Tuesday, December 06, 2011

PRESIDENT OBAMA UNDER FIRE FOR GOLF HOLIDAY IN HAWAII

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
United States presidential candidate Mitt Romney took a shot this at President Obama’s upcoming 17-day golfing holiday in Hawaii. Romney said the president needs to focus on fixing the economy, not his golf game:
“I just think it’s time to have a president whose idea of being 'hands on' doesn’t mean getting a better grip on the golf club," Romney said.
You’d think a Republican candidate would be more concerned about the golf vote.

ARNOLD PALMER BRAND WILL LIVE ON
At the age of 82, Arnold Palmer is still considered the coolest golfer on the planet. According to E.J. Shultz of Ad Age, Palmer and his Arnold Palmer Enterprises crew are taking steps to make sure his brand endures beyond Palmer's lifetime, making plans for the next 20, 30 and even 40 years.
As it looks to the future, the group is culling nonstrategic licenses while seeking out new ones that dig deeper into Mr Palmer's past, evoking a 1960s-era younger, stronger Arnie in hopes of capitalising on the retro fever captured by the likes of the hit TV show "Mad Men."
Among the projects in the pipeline are a new clothing line featuring styles Mr Palmer wore decades ago that seek to recapture the spirit that this year vaulted him onto GQ magazine's list of "The 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time." Mr. Palmer, GQ said, "marshalled his own army by uniting golf with charisma at a moment when the sport's most-popular fan was President Eisenhower."

Labels:

BROOKES WINS MIDLAND ALLIANCE OVER FROSTY CHARLETON

Pitreavie professional Paul Brookes won the top scratch prize in the last Midland Golfers' Alliance competition of the year with a two-over-par score of 73 over a frosty Charleton course in Fife today.
He won by two shots from Crieff amateur Grant Jenkins whose net 71 off four won him the top amateur award by three strokes.
Next competion is at Lundin Golf Club, Fife on Tuesday, January 24.

LEADING SCRATCH
73 P Brookes (Pitreavie).
75 G Jenkins (Crieff).
76 W Hutton (Pitlochry).
77 K Bruce (Edzell), R Stewart (Tulliallan), C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst).
79 G Tough (Edzell), G Milne (Aberdour), D West (Burntisland).
LEADING HANDICAP
G Jenkins (Crieff) (4) 71; G Milne (Aberdour) (5), K Bruce (Edzell) (3) 74; A Mason (Thornton) (9), R Brownhill (Edzell) (5) 75; W Hutton (Pitlochry) (scr), D West (Burntisland) (3) 76; R Stewart (Tulliallan) (scr), D Redford (Murrayshall) (8), G Wilkie (Muckhart) (13) 77.
Qualifiers for the JTC Kitchen Express Midland Golfer’s Alliance Championship in April at Carnoustie
G Milne (Aberdour) (5)
A Duncan (Murrayshall) (3)

Qualifiers for the J T C McQueen Shield in April at Carnoustie
G. Milne (Aberdour) (5)
K. Bruce (Edzell) (3)

Next Meeting
Tuesday, January 24
Lundin Golf Club, Fife
Tee reserved: 9am to Noon

Lee Sutherland
PGA Pro, Ballumbie Castle

Labels:

2012 Amateur men's and boys' fixtures from the SGU WEBSITE

+With some additional fixtures added by Scottishgolfview.com

MARCH
31-1 Apr SGU Junior Tour - Event 1 venue to be confirmed)

APRIL
3 Belhaven Best Captains and Secretaries Championship Regional Final 1 (Crail)
7-8 Scottish Champion of Champions (Leven GS)
7-9 Boys Under 16 Quadrangular (Ireland)
9-14 Scottish boys' match-play championship (Murcar Links)
14-15 Craigmillar Park Open (Craigmillar Park, Edinburgh)
21 Edward Trophy (36 holes) (Glasgow Gailes)
21-22 Battle Trophy Open (Crail GS, Craighead course)
26-27 South of Scotland Seniors Open Championship (Powfoot)

MAY
4-6 Lytham Trophy (Royal Lytham and St Annes)
11-13 Scottish youths championship (Ladybank)
11-13 Irish Open stroke play championship (Royal Dublin)
15 Brabazon Trophy South Qualifier (Rochester and Cobham Park)
19-20 Moneygate Scottish area team championship (Blairgowrie Rosemount and Lansdowne courses)
22 Brabazon Trophy North Qualifier (Worksop)
24-25 Scottish Seniors Spring Open Championship (Montrose)
25-27 Welsh Open stroke play championship (Prestatyn)
26-27 SGU Junior Tour - Event 2 (The Roxburghe)

JUNE
May 30-June 1 Irish Seniors Open Championship (Atherny);
Belhaven Best Captains and Secretaries Championship Regional Final 2
1-3 Scottish Open amateur stroke play championship (Kilmarnock Barassie)
2-3 Welsh Youths Open Championship (Bull Bay)
7-9 European Mid-Amateur Championship Estonia
7-8 East of Scotland Seniors Open Championship (to be confirmed)
8-10 St Andrews Links Trophy (St Andrews New and Old courses); Curtis Cup: GB and Ireland v United States women's amateur international (Nairn).
10 Scottish boys' area team championship (Cowglen)
11 Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish schools championships (Murrayshall).
13-14 Scotland v South Africa Test Match (Prestwick)
14 Belhaven Best Captains and Secretaries Championship Regional Final 3 (Royal Musselburgh)
14-16 European Seniors Championship (Austria)
16-17 SGU Junior Tour - Event 3 (Rowallan Castle)
18-23 British Amateur Championship (Royal Troon + qualifying at Glasgow Gailes)
21-22 Central Scotland Seniors Open Championship (Glenbervie)
23-24 Tennant Cup (Glasgow Gailes and Killermont)
25 Open Championship Regional Qualifiers (Berwick Goswick and Bruntsfield only Scottish venues).
28-30 Palmer Cup: Europe v United States students (Royal County Down)
26-28 Welsh Seniors Open Championship (St Mellons, Cardiff)
28-1 July Brabazon Trophy (Walton Heath)
30-1 July East of Scotland Open stroke-play championship (Lundin GC, Fife); Scottish Hydro Challenge (venue tbc)

JULY
3 Open Championship Local Qualifiers (Hillside, Southport and Ainsdale, West Lancs)
3-4 Scottish Boys and Girls U14 Open Championships (Buchanan Castle)
4-6 Scottish Seniors Open Championship (Luffness New)
5-7 European Men's Challenge Trophy (Estonia)
6-8 English Mid-Amateur Championship (Saunton West)
7-8 Cameron Corbett Vase (Haggs Castle)
10-14 European boys' team championship (Sweden)
11-13 Scottish Boys U16 Open Championship (Strathaven)
12-15 Scottish Open (Castle Stuart)
14-15 Sutherland Chalice (Dumfries and Galloway)
16-18 R and A Junior Open Championship (Fairhaven)
16-20 Scottish Seniors Match Play Championship (West Kilbride)
17 Belhaven Best Captains and Secretaries Championship Regional Final 4 (Boat of Garten)
17-19 English Boys U16 Open Championship (Trevose)
19-22 The Open Championship (Royal Lytham and St Annes)
21-22 Newlands Trophy (Lanark)
24-26 Scottish Boys Stroke Play Championship (Cardross)
26-27 West of Scotland Seniors Open Championship (Lanark)
26-28 European Young Masters (Hungary)
26-29 The Senior British Open Championship (Turnberry)
30-4 Aug Scottish Amateur Championship (Royal Dornoch); Junior Masters Regional Final 1 and Regional Final 2 (venues tbc)

AUGUST
2-3 Scottish Super Seniors (Nairn Dunbar)
7-9 English Boys U14 Open Championship (Blackwell)
7-9 Boys' Home Internationals (Co Louth)
8-10 The Senior British Open Championship (Machynys Penninsula, North Wales)
8-11 European Men's Individual Championship (Carton House, Ireland)
11-12 Standard Life Leven Gold Medal (Leven GS)
13-19 US Amateur Championship (Cherry Hills, Colorado)
14-19 British Boys Amateur Championship (Notts/Coxmoor)
15-17 Men's Home Internationals (Glasgow Gailes)
16-17 North of Scotland Seniors Championship (Cruden Bay)
18-19 North-east District Open Championship (Newmachar)
21-22 Faldo Junior Series Scottish Qualifier (Panmure)
23-24 Scottish seniors' autumn doubles (The Glen, North Berwick)
24 Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap Championship Regional Final 2 (Eyemouth)
25-26 North of Scotland Open amateur stroke-play chhampionship (Tain)
26 Scottish open amateur mixed foursomes (Dunblane New)
29 Belhaven Best Captains and Secretaries Championship - Regional Final 5 (Erskine)
29-1 Belgian junior international tournament (Royal GC of Belgium)
31 Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap Championship Regional Final 3 (Duff House Royal)
31-1 Sept Jacques Leglise Trophy: GB and Ireland v Continent of Europe boys (Portmarnock, Ireland)
31-1 Sept St Andrews Trophy: GB and Ireland v Continent of Europe men (Portmarnock, Ireland)

SEPTEMBER
1-2 South-east District Open Championship (Longniddry)
4-8 European Senior men's team championship (Estoril, nr Lisbon, Portugal)
7 Belhaven Best Scottish Club Handicap Championship Regional Final 4 (Scotscraig)
10-12 Faldo Junior Series Grand Final (Lough Erne, Northern Ireland) (dates tbc)
11-13 The Duke of York Young Champions Trophy (Royal Troon)
13 Scottish Seniors Order of Merit Finals Day (Blairgowrie)
18-20 Seniors Home Internationals (Southerndown, South Wales).
24-25 Junior Ryder Cup (Olympic Fields, Illinios, US)
26-29 Espirito Santo Trophy women's world amateur team championship (Antalya, Turkey).
27 Scottish senior men's area team championship (Dunfermline) (tbc)
28-30 Ryder Cup (Medinah, Illinios, US)
30 Scottish Club Championship (Arbroath)

OCTOBER
4-7 Eisenhower Trophy world men's amateur team championship (Antalya, Turkey)
7 Junior Masters Grand Final (Gleneagles, Queen's Course)
9-11 Scottish Alliance championship (Monifieth and Arbroath).
25-27 European Men's Club Trophy (venue tbc)

Labels: ,

RORY McILROY ADMITS HE'S NOT 100 PER CENT HEALTH-WISE

Looking over their shoulder at each other - Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy (image by courtesy of Getty Images (c)

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITERory McIlroy goes into his European Tour showdown with Luke Donald this week waiting for the results of blood tests.
The 22 year-old US Open champion kept the "Race to Dubai" money list battle alive by winning the Hong Kong Open on Sunday, but has been struggling with his health for some time.
McIlroy went to see a doctor on arrival in the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai World Championship. It starts on Thursday and he needs to win, and for Donald to finish outside the top nine, to be crowned number one for the season.
"I won't get the results back until later on this week," said the Northern Irishman. "I picked up a virus and my white blood cell count was very low, so the tests were to see if it's back up again."
It is hardly surprising. McIlroy has been virtually non-stop since late September and that has included three trips to the Far East and one to Bermuda.
"I'm not energy-wise where I want to be, but I took a day off yesterday and took it easy," he added.
"I'm going to play the pro-am today and practise and I'll probably take another day off tomorrow - maybe hit a few balls.
"I'll really try and conserve my energy and focus it all into the four tournament days. I'm not 100 per cent, but I'm still able to go out and play 18 holes and try and give it my all.
"I've still got a slim chance of trying to win the 'Race to Dubai'. It's going to be a tough ask, but I'll give my best and it would be great to finish the year on a high."
Not that he is quite finished yet. McIlroy is also entered for next week's Thailand Championship, although his manager Conor Ridge says his participation there depends on his health.
Asked if he might have pulled out this week if it had not been such a big event - not just for the money list, but also the world rankings and Ryder Cup qualifying points - Rory said:
"I'm not sure. I don't like pulling out of tournaments. I think you saw that at the US PGA this year."
That was where he damaged his arm hitting against a tree root on the third hole, yet he managed all four rounds."

Race to Dubai standings ahead of this week’s Dubai World Championship:
1. Luke Donald £3,311,133
2. Rory McIlroy £2,632,980
3. Martin Kaymer (Germany) £2,430,051
4. Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) £1,945,168
5. Lee Westwood £1,721,038

To overhaul Donald at the top of the European money list , McIlroy must win and hope that his rival finishes lower than ninth.

Labels:

ANDREW McARTHUR HAD A LAST-ROUND 73, MARK KERR WITHDREW

The European Tour has finally given Scottishgolfview.com the last-day day details for the two Scots, Andrew McArthur and Mark Kerr, who disappeared off the scoring radar for the fourth round of the European Tour Qualifying School Stage 2 events at Costa Ballena and Las Colinas respectively yesterday.
McArthur shot a 73 in the final round after earlier scores of 73-72-70. He had a total of 288 and was officially placed T48 at Costa Ballena where Scott Henry was the leading Scot, just one shot off being involved in the play-off.
Henry is sixth alternate (reserve) for a place in the Final Q School at PGA Catalunya, Girona, beginning on Satuday (December 10).
Mark Kerr did not play his fourth and final round at Las Colinas. He withdrew after earlier rounds of 70-73-78 for 221.
So now you know!
The three Scots who came through the Stage 2 test on Monday - Callum Macaulay, Alan McLean and Elliot Saltman - will join the six Scots who were exempt from Stages 1 and 2:
Chris Doak, Scott Drummond, Alastair Forsyth, Steven O'Hara, Gary Orr and Lloyd Saltman
in the field at PGA Catalunya, chasing 30 players' cards for the 2012 European Tour. The six-round eliminator tees off on Saturday and ends on Thursday, December 15 at the North-east Spain venue near Girona.

Labels:

SCOTTISH HYDRO TO SPONSOR BOYS' MERIT AND JUNIOR TOUR

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
The Scottish Golf Union is delighted to announce an exciting new sponsorship agreement with Scottish Hydro who will be investing in junior golf for the next three years (2012-14). 
Scottish Hydro, already a major supporter of golf in Scotland through their sponsorship of the Scottish Hydro Challenge on The European Challenge Tour and Team Scottish Hydro programme, will become official sponsors of the SGU Boys’ Order of Merit and Junior Tour series.
The SGU Boys’ Order of Merit, which ranks the country’s best performing youngsters across a number of major events throughout the season, counts Michael Stewart, David Law and Scott Henry among its previous winners. Greig Marchbank, of Dumfries and County Golf Club, was the 2011 victor.
The Boys’ Order of Merit will include three 54-hole Scottish Hydro Junior Tour events on its schedule in 2012. 
Craig Lee, a successful member of Team Scottish Hydro, who gained a place on The European Tour next season courtesy of his 14th place finish on the Challenge Tour in 2011, welcomed the new sponsorship.
The 34-year-old from Stirling said: “It’s great to see Scottish Hydro extending their sponsorship of golf even further into Scotland’s most talented youngsters and hopefully their support will help see more young players come through the SGU’s development programmes. 
“Their support of myself and the other Team Scottish Hydro players on The European Challenge Tour has made a huge difference to us all and we look forward to passing on our knowledge and experience to the next generation as part of the partnership.”
Jonny Petrie, Sponsorship Manager for Scottish Hydro, said: “Scottish Hydro has been a supporter of emerging talent in golf for a number of years now and this partnership with the SGU provides us with an excellent means of developing that. We hope to see a stream of young players from across Scotland coming through the ranks to forge successful careers – for us to be part of that is hugely exciting.” 
Hamish Grey, CEO of the Scottish Golf Union, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Scottish Hydro to our ever-growing portfolio of sponsors and their investment will help support the staging of a number of key events on the Junior Tour series. These events are crucial to the development of our best youngsters, giving them the chance to compete on great courses in a highly competitive environment.
“Scottish Hydro has been a great supporter of golf in Scotland over the past three years and it is encouraging to see such a major brand investing in the game at all levels, from grass-roots level through to our elite Tour professionals.” 
At the announcement at Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club, the opportunity was also taken to launch the 2012 edition of The Scottish Hydro National Competition. The competition invites every male and female golf club member in Scotland to participate in their allocated club medal during April and, along with two friends, make up the Team Scottish Hydro players’ Pro-Am teams at The Scottish Hydro Challenge on the eve of the event at the Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Course from 21-24 June, 2012.

 

Labels:

Copyright © Colin Farquharson

If you can't find what you are looking for.... please check the Archive List or search this site with Google