BRADLEY NEIL HAS HOLE IN ONE AT ROYAL MUSSELBURGH

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Scotland meet Ireland at Royal Musselburgh tomorrow in the decisive match of the three-day Under-16 boys' developmental quadrangular tournament.

Today Scotland beat the Netherlands 10-2, winning the foursomes 3-1 and the singles 7-1.

Scots skipper Bradley Neil (Blairgowrie), pictured, was three down after only five holes but his fightback to win his tie included a hole in one!
Ireland beat Wales 8-4 in the other match after sharing the foursomes 2-2 and winning the singles 6-2.
Scotland and Ireland are the only two countries with 100 per cent record.
Results:
TUESDAY
Scotland 7, Wales 5.

Ireland 10, Netherlands 2.

WEDNESDAY

Scotland 10, Netherlands 2.

Ireland 8, Wales 4.

THURSDAY'S MATCHES

Scotland v Ireland

Netherlands v Wales.

NOW IT'S OFFICIAL: NATIONWIDE TOUR DOOR OPENS FOR KNOX

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

The United States PGA Tour has confirmed that Florida-based Scot, Russell Knox, 25, from Inverness, has earned himself a place on its No 2 circuit, the Nationwide Tour, for the rest of the season by finishing joint second - as a Monday qualifier - in the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae, California at the weekend.

"Russell was in the PGA Tour office this morning as a matter of fact, seeking confirmation that this was the case," said Jeff Adams, Director of Communications for the Nationwide Tour.
"We were delighted to tell him. He does plan to play the Nationwide Tour full time in an attempt to get his US PGA Tour card by finishing among the top 25 money-winners at the end of the season.
"This is the Press Release we put out about it:


SCOTSMAN FROM JACKSONVILLE MOVES UP
Former Jacksonville University golfer Russell Knox made a big leap in his golf career on Sunday when he finished T2 in the fog-shortened Fresh Express Classic at the TPC Stonebrae. Knox, who began the week as a non-member of the Nationwide Tour, played his way into the field via the Monday qualifer. The 25-year-old from Inverness, Scotland who lives in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, was making only his fourth Nationwide Tour start.
By finishing second, Knox earned $52,800 and Special Temporary Membership for the rest of the 2011 season.
His top-25 finish gets him in next week’s South Georgia Classic and also means he will likely be able to play in all or most of the tournaments he wants to the rest of the year.

Special Temporary Membership is based on a non-member earning the same or more money than last year's 100th player on the money list ($48,193)."

Knox has been one of the leading money-winners on the NGA Hooters Tour, a satellite Tour in America but his ambition has always been to make it up to the US PGA Tour.

Membership of the Nationwide Tour means he is now only one rung below where he wants to be in America's pro golf ladder.

Martin Laird and Aberdeen-born Michael Sim both graduated to the US PGA Tour from the Nationwide Tour.

SECOND ROUND OF SKYCADDIE CHALLENGE IS FOGGED OFF

Haar - sea mist - rolled in at Whitekirk Golf and Country Club today and forced the cancellation of the second and final round in the £6,900 Scottish PGA's Skycaddie Challenge competition.
Tartan Tour supremo Michael MacDougall said:
"Sea fog rolled in at 10.30 today and prevented further play.  Visibility was down to 150m or thereabouts.  Play was cancelled shortly after 2 o’clock when it was impossible for 39 players who had not teed off to do so and complete their rounds."The prize money was distributed on the basis of the first-round scores as follows:

Par 72
1st Craig Matheson 66 £726.57
T2 David Patrick 67 £580.98
T2 Graeme Brown 67 £580.98
T2 Chris Kelly 67 £580.98
5 Kenneth Hutton  68 £436.08
T6 Steven Duncan 69 £326.83
T6 Greig Hutcheon 69 £326.83
T6 Alan Lockhart 69 £326.83
T9 Alistair Brown  70 £209.24
T9 Paul Wardell 70 £209.24
T9 Scott Henderson 70 £209.24
T9 Ross Cameron 70 £209.24
T9 Craig Ronald 70 £209.24
T9 Colin Gillies 70 £209.24
T9 David Russell 70 £209.24
T9 William Colquhoun 70 £209.24
T17 Alastair Love 71 £113.74
T17 Stephen Gray 71 £113.74
T17 Lee Harper 71 £113.74
T17 James McGhee 71 £113.74
T17 David Orr  71 £113.74
T17 Mark King 71 £113.74
T23 Malcolm Isaacs  72 £83.59
T23 Paul McKechnie 72 £83.59
T23 Gareth Wright 72 £83.59
T23 Fraser Mann 72 £83.59
T23 Robert Arnott 72 £83.59
T23 Andrew Oldcorn 72 £83.59
T23 Iain Hanna  72 £83.59
T30 Mark Loftus 73 £14.49
T30 Neil Fenwick  73 £14.49
T30 Jason McCreadie 73 £14.49
T30 Alan Reid 73 £14.49
T30 Steven Taylor  73 £14.49

ROBERT McKNIGHT SCORES 2nd WIN ON US MINOR LEAGUE TOUR

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – Former Scotland junior international Robert McKnight, playing out of nearby Lago Mar Country Club, eagled the 10th hole to go with two birdies on each nine en route to a six under par 66 to earn his second victory on the US Fuzion-Minor League Golf Tour.

His second shot with a 4-iron on the par-5 tenth hole hit low on the flagstick, leaving McKnight within tap-in range for the eagle at the start of the back nine on the East course at Bonaventure Country Club.

McKnight (pictured) made birdies at the par-5 first, seventh and 16th holes and at the par-4 14th. McKnight, 23, a native of Kilmarneck but US-based for at least a couple of years, received $820 from the $4,403 purse, raising his career MLGT earnings to $8,686. He has played on the South Florida-based mini-tour off-and-on since May, 2009, winning for the first time February 3, 2010 at Hammock Creek in Palm City.
Peter Horrbin and Tim Turpen tied for second with 5-under par 67's.

RUSSELL KNOX ON NATIONWIDE TOUR FOR REST OF SEASON?

Inverness exile Russell Knox is waiting to find out if his joint second finish in the weekend's US Nationwide Tour event in California will mean no more Monday-qualifying competitions - he had to come through one to get into the latest field.

The Jacksonville-based former Jacksonville University student told Scottishgolfview.com by E-mail: 

"This should give me full status on the Nationwide Tour for the rest of the year. Very excited about that.

"Hopefully I can stay in the top 25 and earn a US PGA Tour card at last!"

Knox has been one of the NGA Hooters Tour's leading money-winners over the past two or three years but he has never been able to transfer that consistent form to the US PGA Tour Qualifying School process.
Until this breakthrough on the Nationwide Tour - the No 2 men's pro circuit in the States after the US PGA Tour - Russell had been contemplating coming over to compete at the European Tour Qualifying School this year.

 

Fellow Scots Martin Laird and Aberdeen-born Michael Sim have both earned their US PGA Tour spurs through the Nationwide Tour.