KEVIN THOMSON WINS NORTH SCOTTISH ALLIANCE TITLE

By ALAN COWIE
North Scottish Golfers' Alliance secretary
Saturday’s North Scottish Golfers’ Alliance Championship fixture was decided early when the third group out produced the only two sub-par rounds of the day. The honours went to Kevin Thomson of Moray who fired a five under par 64 to head a field of 108 by four shots.
He birdied four of the first five - first, second, third and fifth and turned in 31. Two more birdies came at the 11th and 13th before bogeys at the 14th and 16th stalled progress. His last birdie at the 17th and a par to finish equalled 64.
Alex Mair, also of Moray, who won the low handicap trophy, eagled the third, birdied the first, sixth, seventh, 16th and 17th. However, bogeys at the second, fourth, ninth, 12th, and a double at the 15th made for a mixed bag equalling one under 68.
Immediate past Alliance secretary Farquhar Thomson (Moray), playing in the second last group, won Section 2 with a net 69 off nine.
Leading Scratch scores:
64 K Thomson (Moray)
68 A W Mair (Moray)
70 N McWilliam (Elgin)
71 M MacDonald (Fortrose and Rosemarkie)
73 R Harrower (Boat of Garten) p, J L Milne (Elgin).
74 J Wright (Forres), J D Forbes ( Inverness)
75 F Brown (Nairn Dunbar), B A Watson (Nairn Dunbar)
76 G Mackenzie (Hopeman), S H C Milne (Elgin), A Thomson (Moray) p. 
77 R H Stewart (Torvean), J A Grant (Grantown), D Hector (Elgin)
78 R McKerron (Forres), R Proctor (Forres), B Cruickshank (Garmouth and Kingston), D Johnston (Moray), W F Thomson (Moray)
79 M Douglas (Inverness) p, R Stewart (Nairn Dunbar)
80 S G Milne (Elgin), R Mackay (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), D Hexley (Inverness), J A G Innes (Elgin), J C Milne (Moray), I Hamilton (Elgin), G Hay (Grantown)
81 W Weatherall (Muir of Ord), J S D Campbell (Grantown), W B Johnston (Moray)
83 N D Hampton (Loch Ness), P Masson (Rothes), W Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), M McDonald (Grantown)
84 D R Mackellar (Grantown), S Duncan (Moray), L Macbean (Boat of Garten), L Duncan (Elgin), S Rooney (Boat of Garten), J R Ingram (Boat of Garten), G S Macdonald (Torvean)
HANDICAP
Class 1 (seven and under)
66 A W Mair (Moray) (2)
71 G Mackenzie (Hopeman) (5)
72 J L Milne (Elgin) (1)
73 S H C Milne (Elgin) (3), A Cameron (Inverness) (1), D Johnston (Moray) (5)
Class 2 (eight to 14)
69 W F Thomson (Moray) (9)
72 W B Johnston (Moray) (9), I Hamilton (Elgin) (8)
73 I Turner (Boat of Garten) (13)
75 S Rooney (Boat of Garten) (9), S Duncan (Moray) (9), R Barrett (Grantown)(14), M Lyall (Torvean)(10)
Trophy winners:
Scratch (Sir Hugh Mackenzie Trophy) – K Thomson (Moray).
Handicap Class 1 (Bank of Scotland Quaich) – A W Mair (Moray).
Handicap Class 2 (Jim Thom Quaich) – W F Thomson (Moray).
Seniors: Scratch (J A B Little trophy) – R Mackay (Fortrose and Rosemarkie). Handicap (J M C Gourlay Salver) – W B Johnston (Moray).

ROOKIE CLAASSEN WINS NAMIBIA PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

FROM THE SUNSHINE TOUR (South Africa) WEBSITE
Sunshine Tour rookie J G Claassen was just trying to get it close on the 16th, but when his putt from two metres off the green went in, he had made the putt which won him the R1.2-million MTC Namibia PGA Championship.
It gave the rookie his maiden victory in just his fifth tournament as a professional, and it came in just the second event in which he made the cut.
“It’s been a bit of struggle,” he admitted after he’d sunk to his knees in relief on his way to sign his scorecard, “but this more than makes up for the tough times I’ve had this year.”
After that monster putt, he went on to card a final-round six-under-par 65 on the 6,570-metre, par-71 Windhoek Country Club, and it was fitting that the best round of the day should win the tournament.
Claassen finished on 16-under-par 268, one stroke clear of overnight leader Christiaan Basson, with Josh Cunliffe a further two shots behind. =
“Christiaan had a putt for birdie on 16,” said Claassen, “so I was just trying to get mine close, take par and get going again on 17.”
Instead, it was the second big putt in a row that went down for him, and he was suddenly in pole position as he walked up the 18th fairway after his approach shot found the fringe to the left of the big green.
He putted again, but he went three feet past the hole, leaving himself with a knee-trembler to secure the victory.
But it went securely into the hole, and Basson paid dearly for his dropped shot on the second – a fault which Claassen managed not to duplicate throughout a flawless final round.
He missed the cut in his first tournament as a pro in the Joburg Open, but two weeks later, he earned his first cheque with a share of 20th in the Zimbabwe Open – it was for R14,291.66.
Claassen then missed cuts in the Dimension Data Pro-Am and the Telkom PGA Championship, prompting him to head to Namibia more in hope than in confidence.
His length off the tee immediately caught the eye, and he opened with a respectable two-under 69.
A pair of consecutive 67s put him in contention going into the final round, and he handled the pressure of trying to chase down Basson, who held a two-stroke edge, with aplomb – apparently.
“I did feel the pressure,” he admitted, “but I just concentrated on what I was doing, and, when I got those birdies on 15 and 16, I knew I had a chance.”
That chance gave him a cheque which vindicates the decision of any successful amateur to turn pro – it was for R190,200.
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MARTIN LAIRD WINS $180,125 FOR JT 5TH WITH JUSTIN ROSE

Overnight leader Justin Rose blew it big-time over the final round of the US PGA Tour event, the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook, Tampa Bay in Florida.
Rose slumped to a three-over-par 74 for 274 and finished joint fifth alongside Martin Laird and four others.
Rose birdied the long fifth, so far so good. Then the wheels came off. He bogeyed four holes in a row, the seventh, short eighth, ninth and 10th. Rose stopped the rot with a birdie at the long 11th but he couldn't coax a birdie out of holes 12 to 16 - parring them all. Then a bogey at the short 17th was the last straw in his fall from the pole position
His earlier rounds were 70, 65 and 65 over the par-71 course.
Martin Laird had rounds of 66, 70, 68 and 70 to earn $180,125. It is his third top 10 finish in seventh starts of the new season and he has earned a total fo $811,763.
The long-hitting Laird birdied the long first but bogeyed the short fourth. He bvirdiedd the ninth and 12th but a bogey at the short 15th cost him a share of fourth place and a fistful of dollars more than he received.
For the first time for a long while, the first four places in a US Tour event were filled by Americans!
Gary Woodland, Webb Simpson and Scott Stallings - hardly household names in the golf world - finished first, second and third on 269, 270 and 272 respectively.
Another American, the slightly better know Brandt Snedeker finished fourth.
Woodland had rounds 67, 68, 67 and 67 for a 15-under-par total of 269 and a one-shot victory from Webb Simpson (67-67-67-69). Scott Stallings scorted 66, 70,66 and 70 for 272.
Paul Casey, who led at the end of the first round with a seven-under-par 64, finished it with a 74 for 280 and a share of 37th place.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
Players from USA umless stated
269 Gary Woodland 67 68 67 67.
270 Webb Simpson 67 67 67 69.
272 Scott Stallings 66 70 68 70.
273 Brandt Snedeker 72 64 67 70.
274 Martin Laird (Scotland) 66 70 68 70, Marc Turnesa 68 67 73 66, Roland Thatcher 68 67 69 70, Chris Couch 69 64 70 71, Justin Rose (England) 70 65 65 74, Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) 69 66 66 73 (T5).
SELECTED TOTALS
277 Sergia Garcia (Spain) 68 66 72 71 (T15).
278 Matteo Manassero (Italy) 68 68 72 70 (T20).
279 Brian Davis (England) 70 71 68 70 (T28).
280 Paul Casey (England) 64 71 71 74 (T37).

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SICILIAN OPEN SPILLS OVER INTO MONDAY, JACQUELIN ONE AHEAD

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Raphaël Jacquelin had his lead at the Sicilian Open reduced from three to one late in the day as the final round spilled into Monday.
Two and a half hours of "dangerous weather" play suspension before the leaders had even teed off led to a Monday finish, and it promises to be an exciting one after the Frenchman bogeyed his final hole of the day.
The 36-year-old had been making serene progress in his search for a first European Tour title since 2007 up until that point, but his miss from six feet at the par-5 12th could prove crucial in the race to the €166,660 prize.
Anthony Wall remains Jacquelin’s nearest challenger at Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa, the Englishman reaching ten under for the week with a birdie at the 12th before play was halted for the day.
Wall began the day by wiping out Jacquelin's one-stroke overnight lead with a birdie at the first.
But his playing partner was back in front with a gain of his own at the second. Jacquelin then birdied the fifth and splashed his third shot from the sand to four feet at the par five seventh.
Wall also birdied the seventh, but gave the shot back two holes later.
However, in rapidly deteriorating light there was a two-shot swing, leaving everything to play for over the closing six holes.
“It was a little bit frustrating to bogey the 12th before we finished there but it was actually a good bogey so I can’t have too many complaints,” said Jacquelin.
“I am two under for the round and have a one-shot lead so we will come back and do it all again in the morning. I played well though and holed more putts today even though it was difficult to get the pace of the greens because of the weather.”
Speaking of the delay which kept the leading groups off the course until mid-afternoon he added: “It was okay. It was long but the main thing that affects you in that situation is that fact that you are playing a round that you know you have no chance to finish.
“That is the toughest thing to deal with but I did that pretty well. Fourteen years on Tour makes you accept most of these things. I’ll be okay.”
Wall admitted that the late change of momentum had given him renewed hope.
“That was very important to have that two-shot swing because Raph has been exemplary for the last two days,” said Wall.
“He is striking the ball very well. He is on the money every time and I have to be honest and tell you that I am feeling a little bit rusty, having had the last three weeks off.
“I have let two or three shots go, which is unlike me, so for him to hit that hook on the 12th helped me a lot because he hasn’t had many like that.”
Wall, who has been aided with his putting by a 59 pence iphone application this week, admitted he has spent even less on a psychology lesson.
“I had a good chat to the wife this morning and she told me where I could improve in a couple of areas,” he added.
“She pointed a couple of things out and she was right and I think it helped me. I’m doing it on the cheap aren’t I? But it has helped and hopefully will do tomorrow.”
Third-placed Spain's Jose Manuel Lara was four under for his final round, thanks largely to a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, but the Spaniard has just three holes left to play.
Sweden’s Joel Sjöholm is in fourth - and the clubhouse lead - on seven under par after a 69.
Scot Peter Whiteford is lying on five under par with three holes to complete on Monday morning. Whiteford birdied the fifth and ninth but bogeyed the 10th and 12th.

SCOTSWATCH
Lloyd Saltman completed his four rounds with a par-matching 71, which include two double bogeys and four birdies for a 72-hole total of four-over-par 288. Lloyd had too many double bogeys over the four days to get anywhere near mounting a challenge.
Alastair Forsyth at last produced the kind of round that reflects his talent - a six-under-par 65 for a final total of 282, the same as Stephen Gallacher who signed off with his best of the four days, a 69.
Forsyth had a bogey-free round studded by six birdies - the seventh, ninth, 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th. Alastair will be looking back and rueing a quadruple bogey 8 at the last on Saturday when he alsho had a double bogey on his card for the second day in a row.
Paul Lawrie disappointingly failed to break par in three of his four rounds, closing with a 72 for 285. He shot 140 (72-68) to beat the cut and then 145 total for the last two rounds.
A total of 285 was one better than Marc Warren who had a 71 for 286.
George Murray and Lloyd Saltman brought up the rear for the Scots who survived the halfway cut. He matched the par of 71 at the last time of asking for a total of 288.
Scott Jamieson came in with 70 for 279 which has him in joint second place overnight of those who have finished their four rounds.
Colin Montgormie's flu seemed to wear him down in the end. His last round of two-over-par 72 (for 282) was easily his worst of the four days - four-under 138 total for the first two rounds, two-over 144 for the third and fourth.

HOW THEY STAND - FOURTH ROUND (unfinished)
-11 after 12 Raphael Jacquelin (France).
-10 after 12 Anthony Wall (England).
-9 after 13 Jose Manuel Lara (Spain).
-6 after 11 Jamie Elson (England).
-5 after 16 Chris Wood (England).
-5 after 15 Simon Dyson (England).
-5 after 15 Peter Whiteford (Scotland).
-4 after 15 Robert Dinwiddie (England).

CLUBHOUSE LEADERS
Par 284
277 (-7) Joel Sjoholm (Sweden) 70 68 70 69.
279 Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 71 71 69 68, Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) 72 69 69 69, Carlos Del Moral (Spain) 68 70 71 70, Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 71 70 68 70, Oscar Floren (Sweden) 69 68 71 71.
 

REST OF SCOTS' FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
Prizemoney in Euros they earned also listed
282 Alastair Forsyth 72 71 74 65, Stephen Gallacher 71 70 72 69, Colin Montgomerie 69 69 71 73 (T26) (9,050 each)
285 Paul Lawrie 72 68 73 72 (T45) (5,200).
286 Marc Warren 70 73 72 71 (T49) (3,900).
288 Lloyd Saltman 73  70 74 71, George Murray 74 69 72 73 (T61) (2,500 each).

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