoon semi-finals.
Law, beaten in a play-off for the South African stroke-play championship a few weeks ago after making almost all the running, will play South African Graham van der Merwe in Friday's 36-hole final. Van der Merwe beat Peterhead's Philip McLean 2 and 1 in the other semi-final.
In the morning, McLean had a notable one hole win over Scottish and South African champion, Michael Stewart.
This is the Scots' last tournament before they come home after eight highly successful weeks in South Africa.

TODAY'S RESULTS
QUARTER-FINALS
Players from S Africa unless stated
David Law (Scotland) bt Zander Lombard 3 and 2.
Jared Harvey bt Scott Gibson (Scotland) 3 and 2.
Philip McLean (Scotland) bt Michael Stewart (Scotland) 1 hole.
Graham Van der Merwe bt Scott Vincent at 20th.
SEMI-FINALS
Law bt Harvey 2 and 1.
Van der Merwe bt McLean 2 and 1.
TO VIEW THE MATCH-PLAY CHART

CLICK HERE

GRAEME BROWN WINS MIDLAND ALLIANCE WITH 70 AT CRIEFF

By LEE SUTHERLAND
Montrose Links assistant professional Graeme Brown, pictured right, had an eagle 2 at the last hole for a one-under-par 70 to pip Ladybank assistant Alan Lockhart by a shot for first scratch prize in the Midland Alliance at Crieff Golf Club.
Alloa eight-handicapper Chris Westland led the handicap returns with a net 68.

 LEADING SCRATCH SCORES

Par 71

70 G Brown (Montrose Links) ap.

71 A Lockhart (Ladybank) ap.

72 M Pirie (Pitlochry) P, S Cargill (Arbroath), G Jenkins (Crieff), K Bruce (Edzell), C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) ap, A J Webster (Edzell) p.

73 P Jamieson (Dunblane New) p.

75 D Mitchell (Panmure), M MacKenzie (Forfar) ap, C Westland (Alloa), S. McLaren (Crieff) ap.
 LEADING HANDICAP SCORES

C Westland (Alloa) (8) 67; G Jenkins (Crieff) (3), K Bruce (Edzell) (3) 69; D Mitchell (Panmure) (4), I Watson (King James VI) (14), W Cosbie (Blairgowrie) (5) 70; K Kilgour (Dunfermline) (10), D Thomson (Downfield) (5), H Hunter (Alloa) (9), S Cargill (Arbroath) (scr) 72; B McKay (Pitlochry) (12), E Rae (Arbroath) (3), C Ferguson (Muckhart) (4), N Cameron (King James VI) (4) 73.

Qualifiers for the JTC Interiors Express Championship in April at Arbroath Links
D Mitchell (Panmure) (4)
C Westland (Alloa) (8)
S McLaren (Crieff) ap.

Qualifier for the JTC McQueen Shield at Arbroath Links in April
G Jenkins (Crieff) (3)

Next Week's Meeting
Thursday, March 24
Brechin Golf Club
Tee reserved: 8.30 - 12.30
Lee Sutherland

LANARKSHIRE BOYS FOR "SCOTTISH" AT DUNBAR

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE LANARKSHIRE GOLF ASSOCIATION
Lanarkshire will have 28 boys competing in the prestigious Scottish boys, championship at Dunbar Golf Club from April 11 to 16.
They will all be trying to win at least a  couple of games to boost their confidence for the start of a new golfing season but three boys go into the tournament with realistic hopes of becoming the first Lanarkshire boy to win the Scottish championship since Stephen O’Hara of Colville Park achieved the double of Scottish boys' championship and British boys' championship in 1998. Paul Shields of Kirkhill also flew the flag for Lanarkshire with consecutive runners–up spots in 2008 and 2009.
Craig Ross (Kirkhill), James Steven (Bothwell Castle) and Eamon Bradley  (Mount Ellen) were members of last year’s Lanarkshire team who won silver medals in the Scottish boys' area team championships and all three are still young enough to compete at Dunbar.
Their handicaps are scratch, scratch and plus one respectively and all are well capable of winning the championship at Dunbar.
Craig Ross has already made an excellent start to the season by winning the Scottish Junior Champion of Champions' tournament at The Duke's Course, St Andrews last Sunday against a top quality field with a score of 2 under par 69. James Steven finished fourth on 72.
Lanarkshire President Willie Sharpe and his committee have made a gesture to all the Lanarkshire boys competing - a free lesson at Clydeway Driving Range on Friday, April 1 and 50 balls for practice to fine tune their swings before the championship begins on the Monday.
The lessons will be in two sessions and delivered by Lanarkshire professionals Duncan Williamson and Sam Cairns.
Session 1 (6pm – 7pm)
Andrew Cameron (Kirkhill), Eamon Bradley (Mount Ellen), Jordan Bryce (Strathaven), Dominic Dougan (Colville Park), Innes Ferguson (Drumpellier), Ross Gillan (Torrance House), Cameron Graham (Hamilton), Craig Hughes (Drumpellier), Scott Kane (Cambuslang), Ian McDowall (East Kilbride), Ross McLeish (Torrance House), Fraser Stoddart (East Kilbride).
Session 2 (7pm-8pm)
Craig Boyd (Lanark), Craig Forbes (Mouse Castle), Calum Harrison (Mouse Castle), James Laird (Mouse Castle), Greig Mitchell (Torrance House), Liam Morrison (Hamilton), Jack Muir (Bothwell Castle), Jonathan Ruiz (Drumpellier), Blair Murphy (Lanark), Steven Murray (Drumpellier), Kevin Prentice (Lanark), Jonny Reid (Drumpellier), Craig Ross (Kirkhill), Alistair Scott (Lanark), Blair Scott (Hamilton), James Steven (Bothwell Castle).

STEWART, McLEAN, LAW, GIBSON IN LAST EIGHT AT RANDPARK

FROM THE SGU WEBSITE

Michael Stewart notched a convincing 5 and 3 win in the last 16 of the Northern Amateur Open to set up an all-Scottish quarter-final against Philip McLean with David Law and Scott Gibson also through to the last eight at Randpark, South Africa.

Stewart, chasing a historic South African double after securing the South African Amateur title earlier this month was in devastating form in what was another successful day for the Scots in South Africa.

The Scottish Amateur Champion now faces team-mate Peterhead’s Philip McLean, pictured right, whose passage to the quarter-finals was not quite as straightforward. McLean had to produce a birdie at the fourth play-off hole to progress. Scotland are now guaranteed semi-final representation for the second successive event.

Scott Gibson, pictured left, endured an even more dramatic end to his last 16 match. The young Southerness star chipped in at the third extra hole to win his match. Meanwhile, qualifying stroke-play winner David Law continued his excellent form and sealed his quarter-final place with a 19th hole victory.
The Northern Amateur Open quarter-finals and semi-finals will be completed today before concluding with a 36-hole final on Friday.




The trip to South Africa is being supported by Johann Rupert and official sponsors of the Scotland Men's Elite Squad, Aberdeen Asset Management.

OLIVER WILSON TAKES INDIVIDUAL HONOURS AT TAVISTOCK CUP

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE

England's Oliver Wilson inspired his team to victory at the Tavistock Cup at Isleworth in Florida this week.
Mansfield-born Wilson, pictured, shot a seven-under-par 65 to take the individual honours and help the Lake Nona club win the title.

Tiger Woods, gearing up for the Masters in April, shot 69, while his Albany team-mates Ian Poulter and Justin Rose shot 68 and 73 respectively.

David Howell (71), Darren Clarke (74) and Paul McGinley (74) all struggled as Surrey club Queenwood finished last.

European Ryder Cup duo Graeme McDowell and Ross Fisher were also part of the victorious Lake Nona side in the four-club event, which is similar in structure to the Ryder Cup.

Wilson, a Ryder Cup player in the 2008 match at Valhalla and a nine-time runner-up on the European Tour but never a winner, finished birdie-eagle-birdie to pip Team Isleworth's Robert Allenby to the Payne Stewart Trophy for the best round of the day by one shot.

Allenby's fellow Australian Adam Scott, playing for Queenwood, had the third best round, with a five-under 67.

Isleworth had gone into day two of the competition with a two-shot lead following the opening day's two-ball better-ball competition.

But Wilson's superb round helped Lake Nona storm to victory with an overall total of 43 under par, 16 shots better than Albany.
Final Scores:
Lake Nona -43
Albany -27
Isleworth -25

Queenwood -18

RUSSELL KNOX TEES IT UP ON THE US PGA TOUR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
How good a player is Russell Knox? That's the question many Scots golf pundits keep asking. The Inverness exile, long-time resident of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, is among the leading money winners over the past few years on the NGA Hooters Tour, one of America's leading satellite circuits and one of the most competitive as well.
But this week Russell has qualified to play on the US PGA Tour. He's in there among the stars in the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook Resort, Copperhead, Palm Harbour, Florida.
Total purse is $5,500,000 and the winner will take home $990,000.
Being a qualfier, Russell has not got a tee time alongside any of golf's household names but he won't mind playing with Bobby Gates and Joseph Bramlett.
Survive the cut and who knows who he will have as partners at the weekend.
"This is my first time ever in a US PGA Tour event and I can hardly wait to get on that first tee," Russell E-mail me this afternoon - probably around his breakfast time in Florida.
Unfair to judge Knox on one tournament at this level but it will be very interesting to see how he fares. He has tried and failed in recent years to make the top grade tour through the US Tour School.
Say a little prayer for Russell over the next two days.
When was the last time a Monday qualifier won a US PGA Tour event?
Victory - or even a top 10 finish - could change his golfing life forever!
May all your putts be little ones, Russell.
+Many thanks to Scottishgolfview.com reader Matthew O'Neill for alerting me to the fact that Russell Knox had qualified to play in the Transitions Championship. Being a quiet type of Scot, Russell did not tell me himself although we do exchange E-mails.