Sunday, May 08, 2011

SEVE A SPORTING GOD WHO NEVER LOST HIS COMMON TOUCH


Seve Ballesteros with his oldest son as caddie at the 2006 Open at Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake. Image by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography.

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
By Paul Mahoney
Contributor to Golf Magazine
Meeting your heroes is almost always a disappointment. It's not their fault; it's ours. How can they possibly ever live up to the expectations we mortals have of them as gods in the sporting arena? Better to worship from afar and imagine them as perfect. But there are exceptions. America has Arnold Palmer. Europe had Seve Ballesteros.
The last time I spoke to Seve was at the 2006 British Open at Hoylake. On the eve of the championship, as the clubhouse was bathed in a glorious sunset, Seve was the only player on the practice green, putting with two of his sons. It was a fabulous private family moment — witnessed by half a dozen of us loitering around the edge of the green, and more than a 100 people drinking inside the clubhouse and craning their necks for a view through the windows.
"I wanted my boys to get a sense of what the Open is all about," Seve told me. His eldest son caddied for his first two rounds before the inevitable missed cut. "I don't know if I'll be back again next year," he said. "We'll have to wait and see."
The first time I visited Seve at his tumbleweed home village of Pedrena (pop: 1,500) on a peninsula in north-eastern Spain was in the late 1990s. We had lunch at the golf club where he grew up caddying and dreaming of far away glory. The clubhouse manager had known Seve all his life. "I have watched him grow up," he said. "He is much the same now as he ever was."
Seve showed me the spot where he used to climb over the fence to play at the back of the course in the twilight hours. As a caddie he was not allowed to play during the day. He showed me how he used to step on the wayward golf balls of tourists in the rough and go back to steal them later.
As we walked the course, Seve recognised two elderly ladies on the first tee and went over to greet them. He then turned to me and said, "Let's play nine holes." He rustled up a half-set of clubs and off we went; my heart pumping like a steam hammer, arms and legs recently dipped in gelatin. I was aiming for fairways; Seve was seemingly aiming for France. He kept stopping to offer short-game tips. The sort of skills that would no doubt one day come in handy at the member guest. Like how to chop flop shots out of greenside rough. With a 3-iron! How to execute the perfect splash shot from a bunker. With a 3-iron! He mocked my hopelessness and cheered when I finally put clubface to ball. He peppered the pin for fun. I marvelled at his madness and genius.
The last time I saw Seve in Pedrena was in 2002. Again he hosted lunch at the golf club. But then he got the notion that he wanted to give the photographer and me the grand tour. He cajoled a friend at the club to be our taxi driver, and the four of us bundled into a dirty, rusty Peugeot and headed down the hill to the village.
We stopped outside the humble cottage where Seve grew up. "The cows lived in a shed on the first floor and heated the rooms upstairs."
 He took us to the beach where his legend began, armed with just a 3-iron and an imagination that knew no boundaries. His pal double-parked the Peugeot almost on the beach. A police patrol car spotted us and began to approach. Seve leapt out of the Peugeot's passenger seat and waved at the police officers. They waved back. Crisis over. World superstar — and local hero. Seve picked up a twig and tied a paper handkerchief around it to make a flag in the sand just the way he used to when he was a child.
He even posed for a re-enactment of that half-punch salute from the 18th green at St. Andrews in 1984, when he won the British Open with such unbridled joy. It was the image that became the logo for his company. He must have gone through this routine dozens of times for reporters over the years, yet he embraced it with such enthusiasm and energy. He made us feel we were the first to ever ask.
Seve remained proud of his Pedrena roots. He never forgot where he came from. The riches that were the rewards for his success meant he was able to live in the Big House on the Hill, but he left his ego on tour. Many of his childhood friends still live and work in the area as fishermen, farmers, factory workers and caddies.
"I still socialise with everyone, eat in the restaurants, and go to the same bars I've always been to," he said. "We just talk about golf and football. They don't see me as higher than them. They treat me like they always have. This is my home. This is where I was born, the beach where I used to practice. All my friends are here. People are not jealous. Okay, I have the big house but I live modestly. I don't have a Ferrari or a jet."
The first thing you noticed about Seve was that blinding and disarming smile that burst forth from those dazzling perfect white teeth, and then those deep-set brown eyes that in his 1980s pomp made teenage girls scream. Men wanted to be him; women want to be with him. Even in his 50s, Seve was still achingly handsome, that thick, coal-black mop of hair now tinted with nature's gray highlights.
Seve never had an entourage of sycophants traipsing after him or bodyguards rushing him to exits and keeping the public at arm's length. Seve had time for everyone and anyone. He was a working class hero who was just as comfortable in the company of kings and golf fans. He was a sporting god who never lost his common touch.
Nobody, of course, is perfect. Seve could be feisty, confrontational, intimidating, bad-tempered and moody, but he never bore grudges. He was joyous, charming, charismatic, witty, approachable, and boy, he was cool. His aura simply oozed sex appeal. He was Elvis in slacks and that navy-blue Sunday sweater. It was a privilege to be around him. Seve made it easy.

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LEHMAN BEATS SENIOR IN PLAY-OFF FOR FIRST US SENIOR MAJOR

FROM THE US SENIORS TOUR WEBSITE
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (AP) -- Tom Lehman won the Regions Tradition for his third victory in seven Champions Tour events this year, beating Australian Peter Senior with a par on the second hole of a play-off on Sunday.
Senior missed a 5ft par putt when it lipped out on No. 18. Lehman two-putted from about 20 feet, polishing off his second bogey-free day at the first Champions Tour major of the season. They quickly walked over to shake each other's hands in a subdued reaction.
"I didn't putt well all week," Lehman said. "I made a few good putts when I had to. I wasn't sure I was ever going to make a putt to win. I just haven't made anything of any length. It's unfortunate to win when somebody misses. I wish I could have made a birdie.
"That would have been more fitting."
Both parred the first sudden-death play-off hole, also No. 18 at Shoal Creek.
Lehman and Senior finished at 13-under 275. Lehman had a 3-under 69, and Senior shot a 68.
Senior also missed a potential winning putt on the first play-off hole by a couple of inches to the right, then had an even closer one from the other side.
"It looked like it was going to go to the left," he said of the first. "The last 3 feet it just went straight. I really thought with 3 feet to go I definitely holed it. It stayed pretty straight the second play-off hole, coming the other way."
Lehman won his second Champions Tour major and fifth overall title on the 50-and-over circuit. He won the US Senior PGA Championship last year, beating Fred Couples and David Frost in a play-off after he parred and they both double bogeyed.
Loren Roberts (65) was third at 11 under after a closing birdie, and Michael Allen (69) was 10 under. Third-round leader Mark Calcavecchia shot a 75 to fall into a tie for fifth at 9 under.
Lehman had to salvage par after his tee shot sailed into the woods on the 17th hole to keep at least a share of the lead.
Senior tied Lehman with a birdie on No. 17, maybe with a little help from a timely gust of wind.
"I had 238 yards to carry the water, which is right on my limit," he said. "But a breeze started coming up just as I was about to hit. I really needed to make four. I wanted to win the tournament. Pretty good 3-wood just made it over by about 3 yards."
A 35-footer caught the hole's left edge and went a few more feet.
Calcavecchia held the lead for much of the past three days and didn't relinquish it until double bogeying No. 12 for the second straight round.
"That pretty much started the slide both days," he said. "It's beyond disappointing. It just wasn't my day."
Lehman had taken the lead after the first round, again without any bogeys, and then spent much of the next few days, in his word, "lurking."
"I made four bogeys for the week and only 17 birdies," he said. "That's not enough birdies, you wouldn't think. I think I played really smart.
"I just kind of kept the ball in play, moving it forward. Hit a lot of greens. A lot of stress-free pars."
Senior moved to 12 under with a long birdie putt on No. 15, then saved par on the next hole. He landed at the bottom of deep rough next to the green then went past the hole but made another long putt to remain a shot behind Lehman.
Calcavecchia, seeking his first Champions Tour win, had moved to 14 under after 11 holes, but it wasn't a smooth round.
His tee shot on No. 4 landed just behind a tree, prompting him to fling his cap onto the ground as he arrived at the ball. But he hooked it to just below the green and even with the pin to save par.
But he three-putted for his first bogey on the next hole and reacted by hitting the ball into the water, showing the roller-coaster emotions of his weekend.
Calcavecchia had to punch the ball back onto the fairway after again landing right behind a big oak on No. 12, then slammed his club into the tree in exasperation.
Putting proved a much bigger obstacle than the tree on the hole.
Jay Haas went 3 over on the first nine holes after coming in one shot behind Calcavecchia but rallied for a 73, still four shots back. He double bogeyed on No. 5 when his tee shot hit a tree limb and went into the water, then he three-putted.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
Players from US unless stated
275 Peter Senior (Australia) 70 69 68 68, Tom Lehman 67 71 68 69 (Lehman won play-off at second extra hole).
277 Loren Roberts 70 69 73 65.
278 Michael Allen 70 67 72 69.
279 Edoardo Romero (Argentina) 75 67 70 67, Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 68 72 69 70, Kenny Perry 71 65 71 72, Mark Calcavecchia 68 65 71 75, Jay Haas 69 68 68 74.
Selected score:
294 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 75 72 72 75 (T45).

+CHECK OUT ALL THE FINAL TOTALS ON THE US SENIORS TOUR SCOREBOARD

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GLOVER BEATS BYRD IN PLAY-OFF FOR $1,152,000 US TOUR PRIZE

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (AP) — Lucas Glover figures he has played more than 100 rounds with Jonathan Byrd, from junior golf when they were teenagers to their years together at Clemson University and nearly a decade on the US PGA Tour.
The stakes were never as high as they were Sunday in the Wells Fargo Championship - $1,152,000 to the winner!
Glover was never better.
Clinging to a one-shot lead, Glover closed with three gutsy pars of the brutal finishing stretch at Quail Hollow, slamming his fist when he made the last one from 7 feet for a 3-under 69 and what looked to be a sure win. Then came Byrd, with two great pars of his own, followed by a shot into 15 feet that he made for birdie on the 18th for a 72 to force a playoff.
Glover wound up a winner with a par on the first extra hole, ending a drought of 41 tournaments that stretched nearly two years back to his U.S. Open win at Bethpage Black in 2009.
It was the eighth play-off this year on the US PGA Tour, and the third in a row.
"I'm elated," Glover said. "Any time you win, you're pleased. It means you beat everybody. You did what you set out to do on Thursday morning when the bell range. Against this field and on this golf course and in a tournament of this magnitude, I'm thrilled."
And against one of his best friends?
That might have helped. Glover, in his first US PGA Tour playoff, felt a sense of calmness playing against Byrd, who had won his last two tournaments in extra holes. And it showed.
In regulation, Glover hooked his tee shot so far left that it settled under a spectator. He was given a drop, then watched the ball roll down the bank toward the stream as he got ready to hit it. Because he never grounded his club - that was his plan, given the lie on a side of a steep hill - he played the next shot without penalty.
"Better stance, worse lie," he said.
He managed a 6-iron just over the green, hit the most difficult chip he had all day to 7 feet and escaped with another par. In the playoff, however, Glover striped his tee shot down the middle and two-putted from 25 feet.
Byrd, who went from a fairway bunker to the hazard left the green - just short of the stream - hit a difficult chip 25 by the hole and wound up with a bogey.
"I'm a little disappointed just because you're here to win," Byrd said. "You love to compete, especially when you get in a play-off. You birdie the last, you feel like, 'Hey, this is just going to work out.'
"If I couldn't win, I couldn't pick anybody else I'd want to win other than Lucas, so I'm very happy for him."
Glover, who finished on 15-under 273, became the first player in the nine-year history of the tournament to post all four rounds in the 60s. He never would have seen this coming.
He has been going through a divorce the past several months - "I'll probably leave that over there, if it's all right," he said, declining to comment on his personal life - and had only one top 10 over the last year. He missed the cut in his last three events and didn't have much confidence when he showed up at Quail Hollow.
But he figured out Tuesday on the range that the club wasn't square, it felt better Wednesday in the pro-am and off he went. This wasn't the U.S. Open, although the way he was tested over the final hour of a wild day, it felt just as difficult.
Rory Sabbatini, who closed with a 65 and was 13-under 131 on the weekend, wound up alone in third and will move into the top 50 of the world. Now he has to stay there for two more weeks to be exempt for the U.S. Open.
Bill Haas had a 70 to finish alone in fourth. Pat Perez, who set a tournament record with 26 birdies, had an outside chance at winning until closing with three straight bogeys to tie for sixth.
"It just proves that I can't close, so I'm pretty confident on that," Perez said, blunt as ever. "You're never going to win if you play like I did today. That's just terrible. Embarrassing."
Glover was four shots behind when he made his move by chipping in for birdie on the eighth and holing a 30-foot eagle on the 10th that gave him the outright lead that he never lost the rest of the way.
Then came a wild ride - bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie - that brought him to the treacherous finish. He saved par from well behind the 16th green. He two-putted from just under 100 feet on the 17th, making a 6-footer for par, then escaped No. 18 with the biggest par of all.
"With a one-shot lead, those three holes you've got to execute," Glover said. "Did I execute the full swing? Who's to say? But I executed my short game, and I made my putts."
Byrd was back on the tee when he heard the roar of Glover's par, knowing he needed birdie.
Glover all but predicted he would.
They had joked before the third round that they would be paired together on Sunday late in the afternoon. They probably didn't have this late in mind.
"I said, 'Why don't we plan on seeing each other tomorrow around 2 - and it was 6," Glover said. "I think that may be why I knew he was going to make birdie on 18."
Sabbatini was among five players atop the leaderboard in a wacky final round, and the action was relentless.
It started with the spunky South African, who had only been talked about this week over his profanity-filled argument with Sean O'Hair last week in New Orleans that could lead to a suspension. Sabbatini posted at 14-under 274, and it looked as though it might be enough for a playoff as the Glover, Byrd, Haas and Perez kept finding trouble along the last five holes.
Byrd looked to be in control until closing out the front nine with back-to-back bogeys, then making another one on the 14th when his shot from the right rough also found the water. But he followed with a birdie on the 15th, then punched out of the trees on the 16th and hit his shot from 167 yards to 2 feet for an unlikely par, and closed with a dramatic birdie.
"I'm just a little disappointed with how I played the rest of the 15 holes earlier in the day," Byrd said.
Padraig Harrington, belatedly beginning to show signs of recapturing form, had rounds of 69 and 68 over the weekend to finish tied ninth with Phil Mickelson (74-69) and former Open champion Stewart Cink (68-74) on 10-under-par 278.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288
Players from US unless stated
273 Lucas Glover 67 68 69 69, Jonathan Byrd 68 68 67 72 (Glover won the play-off at the first extra hole).
274 Rory Sabbatini (S Africa) 72 71 66 65.
275 Bill Haas 64 70 71 70.
276 Kevin Na 69 69 67 71.
Selected totals:
278 Phil Mickelson 69 66 74 69, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 69 72 68 68, Stewart Cink 71 65 68 74 (T9).
279 Brian Davis (England) 70 67 69 73 (T16)
282 Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 72 71 71 68, Justin Rose (England) 71 73 69 69, Sergia Garcia (Spain) 69 69 74 70 (T28).
288 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 70 71 73 74 (T62).


CHECK OUT ALL THE FINAL TOTALS ON THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE


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GORDON STEVENSON BEATEN IN PLAY-OFF FOR IRISH TITLE

Picture (from the IGU webiste): Irish Golf Union  President, Eugene Fayne (right), presents the Irish Amateur Open trophy to Rhys Pugh (Wales). Also pictured is JJ Murphy, Captain, The Royal Dublin Golf Club.


FROM THE IRISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Rhys Pugh of Wales defeated Scotland's Gordon Stevenson in a three-hole play-off to claim the Irish Amateur Open Trophy at The Royal Dublin Golf Club today.
Pugh had led by three shots from Stevenson going into the last round, but on a difficult day for play the Scot from the Whitecraigs club clawed his way back into contention on the back nine while the Welshman faltered.
Dutchman Daan Huizing looked a likely winner for most of the day but faltered on the final two holes, dropping four shots on the final two holes.
Paul Dunne (Greystones) also made an excellent rally in the final round, carding a brilliant 72, and but for his 10-foot par putt on the 18th grazing the hole and failing to drop, he too would have been in that playoff.
But Pugh made fewer mistakes in the stroke-play play-off, and when Stevenson went out of bounds at the difficult 17th - the second hole of the three - he was firmly in the driving seat, and could afford a bogey 5 at the 18th to seal his victory.

Winner of the Peter McEvoy Trophy last year, Welshman Pugh will have enhanced his prospects of making the 10-strong Great Britain and Ireland team for the Walker Cup match against the United States over the Royal Aberdeen club's Balgownie links in September.
Fraserburgh pair Kris Nicol and Jordan Findlay, the Scottish Alliance champion, finished a respectable ninth and 12th in a windswept tournament where even the play-off participants were six over par for 72 holes.
FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72)
294 R Pugh (Wales) 72 70 74 78 (Winner after three-hole play-off), G Stevenson (Scotland) 74 69 76 75
295 D Huizing (Netherlands) 77 70 74 74, P Dunne (Greystones) 73 71 79 72
297 N Grant (Knock) 77 72 71 77
298 P Cutler (Portstewart) 75 71 75 77, A Dunbar (Rathmore) 73 72 74 79
300 L Bjerregaard (Denmark) 81 70 73 76
301 K Nicol (Scotland) 75 72 74 80
302 C Selfridge (Moyola Park) 78 73 72 79, R Whitson (Mourne) 76 69 76 81
303 J Findlay (Scotland) 76 74 75 78
304 A Hogan (Newlands) 82 68 73 81, R Kind (Netherlands) 71 76 79 78
305 S Barry (Laytown and Bettystown) 78 71 81 75, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 76 75 75 79, J Greene (Carlow) 73 76 76 80
306 M Veijalainen (Finland) 76 70 78 82, E McCormack (Galway) 74 70 82 80
307 P Shields (Scotland) 79 73 76 79, W Harmston (England) 79 71 78 79, D McElroy (Ballymena) 79 70 81 77, P Murray (Limerick) 78 72 76 81, T Salminen (Finland) 78 71 77 81, F McKenna (Scotland) 77 73 79 78, R Van West (Netherlands) 76 73 77 81
308 K McCarthy (Kinsale) 82 70 80 76, R McNamara (Headfort) 80 69 78 81, C Doran (Banbridge) 79 73 78 78, B Casey (Headfort) 77 75 77 79
309 A Eckhardt (Finland) 79 72 80 78, C O'Malley (Westport) 77 73 81 78
310 H Beins (Germany) 81 70 81 78
311 J Brittain (England) 75 76 76 84
312 D Murphy (Portarlington) 78 74 76 84
313 R Dhondt (Belgium) 81 66 81 85, M Gaspar (Portugal) 75 75 83 80
319 J Evans (England) 75 74 86 84
321 C Fairweather (Knock) 73 78 81 89





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ROYAL DORNOCH PLAYER WINS GOLF DATA LAB SCOTTISH YOUTHS

THE PRIDE OF THE NORTH! Lyle McAlpine (Royal Dornoch) with the Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths Championship trophy. Image by courtesy of Andy Forman and the Scottish Golf Union.

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
Royal Dornoch's Lyle McAlpine is the new Golf Data Lab Scottish Youths Champion, winning by three shots, after morning rain reduced the event at Paisley GC to 54 holes.
Despite bogeying his opening hole, the first year electrical apprentice was the only player to shoot a sub 70 score in today's final round, notching four birdies to card a three-under par 68 to secure a maiden national title for the eighteen year-old.
Playing in the event for the first time, McAlpine showed no sign of nerves as he calmly negotiated the back nine with eight pars and a birdie at the par three 15th, rolling in from fifteen feet to give himself a three-shot cushion moving into the final stretch.
The current Royal Dornoch club champion was delighted to add the prestigous title to his list of honours,
"It is by far my biggest achievement to date, i knew i was playing well coming into this week so i just focused on playing my normal game and fortunately it was good enough to win"
"My dad was walking round with me and he made me aware that i was leading playing the back nine so i knew it was mine to lose, thankfully i didn't!"

The silver medal once again went to Torwoodlee's Simon Fairburn whose final round 70 was enough to secure a second successive runners-up place in the event. Fairburn looked like he was going to go one better this year when he eagled the par five 12th but a bogey at the 16th and short missed birdie putt on the final hole ended his title bid for another year.

Dumfries and County's Greig Marchbank secured third place, also finishing on 213. Marchbank held the lead after reaching the turn in two-under par however a double-bogey at his opening hole in the back nine proved too costly for the Borders youngster.

Second round leader Stirling University second-year student Kit Holmes (Hunstanton GC) saw his title hopes fade with four bogeys and a double-bogey contributing to a six-over par 77 to finish on 216.
Playing partner Kyle McClung (Wigtonshire County) also slipped down the leaderboard with a final round 75.
Events Officer, Euan Dorward commented on what was an excellent tournament despite the adverse weather conditions,

"We were disappointed the event couldn't have been played over the 72 holes but huge credit has to go to Paisley GC and our host of volunteers to ensure the course was playable at all today, and also to the players for embracing the 54 hole event which in the end produced a very worthy winner."

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 203 (3x71)
200 Lyle McAlpine (Royal Dornoch) 71 71 68.
203 Simon Fairburn (Torwoodlee) 69 74 70, Greig Marchbank (Dumfries and Co) 70 72 71.
204 Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) 74 68 72.


You can view all the final totals on the SGU Website


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CRAIG LEE FIFTH IN EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR EVENT IN FRANCE

From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes
Craig Lee, sixth on 11-under-par 273, was the leading Scot in this weekend's European Challenge Tour event, the Allianz Challenge de France near Disneyland, Paris
Lee closed with his third successive sub-70 score, a 69, to finish only four shots behind the two Germans who played off on 269, one ahead of England's Sam Little with another Englishman, Charlie Ford, a close-up fourth on 271
Nicolas Meitinger is coached by the same man who guided Martin Kaymer to the top of the World Ranking, and he now has his name on the same trophy after winning the Allianz Challenge de France.
Kaymer won the event in 2006, and Meitinger will hope his career path takes a similar trajectory to that of the current World Number Two after overcoming his German compatriot Max Kieffer in a dramatic sudden-death play-off.
Meitinger was recently reunited with Günther Kessler, and he paid tribute to his coach, his first-time caddie and the new broomstick putter which served him so well this week after seeing off Kieffer, whose approach shot found the water at the second extra hole.
The 27 year old from Cologne has won six times on the Satellite EPD Tour, the same Tour where Kaymer started his professional career, but his previous best performance on the Challenge Tour was a tie for fourth place at the recent Abierto Internacional Copa Antioquia.
After a round of 68 saw Meitinger join Kieffer on top of the leaderboard on 15 under par, the duo returned to the 18th hole, which they both promptly birdied.
But after Kieffer’s eight iron approach met a watery grave and Meitinger had found the heart of the green, he was left with the relatively straightforward task of getting down in two from 15 feet for a birdie which earned him €24,000 and moved him to the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings on €33,031.
Meitinger, who becomes the fourth first-time winner on the 2011 Challenge Tour Schedule, is now targeting a place on The European Tour alongside Kaymer.
He said: “It’s been a great week, and I have to thank my new caddie Chris, my coach Günther and most of all my broomstick putter, because she was very good to me all week. I only had one three-putt all week, and even though it’s still bugging me a bit now, I’m sure I’ll get over it pretty quickly! Günther suggested I try it, and I think I’ll be using it for a while now. Maybe if I had the broomstick from the start of the season, I would’ve been out of sight by now!
“Obviously I was proud of my wins on the EPD Tour, but winning on the Challenge Tour is a whole new level. To win the same Challenge Tour event as Martin makes it extra special, and hopefully now I can start catching him up a little bit. I felt a bit sorry for Max with how it ended for him, but he’s only young so I need the money more than him! And I’m sure he’ll have many good days in the future, because he’s a great player.
“I’m going to enjoy the moment, hopefully have a bit of a celebration and then get back to business. Winning early in the season gives me a great chance of getting my card, and now I’m up there I want to stay there.”
Kieffer, whose stunning round of 64 was the lowest of the day, was naturally disappointed with his runner-up finish, but graciously paid tribute to the winner.
He said: “Nicolas played great golf this week, so he deserved to win. So I’m pleased for him, but obviously disappointed for myself, because to hit my eight iron into the water was a bad mistake. Hopefully I can learn from this experience, so that next time I get in a position to win, I can finish it off.”
Kieffer’s playing partner Sam Little finished in third place on 14 under par after closing with a superb round of 65.
The Englishman said: “I played really well today, and it was nice to get myself in contention and get the competitive juices flowing again. I was disappointed not to give myself a chance at the last after I hit a poor tee shot, but I can’t be too down on myself. It was great playing with Max, because we really spurred each other on. Sometimes when you playing really well and your partner’s struggling, it’s maybe harder to keep it going; but it was a battle between us today, and I really enjoyed it. Obviously I would’ve loved to have won, but I gave it my best shot and came up just short.”


FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
269 N Meitinger (Ger) 71 63 67 68, M Kieffer (Ger) 69 67 69 64 (Meitinger won play-off)
270 S Little (Eng) 70 64 71 65
271 C Ford (Eng) 67 67 66 71
272 A Domingo (Esp) 70 66 66 70
273 C Lee (Sco) 70 68 66 69
274 J Quesne (Fra) 69 67 68 70, J Palmer (Eng) 70 66 66 72, C Lloyd (Eng) 73 66 66 69,
275 T Fleetwood (Eng) 69 69 63 74, P Gustafsson (Swe) 68 70 67 70,
276 X Poncelet (Fra) 69 69 69 69, E Dubois (Fra) 71 68 68 69, B Akesson (Swe) 69 66 76 65,
277 B Hebert (Fra) 69 66 72 70, R Santos (Por) 71 66 70 70, J McLeary (Sco) 68 63 74 72, D Brooks (Eng) 67 70 70 70, A Forsyth (Sco) 71 66 70 70, A Marshall (Eng) 68 65 72 72,
278 P Edberg (Swe) 70 69 71 68, G Cambis (Fra) 72 65 68 73, A McArthur (Sco) 69 68 67 74, F Colombo (Ita) 69 67 72 70, G Molteni (Ita) 67 69 73 69, M Cryer (Eng) 67 72 68 71, S Thornton (Irl) 68 68 73 69
279 P Archer (Eng) 69 69 73 68, A Snobeck (Fra) 73 65 68 73, N Kearney (Irl) 68 72 69 70, J Lopez Lazaro (Fra) 68 72 72 67, A Bernadet (Fra) 68 69 71 71
280 G Houston (Wal) 67 69 71 73, S Bebb (Wal) 71 69 70 70, M Warren (Sco) 73 66 67 74, A Pavan (Ita) 69 68 70 73
281 B Ritthammer (Ger) 72 68 68 73, D Vancsik (Arg) 70 67 68 76
282 M Lundberg (Swe) 72 68 69 73, E Kofstad (Nor) 67 72 75 68, C Russo (Fra) 71 69 72 70, J Lagergren (Swe) 64 73 72 73, K Eriksson (Swe) 71 69 70 72,

283 F Calmels (Fra) 71 66 70 76, C Gane (Eng) 69 69 72 73, S Robinson (Eng) 70 68 72 73, L Jensen (Den) 71 69 73 70, J Billot (Fra) 70 70 71 72
284 M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 67 72 73 72, A Ahokas (Fin) 67 69 78 70, J Lima (Por) 71 69 72 72, R Bechu (Fra) 66 72 76 70
285 D Perrier (Fra) 72 68 71 74
286 J Heath (Eng) 69 70 77 70
287 G Lockerbie (Eng) 71 69 74 73
288 M Evans (Eng) 67 72 76 73
290 B Chapellan (Fra) 67 71 74 78
291 M Glauert (Ger) 70 68 75 78
293 R De Sousa (Sui) 72 68 76 77


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IRISH OPEN AMATEUR STROKE-PLAY - POSITIONS AFTER ROUND 3

ROYAL DUBLIN GOLF CLUB
HOW THEY STAND WITH ONE ROUND TO GO
Par 216 (3x72)
216 R Pugh (Wales) 72 70 74
219 G Stevenson (Scotland) 74 69 76, A Dunbar (Rathmore) 73 72 74
220 N Grant (Knock) 77 72 71
221 D Huizing (Netherlands) 77 70 74, R Whitson (Mourne) 76 69 76, K Nicol (Scotland) 75 72 74, P Cutler (Portstewart) 75 71 75
223 A Hogan (Newlands) 82 68 73, C Selfridge (Moyola Park) 78 73 72, P Dunne (Greystones) 73 71 79
224 L Bjerregaard (Denmark) 81 70 73, M Veijalainen (Finland) 76 70 78
225 J Findlay (Scotland) 76 74 75, J Greene (Carlow) 73 76 76
226 P Murray (Limerick) 78 72 76, T Salminen (Finland) 78 71 77, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 76 75 75, R Van West (Netherlands) 76 73 77, E McCormack (Galway) 74 70 82, R Kind (Netherlands) 71 76 79
227 R McNamara (Headfort) 80 69 78, J Brittain (England) 75 76 76
228 R Dhondt (Belgium) 81 66 81, P Shields (Scotland) 79 73 76, W Harmston (England) 79 71 78, D Murphy (Portarlington) 78 74 76
229 B Casey (Headfort) 77 75 77, F McKenna (Scotland) 77 73 79
230 C Doran (Banbridge) 79 73 78, D McElroy (Ballymena) 79 70 81, S Barry (Laytown and Bettystown) 78 71 81
231 A Eckhardt (Finland) 79 72 80, C O'Malley (Westport) 77 73 81
232 K McCarthy (Kinsale) 82 70 80, H Beins (Germany) 81 70 81, C Fairweather (Knock) 73 78 81
233 M Gaspar (Portugal) 75 75 83
235 J Evans (England) 75 74 86

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JAMIESON JOINT THIRD, LAUWRIE JOINT FIFTH IN SPANISH OPEN

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
South African Thomas Aiken lifted his first European Tour title at the Open de España - and was quick to dedicate the win to three-time winner Seve Ballesteros.
"It's been a sad week with Seve passing away," he said. "I definitely want to dedicate this win to him with it being his home Open and what he gave to his home fans and to golf.
“He was everything to the game of golf and I am happy to have won for him - any of us would have won for him.
“I remember Seve, how he enjoyed life and how he enjoyed the game. He has been an inspiration for me and has kept me working hard.
“My first European Tour win has not been an easy week, very emotional.”
The 27-year-old from Johannesburg, playing his first tournament after a seven-week lay-off, shot a closing 70 at El Prat near Barcelona to beat Dane Anders Hansen by two.
Aiken took the first prize of €333,330 with a ten under par total of 278.
"I don't think it's quite hit home yet," he added. "I've been waiting for this for a long, long time and I've been knocking on the door. I'm ecstatic."
With all the players again wearing black ribbons in memory of the Spanish superstar, Aiken became the fifth South African to win on The European Tour already this season – Masters Tournament champion Charl Schwartzel among them, of course.
He resumed two in front and doubled that with birdies at the second and sixth.
He added another on the short 11th and after failing to get up and down from sand at the 223 yard 13th he came straight back with a further birdie.
Three-putting the 15th cut his lead to three again and when he drove into sand down the 17th the outcome was still far from certain.
However, Aiken, six times a winner in his home country, saved par and finished with another.
Playing partner Hansen, never able to pile on the pressure, birdied the par five last to push Glasgow's Scott Jamieson and Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal into joint third.
“I played pretty good but he played solid and he got too far ahead,” said Hansen.
“He made the crucial putts and I didn’t. I gave it a run, but he played great and got the putts at the right time, that makes a huge difference.
“It was hard work for him up there, but he did well. He's been so close so many times and he deserves it. I am as happy as you can be in a second place.
“The news about Seve was awful. I only knew when I saw ‘Seve forever’ on 17 and I felt awful. He is one of the reasons I am here today. We loved watching him because he was so inspiring. I am really sad.”
For 27 year old rookie Jamieson it was the best of his three top-ten finishes already this year and he earned a cheque for €112,600.
Welshman Phillip Price and France's Gregory Havret both bogeyed the 18th to drop into a tie for fifth with strong-finishing Scot Paul Lawrie (six birdies-one bogey for a closing 67), England's Simon Dyson and David Horsey and Havret's compatriot Romain Wattel. Lawrie earned $58,267 for his second good performance in Spain over a matter of weeks (he won the Andalucia Open).
Jose Maria Olazábal, mourning the loss of his great friend and ex-Ryder Cup partner Ballesteros, managed only a 77 and fell outside the top 50 on eight over.
Aiken did not even touch a club during a month-long trip to the Bahamas and even with three weeks of practising at home after that he came with no great expectations.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
278 Thomas Aiken (S Africa) 68 68 72 70.
280 Anders Hansen (Denmark) 69 72 69 70.
281 Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 67 70 73 71, Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 66 72 72 71 (112,600 Euros each).
282 Paul Lawrie (Scotland) 72 71 71 67, Simon Dyson (England) 75 67 72 68, Philip Price (Wales) 70 71 72 69, David Horsey (England) 71 70 71 70, Gregory Havret (France) 71 72 69 70, Romain Wattel (France) 67 71 72 72 (58,267 Euros each).

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
290 Colin Montgomerie 70 74 73 73 (T36), 13,800 Euros.
291 Peter Whiteford 73 72 73 73 (T41), 11,800 Euros.
294 Richie Ramsay 72 72 77 73, David Drysdale 71 72 71 79 (T50), 8,600 Euros each.
297 George Murray 72 73 77 75 (T49) 5,600 Euros.

YOU CAN VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

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GOLF DATA LAB SCOTTISH YOUTHS REDUCED TO THREE ROUNDS

The Golf Data Lab Scottish youths championship at Paisley Golf Club has been reduced from four to three rounds because of bad weather. The final round teed off at 10.30am.
Stirling University Kit Holmes, a member at Hunstanton GC, Norfolk, led the field after 36 holes.

TO VIEW THE SGU WEBSITE'S SCORING SERVICE

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NAIRN BEAT NAIRN DUNBAR TO CLINCH MORAY AND NAIRN TITLE


Nairn Golf Club team - winners of the G R Thomson Shield at the end of four days of competition in the 2011 Moray and Nairn Golf League at Forres Golf Club.


SUNDAY RESULTS
NAIRN 7½, MORAY ½


1. F Fotheringham bt G Thomson 1 hole
2. B Thomson bt S Tatters 1 hole
3. R Smith bt K Thomson 2 and 1.
4. E Gordon halved with J Matheson
5. S MacDonald bt R McConnachie 4 and 2. 
6. S Burgess bt S Little 1 hole
7. A Burgess bt R Larrat 2 holes
8. G Asher bt B Harris 3 and 2.

ELGIN 4½,  NAIRN DUNBAR 3½

1. N McWilliam halved with W Barron
2. D Ramsay lost to G Burnett 2 and 1.
3. K Taylor bt F Brown 3 and 2.
4. D Hector bt B Watson 4 and 2.
5. SHC Milne lost to C Oram 5 and 5.
6. F Baillie bt D Bunker 1 hole
7. G Ross lost to M Britovsek 2 and 1.
8. J Sutherland beat C Duffy 4 and 3.


MORAY 4½ , FORRES 3½


1. G. Thomson bt B. Fotheringham 1 hole
2. S. Tatters bt G. Stuart 5 and 4.
3. K. Thomson lost to R. McKerron 2 and 1. 
4. M. McLeman bt M. Jones 2 and 1.
5. J. Matheson lost to R. Proctor 2 holes
6. R. McConnachie lost to M. Murdoch 6 and 4. 
7. S. Little bt C. MacKay 2 and 1. 
8. R. Larrat halved with S. MacLennan




NAIRN DUNBAR 2 , NAIRN 6

1. W. Barron lost to F. Fotheringham 4 and 2. 
2. G. Burnett lost to B. Thomson 2 and 1.
3. N. Pears lost to R. Smith 2 and 1.
4. L. Miller beat E. Gordon 2 holes
5. B. Watson beat S. MacDonald 4 and 3. 
6. C. Oram lost to S. Burgess 6 and 5.
7. F. Brown lost to A. Burgess 2 holes
8. D. Bunker lost to G. Morrison 4 and 3.


HOW THEY FINISHED

Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points


1 Nairn ........... 4 3 1 0 22½ 9½ 7pt
2 Moray .......... 4 3 1 1 16 16 6pt
3 Forres .......... 4 2 0 2 17½ 14½ 4pt
4 Elgin ............ 4 1 1 2 15 17 3pt
5 Nairn Dunbar . 4 0 0 4 9 23 0pt


Nairn Golf Club clinched overall victory in the four-day Moray and Nairn Golf League, hosted by Forres Golf Club, by beating Nairn Dunbar GC 6-2 in the final match on Sunday's programme.
They finished with 7pt from their four matches, one more than runners-up Moray Golf Club who were bidding to win the title for the third year in a row

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ALAN ANDERSON WINS LOTHIANS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

FROM THE LOTHIANS GOLF ASSOCIATION WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Alan Anderson of Bruntsfield Links is the 2011 Lothians champion after beating Marriott Dalmahoy's Steven Smith 4 and 2 in the final at Broomieknowe.
Anderson, the beaten finalist in 2004, went one better thanks mainly to some excellent putting in the title showdown.
The 42-year-old holed from ten feet for a par to stay one up at the 12th then rolled in a 15-footer for a birdie at the short 15th to go three up.
Smith, a 21-year-old Heriot Watt student, drove out of bounds at the 16th to see his hopes of staging a fightback disappear.
Saturday's results:
In the first of the semi-finals, Anderson ended the run of host club hope Jamie McIntosh, winning 3 and 1.
Smith beat 2000 champion and current Lothians captain Mark Timmins 4 and 3.
Saturday's results:
SEMI-FINALS
A Anderson (Bruntsfield Links) bt J McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 3 and 1.
S Smith (Marriott Dalmahoy) bt M Timmins (Pumpherston) 4 and 3.

FINAL
Anderson bt Smith 4 and 2.

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JUSTIN WALTERS WINS ROYAL SWAZI OPEN

FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN SUNSHINE TOUR WEBSITE
He hit a six-iron in on the 17th, and it turned out to be the shot that won Justin Walters the R850,000 Investec Royal Swazi Open.
The 30-year-old professional took his second Sunshine Tour title in the tournament which is played on a modified Stableford system, with eight points for an albatross, five for an eagle, two for a birdie and none for par. One point is deducted for every bogey and two for double or worse.
His birdie on 17 – as his closest challenger Christiaan Basson made a par – proved decisive as he moved to 45 points for the tournament.
Basson bogeyed the last to finish third with 43 points, as Divan van Heever took advantage of his birdie on 17 to move to 44 and second place.
“I was really relieved to see that ball land on dry land,” said Walters, who won his first Sunshine Tour victory in the 2004 Parmalat Classic, a year after he turned professional.
“That one came quicker than I thought, but I confess I started wondering how long I was going to have to wait to have this feeling again,” he said.
But, after the second round, he wondered if this was going to be his week, and after making just a single birdie in his third round, he might have been forgiven for giving up hope.
But he rebounded with a superb closing 67, which included six birdies.
It was the single bogey on his scorecard that gave him a sinking feeling, however: “I three-putted the 16th,” he said, “and I thought I might have lost it there.
“I felt that might have been the downside of this scoring system, because, if you look at the strokeplay scores, you’ll probably find I would have done enough to win,” he added.
He did indeed finish 20-under-par for the tournament, while Van den Heever was 17-under. Basson was 13-under for the tournament.
The players had to sleep on their tensions as a thunderstorm halted play on Saturday with the leaders on the 13th fairway, and Walters and Basson locked on 44 points each, and Van den Heever on 40.
“It was almost a match-play situation this morning,” said Walters, “and Christiaan and Divan never backed down. It was a tough battle.”
Walters ended up on the 18th – the 175-metre par-three at the Royal Swazi Spa Golf Club – with a long putt for birdie that he cosied the ball up to within two feet.
“I’ve always dreamed of having a short putt like that to win a tournament,” he said. “But first I had to stop my arms from shaking!”

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MARK CALCAVECCHIA ALMOST FRITTERS AWAY SIX-SHOT LEAD

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (AP) -- Mark Calcavecchia gave away nearly all of his big lead in the Regions Tradition, setting up a tight final round at Shoal Creek.
Calcavecchia shot a 1-under 71 after a sparkling start Saturday in the Champions Tour major, faltering with a double bogey and two bogeys on the final eight holes. He finished at 12-under 204 for a one-stroke lead over Jay Haas, who shot a 68. Haas' son, Bill, also is contending at the PGA TOUR's Wells Fargo Championship.
"It seems like my whole career, I sort of had a way of making things interesting," Calcavecchia said. "I'll be ready and excited and happy as a lark (Sunday)."
Tom Pernice Jr. three-putted the final hole from about three feet for double bogey to drop two shots back, along with Tom Lehman. Both shot 68s.
Calcavecchia had sailed to a six-shot lead and deftly managed to bail himself out of trouble a number of times, managing a 32 on the first nine holes despite only hitting two fairways. That knack seemed to abandon him late in the round.
"I'm glad I ran out of holes," Calcavecchia said. "As I look at the whole day, probably about what I deserved. I got away with murder on the front nine."
Seeking his first Champions Tour win in attempt No. 21, the 1989 British Open winner had run his bogey-free streak to 46 holes, was 16 under and threatening a runaway. Then came No. 12 -- and trouble. He buried the drive in pine straw and then hit a branch trying to get it out of the woods.
"I didn't even see the tree that I hit because it was straight up," he said. "I was trying to hit a 9-iron over the set of trees that I was looking at.
"It never crossed my mind. I didn't even see that tree. I looked up and there was like a two-inch branch up there. I hit it solid. Nothing good happened after that."
He then two-putted for a double bogey to break the bogey-free string that started after his double on the opening hole of the tournament.
Haas is seeking win No. 15 on the Champions Tour, but his first since winning twice in 2009. He peeked at a TV before discussing his round.
"I think Bill's getting ready to hit," he explained.
Haas parred his final five holes after two straight birdies, managing to avoid the trouble that struck Calcavecchia and Pernice.
"I'm very encouraged with how I'm striking the ball," he said. "I think out here you have to hit the ball well to score. There are certain courses that you don't have to be quite as sharp and you can still get away with a few things, but out here you can't.
"If your irons aren't sharp, you're going to struggle. And if I'm not driving to the fairway my irons aren't going to be good. I've managed to do that quite a bit."
He looked at the scoreboard after 11 and was six back, then heard cheers as Calcavecchia birdied that same hole a few minutes later. When he checked it out again after 14, he was two back.
"Pretty fortunate for all of us for him to have backed up like that to give us some hope," Haas said.
First-round leader Lehman, who has won two of the first six events, birdied three of the final six holes.Pernice, whose only Champions Tour win came in the 2009 SAS Championship, was cruising until hitting it into the bunker on the final hole and missing his putts.
He had hit a 14-footer for birdie on No. 17. Pernice said he was unaware that he might need only a par after that to manage a share of the lead.
"I didn't really see a scoreboard until 18, and then I really didn't have a chance to look at it because I was too busy putting," he said. "I saw earlier that he had gone to 15 (under) and I really didn't see anything since then. I was really just trying to mind my own business."
Australian Peter Senior (68) and Kenny Perry (71) were three shots back. Perry had a number of near-misses on birdie putts while paired with Calcavecchia but ended up just matching the leader.
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from US unless stated

204 Mark Calcavecchia 68 65 71.
205 Jay Haas 69 68 68.
206 Tom Pernice junior 72 66 68, Tom Lehman 67 71 68.
207 Peter Senior (Australia) 70 69 68, Kenny Perry 71 65 71.
Selected score:
219 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 75 72 72 (T40)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE US PGA SENIORS TOUR WEBSITE


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