ALPS TOUR 2012 TEES OFF WITH TWO EVENTS IN MOROCCO

FROM THE ALPS TOUR WEBSITE
Morocco will welcome again the Alps Tour for the launch of the 2012 Season. In partnership with the ATLAS PRO TOUR promoted by the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association, two Winter Series events will be scheduled next February in Marrakesh with a prize money of € 30,000 each and 90 participants:
♦ Open Palmeraie Golf Palace - February 8 to 10 at Palmeraie Golf Club
(Pro-Am on February 11)
♦ Open Samanah - February 14 to 16 at Samanah Golf Club
(Pro-Am on February 12)

Kris Nicol, Ross Kellett, Philip McLean, John Henry, Jordan Findlay and David Law qualified through the Alps Tour School to play on the circuit in 2012.

The EPD (German PGA) Tour, on which David Law says he plans to campaign, will also have February events in Morocco after teeing off the year at Antalya, Turkey in February.
December 14 is the closing date for entries to the Turkey events.
The EPD Tour events in Morocco are:

February 20-22 - Mogador Open at Essaouira
February 26-28 - Al Maaden Open at Marrakesh
March 1-3 - Amelkis Open at Marrakesh

HANSON (64) LEADS FROM PAUL LAWRIE (65), RORY McILROY (66)

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

Rory McIlroy carded an opening 66 to leave the destination of The Race to Dubai on a knife edge as the Northern Irishman ended day one of the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World two shots behind leader Peter Hanson and one behind second-placed Paul Lawrie.
The US Open Champion needs to win and World Number One Luke Donald to finish outside the top nine to snatch The Race to Dubai crown and deny the World Number One an unprecedented money list double.
While his Swedish Ryder Cup team-mate equalled the Earth Course record with an eight-under-par 64, McIlroy was round in 66 to end the first day six shots ahead of Donald.
After the first nine holes at Jumeirah Golf Estates 22 year old McIlroy was three behind Donald and seven shots off the lead.
But the picture then changed completely on the inward half.
McIlroy grabbed six birdies, while Donald had three successive bogeys from the 14th.
It did not look the likely outcome when McIlroy lost a ball on only his fifth shot of the day and ran up a double bogey 7, but Donald was in the bushes on both the 14th and 15th and then failed to save par from a fairway bunker at the next.
Hanson, meanwhile, equalled the course record set by Lee Westwood in winning the inaugural event two years ago and matched by Ross Fisher last November.
The 34 year old has not won since making his Ryder Cup debut 14 months ago, but was third behind McIlroy in Hong Kong on Sunday.
"I think it's the best golf I've played," said the Swede.
"It's quite a demanding course and the wind picked up a little bit over the back nine.
"I'm very, very happy with the way I struck the ball - and I rolled a few putts in."
Hanson's birdie at the short 17th and closing par five denied Aberdeen's Paul Lawrie a share of the lead after the Scot and 1999 Open champion had produced six birdies in seven holes from the fifth and then another at the long 14th to post the early clubhouse target of seven-under-par 65, a bogey-free round.
Sergio Garcia, chasing a third successive European Tour win, is fourth after a 67.
Westwood managed a one over 73, which included a double bogey on the short 13th after he had to play his second shot left-handed from the side of a bunker.
The field, already without Justin Rose and Fredrik Jacobson, is down to 57 after Korean Y E Yang quit after four holes because of neck and shoulder trouble.
McIlroy, still suffering from a virus and awaiting blood test results, said: "It's sort of taken the pressure off. I'm not 100 per cent and there's nothing I can do about it.
"I made three silly mistakes on the front nine but stayed patient and the back nine was pretty much flawless.
"I definitely don't feel invincible, but I feel every time I tee it up I have a good chance of shooting a good score."
McIlroy, who won the UBS Hong Kong Open with a closing 65 on Sunday, added: "It was the perfect start for me and really sets me up for the next three days. I didn't expect Luke to play the way he did."
Donald said: "I hit a few loose shots. They came out of the blue a little bit, although there were a couple of times last week (in South Africa) when I had that left shot and I've got to keep working on it.

"I felt very much in control and then I lost it, but this course can do that to you. There are a lot of hazards in the middle of fairways, so you aim for one side and if you miss it you can be in the bushes."
FROM THE PAUL LAWRIE BLOG ON HIS WEBSITE:
"I played and putted awesome today to shoot 65 (-7). I birdied seven out of ten holes from the fifth. It was one of those really solid ball-striking days and I knocked in any birdie chance I had. John Huggan came back to my hotel with me to do some chapters for my book which has been good fun going back over stuff from years ago.
SCROLL DOWN FOR QUOTES FROM PAUL LAWRIE DURING HIS POST-ROUND PRESS CONFERENCE INTERVIEW.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72
64 Peter Hanson (Sweden).
65 Paul Lawrie (Scotland)
66 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland)
67 Sergio Garcia (Spain)
68 Alvaro Quiros (Spain), Robert Rock (England), Ross Fisher (England).
69 Charl Schwartzel (S Africa), Thomas Aiken (S Africa), David Lynn (England), David Horsey (England), Shane Lowry (Ireland), Jaco Van Zyl (S Africa)
SELECTED SCORES
71 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) (T21)
72 Luke Donald (England), Scott Jamieson (Scotland) (T26).
73 Lee Westwood (England), Ian Poulter (England) (T35)
74 Richie Ramsay (Scotland), Ernie Els (S Africa) (T43)

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

PAUL LAWRIE EARLY CLUBHOUSE LEADER WITH A SEVEN-UNDER 65

PAUL LAWRIE driving his way to the early clubhouse lead in Dubai. Image by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Paul Lawrie had seven birdies in ten holes to race clear at the start of the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World. He finished with a seven-under 65 to post a challengeing clubhouse target on the opening day.
Only a Rory McIlroy victory in the last event of The European Tour season can stop Luke Donald completing an unprecedented double of money list titles on both sides of the Atlantic in the same year.
The 1999 Open champion at Carnoustie, Lawrie, who in Spain in March had his first win for nine years, was making his debut in a tournament reserved for the top 60 earners each season and began his run with 15 foot putts on the fifth and sixth.
The Aberdonian then chipped close at the long seventh, made a 30 footer to complete an outward 32 and then collected more birdies at the tenth, 11th and 626 yard 14th.With Donald and McIlroy waiting to tee off, he was three clear of England's Ross Fisher, whose round included an eagle two on the 371 yard 15th.
"I gave myself an awful lot of chances - my iron play was fabulous," said Lawrie, who spent all day Monday working on his game after finishing the UBS Hong Kong Open at the weekend with a five over par 75.
"The flight got in at 4.30am, I went to the hotel for a shower, was on the range by seven and didn't get to the hotel until four or five in the afternoon.
"Sometimes you need a day like that. My boys are 16 and 12 now and I don't want them to see Dad being a poor player.
"I want to be in the top 50 in the world." He is currently 93rd.
The 58-strong field - Justin Rose and Fredrik Jacobson are not playing - was further reduced to 57 when Korean Y E Yang pulled out after four holes with a neck injury.
Dane Thomas Björn has the same problem, but decided to give it a go and parred the first.
The players teed off in reverse order of their Race to Dubai positions in the opening round and that meant Donald and McIlroy, World Number One and World Number Two respectively and top two on The Race to Dubai as well, were last out at 12.30pm local time.
Even if McIlroy wins on Sunday Donald would still take the money list crown with a top nine finish.

Donald did not make the start he was hoping for - and McIlroy most definitely did.
The US Open Champion hit his approach to three feet and birdied, whereas Donald pushed his drive in amongst the bushes and, although lucky to be able to advance it without taking a penalty drop, could not save his par, missing from five feet.
By then Spaniard Alvaro Quiros had joined Fisher in second place, three behind Lawrie, with four birdies in the first eight.
It was already an eventful afternoon for the two Race to Dubai contenders as, on the long second, McIlroy hit a wild second into the trees and the ball could not be found in the permitted five minutes.
He had to go back down the fairway, found sand with his fourth shot and by failing to get up and down a double bogey 7 went on his card.
Donald, in stark contrast again, pitched to three feet and birdied to return to level par, one better than his title rival.
The action-packed duel continued with Donald adding further birdies at the third and fifth from 25 and six feet, but McIlroy had put his second shots to within a yard each time and followed him in.
They were two under and one under respectively, while Lawrie's lead remained three, but now from Fisher, Quiros, Robert Rock, Nicolas Colsaerts and Alex Noren.

TO VIEW THE LIVE SCORING SERVICE FROM DUBAI
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PETER LATIMER TURNS PRO - TO BE TRAINED AS A PGA ASSISTANT

PETER LATIMER .... Cannot afford to remain a full-time amateur or become a tour pro (image be Cal Carson Golf Agency)

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
How many of the recent batch of front-line Scottish amateur golfers who turned pro to pursue a life on the tournament circuit - any tournament circuit - considered the alternative - train for four years as a PGA assistant and become, in the fullness of time, a PGA club professional?
Probably not one.
So that's why PGA Scottish Region supremo Michael MacDougall has welcomed the decision of Peter Latimer, seventh in this year's SGU Order of Merit, to opt for the PGA training route to a future in pro golf.
The 24-year-old +3 handicapper from Markinch, Fife, one of the most consistent Scottish amateurs in 2011 with four top-five and three top-10 finishes in Order of Merit 72-hole events, decided not to follow the example of Michael Stewart, Kris Nicol, Philip McLean, Jordan Findlay, David Law, James Byrne and other leading Scottish amateurs who have become tour pros and are struggling to get a foot on the bottom rung of the ladder.
"I decided to turn professional via the PGA route as I cannot afford to continue to play full-time amateur golf, nor can I afford to play tour golf," said Latimer who was a winner more than once on the US college circuit as a student at Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina.
"Therefore I have decided to become a PGA assistant, giving me the chance to play, and gain skills which will provide me with a livelihood in the future, should playing not work out for me.
"I have not given up on the idea of playing tour golf at some point in the future. However, at the moment it is unsustainable for me to play golf without earning a living."
Latimer, who was capped for Scotland in the 2009 Home Internationals and won the East of Scotland Open in 2010, started work on Monday at Felixstowe Ferry Golf Club, Suffolk under the wing of PGA professional Robert Joyce who himself took over from the retiring Scots club pro Ian McPherson on December 1.
Joyce has an excellent reputation as a teacher of the game.
“A major factor in my decision to go south was to have Robert Joyce as a mentor,” said Latimer who is living in one of the clubhouse flats. “This is one of the top 100 golf clubs in England. The pro shop is being refurbished and a driving range is going to be built. So it’s good to join a club where things are happening.
“My days at college in the States were instrumental in putting me in the position to represent Scotland, and move into the professional game and were without doubt the happiest times of my life so far. It was an experience I would recommend to anyone looking to improve their golf game.”

Said Michael MacDougall (pictured left):
“I don’t know Peter Latimer personally but it sounds as though he has made a sensible, informed decision to go through the PGA programme. He will gain an education in all aspects of the game and will also have the ability to compete with and against some very experienced campaigners, many of whom have been there and done it.
“Ultimately, if he is good enough, there are opportunities for him to progress up through the playing ranks through the PGA just as Paul Lawrie did.
“Professional golf at the highest levels of the game is now so competitive and the standard so good that only a very small percentage of talented amateur golfers will succeed to the top table. Far fewer will taste success there.
“There are various routes that aspiring Tour players can take but most of these involve a large investment from either the individual’s family’s private wealth or from sponsors and the like – be it through covering costs on satellite (feeder) tours, or paying university/college fees in the US, or whatever.
“The PGA route is unlike these often very expensive options. In Scotland, we are fortunate to have a strong playing membership and a good schedule of events. Players with aspirations of reaching the higher echelons of the game can test themselves against some extremely talented Professionals who have competed at all levels of the game.
“Paul Lawrie is the shining example of one who progressed through the PGA programme and has had the ultimate success but more recently the likes of Chris Doak and Craig Lee have graduated from The Tartan Tour to The Challenge Tour and The European Tour stage.
“The PGA foundation degree is designed to give Trainee Professionals a thorough grounding in the game and the golf industry, giving them skills in coaching, the golf swing, business, retailing, equipment, etc.
“Alongside this, they will have the opportunity to compete in Scottish PGA events and events organised by The PGA’S GB&I National Tournaments dept. The PGA Professional also has the opportunity to qualify to play in various European and Challenge Tour events through the domestic PGA circuit – BMW PGA, Scottish Open, Johnnie Walker Championship, Scottish Challenge to name a few.”

GORDON MACDONALD WINS NORTH ALLIANCE AT SPEY BAY

By ALAN COWIE
North Scottish Golfers Alliance secretary
With one exception, handicap players swept the board in the scratch section of Saturday’s North Scottish Golfers’ Alliance fixture at Spey Bay.
Five-handicapper Gordon Macdonald from Torvean led the way after a closing four birdies gave him a one over par 71, a score which looked unlikely after a double bogey at the first.
Six-handicap Graham Donaldson from Elgin had even halves of 36 to finish runner-up.
Allan Cameron (Inverness) ran up a 9 at the 12th and John Campbell (Grantown) finished 6-7 when both were in good position to claim the top honours.
LEADING SCRATCH
71 G.S. Macdonald (Torvean)
72 G. Donaldson (Elgin)
73 R. Harrower (Boat of Garten) pro, G. Mckenzie (Moray), P. Masson (Rothes), B. Mellis (Rothes)
74 J.S.D. Campbell (Grantown), K. Barnett (Torvean)
75 N. McWilliam ( Elgin ), G. Hay (Grantown), R. Stewart (Nairn Dunbar), A. Cameron (Inverness), L. Duncan (Elgin), A.J. England (Moray), V. Tilman (Muir of Ord)
76 J.R. Ingram (Boat of Garten), R. McKerron (Forres), M. Macdonald (Grantown), A. Henry ( Inverness ), W. Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie)
77 W.R. Duncan (Moray), I. Findlay (Grantown)
78 R. Laing (Grantown), J.A. Grant (Grantown), J.C. Milne (Moray), A. Hutchison (Torvean), R. Mellis (Rothes)
79 R. Mackie (Rothes), A. Cowie (Moray), M. Lyall (Torvean), D. Johnston (Moray), L. MacBean (Boat of Garten), A. Waterson (Grantown), R. Mackay (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), W. Hutchison (Inverness)
80 S. Wilson (Inverness), C. Dixon (Moray), I. Hamilton (Elgin), J.K. England (Moray)

LEADING HANDICAP
Class 1 (7 and under)
66 P. Masson (Rothes) (7), B. Mellis (Rothes) (7)
68 L. Duncan (Elgin) (7)
70 V. Tilman (Muir of Ord) (5), W. Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (6)
Class 2 (8 to 14)
68 L. Hutchison (Inverness) (14)
69 R. Mackie (Rothes) (10), R. Laing (Grantown) (9), R. Mellis (Rothes) (9)
70 M. Lyall (Torvean) (9)

Jimmy Gunn's one-under-par 71 leaves him T31 in Arizona

Jimmy Gunn from Dornoch is lying T31 in a field of 65 players after the first round of this week's 54-hole event on the All-American Professional Golf Tour at Corte Bella Golf Club, Sun City West in Arizona.
Jimmy had a one-under-par 71 - six shots behind the pacemaker, American Chris Kamin.
LEADERBOARD
Par 72. Players from US unless stated
65 Chris Kamin
66 Braxton Marques, Darren Wallace (Canada), Brandon Crik
67 Ryan Dillon, Brandon Harkins, Zach Bixler, Mark Baker, Ravi Patel, Brian Cooper.
Selected score
71 Jimmy Gunn (Scotland)