MARTIN LAIRD, EIGHTH IN US DOLLARS TABLE, RAISING THE BAR

Luke Donald and Martin Laird, the only two British players in the current US PGA Tour money table for 2011, are making money hand over first.
Donald, born at Hemel Hempstead and a student at Northwestern University, Chicago for four years, is the tour's No 1 earner this season with $3,344,867 for only eight events.

His record season was 2010 when he earned $3,665,234 from 20 events.

Glasgow-born Laird, pictured left by Cal Carson Golf Agency, a graduate of Colorado State University, has already topped his previous best money-winning season in America.

The long-hitting Scot's total this season is $2,314,996 from 13 events, which puts him in eighth position behind Donald.

Laird's previous best was last season when he earned $2,137,928 from 26 events.

LEADING US TOUR MONEY-WINNERS IN 2011

1 Luke Donald (England) £3,44,867 (8 events).

2 Bubba Watson (US) $2,948,790 (12 events).

3 K J Choi (S Korea) $2,915,, 049 (11 events).

4 David Toms (US) $2,842,214 (11 events).

5 Nick Watney (US) $2,791,733 (10 events).

6 Mark Wilson (US) $2,516,572 (14 events).

7 Phil Mickelson (US) $2,362,152 (11 events).

8 Martin Laird (Scotland) $314,996 (13 events).

9 Aaron Baddeley (Australia) $2,265,691 (12 events).

10 Rory Sabbatini (S Africa) $2,150,451 (15 events).

Selected totals:

28 Justin Rose (England) $1,342,182 (12 events).

70 Sergio Garcia (Spain) $604,258 (6 events).

88 Ian Poulter (England) $523,201 (8 events).

89 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) $511,650 (9 events).

90 Brian Davis (England) $501,.976 (15 events).

109 Paul Casey (England) $357,117 (7 events).

206 Michael Sim (Scotland/Australia) $38,043 (11 events).

COATBRIDGE'S LOCHVIEW FAMILY GOLF CENTRE REOPENS

NEWS RELEASE
Golf fans have a million reasons to cheer now that Coatbridge ’s Lochview Family Golf Centre has reopened.
Jim McCae, Leader of North Lanarkshire Council, officially opened the new centre. He said: “Having played at golf here many times, man and boy, it is with great pleasure that I was asked to open Lochview Family Golf Centre and Golf Academy .
“Golf is a sport that can truly be enjoyed at any age and at any level and I know personally of the great work and national award-winning golf programmes that we have right here in North Lanarkshire, delivered through the army of volunteers that form the North Lanarkshire Golf Development Group.
“Lochview is not only golf facility, but also a vital community asset, open and available to everyone and I would encourage people to make use of and enjoy it. I know there also plans to run jogscotland and buggy fit programmes from here.”
Refurbishments include a state-of-the-art clubhouse for golfers and non-golfers alike. Upstairs in the “View Lounge”, people will enjoy a warm welcome and a wide range of food and drinks to choose from.
There’s also a function room with multimedia capabilities, for corporate meetings, visiting groups dining after a round and kids' parties.
Blane Dodds, Chief Executive of North Lanarkshire Leisure (NLL), said: “This fantastic new facility has taken 18 months of hard work to realise, but it’s been worth it. It’s a clear demonstration of the trust’s commitment to providing premium, affordable golf for all.”
Downstairs, a bright, welcoming reception and the refurbished ladies' and gents' locker rooms give you a true vision of the investments being made.
The challenging 18 holes of parkland golf now have the facilities to match them and offer the whole family a great day out.
Golfers can test themselves on the state-of-the-art golf simulator and choose to play one of the world’s great courses.
The 330yd driving range provides ample practice space for the most powerful of hitters while the refitted bays with new vibration dampening floor coverings offer comfortable surroundings to improve your game.
The investment has also encouraged PGA Professional Scott Clelland to join the premier golf coaching facility in the area.
He said: “The investments that NLL have made in the past eighteen months to golf are quite incredible. The opportunity I have here is massive and with the facilities available to me, including explanar and video analysis. I will be able to provide first class coaching from grass roots level all the way through to top level amateurs.”
“Our Junior Academy programme has proved to be an overwhelming success over the past 18 months and we now have over a hundred pupils learning the game from PGA-qualified professionals and coaches.
“However, that’s just the start, both Lochview and Palacerigg Golf facilities have the capability of providing quality coaching to more than two hundred every week and that is my aim.”
Phase 2 of the project will begin this year, thanks especially to the funders, SportScotland, the Royal and Ancient and Viridor who share our passion and vision for golf. This vital Phase 2 funding package will allow us to put in place a new par-3 junior golf course, extensive improvements to the driving range, including two raised target greens, two new bunkers at the putting practice area and extensive course and drainage improvement works.
NLL’s commitment to golf isn’t limited to Lochview. The trust also manages Palacerigg golf course in Cumbernauld, where a major drainage programme has dramatically improved the playing conditions. The development was overseen by Golf Manager Stephen Hogg.
Both facilities are available for individual and visiting parties seven days a week and individual packages for catering, coaching and simulator hire can be provided on request.
For more information, contact Scott Clelland PGA Professional Golf Development Lochview Family Golf Centre on 01236 632400.

OLE SEVE INVITATIONAL AT WENTWORTH RAISED £618,168 FOR SBF

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
The golfing world paid a handsome tribute to one of the game’s greatest champions at Wentworth Club on Monday when the Olé Seve! invitational event raised a staggering £618,168 in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation (SBF).
Olé Seve!in Aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation, co-hosted by Wentworth Club Chairman Richard Caring and European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady, brought 24 leading professionals and their amateur teams together for a celebration of the life of Seve Ballesteros, who died on May 7 at the age of 54.
The pro-am and subsequent auction in Wentworth Club’s magnificent ballroom raised a grand total of £618,168 for the SBF, supporting Cancer Research UK. The sum helped swell to over £1.3 million the amount now raised since Ballesteros launched his Foundation and formed a strong partnership with Cancer Research UK.
Local hero Ross Fisher and his team of Galib Virani, Francois Joseph Fury and Steven Ho won the pro-am competition with an 18 under par score before auctioneer Jonny Gould took the stage to help engineer a rousing finale to an evening which also had its sombre moments in the form of a moving video about the devastating effects of brain cancer.
The 24 players, including five Major Champions, helped make the day a spectacular success through their efforts on and off the course, as nine top of the range auction items raised just under £350,000, with two very special items closely connected to Seve attracting the highest bids of the night.
A Rolex Daytona wrist watch once owned by Ballesteros was auctioned for £65,000 with a gold Ping Putter, a replica of the iconic model wielded by the Spaniard when he won The Open at St Andrews in 1984, raising £55,000.
Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Cancer Research UK, said: “Seve’s impact on ordinary people was tremendous and he wanted to help these people through his Foundation. Sadly, brain cancer was the one bunker Seve couldn’t get out of, but all the funds raised here are ring fenced for research into this form of cancer.”
Ivan Ballesteros, nephew of Seve and long-time spokesman for the Ballesteros family, commented: “The Seve Ballesteros Foundation is Seve’s biggest legacy. He fought all the way and lost the battle 16 days ago, but he started the Foundation for research so that people can win these battles.”
It was left to Ballesteros’s great friend and confidant, José Maria Olazábal, to close the function with an emotional speech in honour of the five-time Major Champion.
He said: “Unfortunately, we lost a great man and a dear friend, but it is not a sad time because Seve lived life to the full. I never saw any other player with his heart and determination. He was a pioneer. He opened doors and changed the image of golf into the truly exciting game it is today. He was a true genius.
“When cancer struck he had two goals – the first was never to give up and the second was to help as many people as possible. That’s why he started up his Foundation and is why this is a very important day. Seve can’t be here but I am sure he would be proud of what everyone has achieved today.”

BLAIRGOWRIE'S A BIG ONE FOR WALKER CUP TEAM CONTENDERS

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION

Scotland’s leading amateur golfers will be aiming to impress the Walker Cup selectors on home turf this weekend as the circuit moves to Blairgowrie for the Carrick Neill Scottish Stroke Play Championship from Friday to Sunday this coming weekend.

 A travelling army of Scots have been out on the road at the Lytham Trophy, Irish and Welsh Stroke Play Championships during the past month but will return to Scottish soil to compete over the next fortnight, with the St Andrews Links trophy following this week’s event over the Lansdowne course.

An illustrious list of past champions, which includes Colin Montgomerie, Bernard Gallacher, Alastair Forsyth and Richie Ramsay, have illuminated the event’s rich history and with many players’ eyes trained on Royal Aberdeen in September, this year’s championship has attracted a stellar field and a record low handicap ballot of plus 1.3.

Scottish Amateur Champion Michael Stewart remains out of action with a wrist injury and with James Byrne competing in the NCAA Championship Finals, Ross Kellett (pictured above) will be one of the leading Scots in the 144-strong line-up. The Colville Park golfer is hoping to draw on previous experience of a good finish in the event to inspire his chances of national success in Perthshire.

“My first taste of contending in a big event was the Scottish Stroke Play back in 2007 where I finished third at Craigielaw behind Scott Henry and Ross McGowan. I’ve also won an event at Blairgowrie - albeit on the Rosemount course - so it’s nice to be going to a venue and an event where I have good memories,” said Kellett, who finished tied 14^th in last weekend’s Welsh Stroke Play.

“The last few weeks have been very tough as it’s been so windy everywhere we’ve played, although a few players have shown there are good scores to be had. My own game is in good shape and I took a lot of confidence from my showing in the Walker Cup training matches a couple of weeks ago.

“It’s good to know that the selectors are watching you as it shows you’re doing well, rather than putting extra pressure on. Hopefully I can put four good rounds together this week and put in some good performances over the next few weeks with some other big events coming up.” he added.

Kellett is joined at Blairgowrie by several members of the GB&I Walker Cup squad including Darren Wright, winner of the Welsh equivalent at St Pierre, Lytham Trophy champion Jack Senior, former British boys champion Tom Lewis and England’s highest world ranked amateur Andrew Sullivan.

Just ahead of Sullivan in the world amateur rankings at number 12 is Matthew Steiger and the Australian heads a strong international challenge making the journey to Blairgowrie, with New Zealander Ben Campbell and South African Brandon Stone also among the southern hemisphere contenders.

Leven’s Brian Soutar, who finished seventh at Glasgow Gailes in 2010, will be looking to continue his excellent start to the season having won the Champion of Champions as well as helping Fife to the Moneygate Scottish Area Team Championship title, while University of Stirling student Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) has his sights set on emulating his top four finish in the event last year.

Carrick Neill, one of the leading specialist golf insurance providers in the UK, sponsor the championship for the first time and the company’s Golf Director David Miller is looking forward to the action this weekend:

“Carrick Neill is delighted to be sponsoring one of Scottish golf’s premier events as part of our long standing partnership with the Scottish Golf Union. We are proud to be associated with the amateur game through our relationships with the SGU, EGU and LGU and our insurance products continue to prove popular among golf clubs and their members.”

Golfers can visit http://www.golferspolicy.co.uk/ for further information on Carrick Neill’s specialist golfers insurance.

Click here for the first and second round draw.

:

LONDONER BRIAN DAVIS WINS ONE-ROUND OPEN IFQ IN TEXAS

FROM THE R AND A WEBSITE
Plano, Texas: Davis Love III will be making his 25th consecutive Open Championship appearance at Royal St George’s, this summer, after earning his place at a weather-shortened International Final Qualifying (IFQ) America on Monday.
Stormy conditions greeted 78 players in their attempt to reach golf’s oldest Major Championship, to be held from July 14 to 17. Severe thunderstorms forced a suspension of play lasting six hours, beginning at 10:36am, leading R and A officials to reduce the event from 36 to 18 holes.

The 6,871yd, par-70 Queens Course at Gleneagles Country Club hosted the event for the third-consecutive year to determine the eight qualifiers. In addition to Love III, Brian Davis, Chad Campbell, Nathan Green, Spencer Levin, Chris Tidland and Bob Estes all advanced.
The final place went to Jerry Kelly, who survived a six-man play-off with Justin Hicks, Brandt Snedeker, Marc Leishman, D A Points and Chris DiMarco, after all finished on three under par.
Love III made his first appearance in The Open at Muirfield in 1987. The 20-time US PGA Tour-winner finished tied for fourth in 2003 at Royal St George’s for the best of his five top-10 finishes.

“I played real well the first 12 holes,” said the 47-year-old, who was five under after 12 holes, when the suspension came. “I had birdie putts on all but one hole. But we were into the wind [after the suspension] all the way in and it played tougher.

“I just wanted to get in,” said Love, who also qualified at Gleneagles in 2009, finishing tied for third.

Brian Davis signed for a bogey-free, six-under-par 64 to win the event by one stroke over Campbell. The 37-year-old from London had extra incentive to advance to his first Open Championship since 2007. Royal St George’s was the site of his best Open finish in 2003, when he tied for sixth.

“My ball-striking [today] was awesome,” said Davis. “Any mishit I had went straight, so you know you’re playing well when that happens.”

The highlight of Davis’ round came at the 15th hole, where he holed a 25-footer from off the green for one of six birdies.

“I’m regarded as a good putter but it has been my weak link this year,” said Davis, who has made seven cuts in his last eight starts. “Once we get that ball rolling, we’ll be back in the ball game.”

The 45-year-old Estes finished tied for eighth at St Andrews in 1995, for his best showing in 11 starts at The Open. He will be making his first start at the event since 2004.

"I qualified for my first Open Championship in 1990 for St Andrews,” said Estes. “As far as I'm concerned, it is THE tournament. It is the one I've wanted to win the most."

Tidland, a 38-year-old veteran of both the US PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour, couldn’t have been happier about qualifying for his first Open.

"It was a good day for me,” said Tidland. “This is what we play for, to play in Major Championships. This is my first Open and Seve was my idol growing up. With him passing away, it will be pretty cool to play this year because I’m sure they will do something special for him."

Kelly’s play-off win came with a par on the third extra hole over Hicks, with the other four players eliminated on the first hole. The 44-year-old will make a return to Sandwich, where in 2003 he opened on the par-four first hole with an 11.

This is the eighth time that IFQ has been held in the United States, and the third straight time in Texas. Gleneagles was chosen due to its proximity to the US PGA Tour’s Texas swing, less than 50 miles from the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, where last week’s Crowne Plaza Invitational was played, and just 20 miles from the TPC Four Seasons Resort, where the HP Byron Nelson Championship is being contested this week.
Full hole-by-hole scores can be found on http://www.opengolf.com/.

SCOTT JAMIESON AWRDED PLACE IN BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
Scott Jamieson’s excellent start to his rookie season on The European Tour has been rewarded with a place in this week’s £4.5million BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.

Jamieson won his Tour card through the Challenge Tour Rankings last year and his outstanding start to the season, which includes a sixth place finish at the Joburg Open, fifth in Sicily and third in the recent Open de España, meant that he was the highest earning player in The Race to Dubai who was not exempt to the BMW PGA Championship.

With two invitations to the Tour’s flagship event held back for the top two non-exempt players in The Race to Dubai (the other invitation was ‘won’ by Jaco Van Zyl), Jamieson, pictured, was a happy man when his phone rang on Sunday evening.
“The Tour called me last night to confirm the invite which was a very nice call to take,” smiled Jamieson, who travelled south to practise at Wentworth on Sunday. “I kind of knew that I had done enough to get into the tournament but it was still good to hear the confirmation.

“The BMW PGA Championship is easily the biggest event I will have ever been involved in. I actually spoke to my dad who had checked the Tour website to see if I had got in and he saw my name on the Entry List.
“He called me and said ‘I see you are in’, so I went onto the website myself to check my name was there and it was only then when I realised how big the tournament is. You just have to look at the names on the list to see that you are involved in a big, big event.
“We have the four holders of the Majors at Wentworth this week, the top two in the world and then so many other big names. Ernie Els is one that really stands out for me just because of his history at Wentworth and his standing in the game.”
Less than two years ago the Scot was plying his trade on the third level EuroPro Tour but his level of performance there, and then on last year’s Challenge Tour, have ensured the 27 year old has accelerated through the ranks.
“I suppose it does show how far I have come in a short couple of years. I have managed to come through the system pretty quickly – I think the only way I could have made it to The European Tour any faster was to win three Challenge Tour events in one season – and getting into the BMW PGA is a very nice reward.”
Jamieson's excellent start to the year also saw him top the first re-rank of the season, when the 43 eligible players in Category 11 of the Tour’s Membership (who either finished in positions 11-20 in the 2010 Challenge Tour Rankings or graduated from the 2010 Qualifying School) are re-ranked by their level of performance during the first half of the season.
With earnings of €227,982 already on The 2011 Race to Dubai, Jamieson moved to the top of Category 11, meaning he will have a better chance of gaining entry to many of the Tour’s lucrative summer events.
“It’s great to top the re-rank,” said Jamieson. “It means I have a better chance of getting into tournaments like the Scottish and French Open which are massive events.
“Things are going well for me at the moment and it looks like I have already done enough to keep my card for next year which was my immediate goal at the start of the season. I would love to win the Rookie of the Year Award and get into the Dubai World Championship at the end of the season. If I can do that then that means I’ll be among the top 60 players on Tour which is exactly where I want to be.”

ARNOTT MISSES OUT ON PLAY-OFF CHANCE AT DUNDONALD LINKS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Former PGA Cup player Robert Arnott has missed out on the opportunity to gain a place in this year's Great Britain and Ireland team for the match at CordeValle in the United States.
The Bishopbriggs Golf Range pro had a round of seven-over-par 79 in conditions of wind and rain, described by tournament director Roy Murray as "absolutely horrendous" - and left the Dundonald Links clubhouse early, thinking he had no chance of making the 12 qualifiers from the Scottish eliminator for the £78,000 Glenmuir PGA pro championship at The Belfry from June 14-17.
But the weather affected the scoring so much that two-over-par 74 was the best score, returned by both Norman Huguet (Musselburgh) and Scott Catlin (Greenburn) and 79 was the play-off mark for the last three places.
Arnott, pictured, was not there when his name was called and it became a four-way play-off for three places between Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Alistair Brown (Whitecraigs), Calum Smith (Royal Musselburgh) and David Fleming (Prestwick).
In the sudden-death play-off, Lockhart got through at the first. Brown and Smith prevailed at the second hole, leaving David Fleming the odd man out.
"David will be first alternate and Robert Arnott will be second alternate as far as the Scottish qualifiers are concerned. If one or two of the 12 qualifiers drop out, then David will get the first place available and Robert the second," said Roy Murray.
There will be a field of 156 competitors - all the PGA Regions have held qualifying tournaments - competing over the PGA National course at The Belfry.
The team to represent GBandI in the PGA Cup in September will be based on the leading final individual scores.
Huguet had no birdies on his card but he did well on a damage limitation exericse on a weather-beating task he felt was akin to takling an assault courese. He had 16 pars and two bogeys (at the second and 12th).
Catlin had more variation about his figures. Birdies at the long third, long fifth and ninth but a double bogey 5 at the short fourth and single shots dropped at the eighth, 12th and long 14th.
Jamie Wales had birdies at two par-5s, the 14th and 18th, and bogeys at the short sixth, ninth, 12th, short 15th and 16th.
Ryder Cup referee Ian Taylor had a double bogey 6 at the first hole but did not let that dispirit him. He must have felt a lot better after birdieing the second and the long third. Bogeys did follow at the short fourth, seventh, 12th and 13th.


QUALIFIERS
Par 72
74 Norman Huguet (Musselburgh) 37-37, Scott Catlin (Greenburn) 36-38.
75 Jamie Wales (Kingsacre) 38-37.
76 Ian Taylor (Drumpellier) 38-38.
77 Anthony Mackrell (Playsportgolf), Jonas Hedberg (Royalo Aberdeen).
78 Nick Walton (Glasgow), George Mackechnie (Ternesse), Ewan Hogarth (Peebles).
79 (after play-off) Alistair Brown (Whitecraigs), Calum Smith (Royal Musselburgh), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank).
1st alternate David Fleming (Prestwick) - beaten in play-off; 2nd alternate - Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE PGA UK WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

CITY OF ABERDEEN FOURSOMES FOR THE MAITLAND SHIELD

HOST CLUB: PETERCULTER

MONDAY NIGHT'S FIRST-ROUND RESULTS

BON-ACCORD bt Royal Aberdeen.
PORTLETHEN bt Stonehaven.
NEWMACHAR bt Auchmill.
NIGG BAY bt Deeside.
PETERCULTER bt Caledonian
NORTHERN bt Hazlehead

Bye to SECOND ROUND
Banchory v Murcar Links

+The Editor would like to display the results of tonight's matches later this evening. Clubs are invited to E-mail their match results, with players' names if possible, to Colin@scottishgolfview.com ASAP

POWER CUT PUT US IN LIMBO FOR MORE THAN 16 HOURS

A POWER CUT IN THE BIELDSIDE AREA FROM 3.15pm YESTERDAY UNTIL AFTER 8am THIS MORNING MEANT THAT WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO PUT UP ANY UPDATES.
NORMAL SERVICE WILL BE RESUMED AFTER WE CATCH UP ON THE BACKLOG

Colin Farquharson
Colin@Scottishgolfview.com