CRAIBSTONE ALLIANCE-STYLE OPENS START THIS WEDNESDAY

From Colin Farquharson
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
If you live within 100 miles of Craibstone Golf Club near Aberdeen and you are looking for a competitive round of golf every Wednesday, then the new Craibstone Alliance style opens are for you.
These 18-hole competitions will run until the North-east Alliance season resumes in mid-September.
Open to male (handicap limit 20) and female (handicap limit 30) amateurs and also professionals and assistant professionals, the prize funds will depend on how many entries there are every Wednesday.
There will be scratch and handicap prizes.
The entry fee is £15 or £10 if you are already a Craibstone member . The normal Craibstone visitor's green fee is £35. 
Catering is available to all at the "Brimmond Bistro" within the Craibstone clubhouse.
Phone Golf Operations Manager Billy Sim now to reserve your tee time between 8am and 2pm on Wednesday. His mobile number is: 075533 47143 and get the time at which you want to play.
And why not bring along a friend or even two or three to help Billy get this innovative idea off the ground.  

OPEN INTERNATIONAL FINAL QUALIFYING AT SUNNINGDALE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R AND A
Graeme Storm coasted to a place in the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George’s as he won International Final Qualifying Europe for the second time in three years at Sunningdale.
The 33-year-old from Hartlepool produced rounds of 65 and 62 over the Old and New courses for a 12-under-par 127, taking the first of 10 qualifying places on offer at Sandwich.
At the end of a long day, the start of which was delayed by 90 minutes because of heavy rain, Storm, the 2007 French Open winner, emerged with a three-shot victory over Sweden’s Alexander Noren.
“The delay certainly helped me, because when I teed-off the rain had stopped and the conditions were perfect,” admitted Storm, who won IFQ at Sunningdale in 2009.
“It’s fantastic to qualify. I’ve not played St George’s since the Amateur Championship was there in 1997, so it will be nice to go back."
Noren, fresh from his victory in Sunday’s Wales Open at Celtic Manor, secured a double success, as he set up a third Open appearance with rounds of 66 and 64 for a 130.
“I came here on a great high, but I said to my caddie that I needed to just focus for one more day and then we could celebrate the win,” he said. “I was always going to be happy whatever happened today but now I can really enjoy all of this.”
Frenchman Thomas Levet, joint runner-up in the 2002 Open at Muirfield, continued his rich vein of qualifying form as he progressed in a share of third on 131 after a 65 and a 66. The former Scottish Open winner booked a place in the US Open at nearby Walton Heath last week, and he completed a good seven days with another purposeful display.
“I’ve got through to The Open and the US Open at qualifying; there’s not many guys do that,” smiled Levet.
Scot Peter Whiteford, seventh in the BMW PGA championship and eighth in the Wales Open over the past week, secured his first start in a Major after a 67 and a 64 left him in a tie for third on 131.
English youngster Gary Boyd, who played in the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale, also came through on 131.
Spain’s Alejandro Canizares, who was tied-fourth heading into the final round of last year’s Open at St Andrews but fell away into a tie for 27th with a closing 77, ensured a swift return with a 67 and a 65 for 132.

He was joined on that mark by France’s Gregory Bourdy and the English duo of Richard McEvoy and former European Open winner Kenneth Ferrie.

“I actually came through a seven-man play-off in this event or the 2005 Open at St Andrews and then won the European Open the following week at the K Club,” said Ferrie. “That was my best ever year and hopefully getting through here can kick-start my season again.”

In a five-man play-off to decide the final place, George Coetzee emerged with the coveted 10th and final berth. The South African, along with Brett Rumford, Soren Kjeldsen, Pablo Larrazabal and Mark Tullo, had all finished on six under par. As Kjeldsen, Rumford and Tullo were eliminated, Coetzee finally prevailed with a birdie-two on the sixth extra hole, to deny Spain’s Larrazabal.


Full, hole-by-hole scores can be found on http://www.opengolf.com/


LEADING TOTALS
Par 139
127 Graeme Storm (England) 65 62.
130 Alexander Noren (Sweden) 66 64.
131 Gary Boyd (England) 65 66, Thomas Levet (France) 65 66, Peter Whiteford (Scotland) 67 64.


TO ACCESS THE R AND A WEBSITE SCORING SERVICE


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THIS WEEK'S ABERDEEN MEN'S PENNANT LEAGUE FIXTURES

TUESDAY
Banchory v Royal Aberdeen
Hazlehead v Portlethen


THURSDAY
Deeside v Northern
Murcar Links v Peterculter
Newmachar v Nigg Bay

+Club officials are invited to E-mail the results to Colin@scottishgolfview.com, with individual results if possible but not essential, ASAP so that they can be displayed on this website the same evening or the following morning.

POTENTIAL V A T WINDFALL FOR SCOTTISH GOLF CLUBS

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
An English golf club has won a tribunal against HM Revenue and Customs which could lead to a cash windfall benefiting many golf clubs across Scotland.
A court decision on Friday (3 June) in a case between Bridport and West Dorset GC and HM Revenue and Customs ruled that income from visitor green fees at golf clubs should not be subject to VAT, leaving the club to potentially benefit in thousands of pounds in reclaimed tax.
With many Scottish clubs also having lodged claims over the past year, payments to these clubs could range from £3,000 up to £240,000, which could double with interest added on. However, clubs were urged to remain cautious with HM Revenue and Customs given up 56 days to appeal the decision. Clubs are also advised to continue to account for VAT on visitor income until the outcome of that appeal is confirmed.
Andy Salmon, Scottish Golf’s Development Manager, welcomed news of the potential windfall:
“The tribunal decision will be warmly received by many of the SGU and SLGA’s affiliated clubs, some of whom could be set for a significant financial boost. We have been monitoring the situation closely with our partners at VAT services and keeping our member clubs informed of the progress.”
“Clubs have faced very challenging circumstances over the past three years and those who have submitted claims, no matter how small, will hopefully benefit from this decision. We strongly urge clubs to take professional VAT advice to ensure that they are realising any opportunity that might exist as a result of this ruling.” he added.
Gary Moore, of Glasgow-based VAT Services (Scotland) Ltd who has been working with the SGU and SLGA for the past two years, expressed his satisfaction with the court ruling, having lodged claims on behalf of 29 clubs.
“This is fantastic news for golf clubs. Like many organisations, they have found it tough in the recession and this will be a very welcome boost. We always believed there was a good chance of a successful outcome and we have spent a lot of time preparing and submitting claims for our clients.”
"It is not too late for clubs who have not yet taken action. The opportunity is still there to consider a claim only for the last four years. However, we should also point out while many clubs are set to benefit, not all will.”
The SGU and SLGA offer advice to affiliated golf clubs on a wide range of services as part of their supporting clubs programme, from VAT legislation and child protection policies through to governance and membership marketing. A series of updates has been given to clubs throughout the Bridport and West Dorset case, which was lodged in court back in February this year.


For further information on the SGU and SLGA’s VAT advice, visit http://www.scottishgolf.org/go/club-services/vat-and-golf-clubs.

DONALD AND WESTWOOD FOR BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR

World Number One Luke Donald, and Lee Westwood, the man he supplanted at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, will resume their healthy rivalry for global supremacy as part of a glittering cast competing in next month’s Barclays Scottish Open.

The two much vaunted Englishmen confirmed their participation at Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness today (Monday) along with World Number Six, American Matt Kuchar. This ensures a minimum of five of the top eight players on the World Ranking will carry their combined talents to Scotland from July 7-10, where they will compete for a winner’s cheque of £500,000 from an overall prize fund of £3 million.

Donald and Westwood, who contested a superlative ‘winner-takes all’ climax to the BMW PGA Championship at a packed Wentworth Club just eight days ago – Donald’s victory earning the title and the Number One position – are joined by fifth ranked Phil Mickelson and current US Open Champion Graeme McDowell (eighth).

Kuchar, who has become one of the strongest and most consistent performers on the US PGA Tour, confirmed he will compete at the spectacular Castle Stuart links along with former European Number One Justin Rose, Scotland’s highest ranked player Martin Laird, currently 25th in the world, his fellow Scot Paul Lawrie, defending champion Edoardo Molinari of Italy and three-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington from Ireland.

The confirmation of top names from both sides of the Atlantic will ensure that the 2011 Barclays Scottish Open brings the best of world golf to the newest and most northerly venue on The European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

Donald, who rose to the pinnacle of the game by defeating Westwood in a sudden-death play-off for the BMW PGA Championship, said: “The Barclays Scottish Open has generated huge interest this year with the move to Castle Stuart and I am really looking forward to playing the course. It promises to be a great week."

Westwood, who dethroned Tiger Woods as Number One last November, was briefly knocked off his perch by Martin Kaymer but enjoyed a second spell on top of the world with back-to-back wins in Indonesia and Korea in April.

The 2009 Race to Dubai winner commented: "This year's Barclays Scottish Open is certain to create a great deal of interest and excitement because of a change of venue and a move to a links course. I'm really looking forward to visiting a part of the country that I have very little experience of. From what I have heard, it's an excellent facility and should be ideal preparation for what follows immediately afterwards.”

Kuchar will be seeking an unprecedented Barclays ‘double’ at Castle Stuart. Last August, the American Ryder Cup player beat Laird, in a sudden-death shoot-out at The Barclays, the first event in the 2010 FedEx Cup play-off series.

He said: “I am really excited about participating in the Barclays Scottish Open this year. I have heard great things about the new venue and it promises to be a fantastic week and ideal preparation for The Open Championship.”

Former European Number One Rose, twice a winner on the US PGA Tour last season, is another Englishman with the title in his sights. He commented: “I am really looking forward to my first visit to Castle Stuart. It promises to be a fantastic venue and a wonderful setting for such a great tournament.”

+All four days of the Barclays Scottish Open will be broadcast live on BBC Television (July 9 and 10) and Sky Sports (July 7 and 8) with extensive highlights on both channels.

HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS

CLACKMANNAN COUNTY MATCH-PLAY UNDERWAY


The first two rounds of the 2011 Clackmannan County Match play Championship took place last week and, of course, the usual surprise results turned up.
In the eight first-round matches over Braehead, top wins were recorded by holder Michael Robertson (Alva) with an 8 and 6 win over Dollar’s Kevin Christie followed by a 7 and 6 win by Scott Moffat against John Maxwell. Closer matches came from County Team Captain who was pushed very strongly by Tillicoultry’s Scott Baird with Jamie winning on the last green and David Milloy winning by one hole against Darren Hulston.
John Gullen had a tough match against home favourite Ross Benvie who won with a deft pitch from the edge of the 15th green.
In the quarter finals at Alva, Ian Guthrie (Alloa), one up at the turn, made it through against Braehead’s Peter Macleod; David Milloy in an all Alloa match against Jamie Aitken held his three-hole lead after nine to win on the 16th and in the top match of the evening, home club and 2010 Champion Michael Robertson lost to long hitting Scott Moffat also on the 16th green.
Always an incident around: one of the quarter-finalists over hit the ninth green at Alva into the car park, and, with considerable skill, hit his own car TWICE.


QUARTER FINAL RESULTS


I Guthrie (Alloa) bt P Macleod (Braehead) 2 and 1.
S Moffat (Braehead) bt M Robertson (Alva) 3 and 2.
D Milloy (Alloa) bt J Aitken (Alloa) 3 and 2.
R Benvie (Braehead) bt I Ross (Alloa) 5 and 3.


Competitors were quick to praise the Braehead and Alva courses----while the Alva layout may not be to everyone’s liking, the greens were smooth, putted well and much better than the greens of some much more expensive Scottish courses.

Clackmannan boys team at Hayston on Sunday. Left to right: Rikky Alexander, Lawrence Allan, Reyner Kennedy and Kevin Ross.

BOYS AREA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The performance of the Clackmannan team at the Scottish boys' area team Championships held at Hayston yesterday could best be described as moderate, with the team finishing in eleventh place from the 16 teams… incidentally beating many much larger Areas.
Star of the team had to be Alva’s Reyner Kennedy who recorded the best scratch score of the team in the afternoon singles with a 74 in cold and windy conditions and with tree lined fairways which proved difficult to hit.
Team Captain Bill Hatley was a little disappointed “ A few lapses in concentration resulted in higher scores with off line shots and some three putts. Shots could have been saved which would have resulted in a top ten finish--- that would have been pretty good for a team whose average handicap was above the handicaps of other teams. Clackmannanshire could do with keener boy golfers”


TEAM SCORES
(2 FOURSOMES PLUS 3 FROM FOUR SINGLES SCORES)


L Allan and R Kennedy 74; K Ross and R Alexander 81


Singles Allan 75; Kennedy 74, Ross 79.
TEAM TOTAL 383


Winning Team Lothians------ Team Total 360.


Alva’s Lawrence Allan will be in the field for the 72 hole Junior Tour event at Cardrona near Peebles this weekend when he will be hoping for a good performance to lift his 2011 boys ranking. Many congratulations to Lawrence on being appointed School Captain at Alva Academy… a well deserved honour.


CALLUM BACK TO SOME GOLFING FORM
After missing four cuts in a row on the European Challenge Tour, it was good to see Tulliallan’s Callum Macaulay earn some euros in Austria last weekend. With scores of 71,67,70,75, Callum finished 5th best Scot and hopefully gave him some confidence to face an intensive series of Challenge Tour events in 2011--- a couple in France during the next two weeks and then the Scottish Hydro Challenge….. he needs some good scoring to lift his Challenge Tour ranking from 92nd … preferably into the top twenty to return to the full European Tour

AND FINALLY
Clackmannan’s golf representative to the Scottish Golf Union enjoyed his own success last week when he won the Dollar Seniors Open with a net score of 62, a pleasant change from recording and announcing the success of others in golf.
Well done to Kenneth Ellacott!

WHEATCROFT WINS BY 12 - A RECORD FOR US NATIONWIDE TOUR

By Joe Chemycz, Nationwide Tour staff
COLLEGE PARK, Maryland -- It wasn't even close. Steve Wheatcroft eagled the final hole to polish off his first career win in record-setting fashion at the Melwood Prince George's County Open. The 33-year old Indiana University grad shot a final round 7-under 64 and lapped the field by a Nationwide Tour-record 12 strokes.
Wheatcroft finished at 29-under par and splattered his name all over the record book while picking up a first-place check for $108,000, which moved him from No. 32 to No. 2 on the season money list.
"I'm absolutely over-the-top ecstatic. I've been out here for five years and never won," he said. "I wanted to make that next step and I wanted to do it in a big way."
It wasn't big, it was huge. The list of his accomplishments would take several pages but perhaps the most impressive was his score of 255, the lowest 72-hole total in the 22-year history of the Nationwide Tour. The old mark of 258 was set by Chris Smith at the 1997 Omaha Classic and later matched by Daniel Chopra at the 2004 Henrico County Open.
His margin of victory is also the largest in Tour history, topping Smith's 11-stroke win 14 years ago and Marc Leishmann's 11-shot margin at the 2008 WNB Golf Classic.
"I had the pedal to the floor all day," said Wheatcroft. "I didn't' want anybody thinking they had a chance today."
Nobody had much of a chance the last three days.
The Pennsylvania native moved to the front with his 10-under 61 in the second round and never turned around to see who was following. He set Tour records for the largest 36-hole lead (seven) and the largest 54-hole lead (eight) before slamming the door in Sunday's finale.
"Friday was one of those crazy days and I just tried not to look back," he said.
Ryan Armour posted a 9-under 62 to finish at 17-under par and grab a share of second place with Jon Mills (65). Nicholas Thompson (69) ended the week at 16-under to take solo fourth. Thompson had the best seat in the house Sunday, playing alongside Wheatcroft.
"He played phenomenal," said Thompson. "There was no catching him."
Wheatcroft eased into the day but left little doubt that he was headed to his first win when he rolled in birdies at Nos. 4, 6 and 8.
"Everybody behind me had nothing to lose and I knew they were going to be firing at pins. They were going to go as low as they can," he said of his challengers. "The goal was to try and birdie as many as I could and get as far ahead as I could."
Wheatcroft's bandwagon started slowly but began to build as the record-setting day wore on.
"Making a birdie I look up and see 'Terrible Towels' waving," said the Pittsburgh area native. "I hear everyone cheering and hear voices I recognize. My family was here, my girlfriend was here, my friends were here. We probably had 25-30 with us and we picked up a few more (fans) as we went along."
His lead was in double digits at the turn and the only questions left to be answered would be about the final numbers.
"The first time I felt really safe was on 14 green. I probably had 18 feet left for par," he said. "That was a huge boost for me. Fourteen and 15 are nasty holes if you don't get it in play and things can change. You give one or two back and it shrinks and all of a sudden everyone's thinking they have a shot."
They were wrong. Wheatcroft kept the pressure and closed with a 5-foot birdie at No. 15, two-putted for birdie from 40 feet at No. 16 and then finished with a flourish.
"I wanted to go out with a bang," he said. "I'm kind of a TV ham and the 18th green on Sunday is about as good as you're going to get."
Wheatcroft rolled in the eagle from 20 feet to finish off the week but the celebration will have to wait. He will join fellow pros and amateurs on Monday as they try to qualify for the U.S. Open, which will be played about 30 minutes away at Congressional Country Club.
"I'll delay it one more day," he said. "The U.S. Open is my biggest tournament. It's my dream tournament. I'm pretty sure Monday night will be a big one."
The celebration, like everything else, will pale in comparison to all that he accomplished over the past four days.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
Players from US unless stated
255 Steve Wheatcroft 66 60 65 64.
267 Ryan Armour 71 68 66 62, Jon Mills (Canada) 67 67 68 65.
268 Nicholas Thompson 66 69 64 69.
Selected totals
271 Gary Christian (England) 70 71 62 68 (T7).
272 Greg Owen (England) 65 68 68 71 (T9).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE

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BROOKS STUMBLES, GILDER WINS ON US SENIORS TOUR

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Bob Gilder made a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 18, then watched Mark Brooks bogey the hole to escape with a one-stroke victory Sunday in the Principal Charity Classic.
Brooks seemed assured of his first victory in seven starts on the US Champions Tour when he led by three strokes with four to play. But he hit into the water on 17 and needed a nifty putt just to make bogey. He then three-putted on 18 to hand the title to Gilder, who also won this tournament in 2002
The 60-year-old Gilder earned his 10th victory on the Champions Tour but first since 2006. He closed with a 6-under 65 for a 14-under 199 total.
"It's just been a long time," said Gilder, choking up in the emotion of the moment. "You put in a lot of work as you get older. You kind of wonder if you can do it again."
Brooks, the leader after the first two rounds, shot 68. Mike Goodes and Rod Spittle each came in at 65 to finish two strokes back. Mark Calcavecchia, who trailed Brooks by one stroke heading into Sunday, shot 69 and finished three off the lead.
"That was a disaster," Brooks said.
Gilder's victory followed 61-year-old Tom Watson's win in the Senior PGA Championship, the first time in the 50-and-over tour's history that 60-plus golfers have won back-to-back tournaments. It's just the 20th time that a player 60 or over has won.
Gilder also snapped a streak of four straight tournaments ending in playoffs. But even with Gilder's clinching putt, this one appeared headed for a playoff because Brooks needed to merely two-putt from 25 feet for a tie.
But he rolled his putt 5 feet past the hole, then missed the comebacker as the gallery groaned.
"That was one of the few I hit past the hole all week," Brooks lamented. "The rest were short, short, short. If had putted good today, I would have won by three or four strokes."
But he didn't and Gilder had a long awaited victory, ending a drought of four years, eight months and 13 days since winning at the Constellation Energy Classic. His best finish previously this year had been a tie for 56th.
"I thought it was going to be a playoff," Gilder said. "That's not a good way to lose it for Mark. It's not a fun way to lose."
Trailing by four through 14 holes, Gilder shaved off a stroke on each of the next two holes with birdies, then got to within a single stroke of the lead when he parred 17 while Brooks bogeyed. Then came the dramatic 18th and one of the most memorable putts of Gilder's career.
"Until he hit into the water on 17, winning never really had entered my mind," said Gilder, who had only one bogey in the 54 holes.
Spittle played the last 48 holes without a bogey. He got himself onto the leaderboard by making four birdies and an eagle during a seven-hole stretch in the middle of his round.
"I could have had a few more out there and looking at the leaderboard, it would have helped," Spittle said. "But I played well. If you can shoot 65 or 66, that makes it fun for everybody."
After two early bogeys, Goodes birdied seven of his last 12 holes to keep pace with Spittle, his playing partner. His highlight: A long chip for birdie on No. 17 after hitting into the stands.
"That was the only good shot I hit on that hole," he said. "That's the way golf is. Sometimes it only takes one."
Calcavecchia was tied for the lead through 7, but bogeyed the par 5 No. 9 hole to fall three back and saw his hopes of a late run end with bogeys on the final two holes.
Defending champion Nick Price closed with a 66 to finish six back. Price had recorded nine straight rounds in the 60s in this tournament before shooting a 71 on Saturday.
Keith Fergus tied the tournament record with a 63, the best round of his Champions Tour career, after starting 76-73. He put up eight birdies in his bogey-free round, including four in a row on the front nine.
The difference? He left his allergy medicine behind.
"I think it kind of made me in a foul humor for two days," Fergus said. "So I just said, 'You know what, if I die of allergies, I'm just going to die.' I went out and I just played well and hit the ball and made some putts, felt a little more enthusiasm about my game."
A 63 was recorded three times previously in this tournament, most recently by Tommy Armour III in the first round last year.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
Players from US unless stated
199 Bob Gilder 68 66 65.
200 Mark Brooks 65 67 69.
201 Mike Goodes 70 66 65, Rod Spittle 687 68 65.
202 Mark Calcavecchia 67 66 69.
Selected totals
205 Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 68 71 68 (T13).
209 Roger Chapman (England) 73 67 69 (T28).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORS ON THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE