Friday, October 07, 2011

TIGER WOODS SHOOTS A 68 - PAUL CASEY TAKES LEAD WITH A 64


FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
SAN MARTIN, Calif. (AP) — The fog finally lifted at CordeValle and revealed a Tiger Woods that looked vaguely familiar.
Woods ran off three straight birdies early in his round, survived a rough patch around the turn and kept the stress to a minimum Friday in his round of 3-under 68 in the Frys.com Open that assured he would be around for the weekend.
"I don't like missing cuts, period," Woods said. "If I miss the cut, that means you can't win the tournament on the weekend. I've got a shot at it this weekend."
He still was seven shots behind Englishman Paul Casey, pictured, who is making a revival of his own.
Casey, at No. 135 on the money list and in danger of losing his US PGA Tour card, has been fighting a foot injury since the middle of May. He showed signs of getting better by winning in South Korea last week, and then he got over jet lag in time to post a 7-under 64.
That put him at 8-under 134. Bud Cauley, who turned pro this summer and is trying to avoid having to go to Q-school, had a 66 and was one shot behind. Fog delayed the start of the second round by 2hr 20min, meaning it would not finish until Saturday.
Woods was so disgusted this his putting after his opening 73 that he went to the practice green in the chill of late afternoon after the first round and rapped 5ft putts, sometimes using only one hand.
He also put two strips of lead tape on the bottom of his putter, and it seemed to pay off. He holed a 25ft birdie putt on No. 14 to begin his run of three straight birdies, and all but one of his birdie putts looked to have a chance. He was missing, but not by much.
"I hit one bad putt today, and that was it," Woods said. "Every other putt was on line."
It was the first time since the Masters that Woods made a 36-hole cut, and the first time in two months that he broke par. That speaks only to the kind of stop-and-start year he has had, missing three months this summer to let injuries to his left leg fully heal, and missing the last seven weeks when he failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs.
And while the 68 was what he needed to make it to the weekend, the pleasant sunshine over CordeValle allowed for good scoring. He wasn't the only one who took advantage, and several others did far better, starting with Casey.
Casey came up just short of the green on the par-5 15th, and then rolled in birdie putts of 40 feet and 25 feet on the next two holes, before finishing the back nine with a shot into 12 feet on the 18th. He added a pair of birdies on the front nine to put himself atop the leaderboard and raise his hopes going into the weekend.
"To be honest, it's probably the best I've hit the golf ball all year," Casey said.
It's a good time for that to happen. Casey is playing the next two tournaments to meet the minimum requirement of 15 starts. If he doesn't finish among the top 125, he likely would get enough exemptions as a past champion and for being among the top 50 in the world that he wouldn't need to go to Q-school.
His only concern is playing better. The first sign should have been Thursday, when he was still dragging from the flight from South Korea, got to the top of the leaderboard only to lose a few shots at the end of his round for a 70.
Cauley left school early from Alabama this summer because he thought he was ready for the US PGA Tour, and he has done little to show otherwise. Through six starts, he has earned $331,150. If he finishes the equivalent of No. 125 on the money list - he is likely about $300,000 away - he could join an exclusive list of players who avoided Q-school, which includes Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard and most recently Ryan Moore.
"I want to miss Q-school as much as the rest of the guys," Cauley said.
Woods had a 64 in mind when he arrived at CordeValle to a thick fog, twice warming up on the range as the delays dragged out. His three straight birdies included an 8-foot putt on the 15th after driving into a bunker, and a 7-iron to 3 feet on the 16th.
"I had it going early there, three in a row to get to 3-under par for the day, and if we could just keep it going, I could shoot my number," Woods said. "I made a couple mistakes there at 18 and 1. But overall, I'm still within seven shots of it right now."
His 3-wood on the 18th went just enough left to find a hazard, and he had to get up-and-down just to save bogey. It really looked ugly on No. 1, when he snap-hooked his tee shot and threw his driver to the ground. With the ball on the side of a hill and his feet on the cart path, Woods slipped badly on the swing and tumbled over, the ball coming up well short of the green. He pitched only to 25 feet.
That was his seventh consecutive tee shot without hitting the fairway. On the next hole, however, he drilled one down the middle on a far more difficult driving hole, and missed only one fairway after that.


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NOW THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A REAL GOLF CLUBHOUSE!

                
So you think YOUR clubhouse is special? Take a look at this one at Al Badia Golf Club in Dubai where the Dubai Open, the latest event on the MENA Tour (MENA stands for Middle East North Africa, by the way), starts    on Sunday. 
Dubai - where the sheiks don't worry about the price of petrol, they are more concerned with the price they are getting per barrel of oil!
And if you've got it, why not flaunt it in the shape of a magnificent golf clubhouse. Cleaning the windows must cost a small fortune.
To have a look inside this palace of a clubhouse, log on to
http://www.albadiagolfclub.ae/

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SLATTERY WILL GET HIM EVERYWHERE ... IF HE KEEPS THIS UP!

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
England’s Lee Slattery insists a relaxed attitude was paying dividends as he marched into the halfway lead at the Bankia Madrid Masters.
The 33-year-old from Southport, Lancashire shot a six under par 66 to reach 11 under in windy conditions at El Encin Golf Hotel, one ahead of Ryder Cup Italian Francesco Molinari and Spaniard Eduardo De La Riva.
Slattery lost his card by only €77 in 2007 and at 136th on The Race to Dubai faces another nervy end to the season.
Victory in the Spanish capital would end any exemption worries, and three birdies before the turn boosted the Challenge Tour graduate’s chances.
He picked up another shot at the tenth, but then suffered his only bogey of the day at the 12th.
Slattery responded with a magnificent 80ft birdie putt at the 14th before back-to-back birdies to finish.
"I got off to a good start, I was two under early and just kept it together and had a nice finish, birdied the last two holes,” he said.
“It’s mainly down to putting, I’ve putted well today, and I seemed to hole everything. I drove the ball well - on this course you can give it a good smack off the tee and you feel yourself trying to hit it harder and harder.
“I was actually getting too cautious with my game but round here you can’t be, you just whack it. This suits me because I just enjoy it and don't think too much - that’s the key. I’ve been so relaxed out there, I don’t think I’ve ever walked off the course feeling so relaxed after shooting a 66.
“Maybe it’s the routine of having a siesta in the afternoon. It’s a nice place to come and the people are friendly.”
WGC-HSBC Champions winner Molinari had carded a five under par 67 with six birdies and a solitary bogey, the highlight coming with an approach to five feet at sixth.
And the 28 year old was pleased with the quality of his ball striking.
“A good solid round, I’m hitting the ball better than I was this summer,” he said. “Today’s round was trickier than yesterday’s because of the wind.
“I’m even more pleased today. Five under is a good score in any conditions.”
De La Riva, who is yet to finish in the top ten of a European Tour event and lost his card a year after coming through the 2002 Qualifying School matched his opening 67 to share second place, with Molinari’s compatriot Lorenzo Gagli in fourth on nine under.
“Last year I took a sabbatical after a couple of bad seasons, both mentally and game-wise,” said 29 year old De La Riva. “Now I am back, feeling motivated and excited about playing golf.
“Although I played well all year, in August I didn’t feel prepared enough to go to the Qualifying School, but I plan to go in the near future.
“I have played solid all year round, trying to make the putts which I holed yesterday and today.
“I feel calm and comfortable with my game, and hopefully I will keep this frame of mind over the weekend.
“I will try to keep patient and maybe a bit aggressive, as I have much to gain and nothing to lose.”
Overnight leader and 2009 champion Ross McGowan followed his blistering opening 64 with a level par 72 to remain eight under, with World Number One and defending champion Luke Donald amongst those on six under.
As well as great rounds there were some great shots, none more so than Elliot Saltman’s seven iron hole-in-one at the third, which earned the Lothians man  the unusual prize of his bodyweight in ham.
Tournament Leaderboard
Par 144 (2x72)
133 Lee Slattery (England) 67 66.
134 Francesco Molinari (Italy) 67 67, Eduardo De La Riva (Spain) 67 67.
135 Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) 65 70.
136 Brett Rumford (Australia) 65 71, Ross McGowan (England) 64 72.
137 Tano Toya (Argentina) 67 70, Oliver Wilson (England) 68 69.

SCOTS' SCORES
140 Marc Warren 72 68 (T21).
142 Richie Ramsay 68 74, Lloyd Saltman 73 69 (T38).
143 Paul Lawrie 72 71, George Murray 69 74, David Drysdale 68 75, Steven O'Hara 71 72 (T52).

SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT (143 or better)
146 Peter Whiteford 71 75 (T85).
147 Elliot Saltman 75 72 (T93).
152 Scott Jamieson 80 72 (T116).

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CRAIG LEE TWO SHOTS OFF LEAD ON CHALLENGE TOUR

REPORT FROM SARAH GWYNN
European Challenge Tour Press Officer
Stirling's Craig Lee is firmly in contention at the Allianz Open de Lyon after carding a level par 71 in the second round at Golf du Gouverneur.
The 34 year old was unable to match the heights of his first round 64, but at seven under overall he is just two shots off the lead held by Frenchman Julien Quesne and one behind Italian Federico Colombo.
At 13th in the current Challenge Tour Rankings with two events of the season remaining, Lee has all but guaranteed a European Tour card for next season, but he has set his sights on a place in the top ten.
His second round began poorly, however, with a double bogey at the first, but he clawed his way back with four birdies and two bogeys – both on the more difficult back nine.
“It was not really the start I was after,” he said. “I hit my driver left, then went in a bunker and three-putted. So I was pleased to get it back to reach the turn level par.
“I was never going to shoot any less than two or three under today, I just wasn’t playing well enough. So I’ll take level par and I’m glad I haven’t slipped right back. I’m still up there only two shots off the lead so there’s all to play for at the weekend.”
This is Lee’s 22nd event of the season – more than any other Challenge Tour player – and he admitted his body was feeling the strain.
“I’ve had a tight back and a problem with my neck,” he said. “My back feels okay today but my neck is pretty sore. The physio said it’ll take a couple of days to settle down so hopefully by Sunday it’ll be fine.”
Fellow Scots Alastair Forsyth (69, 69) and Chris Doak (70, 68) are also well placed at four under, while Raymond Russell, Callum Macaulay and Jamie McLeary also made the halfway cut.
Only two Scots - Jack Doherty and Gavin Dear - missed the cut.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 142 (2x71)
+72 players (including two amateurs) made the cut at 142 (level par).
133 J Quesne (Fra) 66 67
134 F Colombo (Ita) 67 67, G Stal (am) (Fra) 69 65
135 K Eriksson (Swe) 69 66, G Cambis (Fra) 67 68, C Lee (Sco) 64 71
136 R Hjelm (Den) 69 67, A Tadini (Ita) 68 68, F Delamontagne (Fra) 68 68, A Ahokas (Fin) 66 70, P Relecom (Bel) 66 70, A Perrino (Ita) 68 68, B Chapellan (Fra) 66 70
137 A Bernadet (Fra) 70 67, D Vancsik (Arg) 68 69, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 68 69, P Del Grosso (Arg) 70 67, N Meitinger (Ger) 72 65, L Kennedy (Eng) 69 68, A Hartø (Den) 67 70
138 A Forsyth (Sco) 69 69, M Erlandsson (Swe) 67 71, B Grace (RSA) 65 73, V Riu (Fra) 68 70, D Brooks (Eng) 65 73, M Lundberg (Swe) 69 69, M Cryer (Eng) 72 66, E Kofstad (Nor) 70 68, K Borsheim (Nor) 69 69, C Doak (Sco) 70 68, J Guerrier (Fra) 68 70
139 R Kind (Ned) 68 71, W Besseling (Ned) 68 71, J Remesy (Fra) 71 68, M Southgate (Eng) 67 72, A Levy (Fra) 67 72, A Domingo (Esp) 71 68, P Dwyer (Eng) 69 70, F Praegant (Aut) 66 73, R Santos (Por) 70 69, P Archer (Eng) 68 71, E Espana (am) (Fra) 71 68
140 R Russell (Sco) 70 70, S Walker (Eng) 69 71, J McLeary (Sco) 69 71, P Edberg (Swe) 66 74, M Delpodio (Ita) 70 70, A Bossert (Sui) 73 67, M Bothma (RSA) 72 68, N Joakimides (Fra) 68 72,
141 C Ford (Eng) 70 71, T Fournier (Fra) 73 68, T Whitehouse (Eng) 72 69, B Evans (Eng) 70 71, C Macaulay (Sco) 67 74, R Eyraud (Fra) 70 71, L Jensen (Den) 73 68
142 K Le Sager (Fra) 72 70, S Tiley (Eng) 68 74, S Little (Eng) 71 71, S Bebb (Wal) 69 73, D Nouailhac (Fra) 70 72, A Johnston (Eng) 70 72, J Billot (Fra) 69 73, J Heath (Eng) 72 70, B Ritthammer (Ger) 69 73, J Garcia (Esp) 68 74, P Gustafsson (Swe) 70 72, C Lloyd (Eng) 71 71, G Houston (Wal) 70 72, M Baldwin (Eng) 72 70, S Hutsby (Eng) 69 73
MISSED THE CUT
143 A Hansen (Den) 72 71, M Ford (Eng) 70 73, G Lockerbie (Eng) 69 74, S Thornton (Irl) 68 75, R Dupuis (Fra) 71 72, F Calmels (Fra) 70 73, S Garcia (Esp) 71 72, S Robinson (Eng) 74 69, J Lima (Por) 70 73, A Tampion (Aus) 72 71, C Brazillier (Fra) 74 69, T Ferreira (RSA) 70 73,
144 E Chaudouet (Fra) 72 72, G Rosier (Fra) 74 70, J Lopez Lazaro (Fra) 75 69, R Wingardh (Swe) 70 74, B Åkesson (Swe) 73 71, E Dubois (Fra) 71 73, J Doherty (Sco) 68 76, C Russo (Fra) 71 73, J Clément (Sui) 73 71, J Armstrong (am) (Fra) 67 77,
145 J Robinson (Eng) 75 70, C Moriarty (Irl) 71 74, J Campillo (Esp) 70 75, E Chamaulte (Fra) 72 73, T Raillard (Fra) 67 78
146 N Lombardi (Ita) 68 78, D Denison (Eng) 74 72, J Moul (Eng) 72 74, N Kearney (Irl) 71 75
147 G Dear (Sco) 74 73, M Evans (Eng) 70 77, J Estevez (Arg) 71 76, M Kieffer (Ger) 75 72
148 J Palmer (Eng) 72 76, A Snobeck (Fra) 73 75, O Serres (Fra) 72 76, D Perrier (Fra) 74 74, F Valera (Esp) 73 75
149 L Westerberg (Swe) 71 78
150 J Grillon (Fra) 74 76
151 I Sanchez-Palencia (Esp) 77 74, I Giner (Esp) 73 78, B Barham (Eng) 74 77
152 A Bihan (Fra) 76 76
155 P Valmary (Fra) 78 77, C Gane (Eng) 79 76

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RORY McILROY JOINT LEADER IN SOUTH KOREA OPEN

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot a a 2-under 69 today to take a share of the lead after the second round at the Korea Open.
McIlroy, who finished third in the event two years ago, is tied with four others at 137 overall. Defending champion YE Yang (70), Rickie Fowler (70), Bronson La'Cassie (67) and Mo Joong-kyung (66) are also at 137 at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.
McIlroy had two birdies on the front nine, and then added two more on the 12th and 14th holes. But bogeys on Nos. 13, 15 and 16 took him back to 1 under for the day until a birdie on 18.

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HEARTBREAK FOR STEWART, NO PROMOTION TO CHALLENGE TOUR

GRANTOWN ON SPEY MAN MISSES OUT ON
PROMOTION TO CHALLENGE TOUR BY LESS
THAN £400 - SIXTH IN ORDER OF MERIT

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Duncan Stewart suffered a double blow at the conclusion of the PGA EuroPro Tour's season-ending championship in Spain today.
The man from Grantown on Spey finished third, only one shot behind the play-off participants for the £15,000 jackpot prize at the Mar Menor Golf Resort, Murcia.
Then Stewart learned that his £3,250 prize money boosted his season's earnings to £15,404, which saw him finish in sixth place in the order of merit - and only the top five are automatically promoted to next season's European Challenge Tour
Duncan finished only £363 behind the fifth-placed Jamie Abbott.
Stewart closed with a 13-under-par total of 200 with scores of 67, 65 and 68.
Stewart, a winner of a £10,000 prize earlier in the EuroPro Tour this season, had the best possible start in his final round with birdies at the first two holes to boost his confidence for a round on which so much depended for his immediate golfing future.
He wobbled with a bogey at the long seventh and bounced back immediately with a birdie at the short eight. His last bogey of the day came at the ninth.
Stewart birdied the long 12th and the short 17th in covering the nine holes in two under par for a 68. But he couldn't get just one more birdie to get into the play-off in which victory would have put him on to the Challenge Tour next season.
His earlier rounds were 67 and 65.
Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) and Cawder's Chris Kelly tied for 15th place on 204 and earned £575 apiece. McAllister had four birdies and one bogey. in closing with a 68, Kelly third birdies and two bogeys in a final 70.
Paul Doherty (Vale of Glamorgan) finished joint 21st and earned £385 for a total of 207.
Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) picked up £315 for a joint 29th finish on 209.
Ed Wood (Crow Wood) finished on level par but last of the Scots in joint 42nd place on 213 for which he received £245.
James Busby (The Shropshire) won the play-off for the £15,000 prize after he and George Cowan (Westerhope) tied on 14-under-par 199. The play-off went to the third extra-hole.
Busby's victory clinched his place among the five promoted to the Challenge Tour.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
199 James Busby (The Shropshire) 65 65 69, George Cowan (Westerhope) 67 67 65. Busby (£15,000) won sudden-death play-off; Cowan (£7,500).
200 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) 67 65 68 (£3,750).
201 Jon White (Saunton 72 64 65, George Woolgar (England) 71 64 66, Darryn Lloyd (Wales) 66 65 70 (£1,837 each).

OTHER SCOTS' TOTALS
204 Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw) 66 70 68, Chris Kelly (Cawder) 67 67 70 (T15) (£575 each).
207 Paul Doherty (Vale Hotel) 71 69 67 (T21) (£385).
209 Lee Harper (Archerfield Links) 69 70 70 (T29) (£315).
213 Ed Wood (Crow Wood) 71 68 74 (T42) (£245).


BUSBY PUTS THE HAT ON A GREAT SEASON

REPORT BY MICHAEL EMONS
JAMES Busby has booked his place on next season’s Challenge Tour after winning the biggest event of the 2011 PGA EuroPro Tour season.
Busby, who had finished second at three competitions this year, claimed victory when it mattered most as he triumphed in the 888poker.com Tour Championships at the Intercontinental Mar Menor Golf Resort in Murcia, Spain.
He led by one shot at the start of the final day but eventually won on the third extra hole of a play-off as he edged out George Cowan after the pair had finished on -14 after three rounds.
Busby, 29, pocketed £15,000 for the win and secured his place in the top five in the Order of Merit to advance to the higher tier and be only one step away from playing alongside Europe ’s elite.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said a delighted Busby (The Shropshire). “It was a place in the top five that I was after but the victory was a bonus on top of that.
“The last three years have been tough as I’ve put myself in position for the top five and last year I missed out by one place, which was terrible. I didn’t perform in the Tour Championships last year and that was in the back of mind but this year I’ve finished the job.
“I’ve put in the practice and knew the course so I knew what shots to practice on.
“I’ve played a couple of Challenge Tour events and finished 11th at an event at Stoke-by-Nayland - there is not much difference in the standard between the Challenge Tour and the EuroPro.
“My ambition has been this and beyond and I want to be on the main tour and be well known as a good golfer so hopefully I can get from the Challenge Tour to the main tour. I don’t know where my career can lead to now and there’s a good living to be made.”
Chris Hanson (Woodsome Hall) and Graeme Clark (Doncaster) had already secured their places on next year’s Challenge Tour and were joined by Luke Goddard (Hendon), Busby and Jamie Abbott (Fynn Valley).
But there was heartbreak for a number of players including Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey), Paul Reed ( Bristol and Clifton ), Cowan (Westerhope) and Darryn Lloyd, who narrowly missed out on a top five place.
The tour did not end well for all players as Zane Scotland ended the campaign heading to hospital after an injury sustained by the hotel pool.
“I broke something in my foot or toe. It’s really painful and hospital later,” tweeted Scotland .
All of the event action has been filmed and Matchroom Sport will produce a highlights programme, which will be broadcast on Sky Sports on Wednesday, October 26.

FINAL ORDER OF MERIT
(TOP FIVE ADVANCE TO CHALLENGE TOUR)
1 Chris Hanson (Woodsome Hall Golf Club £37,929.50
2 James Busby (The Shropshire £29,191.67
3 Graeme Clark (Doncaster GC £25,653.34
4 Luke Goddard (Hendon £16,664.17
5 Jamie Abbott (Fynn Valley £15,768.46

=========missed promotion to Challenge Tour =======
6 Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey £15,405.62
7 Paul Reed (Bristol and Clifton Golf Club £13,823.60
8 George Cowan (Westerhope Golf Club £12,779.67
9 Darryn W. Lloyd (Acrabuild Ltd £12,497.50
10 Andrew Willey (Notts Golf Club £12,200.00

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BLACK FRIDAY FOR SCOTS IN Q SCHOOL STAGE 1 ELIMINATORS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
No Scots made it through to Stage 2 at the end of the Stage 1 Section D European Qualifying School competitions at Frilford Heath GC, Oxfordshire and Ribagolfe GC, near Lisbon in Portugal today.
Not even Colville Park's Ross Kellett who started the final round sharing 19th place but slid out of the top 27 who qualified.
Kellett, who has held on to his amateur status, had rounds of 75, 73, 74 and 75 for a nine-over-par total of 297 - agonisingly for the Motherwell player one shot too many.
Walker Cup man James Byrne (Banchory), Scottish amateur champion David Law (Hazlehead) and St Andrews' Greg Paterson, winner of the Craigmillar Park Open at the start of the season, all failed and go back to Square 1 in their bid to make it to next season's European Tour.
Law's last two rounds at Frilford Heath - 79 and 78 - would suggest that he had nothing left in his tank at the end of a stellar season in which he won the Scottish amateur title for the second time in three years and also beat the top Tartan Tour pros to be the first amateur to win the Northern Open since 1970.
David has turned pro.
If Law could have recaptured his form from either of these great weeks, he would surely have sailed over the Frilford Heath hurdle.
Instead he finished on 18-over-par 306 with rounds of 77, 72, 79 and 78.
Paterson, still an amateur,  finished six shots ahead of Law at Frilford Heath but four shots outside the qualifying mark with scores of 74, 74, 81 and 71 for 300.
If Kellett could have traded final rounds with him, a 71 would have put Ross through to Stage 2.
Englishman Dale Whitnell, a former Walker Cup player, led the 27 qualifiers from Frilford Heath with a nine-under-par total of 279 (67-69-74-69). His financial reward was 1,800 Euros but a place in Stage 2 is far more important.
James Byrne, who has turned pro, elected to try his luck in Portugal - and he finished six strokes over the qualifying mark. The Banchory man had four steady scores of 74, 76, 75 and 74 for 11-over-par 299.
South African Doug McGuigan had a total of six-under-par 282 (69-72-72-69) to win 1,800 Euros for leading the 26 players to progress from Ribagolfe.
McGuigan finished three strokes clear of Spaniard Vicente Blazquez, Sweden's Björn Pettersson and Zimbabwean Bruce McDonald.

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QUALIFYING SCHOOL FINAL TOTALS AT FRILFORD HEATH, RIBAGOLFE

European Tour Qualifying School First Stage Section D

FRILFORD HEATH
Par 288 (4x72)
+A total of 27 players with totals of 296 (+8) or better qualified for Stage 2 at four venues in Spain in early December.
279 D Whitnell (Eng) 67 69 74 69
281 M Lemesurier (Eng) 68 69 71 73
283 T Hatton (Eng) 71 69 72 71
284 E Pepperell (Eng) 73 69 77 65, T Adcock (am) (Eng) 75 72 73 64
285 M Sell (Eng) 70 74 71 70, R Karlberg (Swe) 68 71 73 73
287 S Hodgson (Eng) 73 69 72 73
288 S Lilly (Eng) 71 71 74 72
289 J Watts (Eng) 71 75 71 72, C Hinton (am) (Eng) 71 75 71 72,
291 L Burns (Eng) 75 77 72 67
292 N Cheetham (Eng) 75 74 74 69, M Allen (Eng) 75 73 74 70,
293 G Woodman (Eng) 74 74 71 74, M Staunton (Irl) 72 68 74 79,
294 D Seymour (Eng) 76 72 72 74, D Higgins (Irl) 74 69 77 74, M Jager (Aus) 72 72 72 78
295 J Evans (Eng) 76 72 76 71, N Jones (Ber) 73 74 75 73, L O'Neill (Eng) 72 74 76 73, B Stow (am) (Eng) 73 78 72 72,
296 S Matton (Eng) 71 75 73 77, R Harrison (Eng) 76 71 76 73, T Burden (Eng) 74 73 76 73, T King (am) (Eng) 71 79 74 72
FAILED TO QUALIFY

297 J Webber (Eng) 74 77 74 72, J Poulton (Eng) 75 72 74 76, M Smith (Eng) 76 72 76 73, R Kellett (am) (Sco) 75 73 74 75
298 L Canter (Eng) 78 75 72 73, K Pratt (Aus) 72 79 74 73, K Crossland (Eng) 76 76 71 75, E Porter (Aus) 74 77 74 73
299 T Denton (USA) 74 74 78 73, B Vongvanij (USA) 78 75 74 72, J Cunliffe (RSA) 70 76 79 74, P Woodbury (USA) 74 77 75 73, J Kavanagh (Eng) 72 74 76 77, L Noott (am) (Eng) 71 75 81 72
300 T Vickers (Eng) 75 74 73 78, W Johnson (Eng) 72 77 76 75, R Tipping (RSA) 74 77 77 72, M Mackman (Eng) 76 73 81 70, G Paterson (am) (Sco) 74 74 81 71
301 S Fallon (Eng) 74 74 79 74, T Boys (Eng) 76 75 77 73, J Westwood (Eng) 72 78 74 77
302 L Robinson (Eng) 70 80 77 75, N Howell (Eng) 76 74 73 79, J Feather (Eng) 78 74 74 76, I Brown (Eng) 73 78 79 72,
303 S McAnally (Eng) 74 78 75 76, J Horn (Eng) 78 77 74 74, G Gancedo Onieva (Esp) 80 74 73 76, M Allen (am) (Eng) 75 72 78 78,
304 S McDonagh (Eng) 74 76 77 77, D Thomas (Eng) 75 77 77 75, B O'Dell (Eng) 79 75 76 74, R Laino (Eng) 73 75 81 75, D Lernihan (Irl) 75 79 75 75,
305 J Banbury (Eng) 72 75 78 80, W Bennett (Eng) 73 75 76 81, D Griffiths (Eng) 70 80 80 75, W Roebuck (Eng) 80 74 70 81
306 F Jewsbury (Eng) 78 77 75 76, S Mitchell (Eng) 73 81 69 83, A Carson (Eng) 76 77 77 76, D Law (Sco) 77 72 79 78, A Mawji (Eng) 78 75 77 76, A Wootton (Eng) 74 76 79 77,
307 M McCormack (Eng) 81 76 73 77,
309 D Thomas (Wal) 75 80 74 80,
** H Sayin (am) (Tur) 75 80 74 WD

RIBAGOLFE, nr LISBON
Par 288 (4x72)
+A total of 26 players qualified with totals of 293 (five over par) or better for Stage 2 at four venues in Spain in early December.

282 D McGuigan (RSA) 69 72 72 69,
285 B McDonald (Zim) 70 69 73 73, V Blazquez (Esp) 67 74 73 71, B Pettersson (Swe) 72 65 72 76,
286 B Vaughan (RSA) 73 67 74 72, M McGeady (Irl) 70 69 72 75, J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 75 68 70 73, R De Sousa (Sui) 68 68 76 74,
287 A Long (USA) 71 73 72 71,
288 R Bastard (Eng) 71 72 71 74, I Van Weerelt (Ned) 72 73 72 71,
289 T Shadbolt (Eng) 70 71 70 78,
290 O Bekker (RSA) 70 75 73 72, R Furrer (Sui) 70 73 72 75, C Devlin (Nir) 70 72 71 77, J Billing (Swe) 71 74 72 73,
291 R Quiros (Esp) 72 72 71 76, D Coughlan (Eng) 72 73 73 73, B Detweiler (USA) 72 69 76 74, B McCarroll (Irl) 71 71 75 74,
292 X Poncelet (Fra) 71 74 78 69, J Kelly (USA) 72 72 75 73,
293 J Adarraga Gomez (Esp) 71 69 78 75, M Azcue (Mex) 71 72 80 70, J Gibb (Eng) 72 72 78 71, H Santos (Por) 78 71 69 75,

FAILED TO QUALIFY

294 M Bey (Fra) 72 72 74 76, A Sagar (Eng) 76 73 72 73, G Vicente Elena (Esp) 76 68 75 75,
295 A Sjöstrand (Swe) 70 74 75 76, T Rodrigues (am) (Por) 64 78 78 75,
296 S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 73 74 73 76, N Ledesma (Arg) 73 69 73 81, N Bermudo (Esp) 76 70 79 71, X Guzman (Esp) 73 72 76 75,
297 J Kennegard (Swe) 72 78 71 76, L Johansen (Den) 74 78 72 73,
298 J Little (Eng) 75 74 72 77, J Foret (Fra) 76 74 73 75, F Rafferty (Irl) 73 76 76 73, D Noh (Esp) 75 69 75 79, J Chevallier (Fra) 76 72 72 78, S Wolters (Ger) 74 71 74 79, Campbell (Eng) 73 77 76 72,
299 F Adarraga (Esp) 76 77 73 73, P Cassagne (Fra) 70 72 79 78, J Byrne (Sco) 74 76 75 74, A Wilson (USA) 77 79 68 75, P Croonquist (am) (USA) 73 72 75 79
300 O Fraustro (Mex) 74 74 75 77, P Menjibar (Esp) 74 72 78 76, J Kelly (Irl) 70 75 81 74, J Gallegos (am) (Esp) 75 74 75 76,
301 C Perez Barberan (Esp) 73 73 80 75, N Floren (Swe) 75 74 77 75, J Mommo (Fin) 75 70 76 80, F De Haas (Ned) 73 74 79 75, J San Felix (Esp) 77 75 73 76,
302 G Jackson (Eng) 78 69 77 78, T Murphy (USA) 75 74 75 78, C Balmaseda (Esp) 74 72 77 79, A Hedlund (Swe) 73 77 73 79,
304 K Sullivan (Wal) 75 75 76 78, C Orozco (Esp) 74 74 78 78,
306 B Houle (Can) 76 74 75 81, P Rasmussen (am) (Den) 74 71 81 80,

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ORR AND McKECHNIE SWOOP TO CONQUER AND COLLECT £5,000

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Braid Hills' Paul McKechnie, pictured left by Cal Carson Golf Agency, and David Orr (East Renfrewshire), right, swooped with a brilliant better-ball round of 13-under-par 60 to win first prize of £5,000 in the Skins PGA four-ball championship at Fores Pines Golf Club, Brigg in Lincolnshire today.
The Scots were four shots off the pace and had five pairs ahead of them at the start of the final round but they played so well that eventually they had three shots to spare at the head of the field.McKechnie and Orr, between them, birdied the first and the long third, and then birdied nine holes in succession from the long fifth to the 13th, and added further birdies at the long 15th, long 17th and 18th for a birdie count of 14 in all. Even with such a great round they had one hole where neither could get even a par - the short 16th at which a bogey 4 weNt on their card. They had only three pars in all as they swept up through the leaders for a 23-under-par 54 hole total of 196 over a par-73 course. Their earlier rounds were 69 and 67.
Runners-up on 199 were Matt McGuire (Stoneleigh Deer Park) and Mark Sparrow (Himley Hall) with scores of 66, 68 and 65, which earned them £3,250.
McKechnie and Orr were the only Scots to survive the second round cut at 140 or better.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 219 (3x73)
196 David Orr (East Renfrewshire) and Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) 69 67 60 (£5,00).
199 Matt McGuire (Stoneleigh Deer Park) and Mark Sparrow (Himley Hall) 66 68 65 (£3,250).
200 Matthew Cort (Rothley Park) and Craig Shave (Whetstone) 66 66 68; Richard Sadler (Killiow and Richard O'Hanlon (Lanhydrock) 64 68 68 (£2,125 to each pairing).
202 Lee Rooke (Vale of Llangollen) and Andrew Barnett (North Wales) 69 67 66 (£1,500).

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PROQUIP TO SUPPLY RAIN SUITS FOR 2012 RYDER CUP TEAM

NEWS RELEASE
Edinburgh – ProQuip will be the Preferred Weatherwear Supplier to the European Team for The Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club, Illinois, USA, from September 28-30, 2012, the company has announced.
ProQuip, one of the world's leading innovators of lightweight golf weatherwear, will design and supply bespoke rain suits featuring fabric technology specially developed for Captain José Maria Olazábal and his players.
Richard Head, Chief Designer at ProQuip, said: “ProQuip has designed rain suits for over a dozen Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup teams since 1991, and we are looking forward to working with José Maria Olazábal to ensure his men are equipped with the best products in their quest to retain The Ryder Cup.”
Head continued: “The last Ryder Cup in Wales was phenomenal for ProQuip and we were proud to play a role as The European Team secured victory in dramatic circumstances.
For more information, visit www.proquipgolf.com.

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2011 SCOTTISH ALLIANCE CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZE LIST

Buchanan Castle Golf Club - October 4
One round only (due to bad weather)


Winners Summary

The Scotsman Trophy Winner - Alan Welsh (West Alliance)

Professional Prizes
1  Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh Pro North East 72 £320
T2 Andrew Marshall (Houston Pro East 73 £135
T2 Ross Neill (Drumpellier Pro East 73 £135
T2 Jamie McKay (North Gailes Pro West 73 £135
T2 Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh Pro North East 73 £135
T6 David McLure (North Gailes Pro West 74 £30
T6 Joel Hopwood (Carnegie-Skibo Pro North East 74 £30

Amateur Scratch Prize Clydesdale Bank Quaich - James Hendrick

Amateur Gross Prizelist
1 Alan Welsh Cathkin Braes 0 West 71 71 £120.00
2 James Hendrick Pollok -1 West 72 73 £80.00
3 James Johnston Greenburn 1 East 73 72 £60.00
T4 George Wither Lothianburn 1 East Sen 75 74 £38.00
T4 Hugh Fraser Niddry 1 East 75 73 £38.00
6 Malcolm McPhee Bishopbriggs 1 West 76 75 £32.00

Amateur Handicap Prizelist
1 Ian Cameron Crowwod 5 West 76 71 £60.00
2 David Ferguson Paisley 1 West 73 72 £50.00
3 James Kinloch Cardross 3 West Sen 76 73 £40.00
T4 Raymond Barton Alloa 9 Midland Sen 84 75 £21.00
T4 Mike Robson Harrison 1 East 76 75 £21.00
T4 Douglas Martin Crowwood 10 West Sen 85 75 £21.00

Amateur Senior Scratch Prize
 Margaret Caldwell Tropy - George Wither

Senior Scratch Prizelist
T1 James Ingram Boat-Of-Garten 6 North Sen 82 £15.00
T1 Neil McGarva Kilmcolm 5 West Sen 82 £15.00
T1 Andrew Sturton Forrester Park 7 West Sen 82 £15.00
T1 Bob Stewart Tulliallan 0 Midland Sen 82 £15.00
5  Jonathan D'Aguillar Glasgow 8 West Sen 87 £12.00
6  Philip Leggate Mussellburgh 9 East Sen 89 £10.00

Amateur Senior Handicap Prizlist
T1 David Wilson Duff House Royal 6 North East Sen 84 78 £18.00
T1 Graham Milne Aberdour 5 Midland Sen 83 78 £18.00
T3 Peter Kinloch Cardross 6 West Sen 85 79 £13.00
T3 Jim Duncan Newburgh-On-Ythan 4 North East Sen 83 79 £13.00
T5 David Nelson Aboyne 6 North East Sen 90 84 £9.00
T5 Ron Comber Uphall 13 East Sen 97 84 £9.00

Team Prize Mountbatten Cup - West Alliance
Jamie MacKay North Gailes West 73 £10.00
David McClure North Gailes West 74 £10.00
Barry Campbell Vale of Leven West 76 £10.00
Alan Welsh Cathkin Braes West 71 71 £10.00
James Hendrick Pollock West 72 70 £10.00
David Ferguson Paisley West 73 72 £10.00

Allan Glass Alloa Midland Hole in one at 8th hole £20.00

Initial Prize Fund £4,555.00 / new 40% prize fund less consolation prizes Approx :- £1,751.00

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SCOTLAND DECLINE INVITATION TO SEND TEAM TO "THE SPIRIT"

Scotland will not have a team of four (two men and two women) in the field for this year's The Spirit international amateur tournament over four rounds at Whispering Pines Golf Club, Houston, Texas from November 2 to 5.
It is believed to be the first time since the biennial tournament started that Scotland will not have a team among the field of 20 countries - but they were invited.
A spokesman for the Scottish Golf Union said that they had been unable to accept this year because the tournament did not fit in with winter training programmes.
Scotland's team of Mark Bookless, Paul Shields, Kylie Walker and Louise Kenney finished 18th of 20 when "The Spirit" was last held in 2009.
The 20 countries who have accepted invitations are:
Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.
+The world's top two ranked female amateurs - Lydia Ko and Cecilia Cho - will not be in the field because New Zealand have either not been invited or, like Scotland, have declined. An E-mail to the tournament organisers seeking clarification did not bring a response.

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GREG OWEN THREE SHOTS OFF THE PACE ON NATIONWIDE TOUR

By Joe Chemycz, Nationwide Tour staff
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee -- Nicholas Thompson fired a 9-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Children's Hospital Classic. Thompson salvaged par on his final hole late in the day, the only green he missed in regulation, and grabbed a two-stroke lead over Doug Barron, Justin Bolli, Monday qualifier Brice Garnett and Brent Delahoussaye.
Scott Dunlap, Englishman Greg Owen, Ted Potter junior, John Mallinger, Skip Kendall and Brett Wetterich are three shots back of the leader after the opening 18 holes at the Black Creek Mountain course.
"I just hit a lot of good golf shots," said Thompson, who got up-and-down from a greenside hazard on his final hole. "That ball was sitting on some grass so it wasn't that hard of a shot. I rolled it really nicely today too."
Thompson, who has been playing with different versions of a belly putter since his high school days in south Florida, made nine birdies on the day and only one that had any real length to it. His longest putt was a 30-footer that came on the par-3, 7th hole as his round came to a close. Thompson, using was he calls "an upper ab" putter, birdied three of the four par-3s but played the par-5s in just two under.
"Beating up the par-3s is huge because there are some tough golf shots on those holes with some changes in elevations," he said.
Thompson is No. 61 on the money list with only four events left on the schedule but says he isn't worried about the numbers just yet.
"I've looked at it and have some predictions for what it might take to make the top-60, the top-40 and the top-25," he said. "I do have those numbers but all I can do is look at it. I still have to go play some good golf."
His good golf was the result of a long practice session on Monday down the road at his alma mater, Georgia Tech University.
"I went down to our range at Tech and hit about five to six hours of wedges," he said. "I hit a couple of drivers but it was all wedges and nothing more than a pitching wedge. I hit a lot of really nice wedge shots in the range of three to six feet today."
Among those chasing the former Yellowjacket is former Georgia Bulldog Bolli, who is No. 62 on the money list.
"I wasn't hitting it very good but I was getting away with it on the front nine," he said. "I kept getting in front of it and leaving everything out to the right. I figured it out and started hitting some good shots."
Bolli closed his day with five birdies on his last six holes and like Thompson, isn't worrying about the top-25 on the money list this week.
"I'm not really stressed because I'm not really close right now," he said. "Right now I feel like I've got nothing to lose. It's probably easier in that respect. Granted, I would rather be 25th on the money list than where I am."
They're both in much better position than Barron, who has made only three of 11 cuts this year and is way down the list at No. 191.
"This is my Tour Championship because I'm not in the rest of the tournaments," said Barron, who has struggled to find his game since losing his US PGA Tour card several years ago.
"I've been putting so much attention on what's wrong. I tried not to give my bad shots so much attention and tried to give my good shots more attention," he said. "I actually had fun playing. The thing I've been struggling with is me. I've been struggling to even have fun out here and it's not because of the score. I'm trying to leave what's behind, behind because it hasn't been a good year, but that's over and I'm trying to look forward."
Englishman Greg Owen, a regular on the US PGA Tour until he lost his card last year, is tied for sixth on 66 afteer shooting seven birdies and one bogey. He birdied the first, sixth, eighth, 10th, 14th, 16th and 18th. His one slip came at the 13th.
Scotland's Russell Knox is taking the week off and the only other Brit in the field, England's Matthew Richardson shot a 70 but so high is the general standard of scoring on the Nationwide Tour that he is only in joint 69th place.


* John Peterson, the 2011 NCAA Individual Champion from LSU, is making his professional debut this week. Peterson lost a playoff to Harris English earlier this summer in Columbus, Ohio and gained entry into this week's event via Monday qualifying. Peterson hit 17 greens in regulation but also had 35 putts.
"I hit it good enough to shoot in the mid-60s, I just didn't putt very well," he said. "My speed was inconsistent. I hit one hard then I hit one soft, then I'd over-ready them. It was just bad."
Peterson admitted he felt a little bit different when his name was called by the starter on the tee today.
"It was a different feeling because it matters a little more. It's you livelihood now," he admitted. "It was a cool feeling but after the first or second hole, golf's golf. You just try to get it in the hole the fastest.
Andrew Black hit three balls out-of-bounds on the par-5 sixth hole and made an 11.
Black, a Monday qualifier from Chattanooga, shot an even-par 72 thanks to six birdies and his 11 on the par-5, 6th hole.
*104 of 144 players posted sub-par scores.

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TIGER, TIGER IS NOT BURNING BRIGHT ON COMEBACK 73

Tiger Woods, first round, 2011 Frys.com Open 


FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
Tiger Woods returned to the US PGA Tour on Thursday for the most anticipated round in the history of the Fall Series. In the two months since we last saw Woods — a hard-to-watch missed cut at the US PGA Championship — he had generated more news away from the Tour than most players make in their career. A controversial selection to the Presidents Cup team, a new caddie (Joe LaCava) and, at long last, a new endorsement deal (Rolex) heightened the intrigue surrounding his return to action, but it was Woods' much-discussed, course-record 62 last week at Medalist Golf Club that hinted that Tiger's game might finally be falling into place after two years of scandal, malaise and injury.
On the first hole of Frys.com Open he smoked a drive and played a perfect second shot for a kick-in birdie, and the record crowd at CordeValle Golf Club was in full throat.
In announcing the Rolex deal, Woods's agent Mark Steinberg captured why his client remains the most riveting figure in sports despite middling play.
"Our culture says we like dynasties and that we also like underdogs," Steinberg told writer Thomas Bonk. "Tiger is as good a dynasty as there's been in sports for, what, 13 years? And now you might say he's an underdog. He would complete the story."
The return to glory will have to wait for at least one more day. The second hole at CordeValle is a straight-ahead par-4 with a massive bunker down the left. Woods now plays with a palpable fear of "losing" drives to the left. He made a defensive swing and fanned his drive well right, into a bunker. He caught his approach heavy, finding the greenside bunker. Then Woods left his next shot in the sand, too. Bogey.
On the par-3 third the pin was on the extreme left of the green, and yet Woods somehow missed left. His three-footer for par spun out of the hole, and just like that all the giddy anticipation of the preceding weeks was gone. What we were left with was just another struggling golfer, searching for a fix.
Woods kept missing fairways and putts, growing ever more frustrated by greens that were slowed by intermittent rains.
He had a chance to get back to even par but blew a five-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole and four-footer on the 11th. For all the talk about Woods's swing changes, what always separated him was his putter and his head. Both remain iffy.
On the par-5 12th he got careless with his lay-up shot and jerked it into a hazard. Further misadventures left him with a double bogey. Woods got one stroke back with a textbook birdie on the par-5 15th and then burned a few edges coming in.
His two-over par 73 left him tied for 86th place, four strokes behind his baby-faced amateur playing partner, UCLA junior year student Patrick Cantlay, and six strokes back of co-leaders Brendan Steele, Garrett Willis, Briny Baird and Matt Bettencourt.
When swinging his driver Woods hit five of 12 fairways, finding a bunker three times. For the round he hit just nine greens but still took 27 putts. His competitive rust offers an alibi for the shoddy play but for the fact on the eve of the tournament Woods had said," I've been playing a lot of holes [at home in Florida] which has allowed me to get my playing feel, my playing instincts back… I've kind of done all that legwork and now it's time to play."
After the round Woods placed most of the blame on his putter. "One of the worst putting rounds I've ever had," he said. "I don't think I can putt any worse than I did."
That's a result of neglect. "I haven't practised [putting] as much as I have in the past," Woods said. "I've been busy working on my [long] game."
Cantlay resisted the urge to gloat about having trumped the greatest player of all time, saying, "It's just the first round of a 72-hole tournament." That's the only solace for Woods after his buzz-kill 73. "I need to put a good round together tomorrow and piece my way back into the tournament," he said.
That leaves golf fans in a familiar position: waiting for Tiger to find himself.

LEADERBOARD
Par 71
Players from US unless stated
67 Brendan Steele, Briny Baird, Garrett Willis, Matt Bettencourt.
68 Troy Matteson, Matt Jones (Australia), Steven Bowditch (Australia), Rod Pampling (Australia), Chris Baryla (Canada), Aron Price (Australia).
69 Greg Chalmers (Australia), Kevin Na, Ernie Els (S Africa), Jeff Maggert, Brandt Jobe, Chad Campbell, Roland Thatcher, Andres Gonzales, John Rollins, Patrick Cantlay (am), Hunter Haas, Jarrod Lyle (Australia), Bud Cauley.
Selected scores:
70 Paul Casey (England) (T25).
71 David Duval (T37).
73 Tiger Woods (T86).

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