O'HARA, ORR PASS WITH FLYING COLOURS, DOAK FAILS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Steven O'Hara and Gary Orr finished the race like thoroughbreds to secure their immediate future on  the European Tour next year but for Chris Doak it's back to the Challenge Tour after the six-round golfing marathon they call the European Tour Final Qualifying School ended at PGA Catalunya Golf Resort, Girona in north-east Spain today. Some  956 players - each paying an entry fee of £1,350 - started out with high hopes in Stage 1. Only 37 players with 108-round totals of seven-under-par 421 or better gained pass marks to play with the elite in Europe next year. England - who provided the top four finishers in David Dixon (21-under-par 407), Sam Hutsby (408), Andy Sullivan (409) and Richard Bland (410) - had nine card-winners in all, the highest of any country. South Africa and the Netherlands came next with five apiece, followed by France with 4, and Spain and Sweden with 3. Motherwell's O'Hara, 31, and Helensburgh's Orr, 44, stood up to the last-day tension in admirable style. O'Hara finished joint fifth on 17-under-par 411 with a closing round of four-under 68. Orr, on the borderline at joint 29th at the start of the day, might well have asked "What tension?" because he produced his best round of the six days - a seven-under-par 65, the joint best of the last day, for a 15-under total of 413. He rose 21 places for a joint eighth place finish - a great effort which means he will be campaigning on the European Tour for a 20th successive season, bidding to extend his number of victories to three. The only other player to have a 65 in the final round was the only American to finish in the top 30 and ties - Scott Pinckney, a close friend of Banchory rookie James Byrne from their days at Arizona State University. O'Hara, in the end, finished only four shots behind tournament winner Dixon with five birdies and only one bogey - at the 18th which he never managed to par. O'Hara earned 5,490 Euros for his T5 finish. Orr produced his second bogey-free round of the tournament, with birdies at the first, long third, long seventh, short 11th, long 12th, 13th and long 15th, underlining that he held his nerve throughout the last day while others cracked under the strain. Gary's payslip for a T8 finish was 4,315 Euros which might cover his entry fee and expenses with a little left over. Only Doak of the Scots trio who went the distance felt the pain in Spain. He finished joint 48th even with a four-under-par total of 424. The Greenock man, 34 on December 19 and Scottish pro champion last year, was seven under par after three rounds at PGA Catalunya. At the halfway point he was on course to make it to the Big League. It was not to be, Doak parred the fourth round and then was three over par for the last 36 holes with scores of 73 and 74.  Big boys don't cry but Doak's supporters perhaps today did when, starting at the 10th, he took 40 shots to cover his first nine with bogeys at the short 11th and 15th plus a double bogey 6 at the 17th. That was really the end of story. Another bogey followed at the second before Doak at last recaptured his form of the first half of the tournament, covering his last seven  holes in three under par with birdies at the long third, fourth and long seventh for a two-over 74 and a four-under-par final total of 424 - a score that in some years would have gained pass marks but not this year when the standard at the top of the scoreboard has been the highest on record. Players who made the 72-hole cut are all eligible for Challenge Tour membership and the odd outing on the European Tour. QUOTES FROM GARY ORR “I was eight under starting today but in some ways you are almost better to be in that position because you know you have to shoot a good score. “I felt I was playing alright so I thought if I could go out and shoot under par and get as low as I could then I would have a chance. “My golf has actually been pretty decent the last few months. I had struggled a bit when I came back. I had a bit of back trouble at the start of the year again and then when I came back I played poorly for a couple of months. In the last couple of months my back has been good, so I came here not feeling like I was struggling. “I felt like my game was in good shape so I’m looking forward to next season and Gary Orr pictured above by courtesy of Getty Images (c).      getting some more golf in  “I got off to a great start and hit it close at the first to make birdie and then the same again at the third, then I was just solid really. I hit the ball really well, I think I only missed one or two greens and one fairway e so I gave myself lots of chances and took most of them and didn’t really put myself under any pressure.” QUOTES FROM STEVEN O'HARA “I was quite nervous for some reason. I've been playing great. I've been hitting the ball better as the week’s gone on so that gave me good confidence. I missed a couple of short putts today as well. I was a bit edgy on the greens, but apart from that I’m delighted. “I saw that 20 under was leading and I was 18 under so I tried to hole a long putt on 18 and it went a four feet past and missed the next one, so that was a bit stupid. It didn’t make much difference though so it’s okay. “It's been a disappointing year for me (on the European Tour). I played really well and the problem was I was last in the putting stats, which is disappointing because I’m hitting the ball well but getting no results. Hopefully I can get it going a bit next year.” ENGLAND 1-2-3-4 AS SEVEN-UNDER-PAR 421 IS LIMIT MARK FOR EUROPEAN CARDSBy PAUL SYMES European Tour Press Officer England’s David Dixon was first past the post at the Qualifying School Final Stage, where 37 players secured their places in The 2012 Race to Dubai. A closing round of 69 gave Dixon a 21-under-par aggregate total of 407 for the six rounds and a one-shot victory over his compatriot Sam Hutsby, with two more Englishmen, Andy Sullivan and Richard Bland, rounding out the top four on 19 under and 18 under par respectively. But, as has become traditional, it was further down the leaderboard that the drama really unfolded, none more so than when American Scott Pinckney, who started the day in a tie for 66th place on one under par, fired a joint best-of-the-day round of 65 to take the 24th card available. The magic number was seven under par, a mark achieved in dramatic fashion by England’s Jamie Elson after he holed a huge birdie putt on the ninth hole – his last – of the stunning Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya Resort, in Girona. Similarly, Spaniard Agustin Domingo, whose uncle is Senior Tour champion Domingo Hospital, picked up four shots in his final five holes to claim one of the golden tickets on offer. There was also delight for the Dutch, with The Netherlands achieving a clean sweep after all five of their players who made the cut – Wil Besseling, Reinier Saxton (both eight under par), Maarten Lafeber, Taco Remkes, and Tim Sluiter (all seven under par) – finished inside the all-important top 30. They will now take their places on The 2012 European Tour International Schedule alongside Dixon, who is relishing the chance to add to his solitary victory at the 2008 Saint-Omer Open. He said: “It has been a very up and down day again. There were some highs and lows, but I’m really chuffed to come out on top. I hit some good shots and bad shots, and the back nine was a bit of a rollercoaster, but that’s the way it goes. “My caddie and I talked last night and decided the attitude had to be: ‘let’s go out and win it’. We thought that would take my mind off whatever else was going on. I had a perfect start, but then hit a couple of loose ones towards the end of the front nine which caused a bit of a scare. Then I hit some great shots but one went in the water, and in the end I was happy to hold on. I holed some really good putts towards the end and got the job done. “It’s been a very up and down year and it’s been a bit of a nightmare on and off the course, but this is an awesome way to finish and I can’t wait for next year now. The goal now has to be to try to win again. I’ve just got to go out there and do the best I can and try to get another title under my belt – that would be very nice.” Dixon earned 16,000 Euros for his win. Hutsby received 11,500 Euros for finishing second at the Final Stage for the second time in three visits to the Qualifying School, but the 23 year old is confident of retaining his playing privileges next term after learning some valuable lessons from his debut campaign on The European Tour in 2010. He said: “It definitely feels better than the last time I got my card, and I’ve learned a lot from when I turned pro. I changed a few things that probably weren’t for the best, but just to have a shot back on The European Tour and show what I can do is pretty exciting. “I think I’m a much stronger person than I was last time I was on Tour, so I can’t wait for the season to start. Some of the golf I played this week gives me a lot of confidence for the future. I got myself into contention a couple of times during my first year on Tour and wasn’t able to finish it off, but now I know that if I play as well as I can, I can go out there and chase down my first win. “The main goal is to secure my card again, but hopefully I can put myself into contention again. Just being at the top of the leaderboard was an awesome feeling, I had a few butterflies in the stomach. It’s nice to be out there chasing a win, and I want to get that feeling back again as soon as possible.” Hutsby ultimately edged his private duel with fellow former Walker Cup player Andy Sullivan, with whom he shares a management company. Sullivan earned 9,000 Euros. But the 25 year old from Birmingham was nonetheless delighted to have earned elevation to the top tier of European golf just three months after joining the professional ranks. He said: “It’s just a relief to be finished. It was a bit weird out there today, because I wasn’t sure whether to go for it or to hold back and play safe. “But I got towards the end and saw the leaders weren’t really pulling away, so I thought I’d have a go for it. Unfortunately it didn’t quite happen, but it’s a great week to get through and I’m really excited about next year now. “I was a bit nervous this morning, if I’m honest. I felt the butterflies. But I also felt ready to go, and I really enjoyed it. It’s been a good year, and this really tops it off. It’s great to come through it at the first time of asking, so I couldn’t be happier.” A total of 957 players took part in the Qualifying School, with six players successfully coming through all three Stages, namely: Hans Peter Bacher, Besseling, Emiliano Grillo, Adrian Otaegui, Pinckney and Remkes. Of the qualifiers, 17 will be making their debuts on The European Tour next year, with Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, last year's British boys champion, the youngest rookie at 19 years and 24 days old. ALL THE FINAL TOTALS Par 428 (4x72, 2x70) 407 D Dixon (Eng) 74 65 63 69 67 69 (pictured right by courtesy of Getty Images(c) 408 S Hutsby (Eng) 60 69 68 71 72 68; 409 A Sullivan (Eng) 65 66 67 72 71 68 410 R Bland (Eng) 67 72 65 68 69 69 411 S O'Hara (Sco) 73 67 65 68 70 68; J Garcia (Esp) 71 64 66 73 68 69 412 K Borsheim (Nor) 66 71 69 68 68 70 413 G Orr (Sco) 68 69 69 69 73 65; E Grillo (Arg) 73 68 70 68 65 69 414 G Cambis (Fra) 66 69 68 69 70 72; B Grace (RSA) 68 68 65 70 70 73 415 J Lagergren (Swe) 66 71 67 71 71 69; T Nørret (Den) 71 67 62 74 70 71 416 M Nixon (Eng) 68 69 67 72 71 69; B Ritthammer (Ger) 65 71 68 68 67 77 417 W Abery (RSA) 69 65 67 75 73 68; L Kennedy (Eng) 68 66 70 69 74 70; D Fichardt (RSA) 66 73 66 68 73 71; A Bernadet (Fra) 68 69 69 69 67 75 418 A Domingo (Esp) 71 67 67 74 72 67; M Lundberg (Swe) 70 68 66 73 71 70; J Guerrier (Fra) 68 66 71 73 69 71 419 A Otaegui (Esp) 68 69 69 66 75 72 420 S Pinckney (USA) 66 73 70 71 75 65; A Haindl (RSA) 71 67 70 70 75 67; W Besseling (Ned) 74 63 69 72 72 70; M Southgate (Eng) 70 68 71 71 68 72; P Gustafsson (Swe) 70 63 66 75 73 73; R Saxton (Ned) 70 66 65 78 66 75; 421 T Remkes (Ned) 73 69 72 65 73 69; H Bacher (Aut) 71 68 70 70 72 70; J Elson (Eng) 74 67 74 63 73 70; T Van Der Walt (RSA) 69 74 72 64 71 71; T Sluiter (Ned) 63 75 68 70 72 73; A Marshall (Eng) 68 71 68 69 70 75; M Lafeber (Ned) 69 67 69 70 71 75; V Riu (Fra) 67 69 66 69 75 75 MISSED THE CUT 422 S Buhl (Ger) 68 72 66 74 73 69; J Hugo (RSA) 65 71 70 69 74 73; D McKenzie (Aus) 69 64 68 71 75 75 423 B Barham (Eng) 65 70 66 73 79 70; R Quiros (Esp) 65 69 72 74 71 72; S Benson (Eng) 72 71 70 66 71 73; A Parr (Can) 72 66 67 72 73 73; H Soon-Sang (SKor) 68 72 65 71 74 73; E Kofstad (Nor) 66 68 70 72 73 74; J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 63 72 72 68 77 424 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 67 71 67 75 73 71; P Dwyer (Eng) 67 69 68 72 77 71; C Doak (Sco) 71 68 66 72 73 74; J Gibb (Eng) 69 68 67 69 77 74; A Ahokas (Fin) 74 66 64 72 70 78 425 M Madsen (Den) 71 71 71 67 74 71; A Tampion (Aus) 65 73 68 70 76 73; J Hansen (Den) 67 67 71 73 73 74; C Brazillier (Fra) 65 74 67 73 69 77; M Carlsson (Swe) 66 70 66 75 71 77 426 J Walters (RSA) 73 70 70 66 73 74; A Snobeck (Fra) 67 72 66 72 74 75 427 D Vancsik (Arg) 68 68 69 73 78 71; J Wahlqvist (Swe) 71 69 68 71 73 75; B Parker (Eng) 69 67 70 72 74 75 428 S Jeppesen (Swe) 73 70 70 67 75 73; S Kim (SKor) 68 71 68 73 73 75; A Tadini (Ita) 69 70 70 69 71 79; A Byeong-Hun (SKor) 70 70 65 72 72 79; 429 B Chapellan (Fra) 70 69 69 72 74 75 432 F McGuirk (Eng) 76 69 68 66 78 75 433 M Tullo (Chi) 73 69 72 66 77 76 434 M Haastrup (Den) 74 67 72 64 77 80 TO VIEW THE ALLOCATION OF PRIZE MONEY TO ALL THE PLAYERS WHO COMPLETED SIX ROUNDS CLICK HERE

LUKE DONALD NAMED EUROPEAN TOUR GOLFER OF THE YEAR

By PAUL SYMES
European Tour Press Officer
Luke Donald has been named The 2011 European Tour Race to Dubai Golfer of the Year after a truly remarkable and record-breaking year on both sides of the Atlantic.
The 34 year old Englishman not only ended 2011 as the undisputed Number One on the Official World Golf Ranking, he also became the first player to officially top both The Race to Dubai and the US PGA Tour Money List in the same year.
The judging panel, which featured golf journalists from newspapers and magazines as well as commentators from radio and television, were fulsome in their praise of several other worthy candidates, specifically Major Champions Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Charl Schwartzel. But it was Donald’s historic achievement, allied to the consistently high standard of his golf throughout 2011, that saw him voted the unanimous winner.
“To have the accolade of European Tour Golfer of the Year means an awful lot to me and I will certainly look back on this year with a lot of fond memories,” said Donald. “It is always nice to be appreciated, especially from the people in the sport who know the game inside out. They have recognised what I have done this year and it is very gratifying to have that validation.
“As a professional golfer you are always trying to do your best and it was good to see all the hard work I have put in coming to fruition. I was delighted with my game this year and it is rewarding to feel that, sometimes, consistency does pay off. Everyone dreams of having a year like this and I am very excited and feel fortunate that it happened to me.
“Rory’s win at Congressional was amazing as was Darren’s success in The Open while Charl birdieing the final four holes to win the Masters was a truly magical moment in golf. Therefore, to be given the vote ahead of these great players who also had great years is very special indeed.”
Donald won three times on The 2011 European Tour International Schedule; the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play in Arizona, the Barclays Scottish Open at Castle Stuart and the Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club where he beat fellow countryman Lee Westwood in a play-off. The latter success, at the end of May, saw him climb to World Number One for the first time – a position he still holds.
Coming to the final event – the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates – his coronation as European Number One was not certain however, knowing he had to finish inside the top nine to finally extinguish any hopes McIlroy had of pipping him at the post. An opening level par 72 left him well down the field but he showed his class with closing rounds of 68-66-66 to finish the tournament in third place overall.
Equally as impressive was his finish in the final counting event of the US PGA Tour season, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. Knowing he had to finish inside the top two to deny Webb Simpson in the race for the US PGA Tour Money List, Donald produced a stunning closing 64 – which featured six birdies in a row on the back nine – to win the tournament outright.
“The manner in which I came through to win both money lists was, I think, the thing that pleased me the most about the season,” he said. “Going to Florida and winning that tournament when I had to was very important as it gave me the incentive to go on and succeed in Dubai.
“There was a lot of pressure on me to come through that week and so, after my first round, to shoot 16 under par over three rounds to get the job done was the icing on the cake and something which gave me a huge amount of satisfaction and confidence to take forward into next year. This game always gives you the opportunity to improve and hopefully I can continue this form into 2012 and find some way of getting even better.”
In total, Donald finished a cumulative 90 under par for the season on The European Tour and 116 under par on the US PGA Tour, not taking into account the two match play events he contested – the WGC-Accenture Match Play, which he won, and the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain where he was runner-up.
He won The Race to Dubai despite playing six fewer events than runner-up McIlroy and topped the US PGA Tour Money List despite playing seven fewer events than second placed Simpson. In total, in prize money alone in 2011, he banked a mere €33,564 short of €10 million.
Bill Elliott, Golf Monthly contributor and Chairman of the Association of Golf Writers, said: “When we considered the candidates for this award 12 months ago, after the success that European Tour Members had enjoyed on the world stage in 2010, we all thought it could not get any better than that – but, amazingly, it has.
“These are truly extraordinary times and while the Major Championship victories of Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke this year were momentous occasions and ones which all of us who love this game celebrated royally, the overriding achievements of Luke Donald throughout the season stand at the very pinnacle.
“Any one of the four players mentioned would be worthy winners of the award but while perhaps Rory’s eight-shot win in the US Open Championship was the single best performance of the year, Luke was unquestionably the overall golfer of the year. He is a credit to himself, to his family and to The European Tour, and he is a true ambassador for the game.”
Derek Lawrenson, golf correspondent of The Daily Mail and Vice Chairman of the Association of Golf Writers, said: “Luke Donald’s golf this year has been, on occasion, sublime, but most of the time, simply superb.
“He is not the type of person to shout from the rooftops about his many achievements but all of us who comment on golf should do precisely that because, in many ways, he has redefined the way we think about the game. He is, therefore, a most worthy winner of the Golfer of the Year.”
James Haddock, Sky Sports News golf reporter, said: “When you are at the pinnacle of any sport you are there to be shot at but, week in week out, Luke Donald performed at the very top of his game with a level of consistency and mental strength which was almost unbelievable.
“Not only that, every time he needed to do something – like produce a shot to win the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club; produce a low round to win the final event of the US PGA Tour season; or produce a four round performance to cement his position as winner of The Race to Dubai – he did just that.”

SANDY LYLE AND PETER ALLISS HEADING FOR GOLF HALL OF FAME

Left to right: Jack Peter, World Golf Hall of Fame Chief Operating Officer, Sandy Lyle, George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour and Chairman of the World Golf Foundation, Peter Alliss and 2012 Ryder Cup Captain, Jose Maria Olazabal.

 NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
Peter Alliss and Sandy Lyle, two of Britain’s most celebrated golfing figures, will be honoured for their contribution to the game next year when they are inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Alliss – selected via the Lifetime Achievement Category – and Lyle – elected through the International Ballot – will be honoured along with fellow 2012 inductees Phil Mickelson, Hollis Stacy and Dan Jenkins at the Hall of Fame’s Induction Ceremony on May 7, 2012 at the World Golf Village in St Augustine, Florida.
Both men were on hand when the official announcement was made by European Tour Chief Executive and World Golf Foundation Chairman George O’Grady and World Golf Hall of Fame Chief Operating Officer Jack Peter during The European Tour’s Race to Dubai Golfer of the Year Luncheon in London. European Ryder Cup captain José María Olazábal, himself a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, was also in attendance.
“This is a special day for The European Tour,” said George O’Grady. “Peter Alliss and Sandy Lyle are both very worthy candidates for the World Golf Hall of Fame.
“Peter followed a highly acclaimed playing career by becoming a hugely admired and wonderfully entertaining commentator while Sandy played a pivotal role in raising the image and popularity of British and European golf with his exceptional winning performances in the 1985 Open Championship and the 1988 Masters Tournament.“
Jack Peter added: “Sandy Lyle and Peter Alliss are terrific additions to the Hall of Fame. The Class of 2012 is international, diverse and rich with history. We are thrilled to honour all five inductees next May.”
Lyle’s career is highlighted by his victories in The Open Championship at Royal St George’s in 1985 and in the 1988 Masters Tournament, where he made a birdie on the 18th hole to become the first British winner at Augusta National.
In between those victories, he also picked up The Players Championship on the US PGA Tour in 1987. In total he has won 29 tournaments worldwide, including 16 on The European Tour and three other US PGA Tour titles. In 1987, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
“I am not only delighted, but also very excited to be honoured by the World Golf Hall of Fame,” said the 53 year old Scot. “I would like to thank all who voted for me – to be placed in the company of the greatest names in our game is very special and I am looking forward so much to the Induction Ceremony next May.”
Lyle’s triumphs in the Open and Masters were two of many memorable television occasions commentated on by Alliss, whose career behind the microphone began with the BBC in 1961 at The Open Championship won by Arnold Palmer at Royal Birkdale.
Son of Percy Alliss, one of the finest players of his generation, Peter turned professional when only 15. He won 23 tournaments worldwide during the 1950s and 1960s, including three British PGA Championships, and captured the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Opens in three consecutive weeks.
Twice a winner of the Vardon Trophy, he was selected for every Great Britain and Ireland Ryder Cup team except one from 1953 to 1969 and played ten times for England in the World Cup.
Twice captain of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland, the first President of the European Women’s PGA and a Past President of the British Greenkeepers’ Association, Alliss has also been associated with the design of more than 50 courses and is a respected author of more than 20 golfing books.
“This is all very unexpected,” said the 80 year old Englishman. “I am delighted, surprised, humbled and honoured to be thought of in this way and to be given a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame, particularly as it is chosen by people all around the world.”
More information on www.WorldGolfHallofFame.org.

LEE WESTWOOD'S BRILLIANT 60 LEADS BY FIVE IN THAILAND 1

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Lee Westwood shot a magnificent 12 under par 60 - the best round of his career - to establish a five shot lead on the opening day of the Thailand Golf Championship today.
The Englishman carded 10 birdies and an eagle at the Amata Spring Country Club with American John Daly his closest challenger after a 65.
Frenchman Gregory Bourdy and home hope Thaworn Wiratchant were joint third, eight shots behind Westwood.
The world number three set the tone for his round with a blistering start, birdies at one, three, four and five sandwiching an eagle at the par five second.
Westwood picked up another shot at the seventh to reach the turn in 29 and a further five birdies coming home maintained his momentum.
Despite his brilliance, Westwood could not hide his disappointment at not dipping below 60 - a fabled mark for any golfer.
He said: “I just wanted to get off to a quick start and I did that. I made a dream start and you start thinking about 59, I guess.
“I came close but not close enough. I messed it up with a few pars!
“I missed on 11 from about ten feet, left it short, and at 14 I left it short in the middle but you can’t shoot 60 without making a few 15 to 20 footers and I did that today so no complaints.
“I guess 59 is one of those numbers where if it is meant to be it is meant to be.”
Westwood’s round was even more remarkable given the tricky wind in Chonburi.
“It’s not really a 60 course,” he added. “It was a bit breezy out there.
“(Caddie) Billy (Foster) said he thought he had seen the best round of golf ever when I shot 62 at the Nedbank a few weeks ago but he said that was better today, so I am making progress!
“I have shot a few 61s and 62s but never a 60 so I will have to refocus tomorrow morning and start all over again.”
Daly too can be pleased with his efforts today. The 45 year old birdied the first and the ninth in a steady opening but then blitzed the back nine, with three more birdies and an eagle on the 11th.
Masters Tournament champion Charl Schwartzel led a group of players on three under which included Yorkshireman Simon Dyson while Open Championship champion Darren Clarke carded a one under 71.

Ayrshire rookie pro Michael Stewart, pictured right, struggled round in seven-over-par 79 - one than a stroke a hole more than Lee Westwood - to be T123 in a field of 130. It can be tough going setting out on the road as a pro after a stellar career as an amateur.
One of GB and I's Walker Cup heroes in September, Stewart opened brightly enough with a birdie 3 at the first, but that was as good as it got. He bogeyed the short fifth on his way to the turn in one-over 37, which wasn't bad going.
Then it all started to go round for the scot with a double bogey 6 at the 10th, then a bogey at the 14th, followed by a triple bogey 7 at the 16th, all adding up to a six-over-par inward half of 42.
GOLF.COM reports: Sergio Garcia was on a roll in October, winning twice on the European Tour following a self-imposed hiatus from the game last year. But it seems his fiery temper got the best of him in Thailand after a poor tee shot on a par 3.
The Ryder Cup star chucked his 4-iron into the water in fury after a poor connection at a par-3 during a nightmare opening round in Chonburi, Sky Sports reported.
Garcia's day failed to improve as he finished with a 4-over 76 to end tied for 99th in the 130-strong field.

FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD

Par 72

60 Lee Westwood (England).

65 John Daly (United States)

68 Gregory Bourdy (France), Thaworn Wiratchant (Thailand).
Selected scores:

69 Charl Schwartzel (S Africa), Simon Dyson (England), Chris Rodgers (England), Jbe Kruger (S Africa), Michael Thompson (United States)

71 Darren Clarke (N Ireland), Ross Bain (Scotland) (T27)
73 Oliver Fisher (England) (T58)
76 Simon Yates (Scotland), Sergio Garcia (Spain) (T99)
77 Simon Griffiths (England) (T110).
79 Michael Stewart (Scotland) (T123)
80 John Parry (England) (T126)
Field of 130 players

TO VIEW ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES

CLICK HERE

SERIOUS ILLNESS FORCING CONNON TO GIVE UP SGU POST

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
The Board of the Scottish Golf Union Ltd regrets to announce that due to health reasons Douglas Connon will not be putting his name forward for a second term in the position of Chairman of the Board at the AGM on January 22, 2012.

Douglas took over from Alistair Low as Chairman in January 2009 and will continue in his role until the AGM, but has decided not to be considered for another three-year term.

Douglas’ priorities have changed as a result of the serious illness he has endured this past year and the need to focus on getting back to full health and business life.

Hamish Grey, CEO of the Scottish Golf Union, said: “On behalf of all associated with the Scottish Golf Union, it is with great sadness we received this news. 

“Douglas has helped raise the profile, reputation and finances of the Scottish Golf Union. I would personally like to thank Douglas for the support he has given to the Board over these past three years. We wish him a speedy recovery.”

The Board will review the Scottish Golf Union’s position post the January AGM in due course.

Further comment will be made from the Scottish Golf Union regarding this issue at the AGM.

LEE WESTWOOD EUROPE'S TOP ALL-TIME MONEY EARNER

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
As the curtain came down on The 2011 European Tour season last week, Lee Westwood moved to the top of the Tour’s career earnings list having won a staggering €26,346,678 since turning professional in 1993.
Westwood, who has won 21 European Tour events in a dazzling career, overtook South African Ernie Els as The European Tour’s highest earner following the season-ending Dubai World Championship presented by DP World on Sunday. Els has won €26,222,911, with Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie the Tour’s third richest man with €24,360,237.
Westwood is the first to admit how fortunate he and the rest of golf’s elite players are to earn the vast sums of money that they compete for week-in, week-out. “I think golf's been very lucky that prize money has not dropped significantly in the current economic climate. We've lost a few tournaments but I think we have been quite fortunate to hang on to the ones we have got. You look at tournament’s like the Dubai World Championship and the Bonus Pool on offer and realise we are lucky to be playing for that.
“But I think if you asked the two lads at the top of the rankings last week with a chance to win, they are not thinking about the bonus. They are thinking more about winning the actual Order of Merit, the title, rather than the cash.
“Now, we can say that because we are all in a fortunate position, the guys that are up there, because we earn a lot of money and we can afford to think that way. But when you look at it, it's an amazing amount of money for doing what you enjoy.
“I think part of the reason why the money has not dropped is because of the success of The European Tour. We won The Ryder Cup just over a year ago and our Members have been winning a lot of Majors over the past two seasons.
“I don't want to say we give value for money because we are playing for a lot of money, but The European Tour is certainly a good brand and a good product at the moment.”
The top of the career money list features some of the game’s very best and established names that contribute so much to the unique brand that is The European Tour, with Padraig Harrington, Retief Goosen, Darren Clarke, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Thomas Björn making up the remainder of the top ten.
A glance further down the list reveals that golf’s next generation are moving fast though, with 22 year old Rory McIlroy (in 25th place) smashing the €10,000,000 mark after just four years in the paid ranks.
Other notable names on the current career money list include World Number One Luke Donald in 16th place on €13,137,835, while the man one step ahead of him – Martin Kaymer – has generated €13,363,577 since 2007.
With prize funds increasing and tournaments becoming richer as the game evolves around the globe, the new generation will keep rising up the list at pace.
But they still have a long way to go to catch Westwood, who remains one of the very best in the business and, given his continued success, a man who looks very unlikely to stop winning any time soon.
Paul Lawrie is 29th on the European Tour's career money list with total earnings of 9,495,440 Euros.

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PACEMAKER POULTER'S 65 IN AUSSIE MASTERS, BYRNE HAS A 74

Banchory rookie James Byrne has shot a three-over-par 74 in the first round of the Australian Masters. That's nine shots behind the leader, Ian Poulter's six-under-par 65 which puts the flamboyant Englishman one shot ahead of Ashley Hall. Matteo Manassero (Italy) is two strokes BEHIND James Byrne with a 76 which has him in T95 place.

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POULTER PUTS DONALD IN THE SHADE

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
Colourfully dressed Ian Poulter put world No 1 Luke Donald in the shade to seize the lead after the opening round of the 2011 JBWere Australian Masters.
Poulter, pictured today from the Australian PGA website, fired a six-under-par 65 at Victoria Golf Club to gain a one-stroke advantage over local hopeful Ashley Hall.
Peter Lonard, Jarrod Lyle and Matthew Giles were among six players on 67, one shot clear of Rod Pampling and Richard Green and two ahead of Donald.
Australian Greg Chalmers, looking to add another trophy after his recent Australian Open and Australian PGA titles, matched Donald's 69, while defending champion Stuart Appleby returned a 70 after deciding only at the last minute that he was fit to play.
Nathan Green's 69 included the shot of the day when he holed his second from the fairway for eagle at the par-four third.
Matteo Manassero struggled with the afternoon breeze to record a 76.
Decked out in lilac tartan trousers, lilac sweater and matching lilac shoes, Poulter dropped a shot at his second hole, the 11th, before picking up seven birdies for his 65.
Poulter's more highly-fancied fellow Englishman Donald was disappointed with his short game.
"I hit it quite well on the back nine but (on) my front nine just made no putts," said Donald.
"Two birdies, no bogeys could have been a lot worse, could have been a little bit better, but it's something to build on."
The unheralded Hall, 794th in the world rankings, began on the back nine and raced to the turn in 29, including five birdies and an eagle three at the short par-five 18th.
The 28-year-old winner of the 2009 Victorian Open had John Wade's eight-year-old course record of 63 in his sights before stumbling towards the end of his round.
He double-bogeyed the eighth hole after leaving his second shot in the bunker.
"Through 10 holes it could have been quite amazing really," said Hall.
Appleby had been a doubt with a chronic back injury and played with a back brace clearly visible under his black shirt.
He worked for an hour on the putting green and practice range under the supervision of his coach Steve Bann and a physiotherapist before declaring himself ready to "give it a crack".
The 40-year-old managed to shrug off similar injury concerns 12 months ago to win the Australian Masters by one stroke from Adam Bland.