Sunday, August 14, 2011

RUSSELL KNOX FINISHES 12th US NATIONWIDE TOUR EVENT

Russell Knox finished 12th in this weekend's US Nationwide Tour event, the Price Cutter Charity Championship at Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo.
The man from Inverness had rouns of 68, 67, 69 and 67 for 271.

The tournament is not finish yet (at time of writing)

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LIVE SCORING FROM FINAL ROUND OF THE US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

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EXETER'S HARRISON GREENBERRY IS NEW BRITISH BOYS CHAMPION

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R AND ABurnham-on-Sea, Somerset: Exeter’s Harrison Greenberry survived a late fight back from Lincolnshire’s Patrick Kelly to win the 85th Boys Amateur Championship at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club today.
Greenberry had been three up heading to the 30th hole of an engrossing 36-hole final, but then had to watch as his English international opponent whittled away his lead, before bouncing back with an up-and-down par for victory on the 37th hole.
The 17-year-old becomes the first Devon boy to win the title since Mark Grieve emerged victorious over the same Somerset course back in 1982, and he plans to have a double celebration with his elder sister Lucinda, who turned 20 today and was at Burnham and Berrow to watch the action unfold.
The final started in relatively calm weather but not long before the end the wind was gusting up to 25 miles-per-hour, making scoring extremely difficult. Kelly, in particular, struggled on the greens and will rue the three three-putts he had on the first four holes in the afternoon, just when Greenberry seemed to be going through a momentary lapse.
Greenberry had been two up at lunch but Kelly won the 421yd par-4 second with a par and then got back to all square for the first time since the 8th in the morning, when he secured another par on the treacherous 195yd par-3 fifth, where Greenberry missed the green to the left.
The Devon county player looked at that stage to have a fight on his hands but Kelly lost three holes in-a-row to pars from the ninth before mounting a charge of his own with a birdie on the 401-yard 12th and a magnificent eagle on the 558yd par-5 13th, where he hit a majestic low running long iron under the wind to five feet from the hole.
Greenberry went back to two up on the 14th where Kelly missed from 8-feet for a par but the 17-year-old from Boston West refused to go down without a fight and promptly won the 14th and 17th with pars before finally succumbing, when he missed the green on the first extra hole and then failed to get up-and-down.
“This is awesome, absolutely awesome,” said the new champion. “When I came here this week all I was trying to do was make the cut and then try to get through a couple of rounds but now I have won what’s probably the biggest boys’ event in the world.
“To be honest, I think it will be a while before it sinks in,” he added.
“Tonight we’ll have a big party, not just for me but also for my sister. It will be a double celebration and we might not go to bed all night.”
Kelly, who played for the victorious England team at last week’s Boys Home Internationals, was distraught after coming up just short.
“It was just one of those days when I couldn’t get the ball in the hole,” he said. “I gave myself plenty of chances but the putts wouldn’t drop.”
Greenberry succeeds Adrian Otaegui as the Boys Amateur champion, the Spaniard having defeated Germany’s Maximilian Rottluff by 4 and 3 in last year’s final at Kilmarnock Barassie. He also joins an elite group of former champions that includes Michael Bonallack, Mark Mouland, Ronan Rafferty, Jose-Maria Olazabal, David Howell, Sergio Garcia and Tom Lewis.
The 2012 British Boys Amateur Championship will take place at Notts and Coxmoor golf clubs on the 14-19 August.

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FOUR SHARE TOP PRIZE AT SANDYHILLS PRO-AM

Scott Henderson (Kings Links), David Orr (East Renfrewshire), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank) and Stephen Gray (Hayston) each earned £1,011 for figuring in a four-way tie for victory on three-under-par 67 in the Sandyhills Golf Club, Glasgow pro-am today (Sunday).
They finished two shots clear of Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Christopher Currie (Caldwell) and Mark Kerr (unattached) whose cash reward was £435 apiece.

LEADING PRO SCORES
Par 70
67 Scott Henderson (Kings Links), David Orr (East Renfrewshire), Alan Lockhart (Ladybank), Stephen Gray (Hayston) (£1,011 each).
69 Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Christopher Currie (Caldwell), Mark Kerr (unatt) (£435 each).
70 Mark King (Kingsfield), Chris Kelly (Cawder), Fraser Mann (Musselburgh), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), James McGhee (Duddingston) (£216 each).
71 Jonathan Lomas (unatt), Andrew Marshall (Houston GR), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs GR), Mark Loftus (Adam Hunter Golf), Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle), David Patrick (Elie SC) (£149 each).
72 Lindsay Mann (Carnoustie GL), Greig Hutcheon (Banchory), Steven Taylor (Bothwell Castle) (£61 each

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EWAN GRIMES SETS PACE AT SHOTTS' YOUNG PROS 54-HOLER


Ewan Grimes (Carrick on Loch Lomond) shot a five-birdie 67 to open up a two-stroke lead at the end of the first round of the 54-hole Shotts Young Professionals' Order of Merit pro-am today (Sunday).
Gareth Wright (West Linton) is his nearest rival on one-under-par 69 with third place being shared by Andrew McIntyre (Ranfurly Castle) and Christopher Robinson (Dumfries and Galloway). Among the group on 72 is Callum Macaulay's wife Claire-Marie (Carlton that was), a pro on the staff of Playsport Golf.
LEADING SCORES
FIRST ROUND
Par 70
67 Ewan Grimes (Carrick on Loch Lomond).
69 Gareth Wright (West Linton).
71 Andrew McIntyre (Ranfurly Castle), Christopher Robinson (Dumfries and Galloway).
72 Duncan Bain (Aberdour), Gordon Hillson (Dunbar), Clare-Marie Macaulay (Playsport Golf, Ryan Buckley (Craigielaw), Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar).
73 Ewan MacPherson (Auchterarder), Craig Armstrong (Burntisland).
74 Gordon Robertson (Airdrie), Ross Neill (Drumpellier), Stuart Williamson (West Kilbride).
75 James Boyce (Erskine), Jospeh McBrearty (Haggs Castle), Clarke Lutton (Qatar)




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JORDAN FINDLAY WINS NORTH-EAST DISTRICT OPEN AT INCHMARLO

SCOTT CRICHTON LOSES SIX-STROKE
LEAD OVER SUNDAY'S TWO ROUNDS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Almost eight years to the day since he won the British boys' championship final, Jordan Findlay from Fraserburgh covered the last 36 holes in three-under-par to win the North-east District Open amateur stroke-play championship at Inchmarlo Golf Club, Banchory today.
It's often forgotten that Findlay also reached the 2005 British boys' final, in which he was beaten, but it is an indication that mid-August is the time of the year when he plays very well indeed.
This latest victory was Findlay's best performance since he beat a field of professionals and amateurs to win the Scottish Alliance championship at Murcar Links last autumn and, a month or two earlier, reached the final of the Scottish amateur championship at Gullane where he lost to Michael Stewart.
At Inchmarlo, the Buchan man had rounds of 72, 69, 69 and 68 over the par-70 woodland lay-out for a two-under-par total of 278.
Findlay, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, dropped from the Scotland home international team which failed to take the title from Englandin Ireland last week, held his nerve in a tight finish to hole an eight or nine-footer for par on the last green to win by a single shot from three players - former Scotland international Bryan Innes (Murcar Links), Conor O'Neil (Pollok) and long-time leader Scott Crichton (Aberdour), all finishing on 279.
Innes did a "Ben Hogan" with ever-improving scores, climaxed by a fourth-round 65, the best round by anyone over the 72 holes.
O'Neil was joint second with Findlay and Justin Duff (also from Fraserburgh), still three shots behind pacemaker Crichton's with one round to do and finished with a 69. He bogeyed the last or would have been in a play-off with Findlay.
Duff finished fifth on 280 - only two strokes off the lead - and will tonight be rueing his bogey-bogey-bogey finish to his final round of 70.  
Crichton, who had beaten another "Buchan loon," Philip McLean, in a play-off to win the Cameron Corbett Vase 72-hole tournament in Glasgow a few weeks back, looked to have another SGU Order of Merit event victory sewn up when he started like an express train.
The Aberdour man led after 18 holes, he led after 36 holes and he still led after 54 but on Sunday morning he had begun to lose his momentum in the pole position.
With rounds of 68 and 66 for a six-under-par tally of 134, Crichton was six shots clear of the field at halfway. And he was still three ahead with only one round to go, but Crichton failed to produce his Sunday best to maintain that lead and his total for the second half tournament was 11 shots worse - 73 and 72 for five-over 145.
Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs), winner of the NE District Open title at Cruden Bay 12 months ago, never got into contention this year but finished a respectable joint 11th on 287.

ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
Par 280 (4x70)
278 Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 72 69 69 68.
279 Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) 73 72 69 65, Conor O'Neil (Pollok) 73 70 67 69, Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 68 66 73 72.
280 Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 75 67 68 70.
282 Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) 67 73 71 71.
283 Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 71 70 70 72.
284 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 67 76 68 73.
286 Angus Carrick (Douglas Park) 72 72 75 67, Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 73 72 71 70.
287 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 73 73 70 71, Nick MacAndrew (Cullen) 73 71 69 74.
288 John Duff (Newmachar) 75 73 70 70, Scott Robertson (Hazlehead) 69 77 72 70, Alan Sutherland (Ladybank) 75 67 74 72.
289 Clark Brechin (Portlethen) 73 68 74 74.
290 Michael Gray (Lanark) 72 77 71 70, Anthony Brews (Murcar Links) 76 71 72 71, Stephen Spiers (Portpatrick Dunskey) 71 74 72 73.
291 Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) 78 73 72 68, Scott Ritchie (St Andrews) 75 71 75 70.
293 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 78 71 70 74.
294 Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 72 74 73 75, Paul Simpson (Aboyne) 74 70 75 75.
295 Kenny Gunnyeon (Murcar Links) 69 77 73 76.
296 Donald MacAndrew (Royal Aberdeen) 75 71 74 76.
297 David Michell (Leven Thistle) 78 73 79 67, Alistair Rogers (Monifieth) 74 73 76 74.
298 Ben Murray (Portlethen) 72 77 73 76.
299 Grant Carnie (Newburgh) 72 75 79 73.
300 Andrew Hepburn (Fraserburgh) 75 75 77 73.
301 Jamie Reid (Cruden Bay) 81 70 68 72, Ritchie Manson (Kemnay) 73 73 77 78, John Godward (McDonald Ellon) 71 74 75 81.
302 Iain Wilson (Dalmahoy) 75 75 75 81.303 Ross Anderson (Stonehaven) 72 76 76 79. 304 Lewis Mutch (Duff House Royal) 71 75 79 79. 315 Scott Murray (Stonehaven) 73 77 81 84
MISSED THE CUT
152 Euan Kennedy (Newmachar) 74 78
153 Iain Galbraith (Murcar Links) 77 76. 154 Andrew Carrell (Peterculter) 78 76.
155 John Mitchell (Fraserburgh) 71 84.
156 Ryan Donaldson (Portlethen) 80 76, Fraser O'Connor (Inchmarlo) 79 77, Mark McLean (Fraserburgh) 75 81, Matthew Greig (Bon Accord) 71 85.
157 Andy Campbell (Murcar Links) 87 76.
158 Stephen Cook (Portlethen) 78 80, Ryan McKinnon (Peterculter) 76 82.
159 Grant Joss (Royal Aberdeen) 79 80, Garry Duncan (Carnoustie) 78 81. 161 Gary Esson (Portlethen) 84 77, Greg Dunsmore (Saline) 84 77. 163 Barry Mitchell (Murcar Links) 83 80.
164 Cameron Johnstone (Northern) 78 86.
169 Andrew Hutchison (Kinross) 86 83.
174 James Watt (Meldrum House) 88 86.
175 Sean Hassard (Deeside) 91 84.
NRs James Hendrick (Pollok) 76 NR, Stuart McIntosh (Ballater) 79 NR, Richard Barr (Newmachar) 81 NR.


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STIRLING'S BOOTH AND CULVERWELL FINISH IN SWISS TOP TWENTY

Two Stirling University students, David Booth and Alexander Culverwell, achieved top-20 finishes today in the Swiss men's amateur international championship over 72 holes at Ascona.
Booth, from Rotherham, had rounds of 70, 71, 68 and 65 for a 10-under-par total of 274 and a share of seventh place behind the Swiss winner Andrea Gurini (68-69-67-63 for 267)
Culverwell from Dunbar finished joint 13th on six-under-par 278 with scores of 71, 71, 71 and 65.
There were two other Scots in the field. John Mathers (Haggs Castle) finished joint 40th on 287 with rounds of 70, 73, 73 and 71. Bobby Rushford (Grangemouth) missed the halfway cut by eight shots with first and second round scores of 71 and 81 for 152.

 TOP 20 FINAL TOTALS
1 Gurini, Andrea Switzerland 68 69 67 63 267 
2 Bludau, Yannick Germany 68 65 70 66 269
T3 Bergamaschi, Filippo Italy 71 68 68 65 272 
T3 Miloro, Mattia Italy 67 69 66 70 272 
T5 Stal, Gary France 69 71 66 67 273
T5 Schmieding, Daniel Germany 69 69 65 70 273 
T7 Saddier, Adrien France 70 71 70 63 274 
T7 Booth, David (Scotland) 70 71 68 65 274 
T7 Weber, Lionel France 70 68 71 65 274
10 Gabella, Arthur Switzerland 66 69 68 72 275 
11 Königsfeld, Mario Germany 68 69 69 70 276 
12 Rusch, Benjamin Switzerland 70 70 70 67 277
T13 Culverwell, Alexander (Scotland) 71 71 71 65 278 
T13 Daux, Franck France 71 70 72 65 278
T13 Lando-Casanova, Jérôme France 71 70 71 66 278 
T13 Beins, Hendrik Germany 71 70 66 71 278
T13 Amacher, Edouard Switzerland 68 69 72 69 278 
T18 Iff, Mike Switzerland 73 68 69 69 279
T18 Kölbing, Jonas Germany 71 64 71 73 279
T20 Walz, Maximilian Germany 74 70 67 69 280
T20 Hommen, Nicolas Switzerland 68 72 70 70 280 
T20 Monnier, Adrien France 68 68 70 74 280

Other Scottish scores:
T40 John Mathers 70 73 73 71 287
MISSED CUT (144 or better qualified)
152 Bobby Rushford 7181.

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NORWEGIAN CHALLENGE - FINAL TOTALS

By SARAH GWYNN
European Challenge Tour Press Officer
Scottish trio Craig Lee, Andrew McArthur and Chris Doak were left disappointed after they narrowly missed out on victory in the Norwegian Challenge.
Lee and McArthur were the best placed at the start of the day at Hauger Golf Club near Oslo, two shots off the lead, but the former carded a three over par 75 to slip back to a share of ninth place, while McArthur’s level par 72 left him tied third with Doak, who impressed with a four under par 68.
McArthur needed to birdie the last to join the play-off between Florian Praegant and Andrea Pavan, and when his drive found the middle of the fairway it looked promising. However, he went in a greenside bunker with his second shot and did well to get up and down for par.
“I’m disappointed,” admitted the 32 year old. “I had no idea of the scores as there was no leaderboard on the 17th. But I was still trying to make birdie and finish as high up as I could, so to go in a bunker from the middle of the fairway was not good enough.”
Lee was the outright leader at one stage and three under for his round after five holes, but he bogeyed the sixth and 12th, then double bogeyed the 13th for the second day running.
“It’s annoying because I was making good progress, then I threw away shots on the back nine again, just like I did yesterday. The 13th has been a strange hole because I birdied it the first two days, then double bogeyed it the last two.
“I had a good chance today so it’s frustrating, especially as no one ran away with it.”
Doak, who had his best finish of the season, added: “I played well all week but just made three mistakes which all ended up with a double bogey. Three mistakes cost me six shots in the first three rounds so it was nice to have a bogey-free card today.
“But it’s encouraging and I’ll go to Denmark next week with a lot of confidence in the way I’m playing.”
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
279 A Pavan (Ita) 70 71 68 70, F Praegant (Aut) 70 71 69 69,
280 C Doak (Sco) 71 68 73 68, A McArthur (Sco) 70 70 68 72,
281 S Thornton (Irl) 71 69 68 73
282 J Hepworth (Eng) 69 69 68 76, J Heath (Eng) 71 68 69 74, J Lagergren (Swe) 72 71 71 68
283 P Edberg (Swe) 66 69 78 70, G Dear (Sco) 70 72 71 70, F Valera (Esp) 68 70 70 75, R Steiner (Aut) 64 74 73 72, M Thorp (Nor) 72 70 69 72, C Lee (Sco) 66 72 70 75, V Almstrom (Swe) 67 70 73 73
284 J Moul (Eng) 71 68 74 71, L Kennedy (Eng) 71 67 73 73, K Ventura (am) (Nor) 70 70 71 73
285 M Southgate (Eng) 72 66 77 70, S Little (Eng) 67 74 71 73, H Santos (Por) 70 71 71 73, C Brazillier (Fra) 67 73 73 72, G Adell (Swe) 71 70 72 72, S Piaget (Mon) 67 71 71 76, K Eriksson (Swe) 70 69 71 75, L Jensen (Den) 68 72 72 73, A Snobeck (Fra) 69 73 75 68, B Åkesson (Swe) 74 66 70 75, G Houston (Wal) 69 72 71 73, H Norlander (Swe) 76 64 72 73, D Vancsik (Arg) 70 67 75 73
286 C Lloyd (Eng) 70 72 76 68, B Grace (RSA) 71 71 66 78, S Bebb (Wal) 69 73 70 74, A Butterfield (Eng) 72 67 72 75, M Warren (Sco) 72 67 73 74
287 M Madsen (Den) 71 70 70 76, A Otaegui (Esp) 76 66 69 76, A Tadini (Ita) 72 70 70 75, C Monasterio (Arg) 68 71 74 74, C Ford (Eng) 69 71 74 73, A Ahokas (Fin) 69 72 72 74, E Johansen (Nor) 67 72 72 76, F Ohlsson (Swe) 70 73 70 74
288 K Borsheim (Nor) 68 74 74 72, P Relecom (Bel) 75 67 74 72, V Riu (Fra) 68 71 73 76, S Hutsby (Eng) 69 70 75 74, G Jackson (Eng) 68 73 72 75, B Barham (Eng) 71 72 70 75, P Dwyer (Eng) 73 69 72 74, L Canter (Eng) 71 72 71 74
289 J Quesne (Fra) 73 70 74 72, J Campillo (Esp) 73 70 72 74, P Kaensche (Nor) 72 69 73 75, G Lockerbie (Eng) 68 74 74 73
290 J Guerrier (Fra) 75 68 73 74, B Evans (Eng) 72 71 71 76, N Floren (Swe) 71 71 75 73, A Bossert (Sui) 71 71 72 76, E Bertheussen (Nor) 73 70 73 74
291 C Aronsen (Nor) 69 72 73 77, H Joannes (Bel) 70 71 72 78, N Kearney (Irl) 71 72 74 74
292 B Hebert (Fra) 69 72 74 77
293 M Kieffer (Ger) 71 70 72 80, E Kofsta (Nor) 68 75 80 70, J Clément (Sui) 68 73 78 74, P Nilbrink (Nor) 71 68 73 81,
299 B Chapellan (Fra) 76 67 78 78,
** F Henge (Swe) 68 75 74 WD,

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SCOTT CRICHTON'S LEAD CUT TO THREE SHOTS IN NE DISTRICT OPEN

Aberdour's Scott Crichton, leader by six strokes overnight at the halfway stage of the North-east District Open 72-hole stroke-play championship, saw his lead cut to three shots over the third round at Inchmarlo Golf Club, Banchory today.
Crichton shot a three-over-par 73 - after Saturday scores of 68 and 66 - and, with a 54-hole tally of 207, had three players closing the gap on 210: Conor O'Neil (Pollok), and a Fraserburgh pair, Justin Duff (69) and Jordan Findlay (69).

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 210 (3x70) CSS 71 72 tbc
207 Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 68 66 73.
210 Conor O'Neil (Pollok) 73 70 67, Justin Duff (Fraserburgh) 75 67 68, Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) 72 69 69.
211 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon) 67 76 78, Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 71 70 70, Barrie Edmond (Bon Accord) 67 73 71.
213 Nick MacAndrew (Cullen) 73 71 69.
214 Bryan Innes (Murcar Links) 73 72 69.
215 Clark Brechin (Portlethen) 73 68 74.
216 Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 73 73 70, Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 73 72 71, Alan Sutherland (Ladybank) 75 67 74.
217 Stephen Spiers (Portpatrick Dunskey) 71 74 72.
218 John Duff (Newmachar) 75 73 70, Scott Robertson (Hazlehead) 69 77 72.
219 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 78 71 70, Anthony Bews (Murcar Links) 76 71 72, Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 72 74 73, Kenny Gunnyeon (Murcar Links) 69 77 73, Paul Simpson (Aboyne) 74 70 75, Angus Carrick (Douglas Park) 72 72 75.
220 Michael Gray (Lanark) 72 77 71, Donald MacAndrew (Royal Aberdeen) 75 17 74, John Godward (McDonald Ellon) 71 74 75.
221 Iain Wilson (Dalmahoy Hotel) 75 75 71, Scott Ritchie (New Zealand) 73 75 73, Peter Latimer (St Andrews) 75 71 75.
222 Ben Murray (Portlethen) 72 77 73.
223 Chris Robb (Inchmarlo) 78 73 72, Ritchie Manson (Kemnay) 73 73 77, Alistair Rogers (Monifieth) 74 73 76.
224 Ross Anderson (Stonehaven) 72 76 76.
225 Lewis Mutch (Duff House Royal) 71 75 79.
226 Grant Carnie (Newburgh on Ythan) 72 75 79.
227 Andrew Hepburn (Fraserburgh) 75 75 77.
229 Jamie Reid (Cruden Bay) 81 70 78.
230 David Mitchell (Leven Thistle) 78 73 79.
231 Scott Murray (Stonehaven) 73 77 81.

MISSED THE CUT
152 Euan Kennedy (Newmachar) 74 78,
153 Iain Galbraith (Murcar Links) 77 76.
154 Andrew Carrell (Peterculter) 78 76.
155 John Mitchell (Fraserburgh) 71 84.
156 Ryan Donaldson (Portlethen) 80 76, Fraser O'Connor (Inchmarlo) 79 77, Mark McLean (Fraserburgh) 75 81, Matthew Greig (Bon Accord) 71 85.
157 Andy Campbell (Murcar Links) 87 76.
158 Stephen Cook (Portlethen) 78 80, Ryan McKinnon (Peterculter) 76 82.
159 Grant Joss (Royal Aberdeen) 79 80, Garry Duncan (Carnoustie) 78 81.
161 Gary Esson (Portlethen) 84 77, Greg Dunsmore (Saline) 84 77.
163 Barry Mitchell (Murcar Links) 83 80.
164 Cameron Johnstone (Northern) 78 86.
169 Andrew Hutchison (Kinross) 86 83.
174 James Watt (Meldrum House) 88 86.
175 Sean Hassard (Deeside) 91 84.
NRs James Hendrick (Pollok) 76 NR, Stuart McIntosh (Ballater) 79 NR, Richard Barr (Newmachar) 81 NR.

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HAMPSHIRE, FRIESEN SHARE US NATIONWIDE TOUR LEADERSHIP

FROM THE US NATIONWIDE TOUR WEBSITE
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Travis Hampshire knew he needed to shoot something low in Saturday's third round of the US Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship if he was going to have a chance to win.
The 30-year old Floridian charged into contention with a 9-under 63 grabbed a share of the 54-lead at 18-under par 198. Nebraska's Steve Friesen, the first- and second-round leader, carded a 4-under 68 to join Hampshire at the top.
Josh Broadaway (68) kept pace with Friesen, his playing partner, and is one back of the co-leaders.
Casey Wittenberg matched his career-low round with a 63 early in the day and holds down fourth place, two off the pace.
Michael Sims (65), Ted Potter (68), Cliff Kresge (69) and Gavin Coles (69) are tied for fifth at 15-under.
"I don't really pay too much attention to the boards," said Hampshire. "If you get one of those days where everything's going right you just take advantage of it and fire at the flags and take it as low as you can."
Hampshire, in his rookie season on the Nationwide Tour, is no stranger to low numbers. The former Purdue Boilermaker shot a 12-under 60 earlier this year at the BMW Charity Pro-Am where he held or shared the lead each of the first three days.
"It's always the putter when you go low. That's all it is out here," said Hampshire, who is T7 in putting this week. "You have to putt well. I hit it just as good today as I did the first two days but I just made more putts. That's always the key."
It also helps when your putting when you hit nearly every green in regulation. Hampshire has missed only six greens through 54 holes, essentially giving him 48 looks at birdie.
"I don't think about a score I need to shoot because I think that puts too much pressure on you," he said. "You know that everybody is going to make a bunch of birdies."
Friesen has made 21 birdies to lead the field but had only two on the front nine and two on the back, closing with five straight pars.
"I tried my best but I couldn't make any coming in," he said. "We (Broadaway) were both hitting good shots and staying aggressive and then on the back nine we both made a lot of pars, which isn't terrible but we lost our momentum."
Friesen hit bundle of fairways and missed only two greens but just couldn't get the putts to fall, including a 15-footer at the par-5, 18th that would have given him the outright lead again.
"I feel like I'm handling myself pretty well," he said. "It looks like it's super packed up there and I've got to have a really good round tomorrow to stay up there. That's to be expected at this level. If you don't play at your best you're going to be dropping."
+Russell Knox was tied 14th after three rounds with scores of 68, 67 and 69 for 204.

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LESSER LIGHTS STILL SHINING AFTER THREE ROUNDS OF US PGA

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
JOHNS CREEK, Georgia (AP) — Brendan Steele and Jason Dufner at least can make a name for themselves in the US PGA Championship. Until that big trophy is handed out Sunday, however, this major remains very much a mystery.
How will they handle the pressure of the final round?
Can they safely navigate through the four-hole finish, considered among the most brutal of any course?
And just who are these guys, anyway?
Rarely has a major championship contained so much inexperience at the top going into the final round. Steele is believed to be the first rookie since John Daly in the 1991 US PGA to play in the final group of a major.
Steele, already a winner this year on the US Tour and No. 121 in the world, showed remarkable poise Saturday by overcoming a double bogey on the seventh hole. He ran off four birdies over his next seven holes, and not even a safe bogey on the 18th could take away from a 4-under 66 to give him a share of the lead.
He is tied with Jason Dufner, who, at 34, is still looking for his first US PGA Tour win. Dufner, stoic as ever with a chunk of tobacco jutting out from his bottom lip, atoned for a pair of three-putt bogeys on the back nine with back-to-back birdies. He only missed one green in the third round and shot 68.
They were at 7-under 203, one shot clear of Keegan Bradley, a 25-year-old rookie who also won earlier this year. Bradley, playing in the final group, opened with a double bogey, which might have been expected given his inexperience. He also bounced back with remarkable resiliency, playing bogey-free on the back nine and rallying for a 69.
Now comes the hard part.
Never mind that only one of the top 10 players in the world is within four shots - Steve Stricker, who shot 69 and was three behind. Or that Tiger Woods, defending champion Martin Kaymer and British Open champion Darren Clarke all missed the cut. Or that U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy blew up in a round of 74 and was out of contention.
Atlanta Athletic Club is the kind of course that can take shots away without notice. Jim Furyk discovered that by putting three balls into the water on the last four holes for a pair of double bogeys.
"Wishy-washy play is not going to get it done," Steele said.
Right behind them is plenty of experience.
Scott Verplank, who at 47 can become the second-oldest major champion, rattled in a 50-foot putt across the 17th green for a most unlikely birdie, then laid up on the par-4 18th and escaped with par by making an 18-foot putt for a 69. He was only two shots behind.
Stricker, at No. 5 the highest-ranked American in the world ranking, took only 10 putts on the front nine when his round could have gone south quickly. He steadied himself with a solid up-and-down for par on the final hole.
"Everybody is going to be dealing with their nerves and the pressure of trying to win," Stricker said. "I think it's who can keep it together the best and be patient and play some good golf."
Only two players among the top 12 on the leaderboard have won majors - Masters champion Charl Schwartzel and David Toms, who won the US PGA Championship on this course 10 years ago. They were at 2-under 208, five shots behind.
Also in that group was Adam Scott, coming off a win at Firestone last week. He struggled to a 70, but has not lost hope.
"You can make up six shots in the last four holes," said Scott, who was six behind when he finished. "So yeah, I think you can make up six shots in the last round."
The final round is so much up in the air that even Lee Westwood, desperate to finally add a major to an otherwise stellar career, remains in the mix despite one bad hole that spoiled his afternoon. A tee shot that just climbed into a bunker in the 14th fairway led to a three-putt double bogey on the 14th. He still managed a 70 and was six shots behind.
Luke Donald, the No. 1 player in the world who also is without a major, got to within one shot of the lead only to find the water on the 18th hole and close with a double bogey, leaving him seven shots behind.
"It does offer some birdie opportunities, and you can get it under par," Donald said. "But there are some tough holes out there that you've got to weather, and the champion at the end of the week is probably going to have played those tough ones the best."
The last player to win a major in his first try was Ben Curtis in the 2003 British Open at Royal St. George's. The last American to make a major his first PGA Tour win was Shaun Micheel at the PGA Championship in 2003 at Oak Hill.
"It's a great week for me just to be in the field," said Steele, won the Texas Open a week after the Masters. "To have a chance to actually win in my first major is really something special."
Bradley, the nephew of LPGA Tour great Pat Bradley, won the Byron Nelson Championship in May and contended last week in Firestone. When he started with a double bogey, he didn't panic.
"It really did not faze me that much," Bradley said. "My goal was to under-react to everything that happened out there today, good or bad. And you know, I took it pretty well. I knew that it was a very important time for me to stay calm and stay patient, or else it could have got away from me. And I did, which was good."
Saturday was the kind of day when it could have gotten away from a lot of players. Despite more muggy temperatures, the rookies managed to keep their composure.
Anders Hansen of Denmark, who has never seriously contended in a major, also kept it together with a 70 and was at 3-under 207, along with Pebble Beach winner D.A. Points, who went nine holes without making a par but still shot 71.
The toughest part about Sunday might be killing time until the late afternoon tee time. That shouldn't be a problem for Steele, who spent the first three months getting the last tee time on tour because of his rookie status.
Then again, that was another reminder of how far he has come already.

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