ALLAN CAMERON WINS NORTH ALLIANCE AT FORRES WITH A 68

By ALAN COWIE

Allan Cameron, with a two-under-par round of 68, won Saturday’s North Scottish Golfers’ Alliance fixture at Forres. Parring each of the first 11 holes, he scored birdies at the 12^th, 15^th and 16^th against a bogey at the 13^th.

A less steady but slightly more spectacular effort saw Bryan Fotheringham, playing over his former home course, fire six birdies but finish only on level par 70 to complete an Inverness 1-2.

Talking point of the day was the small issue of several unsigned cards, some being those of potential prizewinners.

Handicap winners were Davie Johnston of Moray in the low section and Colin Small of Nairn who along with the high section runner up will see a handicap reduction for the next fixture.

LEADING SCRATCH
Par 70

68 A Cameron (Inverness)

70 B R Fotheringham (Inverness)

71 J Simpson (Forres)

72 D Johnston (Moray), J C Milne (Moray)

73 K Thomson (Moray), C Stuart (Moray)

74 S Johnston (Elgin)

75 N McWilliam (Elgin), R Stewart (Nairn Dunbar), G Hay (Grantown), J S D Campbell (Grantown), L Duncan (Elgin), A J England (Moray), G S Macdonald (Torvean)

76 M McArthur (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), R. Proctor (Forres)

77 R H Stewart (Torvean)

78 K Barnett (Torvean), C Small (Nairn), J A G Innes (Elgin), P Masson (Rothes), B A Watson (Nairn Dunbar)

79 P Smith (Forres)

80 R Mackay (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), J K England (Moray), W B Johnston (Moray)

81 T Madden (Elgin), S Duncan (Moray), N McAskill (Forres), I Hamilton (Elgin)

82 K Smith (Elgin), R R Adams (Moray), W J Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), R Mellis (Rothes), V Tilman (Muir of Ord)

LEADING HANDICAP
Section 1 (seven and under)

68 D Johnston (Moray) (4)

69 J C Milne (Moray) (3)

70 G S Macdonald (Torvean) (4), S Johnston (Elgin) (4)

71 R Stewart (Nairn Dunbar) (4), A J England (Moray) (4), P. Masson (Rothes) (7)

Section 2 (eight to 14)

66 C Small (Nairn) (12)

67 L Duncan (Elgin) (8)

68 M McArthur (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (8)

69 D Spence (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (14), T Madden (Elgin) (12)

RUSSELL KNOX JOINS MARTIN LAIRD ON US PGA TOUR IN 2012

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Inverness exile Russell Knox will join Martin Laird on the United States PGA Tour next season.
Knox finished joint 24th in the US Nationwide Tour championship at Daniel Island, South Carolina today (Sunday) to clinch a final placing of 12th in the money table with earnings of $242,821.
The top 25 at the conclusion of the championship automatically gained promotion to the US PGA Tour in 2012.
Englishman Gary Christian finished ninth in the table with $260,654 earned on the Nationwide Tour this season. He too goes up alongwith Knox but another Englishman, Greg Own, who finished joint 18th in the championship failed to make the top 25 and he is doomed to play at least another season in America's No 2 professional circuit, having lost his card for the US Tour a year or two ago.
Knox has rounds of 71, 73, 75 and 71 for a total of 290 in the US Nationwide Tour which was won by American Ken Duke with scores of 72, 68, 70 and 6 for 10-under-par 278.
Knox is based at Jacksonville Beach, Florida. He stayed on in America after four successful years at Jacksonville University. He was one of the most prominent players on the NGA Hooters Tour after turning professional but failed several times to graduate through the US PGA Tour School.
Earlier this year, after coming through a Monday qualifier, he got a place in a US Nationwide Tour event and finished second, earning enough money to gain him playing rights on the circuit. He later won a Nationwide Tour event which saw him rise into the top 25 money-winners and he stayed there until the end of the season.
One of Russell's few disappointments during the 2011 season was being knocked back in a bid to gain an invitation to play in the Barclays Scottish Open on its move to the Castle Stuart venue - which is not all that far away from the Knox family home.
Promotion to the US PGA Tour will strengthen Knox's case when he tries again - as he says he will - to play in the Scottish Open in 2012.
Martin Laird also won his place on the US Tour through finishing in the top 20 of the Nationwide Tour three or four seasons ago.
Aberdeen-born Michael Sim, who was brought up in Australia from the age of seven and also gained promotion to the US Tour through the Nationwide Tour, will lose his playing rights on the "Big League" after finishing outside the top 200 on the money table.
Sim's career has been plagued by injury even before he made the leap up from the Nationwide Tour.


TO ACCESS THE US NATIONWIDE TOUR WEBSITE AND SEE THE COMPLETE LIST OF 25 PLAYERS PROMOTED TO THE US PGA TOUR - PLUS THE FINAL TOTALS IN THE NATIONWIDE TOUR WEBSITE

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AUSSIE BLIZARD SCORES FIRST VICTORY AS A PROFESSIONAL

Australian Rohan Blizzard, winner of the East of Scotland Open at Lundin Links in 2008 when he was still an amateur, has scored his first victory since turning professional.
Blizard, from New South Wales, today won the John Hughes Geely/ Nexus Risk Services West Australian Open in dramatic fashion at Royal Fremantle Golf Club.
The former Australian Amateur champion was a surprise winner following one of the most dramatic finales in the history of the event.
Entering the clubhouse at 10-under par, Blizard was tied for first with three other equal leaders in Matt Jager, Matt Stieger and Heath Reed still out on course.
“I was at best expecting a play-off so I was ready to go over to the range and hit some balls, but I saw them change the leaderboard so I didn’t have to do that in the end,” said Blizard who had rounds of 67, 70, 74 and 67 over a total of 278 over the par-72 course.
What Blizard didn’t see was the co-leaders self-destructing on the 17th hole.
Heath Reed triple bogeyed 17, Steiger double bogeyed and Jager bogeyed sending the trio back down the leaderboard.
Come the 18th hole Jager was the only person still in contention but needed an eagle to force a play-off.
In the end Jager managed to get up and down for par, handing 27 year old Blizard his first professional title by two shots from Jager (69-69-67-75), Ashley Hall (70-67-73-70) and David McKenzie (69-70-71-70).
“I was watching the leaderboard all day, I got off to a good start on the front nine so I knew I was in with a chance going into the back nine but I thought I probably had to have one better which was lucky for me I guess.”
“But I’m ecstatic. My first professional victory is a big thing and I’ll always remember that.”
Crowd favourite Jager finished in equal second at 8-under par alongside Ashley Hall and David McKenzie.
Reed finished a further shot back at 7-under.
Daniel Nisbet finished as the highest ranked amateur at 5-under par.

RICHIE RAMSAY THIRD AS SERGIO GARCIA WINS BACK-TO-BACK

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Sergio Garcia’s resurgence continued as he became the first Spaniard to win a stroke-play event at Club de Golf Valderrama, Sotogrande with a battling triumph at the Andalucía Masters today.
Garcia, also a winner on home soil in last week’s Castelló Masters and three times a runner-up at this venue in 2004, 2005 and 2006, carded a level par 71 to finish on six under par.
That put him one clear of compatriot Miguel Ángel Jiménez, who led for much of the front nine and then birdied 16 and 17 to re-ignite his challenge, with Aberdeen’s Richie Ramsay, the leader through the first two rounds, a shot further back in third and Ireland’s Shane Lowry fourth on three under.
Garcia will climb back into the top 20 of the Official Golf World Ranking with this win, his fifth European Tour victory on Spanish soil.
“It’s very, very special,” said the 31 year old. “Valderrama - I have so much history here and unfortunately it wasn’t as good as this until now!"
Asked about his return to form following a long barren spell, he added: “I knew that I had game, because I had it before, but obviously, when your head is not in the right spot it doesn’t matter how much game you have, your muscles won’t listen.
“I’m just happy with my year. We all know how difficult golf is. This is a work in process, I’ll keep working on it, and trying hard and enjoying it.”
Jiménez initially joined Garcia on six under with two birdies inside his first three holes and found himself in sole possession of the lead when Sergio three-putted the sixth before finding trouble off the tee at the next and making another bogey.
The 47-year-old's failure to capitalise on a host of further opportunities on the front nine proved costly, however. While he dropped shots on the 13th and 15th, Garcia recovered well and returned to his overnight score with birdies at 11 and 14.
A superb up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the par four 16th kept him at six under, but Jiménez made a birdie 3 at the same hole and picked up a further shot at the infamous 17th to reduce the gap to one, having set up an eagle chance with a magnificent approach shot over the lake guarding the green.
Another birdie at 18 looked likely when Jiménez found the fairway and green, but he left his 15ft putt agonisingly short and Garcia, despite missing the putting surface at the last, held his nerve to claim a second successive triumph.
“I’m out of words,” said Garcia. “It’s been two amazing weeks. Miguel fought so hard and had some good chances coming in, 17 for eagle and 18 for birdie.
“I wasn’t as good as probably the last 13 days, but we hung on and managed to pull through.
“On 18, we decided to play a little more conservative and make sure we hit the fairway, then the chip was just amazing. I thought it was going in.
“I’ve been in that situation three or four times on this course. It wasn’t easy, but I believed in my ability. To be able to hit the chip I hit there and roll the putt in with the pressure, it was nice.”
Garcia now leads the European Ryder Cup points race and added: “Ryder Cup years are always special for me, so hopefully we can make that team.”
Ramsay, top of the leaderboard after days one and two, briefly jumped into a share of the lead with Garcia on the back nine, only to then shank his tee shot on the par-3 15th.
His ball was only found after the five-minute search time had elapsed and the resulting double bogey effectively ended his hopes although a one-under-par 70 was his best round since his opening 65. .
A birdie at 18 at least ensured Ramsay claimed outright third ahead of Lowry, who birdied the third, fourth, fifth, 12th and 14th in a fine 67, the joint-best round of the day. The Aberdonian earned 187,800 Euros for his second good European Tour performance in a row
England’s Steve Webster, who shot 66 yesterday, got within one of the lead with four birdies, but back-to-back bogeys at 16 and 17, where he found the water with his second shot, saw him finish in fifth on two under, with Grégory Havret the only other man in red figures.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY
Par 284 (4x71) Prize money in Euros
278 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 70 70 68 71 (500,000).
279 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 71 70 68 780 (333,330).
280 Richie Ramsay (Scotland) 65 72 73 70 (187,800).
281 Shane Lowry (Ireland) 72 71 71 67 (150,000).
282 Steve Webster (England) 75 72 66 69 (127,200).

OTHER SCOTS' TOTALS
287 Stephen Gallacher 68 70 70 73 (T12) (48,600).
291 David Drysdale 70 76 73 72 (T28) (25,800).
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

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BO VAN PELT'S MILLION-DOLLAR VICTORY BY SIX STROKES

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED
 BY THE ASIAN TOUR

Kuala Lumpur: American Bo Van Pelt was laughing all the way to a CIMB Bank after romping to a stylish six-shot victory in the US$6.1 million CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia today.

The 36-year-old Van Pelt bagged his career’s biggest pay cheque of US$1.3 million as he savoured his first title of the season with an accomplished seven-under-par 64 in the final round for a winning total of 23-under-par 261 at the Mines Resort and Golf Club.

Leading by one shot from Jeff Overton at the start of the day, Van Pelt used two birdies on the third and fourth holes to tighten his grip at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic, Malaysia, an event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGA Tour.

Then, a brilliant burst of three birdies over four holes from the 11^th saw him pull six clear as he strolled home to victory in front of large galleries who included the King of Malaysia, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.

Overton stayed with Van Pelt, ranked 39^th in the world, through the front nine but bogeys on 12 and 13 after a three-putt and a wayward tee shot forced him to settle for a distant second place with a closing 69.

Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson finished third after a 68 while India’s Jeev Milkha Singh ended as the best Asian in tied 10^th place on 271. Malaysia’s Danny Chia, who started the day five shots off the lead, finished equal 13^th after closing with a 70.

“I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I get to do what I love to do for a living,” said a delighted Van Pelt. “It was funny. I got here Tuesday morning, went to the hotel, got showered and then went to the range. My swing felt good right at the first warm up and I kind of continued that all week and had confidence with what I wanted to do with my golf swing.”

After missing on several opportunities to add to his maiden title in the US in 2009, Van Pelt was delighted he earned his rewards by sticking closely to his game plan all week. “I had a chance to win a couple of times this year but it didn’t come out on top. I wanted to do a better job when I was having the lead and I took a lot of satisfaction with the way I played today,” said Van Pelt.

“I’ve watched other guys coming down 18 with a big lead and I thought that would be fun some day if I could do that and it was.”

Overton, who featured in the Ryder Cup for the US team last year, tipped his cap to the new CIMB champion. “That was one of the best rounds of golf I’ve seen,” said Overton, who is still searching for his maiden title.

He conceded his slip-ups on 12 and 13 proved costly. “It was kind of weird. I had a long putt and he had a chip. It was probably my turn and he’s goes ‘well I’ll come up’ and I let him come up and I don’t know for some reason, I started thinking about three putting and I went on to three putt. I got into my own way a little,” said Overton.

“Then I put in a nervous, a bad swing on the next hole. But at the end of the day, the guy, he played one of the best rounds of golf anybody has all year.”

Singh was delighted with his top-10, especially when he is just coming back from a two-week break to rest a sore back. “I played really well the whole week. This is the best I’ve hit the ball in months. Only my putting let me down. If I putted better, I would have finished better. But it is a good week. I’ve shot under-par and improved every day. Hopefully I can move on from here to better results,” said the two-time Asian Tour number one.

“This gives me confidence after coming off an injury. I’ll take that and look forward to the next few weeks,” added the Indian star.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 284 (4x71) Yardage 6,917

261 - Bo VAN PELT (USA) 66-64-67-64.

267 - Jeff OVERTON (USA) 67-62-69-69.

268 - Fredrik JACOBSON (SWE) 65-64-71-68.

269 - Cameron TRINGALE (USA) 66-68-71-64, Camilo VILLEGAS (COL) 69-66-68-66, Mark WILSON (USA) 67-66-67-69.

270 - John SENDEN (AUS) 67-70-68-65, Vijay SINGH (FIJ) 72-64-66-68, Ryan PALMER (USA) 71-65-67-67.

271 - Jeev SINGH (IND) 69-69-67-66, Jerry KELLY (USA) 69-66-69-67, Jason DUFNER (USA) 70-67-65-69.

272 - Brandt SNEDEKER (USA) 71-68-67-66, Robert ALLENBY (AUS) 63-72-70-67, Stewart CINK (USA) 67-66-71-68, Jimmy WALKER (USA) 66-67-71-68, Chris KIRK (USA) 71-65-67-69, Danny CHIA (MAS) 71-65-66-70.

273 - Ricky BARNES (USA) 69-71-66-67.

274 - Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 70-67-72-65, Jonathan BYRD (USA) 69-68-69-68, Ben CRANE (USA) 69-68-68-69.

275 - Spencer LEVIN (USA) 70-67-72-66, Tommy GAINEY (USA) 68-70-70-67, Jhonattan VEGAS (VEN) 64-69-72-70.

276 - Kyle STANLEY (USA) 68-69-72-67, Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 68-71-68-69.

277 - Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 70-70-72-65, Rory SABBATINI (RSA) 68-70-73-66, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 70-66-72-69.

278 - Stuart APPLEBY (AUS) 72-67-71-68, Brendon DE JONGE (ZIM) 68-72-70-68, Scott STALLINGS (USA) 67-72-70-69, Chez REAVIE (USA) 69-71-67-71.

279 - David GLEESON (AUS) 73-71-70-65, D.A. POINTS (USA) 71-68-71-69.

280 - Carl PETTERSSON (SWE) 68-67-78-67, Brian DAVIS (ENG) 71-71-71-67, Lucas GLOVER (USA) 71-70-71-68, Mohd SIDDIKUR (BAN) 68-73-68-71.

281 - Tetsuji HIRATSUKA (JPN) 70-72-72-67.

286 - Charley HOFFMAN (USA) 69-73-75-69, Brendan STEELE (USA) 74-73-70-69.

288 - CHAN Yih-shin (TPE) 72-70-74-72.

291 - Shaaban HUSSIN (MAS) 72-72-75-72, Angel CABRERA (ARG) 73-73-69-76.

293 - S.S.P. CHOWRASIA (IND) 75-71-74-73.

WD - Ryan MOORE, USA - WD

RORY McILROY LOSES THREE-SHOT LEAD BUT WINS PLAY-OFF

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH GOLF WEBSITE
Rory McIlroy claimed golf's biggest first prize of £1.25 million today – but only after losing a three-shot lead for the second event in a row and being forced into a play-off.
The 22-year-old, playing his first event since changing management stables, beat American Anthony Kim at the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters after a final-round shoot-out between the pair.
McIlroy resumed three clear, but had a bogey to Kim's birdie on the first and when he dropped another shot at the 11th trailed by one.
Northern Ireland's US Open champion drew level with a birdie at the long 15th, however, and with pars at the final three holes they tied on the 18-under-par mark of 270, McIlroy going round in a level-par 72 to Kim's 69.
At the first extra hole Kim missed a three-foot putt and McIlroy's two-footer for par gave him the title.
South Korean Noh Seung-yul and American Hunter Mahan were five strokes back in joint third, England's world number two Lee Westwood missing the chance to join them by bogeying the last two holes after he had holed-in-one at the 12th.
McIlroy's win does not improve his world ranking position or boost his Ryder Cup points because the tournament did not have official tour status.
He was able to breathe a sigh of relief, though, after going in the water on the ninth, three-putting the 11th and missing an eight-foot chance to win on the final green, then finding a bunker like Kim when they went into sudden death.
It was his fourth victory as a professional and his second of the year following his eight-shot triumph at the US Open in June.

ALL THE FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY
Par 288 (4x72)
270 Rory McIroy (NIr) 64 69 65 72 ($2,000,000) bt Anthony Kim (USA) 68 68 65 69 ($750,000) at first hole of sudden death play-off.
275 Hunter Mahan (USA) 65 72 68 70, Noh Seung-yul (SKor) 72 63 67 73 ($267,500 each).
276 Lee Westwood (Eng) 69 70 70 67 ($170,000).
277 Ian Poulter (Eng) 67 71 67 72 ($150,000).
280 K J Choi (SKor) 73 70 70 67, Retief Goosen (SAf) 69 71 72 68  ($107,500 each).
282 John Daly (USA) 69 70 72 71, Padraig Harrington (Ire) 67 70 73 72, Y E Yang (SKor) 69 73 68 72 ($81,833.33 each).
283 Keegan Bradley (USA) 72 68 72 71, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 73 70 66 74 ($69,000 each).
284 Paul Casey (Eng) 67 73 73 71, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 69 69 72 74 ($67,750 each).
287 Jim Furyk (USA) 75 71 71 70, Hu Mu (Chn) 70 73 71 73, Charl Schwartzel (SAf) 70 69 73 75 ($62,500 each).
288 Wu A-shun (Chn) 73 71 70 74, Louis Oosthuisen (SAf) 70 66 76 76, Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 70 69 73 76 ($52,833.33 each).
291 Huang Wen-yi (Chn) 73 67 76 75 ($45,000).
293 Tsai Chi-huang (Tpe) 74 74 70 75 ($42,500).
294 Kevin Na (USA) 72 74 71 77 ($40,000).
296 Zhang Lian-wei (Chn) 78 70 73 75 ($37,500).
297 Wu Wei-huang (Chn) 80 75 69 73, Li Chao (Chn) 68 74 72 83 ($33,750 each).
299 Su Dong (Chn) 79 73 77 70, Zhang Xin-jun (Chn) 71 74 74 80 ($28,750 each).
303 Yuan Hao (Chn) 79 78 74 72 ($25,000).

BO VAN PELT WINS ASIA PACIFIC CLASSIC BY SIX SHOTS

ASIA PACIFC CLASSIC - LEADING FINAL TOTALS

1 Bo Van Pelt -23 66 64 67 64 261

2 Jeff Overton  -17 67 62 69 69 267
3 Fredrik Jacobson -16 65 64 71 68 268
T4 T14 Cameron Tringale  -15 66 68 71 64 269
T4 T8 Camilo Villegas -15 69 66 68 66 269
T4 T3 Mark Wilson -15 67 66 67 69 269
T7 T14 John Senden -14 67 70 68 65 270
T7 T5 Vijay Singh -14 72 64 66 68 270
T7 T8 Ryan Palmer  -14 71 65 67 67 270
T10 T14 Jeev Milkha Singh

FULL REPORT AND ALL THE FINAL TOTALS COMING UP LATER

KOKRAK LEADS AFTER THREE ROUNDS OF NATIONWIDE TOUR CH/P

FROM THE US NATIONWIDE TOUR WEBSITE
By Doug Milne, US PGA Tour staff
CHARLESTON, South Carolina: There wasn't a whole lot of going low today in the Low Country in round three of the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island. But for Jason Kokrak, his three-over 75 was low enough to reach the highest point on the leaderboard headed into Sunday's final round of the season, after which time the top-25 money winners earn their ticket to the US PGA Tour.
With a testy save for par at the 54th hole, Kokrak got to 7-under through three rounds and leads the field by one stroke on a day when strong winds got the best of most of the players in the 60-man field.
"It was a tough round with that wind," Kokrak said. "I think the only other time I had a tougher day was when I played over in Ireland, when I was 14. If it was constant here, it wouldn't have been that difficult, but it just kept switching directions."
Kokrak, of Warren, Ohio, has previously held a share of the 54-hole lead twice this year, winning both. He first won the Albertsons Boise Open, and two weeks ago won the Miccosukee Championship.
Kokrak has good reason to feel good about his position heading into Sunday's final round, as the 54-hole leader of the Nationwide Tour Championship has held on for the win 15 of the previous 17 times.
Kokrak began the week at Daniel Island Club ranked fourth on the Nationwide Tour money list. In his lone start on the US PGA Tour in 2011, he missed the cut at the Transitions Championship after Monday Qualifying.
The low round of the blustery day belonged to Augusta native Scott Brown. He followed a birdie at the first hole of the day with four others throughout the round for a bogey-free, 5-under 67. Along with Ken Duke, he trails Kokrak by just a stroke.
"With this wind, the course is playing really tough today," said Brown, who began the week 21st on the money list. "The back nine was especially tough," he added. "I hit a 7-iron from 128 yards on 17, so any birdies on the back nine are really good birdies today."
Ken Duke managed one of the few sub-par rounds on Saturday with a 2-under 70. Through three rounds, the former US TOUR player is at 6-under.
"This was a really fun day. My caddie and I agreed to stay patient and it paid off," Duke said. "I have to admit, it has been hard for me to be patient, but for the last two to three weeks, it has really been fun. It's been the way it's supposed to be."
After 54 holes, Duke is the only player projected to move from outside of the top 25 to within.
"The wind was really swirling on the back nine today. It was tough," said Camilo Benedetti, who bogeyed the par-5 18th to finish with a 2-over 74. Benedetti is 5-under and tied for fourth through three rounds.
Benedetti, who began the week ranked 49th on the money list, is left with just one round to climb into the top 25.
"I won't lie, I'm not going to stop thinking about that," he said. "I do feel the pressure, and with one round to go, I can only go out there, do my best and hope that it's good enough."
After his 10-under 62 on Friday, two-time US PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra fell victim to the wind on Saturday, posting a 5-over 77, good for a 5-under total. He starts Sunday tied for fourth.
Third-Round Notes
• In a first, Golf Channel brought Twitter to life on today's telecast of the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island with a new interactive TV experience. "Social Media Saturday" featured GolfChannel.com senior writers Rex Hoggard and Randall Mell joining the on-air team's tournament coverage by providing live tweets from the course. Hoggard and Mell offered their own takes on what they saw, replacing traditional play-by-play commentary during select segments of the telecast.
• After today's last putt drops and the winner receives the Nationwide Tour Championship trophy, the 25 graduates will be feted at a card ceremony on the grounds of Daniel Island Club. PGATOUR.COM will begin streaming the event at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET. The ceremony will feature the graduates, US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee and Nationwide Insurance's associate vice president John Aman, with player family, friends and associates in the audience.
• The third-round scoring average was 74.608, a full 2.608 strokes above par, making it the second-toughest single round on this Tour this year.

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from US unless stated
209 Jason Kokrak 67 67 75
210 Scott Brown 75 68 67, Ken Duke 72 68 70.
211 Garth Mulroy (S Africa) 69 71 71, Matt Every 71 68 72, Camilo Benedetti (Colombia) 67 76 74, Daniel Chopra (Sweden) 72 62 77.
SELECTED SCORES
214 Greg Owen (England) 71 66 77 (T14).
217 Gary Christian (England) 71 72 74 (T26).
219 Russell Knox (Scoland) 71 73 75 (T37)

+The leading 25 in the US Nationwide Tour money table at the conclusion of this event will gain automatic promotion to next season's US Tour. Gary Christian and Russell Knox are guaranteed finishing in the top 25 because of their earnings in previous tournaments this season. Greg Owen needs to win or finish second to make the top 20. He lost his US Tour card a season or two back.