WATNEY AND NA SHARE LEAD IN US PGA TOUR EVENT

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nick Watney shot a 7-under 64 on Saturday for a share of the third-round lead with Kevin Na in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Watney, a two-time winner this year, birdied the final three holes and five of the last six at TPC Summerlin to match Na at 17 under in the Fall Series opener. Na followed his second-round 63 with a 66.

"I'm trying to keep it really simple," Watney said. "I've driven the ball pretty well and it's just been fairly easy to hit quite a bit of greens. I think that's what you need to do out here is give yourself as many chances as possible. I've been able to do that so far.

"This course is right out there in front of you. It's fairly short for Tour standards, so it's just about execution."

He won the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March and the AT and T National in July.

Robert Garrigus (63) and Kris Blanks (66) were a stroke back, and Tommy Gainey (64), Paul Goydos (66) and Tim Herron (67) followed at 15 under.

Na, tied for the lead with Jhonattan Vegas and Charlie Wi after the second round, played the front nine in 4 under with five birdies and a bogey, and added a birdie on the par-5 16th to reach 17 under.

"I got off to a really good start on the front nine, made five birdies," Na said. "I felt like I could go real low with a bunch of birdie holes on the back. Unfortunately, I slowed down a bit and missed a few short ones. But to finish 5-under for the day, I was pretty pleased."

Robert Garrigus had nine birdies and a bogey in his 63. Hospitalised for dehydration on Monday in Phoenix, Garrigus opened the round with four straight birdies, then birdied three of the last four.

"I started off on fire," he said. "It was just one of those days when everything was going in early, and I knew if I could sprinkle in some (birdies) late it would be a really good day, and it ended up being nice.

Vegas (69), Roland Thatcher (63), Spencer Levin (64) and Carl Pettersson (66) were 14 under.

The 36-hole cut came at 4-under 138, with 80 players advancing. Because more than 78 players made the cut, there was a secondary cut at 4-under 209 after the third round to the low 70 players and ties.

The 4-under cut tied for the lowest on the US PGA Tour this season with the Travelers Championship, John Deere Classic, Viking Classic and The Barclays.

Fran Quinn was the only player left on the course when play was suspended due to darkness Friday. He came back Saturday morning and made a 14-foot birdie putt for a 67 to make the cut. He shot a 76 in the third round to drop out of the tournament.

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STATEN LEADS BY TWO ON NATIONWIDE TOUR

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE

MIDLAND, Texas -- B.J. Staten knows the task at hand facing him on Sunday. The former University of Houston golfer will begin Sunday's final round at the 20th annual WNB Golf Classic with a two-stroke lead over Gavin Coles and three strokes over rookie Harris English, who tied the tournament course record with a 10-under-par 62.
Harris played for the losing United States team in last month's Walker Cup match at Royal Aberdeen.

Staten has a 54-hole total of 18-under-par 198.

Winless in 121 previous starts on the Nationwide Tour, Staten last led or tied for the lead heading into the final round in June, 2010 when he was T1 at the Melwood Prince George's County Open (finished T30) and the Mexico Open (T2).

"There are a lot of quality guys behind me and all you can ask for is to have a chance on Sunday," Staten said. "I had it going today and it was really fun there for awhile. When you get conditions like we had today you have to take full advantage of it. If you don't, guys are going to pass you by. That's the way it is out here."

The lone blemish in Staten's round came on No. 15 when he hit his driver left and took an unplayable which led to a double bogey. However, he offset his one misfortune with five birdies and an eagle at No. 12 on his way to a 5-under-par 67.

"I just had one bad golf swing which came at No. 15," Staten added. "I just came straight out of the driver and hit it left and made double, but I had a lot of chances out there today. I missed makeable putts at 10 and 11 as well as at 13 and 14. If you asked me at the start if I'd take a 67 today I would have. I can't complain."

Staten made four birdies on the front to make the turn at 17-under and drained a 35-foot putt for an eagle on No. 12 which moved him to 19-under-par after 12 holes. However, after his double at No. 15, he bounced back with a sand wedge to four feet for a birdie at No. 17 and then capped his round with a clutch eight-foot par save on No. 18.

Australian Gavin Coles heads the group of players chasing Staten. He fired a 7-under-par 65 on Saturday and had a chance to tie Staten with a par putt at No. 18 but missed his 12-footer.

"I hit a few squirrely ones today that I got away with and made some good putts which I hadn't been making all year," Coles said. "I made a couple over 20 feet which isn't too bad for me. I was patient and I think I hit 16 of 18 greens today. The highlight of my day was my shot at No. 8. I hit a 3-iron to an inch. We've got another 18 to go so we'll go out and see what we can do."

Rookie Harris English tied the tournament course scoring record with a 10-under-par 62, the lowest round of his golf career. His 6-under-par 30 on the back nine included five straight birdies to close out his record-tying day.

"We had perfect weather today and it was a really good day to score," the former University of Georgia star said. 

"I struggled with the putter the last couple of days but I lightened my grip on the putter and it really helped. I've been hitting it well and gave myself some chances. I rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 1 and started to get some confidence and went on from there."

This is just his second professional start. He won the Nationwide Tour's Children's Hospital Invitational in July as an amateur and turned professional before last week's Soboba Golf Classic where he finished T49.

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SANTANDER SIGN UP RORY McILROY FOR £10,000,000 (at least!)

EDITOR: We missed the following story in the Belfast Telegraph last week but worth calling up for you now:

FROM THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Rory McIlroy has proved that he really is one of the world’s most bankable sportsmen by signing a huge sponsorship deal with Santander.
Britain’s fifth-biggest high street bank has decided that the charismatic young Ulsterman is the ideal person to promote their brand — and, to underline that, they’ve offered the golf star a multi-million pound contract which his management is understood to have accepted.
The eight-figure deal (there are eight digits in £10,000,000 and above!) will see Santander UK’s name appear on the 22-year-old’s clothing, and McIlroy will also front a forthcoming TV ad campaign for the banking giants.
Santander’s other sporting ambassadors include Formula One drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.
The deal is believed to have been brokered by Santander UK chief executive Ana Botin — who was the Spanish junior champion ladies golfer in 1973 and 1974.
McIlroy’s stunning win at the US Open in June has put him on course to be one of the wealthiest UK sports stars.
His world profile has also been heightened by his blossoming relationship with new girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish tennis player who is ranked number one in the world.

LLOYD KENNEDY LEADS BY ONE ON CHALLENGE TOUR

By SARAH GWYNN, European Tour Press Officer
Englishman Lloyd Kennedy will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Fred Olsen Challenge de España in the Canary Islands after carding a six under par 65 on day three.
At 19 under par for the tournament at Tecina Golf, the 26 year old is just ahead of compatriot Matt Baldwin and Spaniard Pedro Oriol, who had a flawless 64, while Italian Alessandro Tadini is a further shot back at 17 under.
With only three events remaining on the Challenge Tour schedule after this week, the pressure is building for a place in the top 20 of the Rankings and subsequent promotion to The European Tour.
Kennedy was 66th heading into the €150,000 tournament, but if he felt the pressure it did not show as he racked up five birdies on the front nine and two more, against one bogey, on the way back. He has never won on the Challenge Tour and has had two top tens this season.
He said: "I played great and had a good start. I played a bit better than the last couple of days. I feel on the course. I kept playing my game and giving myself chances. Tomorrow I will try to score lower, make no bogeys and try to do the same thing I have been doing.
“Today I hit it very close to the pin and I holed a long 25-feet putt for birdie on the 15th. There is still a long way to go and there are many players around the lead. I was in this position this year in England (the English Challenge in July), but I never made it. It could be this week.”
Oriol attributed his impressive score to a change in putter which has turned around his fortunes on the greens.
He said: “I’ve struggled with putting all season and I am trying a new putter this week which seems to be working well. I’m happy with it. All aspects of my game are very good and I’m feeling calm.
“Tomorrow I will just play my game. There are many players who will try to make a strong start. This is the first time this year I am in a position to win.
“This course suits my game very well. I have always played well here. There must be something in the Canary Islands that makes me feels very well because I have won amateur tournaments here and played very well at professional tournaments also. Winning here would mean a radical change in my life.”
Baldwin, who like his rivals Oriol and Kennedy has yet to taste victory on the Challenge Tour, said: “I had a couple of loose tee shots but I managed to put myself in a good position for tomorrow.
“I have made tons of birdies this week and I will try to keep on my game. A win here would secure a European Tour card for next season. I have been in this position a couple of times this year and unfortunately could not make it yet.”
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
194 L Kennedy (Eng) 63 66 65
195 M Baldwin (Eng) 63 67 65, P Oriol (Esp) 65 66 64
196 A Tadini (Ita) 65 63 68
197 N Meitinger (Ger) 62 67 68, P Relecom (Bel) 67 64 66
198 C Lloyd (Eng) 66 65 67, M Cryer (Eng) 64 64 70, V Riu (Fra) 64 67 67, J Guerrier (Fra) 66 65 67,
199 B Åkesson (Swe) 67 66 66, C Brazillier (Fra) 62 67 70, D Denison (Eng) 65 67 67, J Campillo (Esp) 68 65 66,
200 K Eriksson (Swe) 66 64 70, S Walker (Eng) 69 67 64, E De La Riva (Esp) 67 69 64
201 J Palmer (Eng) 70 65 66, J Zapata (Arg) 69 64 68, J Garcia (Esp) 68 68 65, A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 63 68 70, G Dear (Sco) 67 68 66
202 A Marshall (Eng) 69 65 68, R Wingardh (Swe) 69 67 66, S Tiley (Eng) 68 68 66, F Valera (Esp) 68 68 66
203 J Grillon (Fra) 68 69 66, A Hartø (Den) 68 68 67, C Rodiles (Esp) 72 65 66, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 65 69
204 D Vancsik (Arg) 68 67 69, C Doak (Sco) 69 68 67, A Tampion (Aus) 66 67 71, O Whiteley (Eng) 65 72 67, A Perrino (Ita) 68 70 66, E Kofstad (Nor) 68 69 67
205 J Legarrea (Esp) 67 64 74, A Domingo (Esp) 67 68 70, B Chapellan (Fra) 66 67 72, B Evans (Eng) 70 67 68, J Moul (Eng) 71 67 67, E Saltman (Sco) 67 71 67, H Bacher (Aut) 69 69 67, P Edberg (Swe) 68 68 69
206 L Westerberg (Swe) 68 69 69, D Lokke (Den) 68 68 70, R Santos (Por) 69 69 68, J Lagergren (Swe) 67 68 71, A Bernadet (Fra) 67 70 69, J McLeary (Sco) 72 65 69, A Johnston (Eng) 66 69 71
207 C Lee (Sco) 65 73 69, L Jensen (Den) 65 70 72, K Borsheim (Nor) 70 66 71,
208 N Henriques (Por) 73 65 70, S Bebb (Wal) 69 68 71, C Aguilar (Esp) 68 69 71, J Bragulat (Esp) 66 72 70
209 A Hansen (Den) 71 67 71, T Leon (USA) 65 71 73, N Kearney (Irl) 72 66 71, B Reiter (Aut) 71 66 72
210 M Delpodio (Ita) 67 68 75
211 N Lombardi (Ita) 65 72 74,
212 J Clément (Sui) 69 69 74,
213 S Piaget (Mon) 69 68 76,

GORDON BRAND junior FINISHES WITH A TRIPLE BOGEY

By Neil Ahern, European Tour assistant press officer
 nahern@europeantour.com
Gordon Brand junior suffered a disappointing finish to the Belas Clube de Campo Senior Open de Portugal after a triple bogey on the last hole ended his hopes of victory as Mark Mouland clinched his maiden European Senior Tour win.
The Welshman’s steady four under par round of 68 was enough to seal victory in a dramatic finale after as many as five potential winners fell by the wayside on the challenging final stretch at Belas Clube de Campo, to the west of Lisbon.
In a thrilling finish, Jerry Bruner, Brand Jnr, Doug Johnson and Gary Wolstenholme all shared the lead as the final groups reached the turn.
But they all faltered on the closing holes with every one of them suffering at least a double bogey on the back nine, Brand Jnr hitting into the water on the 18th hole for a triple bogey seven that left him with a one over par final round of 73.
Overnight leader Mike Cunning also struggled to get going in the final round after a bogey on the third hole before three dropped shots on the back nine contributed to a one over par final round of 73.
Mouland, meanwhile, was composure personified as he came down the stretch, birdieing the 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th holes in a round which didn’t feature a single blemish.
Indeed, the two time European Tour winner, whose last victory in European golf came at the 1988 KLM Open, only had a single bogey all week in Portugal as he picked up the winner’s prize fund of €45,000.
Bill Longmuir, meanwhile, finished with a two under par round of 70 to leave him tied for 23rd on one under par.

PORTUGAL SENIORS OPEN SCOREBOARD

Belas Clube de Campo, to the west of Lisbon
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
207 M Mouland (Wal) 70 69 68
208 M Cunning (USA) 69 66 73
209 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 69 70 70
210 I Woosnam (Wal) 70 69 71, J Bruner (USA) 65 71 74
211 R Chapman (Eng) 70 69 72, D Johnson (USA) 67 71 73, G Brand junior (Sco) 70 68 73, D Russell (Eng) 65 75 71, N Ratcliffe (Aus) 68 70 73, J Gould (Eng) 74 66 71, A Sherborne (Eng) 74 64 73
212 K Tomori (Jpn) 70 71 71, T Johnstone (Zim) 68 71 73, A Forsbrand (Swe) 73 67 72
213 A Franco (Par) 71 70 72, M James (Eng) 73 69 71
214 P Dahlberg (Swe) 76 69 69, G Manson (Aut) 67 71 76, J Quiros (Esp) 71 74 69, C Williams (RSA) 71 72 71, R Davis (Aus) 70 72 72
215 B Longmuir (Sco) 72 73 70, M Moreno (Esp) 71 69 75, G Brand (Eng) 69 72 74, G Cali (Ita) 72 73 70
216 N Job (Eng) 73 71 72, C Mason (Eng) 71 71 74
217 P Fowler (Aus) 72 68 77, E Darcy (Irl) 70 74 73, C Rocca (Ita) 73 72 72, J Heggarty (Nir) 72 72 73, B Cameron (Eng) 71 72 74, D Hospital (Esp) 68 77 72, D Merriman (Aus) 71 72 74
218 S Cipa (Eng) 73 70 75, A Fernandez (Chi) 74 69 75
219 D Smyth (Irl) 70 71 78, M Belsham (Eng) 71 72 76, A Oldcorn (Sco) 71 72 76, K Spurgeon (Eng) 69 71 79
220 G Banister (Aus) 77 71 72, M Harwood (Aus) 73 71 76, J Chillas (Sco) 72 70 78, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 75 73 72, B Lincoln (RSA) 78 73 69, A Sowa (Arg) 73 69 78
221 H Carbonetti (Arg) 76 71 74, T Thelen (USA) 80 69 72, J Stuart (USA) 74 70 77
222 M Farry (Fra) 73 71 78, J Harrison (Eng) 74 75 73, L Carbonetti (Arg) 78 69 75
223 J Rivero (Esp) 72 75 76
224 J Rhodes (Eng) 78 74 72, R Drummond (Sco) 73 73 78
225 J Cañizares (Esp) 75 73 77, E Costa (Por) 74 75 76, F Mann (Sco) 76 74 75
226 S Bennett (Eng) 78 75 73, D Cambridge (Jam) 78 72 76,
227 A Garrido (Esp) 72 80 75,
228 G Ralph (Eng) 75 72 81, T Charnley (Eng) 74 75 79, M Bembridge (Eng) 74 77 77, M Piñero (Esp) 74 74 80,
229 E Polland (Nir) 74 76 79,
230 B Smit (RSA) 84 72 74,
231 D Durnian (Eng) 75 76 80,
232 V Garcia (Esp) 82 77 73,
235 M Gray (Sco) 81 79 75, L Neto (am) (Por) 82 75 78,
239 M Miller (Sco) 76 78 85,
245 J Dias (Por) 85 79 81,
258 K Barrett (Eng) 79 81 98,


ENDS



Neil Ahern

Assistant Press Officer

MICHAEL HOEY LEADS BY THREE IN DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Michael Hoey will take a three-shot lead over compatriot Graeme McDowell into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after another excellent day for Northern Ireland's golfers.
Hoey, pictured right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, carded a 66 at Carnoustie to finish 54 holes 18 under par, while former US Open Champion McDowell posted a third consecutive 67 at St Andrews to claim outright second on 15 under.
Former Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen marked his return to St Andrews with a 69 to lie 14 under, with a seven-strong group on 13 under including World Number One Luke Donald, fellow Englishman Simon Dyson, US Open Champion Rory McIlroy and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.
Donald and Dyson both shot 63 at St Andrews, equalling the course record for the extended lay-out set by McIlroy in The Open Championship last year.
"I'm very, very happy with the day," said Dyson, who is 30th in the Official World Golf Ranking after two wins this year.
"I didn't realise my birdie putt on the 18th was for the course record otherwise I might have hit it a bit harder. But it's a good name to share the record with."
Around an hour later he was also sharing it with Donald, who did manage to pick up a shot at the 18th for his ninth birdie of a flawless round as he looks to become the first man to finish top of the money list on both sides of the Atlantic in the same season.
Donald currently enjoys a lead of over €1,600,000 over McIlroy on The Race to Dubai, but his lead over Webb Simpson on the US PGA Tour is just €50,000 after he overtook the American by finishing joint third in the Tour Championship on Sunday.
McDowell got the ball rolling for Northern Ireland with his US Open victory at Pebble Beach last year, following up by holing the winning putt for Europe in The Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor Resort last October.
He was succeeded as US Open Champion by McIlroy in June, while Darren Clarke won The Open Championship at Royal St George's a month later to give Northern Ireland their third Major Champion in little over a year.
Hoey has yet to hit those heights despite a successful amateur career which saw him play on the same victorious Walker Cup team as Donald in 2001, but the 32 year old drew high praise from McDowell.
"Michael has always been a very talented player," McDowell said.
"He's a great ball-striker, a great swing. He has always had the talent and won the British Amateur at Prestwick in 2001 before playing on a winning Walker Cup side.
"It's a fine line between guys who go on to become the best in the world and guys who become journeymen pros. And you wouldn't say Michael is a journeyman, he's popped up twice and won on tour, and won well each time.
"When he applies himself and puts it all together he's as good as anyone out there. Why he doesn't put it together more often, who knows?"
Hoey himself gave the answer to that question, admitting: "I've probably just been really hard on myself. Trying to relax is obviously what I need to do and I've done that well so far this week.
Hoey, 32, who won his second European Tour event, the Madeira Islands Open last May, said:
"Golf is very mental, you have to accept poor shots. It's great to be in the lead in a really big tournament but there's a long way to go.
"My short game was unbelievable, the best it's ever been. I even holed a bunker shot. I’m definitely getting all the breaks and getting good lies in the rough. Everything has gone my way so far, so it’s just a question of keeping it relaxed again tomorrow. It’s great to be in the lead in a really big tournament, but there's a long way to go.”
Padraig Harrington, two-time winner of the Championship in 2002 and 2006, brought himself back into contention with a fine 64 at St Andrews. He was full of praise for Hoey.
“Michael seems to be running away with it, but I’m pleased with that. He's good from the front. It's taken him a while to get comfortable on the Tour. He's always been a very talented player and this could be his arrival tomorrow.
“I had my low score of the year, never a bad thing. I feel good about my game. I holed a few putts today and hopefully I'll do that tomorrow. Obviously the pins will be a little tougher. If it's a good day, you're going to think you need to shoot 67 to stay in position and if you're going to catch Michael, you're going to have to go 64 again, at least.”
US Open champion Rory McIlroy, who shot a 66 on the Old Course, said: “I've known Michael for quite a while. He's actually a member at the same golf club, Shandon Park. He's a supremely talented player, he always has been. He's playing great this week and he's scoring very well.”
Despite the sunshine of the first two days giving way to damp, overcast conditions - play was suspended for an hour at Kingsbarns due to fog - low scoring was prevalent and the rounds of 63 from Donald and Dyson at St Andrews equalled the course record for the extended layout set by McIlroy in The Open Championship last year.
Dyson has won the Irish Open and the KLM Open this season and puts his improvement down to a renewed dedication to the game, which extends to becoming almost teetotal and hiring a full-time trainer.
"I'm going to be a dad in March so I said to my wife 'you're not going to be drinking so I will give it a go with you'," the Yorkshireman added.
"I'm quite enjoying how I'm feeling and the better results you get from doing this means there is no reason to change. Previously if I had a week off I would have a few nights out, but now I'm still practising and training.
"I also saw a nutritionist the week after The Open and she has got me on all sorts of stuff. Fitness is a big part of the game and you notice it playing with amateurs this week. I'm not saying they are unfit, but they are struggling at the end of the round, whereas the top pros are making birdies and making their charges."
McIlroy was left ruing a number of chances which went begging in the latter stages of his 66, but added: "As long as the guys don't get too far ahead I think I have a chance."
As for Northern Ireland's success, he added: "I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's just coincidence or if we're feeding off each other.
"I don't think it will last forever, but I hope it does. It's just a period where we are all playing well together, although English guys are number one and two in the world!"

THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
198 Michael Hoey (N Ireland) 66 66 66.
201 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 67 67 67.
202 Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) 66 67 69.
203 George Murray (Scotland) 70 66 67, Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 70 67 66, Simon Dyson (England) 69 71 63, Jaco Van Zyl (S Africa) 67 67 69, Luke Donald (England) 69 71 63, Tommy Fleetwood (England) 69 63 71, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 68 71 74.
204 Marc Warren (Scotland) 67 67 70, Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 69 69 66.

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
206 Colin Montgomerie 68 72 66 (T18).
208 Paul Lawrie 71 68 69 (T30).
209 Richie Ramsay 72 66 71 (T41)
210 James Byrne 67 71 72 (T49).
211 Sandy Lyle 69 70 72

SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT
212 David Drysdale 69 73 70 (T72)
213 Steven O'Hara 71 72 70 (T83)
214 Stephen Gallacher 74 68 72 (T94)
216 Peter Whiteford 75 68 73 (T116).
217 Scott Jamieson 73 67 77 (T126).
218 Alan McLean 72 72 74, Gary Orr 75 73 70 (T135).

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ALASDAIR (14) RIGHT IN THE TEAM PICTURE

By BILL SHAW
A 14 year old St Andrews schoolboy, given a last minute call-up to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, has qualified for the tournament’s Sunday final round over the Old Course with a team score of -25.
Alasdair McDougall, who hails from Drumoig near St Andrews, was selected for an amateur slot in the tournament on Wednesday, paired with Dutch pro Joost Luiten. He made his debut on Thursday with an impressive round at the Old Course where he and Joost netted a score of five under.
Alasdair, from Drumoig near St Andrews, was selected for an amateur slot in the tournament and made his debut on Thursday with an impressive round at the Old Course where he and Joost had a team score of 5-under. Following Friday’s 9-under round at Kingsbarns and today’s 11-under team score at Carnoustie – the first time the youngster had played either course – Alasdair and his partner are now just four shots behind leaders Nick Dougherty and radio presenter Chris Evans.
Speaking after his round today, Alasdair said:
“I played well. Joost shot 65 today so he played great too. We’re right up there on the leaderboard so we’re doing well.
“We connect really well. We’re both good players and he’s played really well today. The last couple of days his putting wasn’t great and neither was mine, but we both did well on the greens today and holed a few putts.
“Today has definitely been the best day so far because I played much better and I liked the course a lot better. I’ve never played Carnoustie before but it’s now one of my favourite courses, definitely. It’s a great course.
“I only found out I was playing on Wednesday night and I went straight into the next day. I was so happy when I found out – I was running about and telling all my friends. I was really nervous that night and didn’t get much sleep.
"On the first tee I was shaking, but after I hit my first shot all the nerves went and I got on with playing the game. I’m used to playing links as I play it a lot.
“It has been much, much better than I expected or hoped for. I’ve had really good fun and loved every minute of it. It has been amazing. I already can’t wait to get back on the course tomorrow and show them who’s boss! I want to have this all day every day, so I’ve definitely got the bug.”
Alasdair is a promising young golfer who won the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association (SALJGA) Order of Merit this year. He was born in Carlisle but moved to Drumoig with his family six years ago.
Attending school in St Andrews, Alasdair immediately joined SALJGA and quickly fell in love with the game. Two years ago his handicap was 13 but he is now playing off three.
Earlier this year he represented Scotland in the under-16 quadrangular internationals playing against Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy and Wales. Alasdair is also part of the national Scottish Golf Union squad coached by Steve North, Director of Instruction at St Andrews Links Golf Academy.

Website: http://www.alfreddunhilllinks.com

ALL THE SCORES AT BELHAVEN BEST HANDICAP GRAND FINAL

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GARY CHRISTIAN T8 AT HALFWAY IN NATIONWIDE TOUR EVENT

England's Gary Christian is lying joint eighth on 136 after scores of 70 and 66 in this weekend's US Nationwide Tour event, the WNB Classic at Midland CC, Texas.
Scotland's Russell Knox is joint 41st on 140 with rounds of 71 and 69.

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NA, WI AND VEGAS HALFWAY LEADERS AT 'JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE'

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kevin Na and Charlie Wi joined first-round leader Jhonattan Vegas at 12-under 130 on Friday to share the lead after 36 holes of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Play was suspended for 40 minutes because of lightning near the course and was halted again later with one player, Fran Quinn, having one hole to play. Quinn, who was 3-under, was expected to resume play at 7:45 a.m. PST on Saturday and the cut would be determined then.
Vegas, the rookie from Venezuela who won the Bob Hope Classic in January for his first PGA Tour title, was tied with William McGirt at 8-under 63 after the opening round at TPC Summerlin in the first of four Fall Series events.
Vegas followed his bogey-free first round with a 4-under 67 that included an eagle and four birdies. He eagled the 286-yard, par-4 15th.
"I felt like I putted really well today," Vegas said. "My ball-striking wasn't as good as it was yesterday, and that's kind of why the round wasn't as good as yesterday. But my putting has been pretty (good), which (is) what I've worked for. And hopefully I can continue that for two more days and we'll be right there where we are."
Na reversed Vegas' totals by following his opening 67 with a bogey-free 63 that featured eight birdies, seven of them in his final 10 holes.
"I was just hoping to make some putts today because I was hitting the ball really well," Na said. "Yesterday, I hit it really well. I felt like I could have scored better, and today the only difference was I was making putts."
Wi, who was a stroke back after the first round, had six birdies in a 66.
"I've had a pretty up-and-down year and I want to go out with a bang; make sure my game is ready for next year," Wi said. "I worked really hard the last three weeks, so I want to perform well for myself the next three weeks, and I want to carry that into 2012."
Brendan Steele, Kris Blanks and Tim Herron were one stroke behind the leaders.
At 132 were Hunter Haas, who had a course-record, 10-under 61 on Friday, Scott Piercy (65), Kevin Streelman (66), Paul Goydos (66), Billy Horschel (66), McGirt (69), Boo Weekley (65) and Nick Watney (67).
Haas' round included an eagle, nine birdies and one bogey and it matched the course record held by Davis Love III (2001) and Tag Ridings (2004).
Defending champion Jonathan Byrd was at 5-under 137 after a second-round 66.
Martin Laird is joint 37th on 136 after rounds of 70 and 66.

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