HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS

NO SUCCESS FOR LOCALS AT ALLOA ALLIANCE.

The Midland Alliance reached Alloa Golf Club last week with 83 competitors. Thankfully there was a respite in the weather, and the fixture was played although the ground conditions were on the wet side.
None of the local Alliance members could use their home advantage and most prizewinners came from outwith the County. With the course playing long, the best scratch score was a one over par score 71 from Alistair Webster. Best local score was a 74 from Braehead professional Jamie Stevenson, putting him in fourth equal place and overall there were only about a dozen scratch scores under 80.
Top local senior golfer Bob Stewart (Tulliallan) finished with a 78. In both the handicap and team sections, there were no local winners. The best net score was a 71 from Jim Watt (Edzell) and the team event was won with a score of 63.
It was much better in the previous fixture over the long Fairmont course where Jamie finished second equal with a scratch 75, and led his team to the top place with a net 137.

WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKINGS

The World Amateur Golf Rankings are very much biased towards American golfers, especially as they can compete in many events over the winter season.
Perhaps the only good feature is that the rankings put golfers from one country into a ranking order and in connection with that, it is pleasing to see local junior golfer Lawrence Allan (Alva) break into the top 50 in Scotland. His world ranking of 1588 translates into a Scotland ranking of 47.
There is a bit of disappointment for Lawrence in that he has not been included in the Scottish boys' coaching squad for 2012. Out of the nine players selected, seven have World rankings much lower than him, even as much as 1000 places worse.
Although he is below these boys in the Boys Order of Merit, it takes no account of performances in adult competitions. I think most Clackmannan county golfers would sympathise with Lawrence and wish him well in his last year in boys' golf. He has a point to prove.


BACK TO SCHOOL FOR CALLUM

Tulliallan’s Callum Macaulay will be back at the European Tour Qualifying School second stage to be held in Spain over four courses. Callum is one of 3 Scots playing 72 holes over the El Valle Golf resort course at Murcia from the 2nd till the 5th December. The course is a 6764m yard par 71 layout, the longest hole being a par 5 of 615 yards, and the four par threes are all over 200 yards. There are 7 par fours of fewer than 400 yards suggesting there could be many birdie opportunities for these long hitters, but the course is described as having “numerous strategic elements to challenge golfers with a premium on accuracy that favours the intelligent player”. In other words …….plenty trouble! The top scores from each of the four courses will go forward to the final qualifying played over six rounds with the top 35 players getting their European Tour cards for 2012. Local golfers will want to wish Callum every success in his quest for a return to the full European Tour.

CATRIONA MATTHEW WINS BY FOUR SHOTS IN MEXICO

Catriona Matthew today won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational tournament in Mexico by four strokes - the fourth win of her LPGA Tour career and one which takes her very close to $7million in career earnings.
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SYME AND BURNS SHARE JUNIOR TOUR HONOURS AT LONGNIDDRY

Connor Syme and George Burns were the top performers at the Scottish Junior Golf Tour's Level 5 competition at Longniddry at the weekend.
Syme set the clubhouse target of level par 68 and for some time looked as if he would win by a considerable margin.
Then Burns, who had reached the turn in 37, came storming home in three-under-par 31 to tie with Syme.
Jamie Savage finished third with a 69.
The best net score was a net 69 by Blair Gavin (Kilmarnock Barassie).

NIGHT GOLF AT NEWBURGH-ON-YTHAN LINKS, ABERDEENSHIRE

By IAN BRATTON
PGA Professional, Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club
We are having a night golf evening at Newburgh on Friday, November 18.
* Tee times are from 5.30 to 6.30pm.
* It is a five-hole competition.
* The middle of each fairway and each green will be lined with glow
sticks.
* Golfers are supplied with one glowing golf ball each, more can be
obtained from the bar.
* Head torches and other personal lights are recommended.
* Tee times can be booked in the bar at Newburgh, 01358789058.
* Night golf is followed by a meal plus prize giving.
* Other nights will be arranged depending on the success of our first
evening.
* Newburgh Night Golf is open to ALL golfers. Non-members welcome.


Ian Bratton,
PGA Professional,
Newburgh on Ythan Golf Links,
Aberdeenshire,
AB41 6BY.

GREG CHALMERS COMES BACK INTO THE SPOTLIGHT

FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
While some of golf's biggest stars lost their heads in the heat of battle, Greg Chalmers calmly plotted his way round The Lakes and upstaged them all on the final day of the Australian Open at Sydney
The ungainly looking West Australian left-hander, based in Dallas, came into the tournament ranked No.215 in the world.
He won this event in 1998, and remains a wizard around the greens, but he simply wasn't mentioned in the lead-up.
People were too busy assessing the relative merits of Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and half the US Presidents Cup team.
Who remembered that Chalmers was runner-up when Woods last won a tournament, at the Australian Masters two years ago?
Chalmers is pretty anonymous and he seems to like it that way.
While Tiger was in his customary last-day red, Chalmers chose an ordinary blue shirt.
"I did my best to dress like a volunteer - I thought that might help," he said, without a hint of false modesty.
If you want further proof of the sort of a bloke he is, watch the video of his walk to the 18th green.
As he was moving towards the greatest triumph of his career there was no fist-pumping or raising his arms aloft.
Instead he noticed a piece of scrap paper blowing across the fairway. He bent down, picked it up, and tucked it away in his golf bag.
He safely made his par and waited for the last group to come in behind him.
His Dallas neighbour and good friend John Senden could have tied him with a birdie at the last.
Chalmers held his breath as Senden's putt snaked its way towards the hole. It slid a couple of centimetres past the right lip.
Chalmers breathed out, picked up his five-year-old son Lachie and gave him a kiss. Then he hugged his mum and dad.
In his victory speech on the final green Chalmers took care to thank everyone he should have, then choked up as he spoke of how much this meant to him.
And you knew it did.
FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
Tiger Woods was within two shots of the lead when he made the turn, having gone mistake-free on the front nine to at least give himself a chance on the risk-reward holes along the back nine of The Lakes.
The task became tougher the way he played the 11th, which ultimately forced a bad decision two holes later.
Woods again hooked his tee shot on the par-5 11th, although with the wind at his back, it sailed over the portable toilet and into a sand dune where spectators had been walking all week. His ball was deep in a heel print, and he played an explosion shot sideways just to get out of that mess. He wound up missing a 7-foot par putt.
He made up for that with an 18-foot birdie on the 12th - one of only five birdies on that hole Sunday - and couldn't figure out how to play the 315-yard 13th. He went with driver for the second straight day, and this time it cost him.
``I shouldn't have gone for it,'' Woods said. ``It's a tough tee shot for me because I'm caught right between clubs. Driver is too much and 3-wood is not enough. I tried to hit a big, slicing driver in there and should have just laid up.
``Unfortunately, I made the wrong decision and it cost me a shot.''
He was lucky it wasn't more. The ball barely carried a pond and embedded into the muck about a foot short of the red hazard line. Instead of dropping on the other side of the water, Woods blasted behind the ball to gouge it forward, only it popped up and struck a tree, bouncing behind and nearly in another pond. His chip came up short, and he had to get up-and-down for bogey.
He still made it interesting by chipping in for eagle from just off the 14th green, then reaching the par-5 17th in two with a shot that caught the ridge and settled 12 feet away. With a chance to tie for the lead, Woods missed the putt, then settled for a two-putt par on the 18th hole from about 45 feet.
``Two bad tee shots on the back nine cost me,'' Woods said.
Even so, there were more positives for him to take out of the week. Coming off another four-week break from competition, he played well enough to win except for not turning his bad round - a 75 on Saturday - into a mediocre round.
It was the first time all year that he had to wait after signing his card to see if his score would be enough. That lasted as long as it took Chalmers to save par from the bunker.
The only other time Woods has featured on a leaderboard Sunday this year was at the Masters, when he was tied for the lead at turn until going even par on the back nine and finishing four shots behind.
Woods has played only four tournaments since then because of injuries to his left leg.
``It's been since Augusta, I had the lead at Augusta on Sunday, that's the last time I've been in that spot,'' Woods said. ``It's been a long time, unfortunately I haven't played a lot of tournaments in between. But it was great to be out there, I had a chance. Unfortunately I didn't post the number I wanted to post.''

SINGAPORE OPEN PLAY-OFF SPILLS OVER INTO MONDAY

FROM THE ASIAN TOUR WEBSITE
Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines and Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano were locked in a play-off battle at the Barclays Singapore Open which will now conclude on Monday morning (7.30am local time) due to adverse weather.
Both players finished the rain-shortened US$6 million championship, sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour, tied on 14-under-par 199 after a dramatic third and final round at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course.
The sweet-swinging Pagunsan, who started the day five shots behind overnight leader Fernandez-Castano, charged into contention with a superb four-under-par 67, highlighted by vital birdies on the 15th and 18th holes.
Fernandez-Castano, a four-time winner on the European Tour but not since 2008, wobbled on the back nine to throw away his big lead with bogeys on 12, 14 and 15 but showed tremendous courage with massive par putts on the 16th and 18th holes. He saved par from 15 feet on the last despite a penalty shot following an errant drive into the water hazard for a closing 72.
After hitting their tee shots on the 18th hole in the sudden-death shoot-out, the threat of lightning forced the suspension of play at 2.45pm, much to the disappointment of the large galleries at Sentosa.
Officials got both players out to the course some two hours later but after laying up successfully with their second shots, the heavens opened up soon after which subsequently led to the decision for the play-off to resume on Monday morning.
This is the second straight year the Barclays Singapore Open has endured a fifth day of play. This week’s tournament, Asia’s richest national Open, was shortened to 54 holes after half a day’s play was lost on Saturday afternoon due to tropical thunderstorms.
Pagunsan thought he had bagged the US$1 million top prize when he saw his rival find the watery grave in regulation play. “In my mind, I thought I was going to win, no play-off. But he made the putt. I’m still here and will wait for a result tomorrow,” said Pagunsan, whose lone Asian Tour victory was in 2007.
“I’m really happy with how I played. Even if I win or lose now, I’ve already saved my card for next year. I’m really happy. But I’m hoping to win tomorrow. I’ll go back now and have a good rest and get ready again.”
With a final round card of five birdies against a lone bogey, the 33-year-old Filipino said he was prepared for a final push on Monday morning. “My confidence is getting stronger and stronger. I can’t say what will happen. He’s a tough player,” said Pagunsan, who will become the new Asian Tour Order of Merit leader no matter what the result as the runner-up cheque is US$666,660.
Fernandez-Castano was relieved to stay in contention for his fifth career win after holing a magnificent par save on 18 with the title on the line.
“I was feeling the pressure because it has been a long time without a victory and I want this one desperately. I felt the pressure at the end. My game was just not there, the putter wasn’t working and I made it tough for myself but at the very end to make that par on the last made my day," said the Spaniard.
"Those three pars to finish – I know this doesn’t sound great talking about three pars – but considering the position I was in, the way I was playing and the way my mind was, it was big challenge and I managed to hang on.
“It has been another long day waiting around for three hours but tomorrow is a new day and anything can happen. We are both in a good position on the fairway.”
American Anthony Kim continued his recent fine run of form with a closing 64 for a share of third place with 2010 (British) Open champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa on 200 while Danny Lee of New Zealand, Joost Luiten of the Netherlands and Edoardo Molinari of Italy shared fifth place, a further stroke back.
The 26-year-old Kim, who has finished third and second in his last two tournaments in Asia during the past month, rued a costly bogey on the par five seventh hole which ultimately denied him a chance to join the play-off.
He produced a superb finish with four birdies in the last five holes.
“Looking at the board now, I’m disappointed with the bogey on seven where I hit the ball onto an unplayable lie. But I’m getting better every week and that’s all I can ask for,” said Kim, who was bogged down by a wrist injury for much of last year.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 213
Round 3 played on par-71 (7,357yd) Serapong course.
199 Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 66-66-67, Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTANO (ESP) 66-61-72 (Sudden-death play-off to resume Monday, 7.30am)
200 Anthony KIM (USA) 70-66-64, Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 72-63-65.
201 Joost LUITEN (NED) 69-65-67, Danny LEE (NZL) 68-65-68, Edoardo MOLINARI (ITA) 62-68-71.
202 James MORRISON (ENG) 62-68-72.
203 Tjaart VAN DER WALT (RSA) 71-65-67, Justin ROSE (ENG) 69-65-69.
204 Steve WEBSTER (ENG) 69-69-66, Anders HANSEN (DEN) 69-64-71.
205 Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 65-72-68, Himmat RAI (IND) 70-69-66, Shane LOWRY (IRL) 67-70-68, Rikard KARLBERG (SWE) 67-69-69, Graeme MCDOWELL (NIR) 68-71-66, Richie RAMSAY (SCO) 69-65-71.
206 Miguel Angel JIMENEZ (ESP) 73-65-68, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 75-63-68, David HORSEY (ENG) 69-69-68, Angelo QUE (PHI) 71-68-67.
SELECTED TOTALS
207 Ernie ELS (RSA) 72-66-69, Y.E. YANG (KOR) 63-71-73 (T23)
208 Phil MICKELSON (USA) 71-67-70, LAM Chih Bing (SIN) 66-72-70 (T33).
210 Colin MONTGOMERIE (Scotland) 67 71 72 (T57).

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FERNANDEZ-CASTANO v PAGUNSAN SINGAPORE OPEN PLAY-OFF

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño saw a four-shot lead evaporate on the back nine before the Spaniard and Filipino Juvic Pagunsan contested a play-off for the Barclays Singapore Open.
Pagunsan, who drew level with the Spanish overnight leader courtesy of a birdie at the last, split the fairway with his opening drive in the play-off.
Fernandez-Castaño failed to follow suit as he found a bunker, but in a tournament reduced to 54 holes because of bad weather, the pair were then forced off the course once again due to the threat of lightning.
Fernandez-Castaño began the third and final round three clear of Edoardo Molinari and James Morrison, and with an eagle at the par five fourth, a birdie at the sixth and a bogey in between turned four clear of the chasing pack.
But he had three bogeys in four holes from the 12th, and when Pagunsan holed a ten foot birdie putt the recent Castelló Masters runner-up needed a four at the par five last to win.
But he drove into water down the left and ultimately did well to get down in five and force extra holes.

PLAY-OFF SUSPENDED AFTER DRIVES
Pagunsan went first in the play-off, starting at the par-5 18th hole, and found the fairway. Castaño could not follow suit, finding sand. Both then laid up in two shots. However, Mother Nature has struck again with lightning moving into the area and no choice but to suspend the play-off.



LEADING FINAL TOTALS
199 Jovic Pagunsan (Philippines) 66 66 67, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 66 61 72.
200 Anthony Kim (US) 70 66 64, Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 72 63 65.
201 Danny Lee (NZ) 68 65 68, Joost luiten (Netherlands) 69 65 67, Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 62 68 72.
202 James Morrison (England) 62 68 71.

SCOTS' TOTALS
205 Richie Ramsay 69 65 71 (T13).
210 Colin Montgomerie 67 71 72 (T57)

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TIGER FINISHES THIRD IN AUSSIE OPEN BEHIND CHALMERS, SENDEN

FROM THE PGA OF AUSTRALIA WEBSITE
It was the day the golfing world had been waiting two years for - a tournament victory heading the way of fallen star Tigers Woods.
And for a brief moment during the final round of the Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes today, it looked like history was in the making.
After starting the final day six strokes behind the leaders, three birdies over the first nine holes saw Woods make the turn at three under and the charge looked on.
He stumbled with two bogeys early on the front nine before reigniting his round when he chipped in for an eagle at the par-five 14th.
Wearing his trademark Sunday red, Woods produced a stunning long-iron approach at the par-five 17th but could only manage a birdie to end his chances of earning that first victory in two years.
He finished five-under for the day and 11 under for the tournament, settling for third place, two strokes behind winner Greg Chalmers and a shot behind runner-up John Senden, both Australians
Woods heads to Melbourne for next week's Presidents Cup, still searching for that elusive tournament win two years after his world fell apart so spectacularly.
"I had the lead at Augusta on Sunday (in the 2011 US Masters), that was the last time I've been in that spot," Woods said after carding an impressive 67 in the windy conditions.
"It's been a long time and unfortunately I haven't played a lot of tournaments in between."
"I had a chance and I kept telling myself I need to post 13, 14 (under) to get it up there and see what happens."
"(If not for) two holes on the back nine today - and I putted awful yesterday - I would have been right there."
Woods held a one-shot lead over the field after two rounds but a horror three-over 75 on Saturday ultimately put paid to his chances.
"I was disappointed yesterday and found some of the old keys (on Sunday)," he said.
"(They were) simple fixes, easy fixes. I had to reset my game and I hit the ball really good out there."
"Unfortunately I didn't post the number I wanted to post."

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
Players from Australia unless stated
275 Greg Chalmers 67 72 67 69.
276 John Senden 70 71 63 72.
277 Tiger Woods (US) 68 67 75 67.
279 Geoff Ogilvy 70 74 70 65, Nick O'Hern 69 72 66 72, Adam Scott 69 71 71 68, Jason Day 69 68 68 74, Nick Watney (US) 66 73 68 72.

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