CRANE, TOMS, WILSON SHARE CALIFORNIA LEAD AT 16-UNDER-PAR

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By Staff and wire reports
LA QUINTA, California -- When Mark Wilson got to eight under through 11 holes on the Palmer Private course Friday, he seriously discussed golf's magic number with playing partner Harrison Frazar, who once shot a 59 on another course in the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation rotation.
"I don't know why the conversation went there ... but I thought about it," Wilson said.
Wilson ended up posting the lowest score of his career, and that 62 wasn't even the best round of the day in the desert. Bob Hope's name is no longer on this reformatted tournament, but its tradition of stunningly low scores is still going strong.
Wilson pulled even with Ben Crane and David Toms at 16-under 128 to share a three-stroke lead after the second round of the Humana Challenge on Friday, topping a leaderboard covered with bogey-free rounds and personal bests.
Extremely low numbers always dominate the erstwhile Bob Hope Classic, which features two of the US PGA Tour's three easiest courses. Add a second day of ideal Palm Springs weather, and exceptional play is necessary just to stay in contention.
For example, Ryan Moore tied the Nicklaus course record with a 61, yet he was still five strokes back of the lead -- and he wasn't even among 23 players who played bogey-free rounds Friday.
"Everything has been much improved, and we got a much better field because of it," said Crane, who had just 48 putts in his first two rounds. "This is a great place for players to start their year, because it's like playing indoors."
To illustrate his point, Crane mimed his caddie picking grass blades and dropping them from shoulder height.
"I'm like, `Where's the wind?'" Crane said. "He's like, `I don't know.' I'm like, `OK, let's just hit a normal shot here.'"
Crane shot a 63 on the three-course tournament's Palmer Private course, and Toms had a 65 on the Nicklaus Private course to match Wilson at 16-under 128. Rookie Harris English had a 62 on the Nicklaus Private course to join five players in fourth place at 13 under.
"That's what you've got to do out here," said English, the University of Georgia graduate playing only his sixth round on the US PGA Tour. "Put it in the fairway and then try to go out and get after it. I was getting my putter hot, and it was a lot of fun."
Moore tied Charlie Wi's 2009 record on the Nicklaus course despite starting with consecutive bogeys on his second and third holes before an eagle on the fourth. He then birdied 11 of 12 holes, including six straight around the turn.
"Really the last thing I remember was being 2 over through three, and then I just walked off the 18th hole," said Moore, who climbed 103 spots up the leaderboard. "Maybe that just freed me up. I just let go. ... I don't know if I ever putted that good in my entire life."
Wilson earned a reputation as a fast starter when he won in Hawaii and Phoenix during the first five weeks of last season. He also gets a boost from his offseason connection to the Coachella Valley, including a membership at the Ironwood Country Club near his in-laws' home in Palm Desert.
"It's always been very good to me, and then Q-school has been good to me in the desert," Wilson said. "I get a lot of good vibes here."
Toms shot a fairly pedestrian 65 on the Nicklaus course with a second straight day of steady play -- but not everybody chewed up the three courses. Toms' playing partner, Phil Mickelson, shot a 69, but remained well back of the leaders after opening with a 74.
"I'm excited about how I was playing heading into this tournament, but I had a big of a slap in the face with my first two scores," said Mickelson, who tried out a new driver Friday.
Mickelson is the tournament's career money leader despite not playing in Palm Springs since 2007. He has made seven straight cuts, but sits in 124th place heading to the third round.
Dustin Johnson, the world No. 8 and the tournament's top-ranked player, withdrew after nine holes Friday. The two-time AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am champion with exceptional power off the tee underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in November and hadn't walked 18 holes until Thursday, when he started with an even-par 72.
Scott Stallings also withdrew before the round with an injured chest muscle.
Crane's in-laws also live in the Valley, and he was grateful to play well in front of them after a rocky offseason in which he contemplated getting surgery on a labrum injury before learning he didn't need it.
Instead, he spent the offseason working on his putting, which has been exceptional at the Humana. Crane also started with a bogey before an eagle-birdie run kick-started his round.
The plunging scores might level off on the weekend, with wind and clouds in the forecast for Saturday when (ex) President Bill Clinton plays a round with Greg Norman. Crane and his wife spoke with Clinton on Thursday, discussing their work with a foundation that battles sex-trafficking.
"It's really given this tournament a spark to have him around," Crane said. "It's been great for everybody in this tournament. It's just grown so much in a year. The buzz is unbelievable, and it's really fun to be a part of it."

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
Players from US unless stated
128 Ben Crane 65 63, David Toms 63 65, Mark Wilson 66 62.
131 Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 63 68, Harris English 69 62, Chris Kirk 68 63, Bobby Gates 68 63.

Selected scores
134 Gary Christian (England) 66 68 (T23(.
135 Martin Laird (Scotland) 66 69 (T31).
138 Russell Knox (Scotland) 72 66 (T62).
142 Brian Davis (England) 70 72 (T114).
143 Phil Mickelson 74 69, Greg Norman (Australia) 72 71 (T124).

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ALAN BOOTH: One of the last of a vanishing breed of regional golf writers

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By Alistair Tait
GARSTON, England - Alan Booth was laid to rest in a small, simple ceremony two days ago. The world of golf has lost another valuable asset that probably won’t be replaced.
Many of you reading this won’t have heard of Alan Booth. He was 96 when he died a few weeks ago.
Booth wasn’t a high-profile member of the golf writing fraternity, but he played an important part in recording the game. Alan spent his working life writing for the Herts Advertiser in St Albans, providing a service no one seems to want these days.
Alan edited the Herts Advertiser for a spell. More importantly for us, he took a keen interest in amateur golf. He was a one-time member of Verulam Golf Club, home of the Ryder Cup.
The county of Hertfordshire has spawned some pretty good golfers over the years. One time Verulam golf professional Abe Mitchell might be the best player never to have won a major. He’s the figure atop the Ryder Cup courtesy of his influence on Sam Ryder. Ryder was captain of Verulam and took lessons from Mitchell.
Booth knew the Ryder family well, and wrote on them during his life. He was also the first to write about a young English amateur from nearby Welwyn Garden City by the name of Nick Faldo - now Sir Nick Faldo. Booth wrote a lot of column inches on Faldo, both as an amateur and a professional. He also wrote considerably on five-time Ryder Cup player Ken Brown.
Faldo couldn’t attend the funeral but sent his condolences, while Brown was there to see Booth get a good send-off along with other members of the Association of Golf Writers, Hertfordshire County Golf officials, Verulam members and friends.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Alan over the years, and he taught me much. Even in his late years his mind was still sharp. We dined together at Valhalla during the 2008 Ryder Cup, when Alan told me of covering Faldo when Nick was just a boy.
Alan wasn’t at Valhalla in a working capacity. He was there to complete a journey. He’d watched Faldo start out in golf, and felt watching him captain the 2008 Ryder Cup team would complete that long circle.
Booth spent many years working at the Open Championship as a press officer. He was responsible for interviews. Not with a tape recorder, but with impeccable shorthand. I would rate Alan’s shorthand against any stenographer. He was pinpoint accurate. Not many journalists today know shorthand. I would be a happy if mine was even a patch on Alan’s.
I last saw Alan at the 2009 Open Championship, when Tom Watson lost that Turnberry heartache. Alan parked himself in the front row for Watson’s press conference. He dispelled with today’s practice of waiting for the press officer to acknowledge raised hands.
Alan fired off three or four questions at Watson without pause. Watson didn’t mind. Alan was entitled – he’d had covered every one of Watson’s five Open victories, stretching back to his first at Carnoustie in 1975, when media centres were far smaller affairs.
Alan worked as a radio operator in the Royal Air Force during World War II. I guess when you can master morse code then shorthand is a bit of breeze.
Alan will be missed for many reasons, but my lament is that he’s another regional golf journalist to depart this world. He belonged to an age when men like him knew their beats, and covered them assiduously.
Besides, Faldo and Brown, Alan covered every golfer of note who came through the Hertfordshire county system.
I read the Herts Advertiser when I first moved to St Albans in 1989, and remember Alan’s missives. He didn’t miss anything. I still see the Herts Advertiser, but its golf coverage seems almost non-existent. Like many small-town newspapers, it operates with a skeleton staff and doesn’t have the resources to cover what it once did.
Maybe that’s not surprising. After all, golf coverage in British national newspapers has been going downhill for years, so it’s not surprising that small regional newspapers are struggling.
I miss those days when writers like Alan Booth knew their beats and covered them well. He’s part of a vanishing breed, and that’s to be lamented because men like him won’t be replaced.
Albert Alan Booth 1915-2011, RIP old friend.

TURKEY SO COLD, EPD TOUR EVENT CUT TO TWO ROUNDS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Turkey's image as a perfect mid-winter golfing venue has taken a knock in the opening event of the EPD (German PGA) tour in the Gloria New Course Classic at Belek on the Antalya southern coast.
The scheduled 54-hole tournament has been cut to two rounds after severe frost delayed the start of play by four hours on Thursday and today (Friday).
More than 30 players have still to complete their first rounds.
Motherwell's Paul O'Hara is lying joint 22nd after a one-over-par 73.
Ellon's Ross Cameron double-bogeyed the 17th and 18th to finish with a six-over-par 78, which left him sharing 66th place.

FIRST ROUND LEADERS
Par 72
64 Max Glauert (Ger)
69 Tom Boys (Eng), Ferdinand Osther (Net).
Selected scores
72 Lee Corfield (Eng) (T11).
73 Paul O'Hara (Sco) (T22).
76 Matthew Dearden (Wal) (T56).
78 Ross Cameron (Sco) (T66).
81 James Wilson (Eng) (T79).

ENGLAND'S CHESTERS, LOUGHRY KO'd IN AUSSIE AMATEUR RD 2

A host of leading players fell at the first hurdle on the opening day of the match-play stages of the Australian men's amateur championship at Woodlands Golf Club.

Jake Higginbottom (New South Wales), Ryan McCarthy (Tasmania), Oliver Goss(Western Australia) and Anthony Murdaca (South Australia) all lost in the opening round.,

Defending champion Matt Stieger progressed to the second round with a 2 and 1 win.

Victorian pair Nathan Holman and Todd Sinnott were also victorious while the international contingent boasts 11 players from Germany, England, Ireland and New Zealand who earned their places in the second round.

Two time runner-up Ben Campbell (NZ) is still in contention for a “third time lucky” shot at the title.

Leading qualifier Cameron Smith accounted for Victorian Chris Winkler by 4 and 3.
SHOCKS CONTINUE IN SECOND AND THIRD ROUNDS (both played today)

In today's second-round ties England's Ashley Chesters and Ben Loughrey, as well as Gary Hurley from Ireland, all lost.
Chesters was beaten 2 and 1 by Ricky Kato.

Loughrey went down, also by 2 and 1, to Cameron Smith.

Hurley lost by two holes to Germany's Marcel Schneider.
In the third round  defending champion Matt Stieger  was knocked out by Schneider 5 and 4 while Cameron Smith lost to Ricky Kato by one hole.up
New Zealanders Blair Riordan and Ben Campbell made their exit from the championship.The quarter finalists are:
Ricky Kato (New South Wales)
Marcel Schneider (Germany)
Ruben Sondjaja (New South Wales)
Daniel Bringolf (New South Wales)
Geoff Drakeford (Victoria)
Jordan Zunic (New South Wales)
Christopher-John Harrop (Queensland)
Daniel Nisbet (Queensland)

Both the quarter finals and semi-finals will be played on Saturday with the 36 hole final to be held on Sunday.

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AMAZING GRACE CLICKETY-CLICKS TO LEAD BY FOUR IN S AFRICA

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
The lead is still four after two rounds of the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt in South Africa - but now it is local man Branden Grace rather than Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts out in front.
Grace, last man into The European Tour's winners-only event thanks to his victory at the Joburg Open last Sunday, shot 66 to reach 12 under par.
Colsaerts, on the other hand, had a 76 - 12 more than his course record first round - to drop to joint fifth place.
While that was the joint worst score of the day the best was a 65 from England's Lee Slattery.
And it not only lifted the 33 year old from 22nd to joint second with Thomas Aiken, another of the home contingent, but also earned him a new car.
Playing partner Retief Goosen (68) received the same prize as they combined with English amateur Mark Vandenberghe to win the one-round team event.
José María Olazábal almost joined them in winning a car, lipping out for a hole-in-one at the short 17th, but Europe's Ryder Cup captain - at 596th in the Official World Golf Ranking the lowest-ranked player in the 35-strong field - was happy enough with a 68 to be in fourth spot on his own.
For the second day running, though, Padraig Harrington finished with a double bogey 7 and, having also dropped shots on the previous two holes, the Irishman's 73 left him with eight shots to make up, as is the case for Open champion Darren Clarke (68) and Masters Tournament winner Charl Schwartzel (67).
Only last month 23 year old Grace was at The European Tour Qualifying School in Spain, but he came through that six-day ordeal in joint tenth place and has been flying ever since.
"I'm just really enjoying it out there," he said after grabbing eight birdies.
"It's probably my favourite course in the world and coming back here is a fabulous feeling - especially playing well."
Slattery feared he would be at Qualifying School as well - in his case for the ninth time - until he won the Bankia Madrid Masters in October.
"Winning certainly gives you belief," said the 33 year old Englishman after picking up an amazing ten birdies just as Colsaerts had done in the opening round.
"That's probably my best round out there, one I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.
"Because of the team prize I was willing Retief's putts in as well. God knows what the amateur felt like, but he handled it well.
"I've had about 12 holes-in-one, but have never won a car before."
Olazábal was pleased to show signs of the form that brought him two Green Jackets before a series of injury problems, as the Spaniard targets his first victory for seven years on Sunday.
“I think the last couple of years I've played pretty poorly, so improving that, it was not all that difficult,” said the 45 year old.
Aiken has an added reason for wanting to come out on top - he is on a campaign to help save the rhino and the more publicity (and money) he can get the better.
"I've started my own charity," he said. "It's disgusting what's happening. We've got a war going on.

"Rhino horns are being valued at a million dollars. We've got tractors on the grounds, roadblocks and help from the Air Force because they (the poachers) are shooting them from helicopters now.
"We've got about six years left until they are extinct and if we hang around too long we are going to be too late."

SCOTSWATCH: Paul Lawrie, picture by Andy Forman, is lying joint joint fifth on six-under-par 140 over this par-73 course. Paul's first-round 72 owed much to eagle 3s at the ninth and 13th but today his five-under 63 saw him shoot seven birdies with one bogey in each half (the fourth and 12th). His birdies came at the short second, the long fifth, the sixth, ninth, short 11th, 13th and long 16th in halves of 33 (three under) and 35 (two under). Colin Montgomerie dropped back from a first-round 70 to a 75 today for 145.

HALFWAY LEADERBOARD
Par 146 (2x73). Yardage: 7,271
Players from South Africa unless stated
134 Branden Grace 68 66.
135 Thomas Aiken 68 70, Lee Slattery (England) 73 65.
139 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 71 68.
140 Paul Lawrie (Scotland) 72  68, Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 71 69, Louis Oosthuizen 69 71, Alexander Noren (Sweden) 72 68, Retief Goosen 72 68.
141 David Horsey (England) 69 72, Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 6 72, Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 71 70.
142 Tom Lewis (England) 68 74, Ernie Els 71 71, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 69 73, Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland) 74 68, Charl Schwartzel 75 67.
143 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 71 72, Robert Rock (England) 73 70.
144 Garth Mulroy 71 73, Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 74 70.
145 Colin Montgomerie (Scotland) 70 75, Matthew Zions (Australia) 70 75, Simon Dyson (England) 75 70.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

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MINIMUM OF 26 EVENTS OF 2012 CHALLENGE TOUR SCHEDULE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
The European Challenge Tour continues to flourish in 2012 with a nine-month schedule which incorporates a minimum of 26 tournaments – four of them new – played in 18 different countries across four continents.
The 24^th Challenge Tour campaign begins in Asia with the Gujarat Kensville Challenge, at Kensville Golf and Country Club in Ahmedabad, India, from January 26-29, and culminates in Europe with the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final from October 24-27.
It will also visit South America for the Pacific Rubiales Colombia Classic, held at Baranquilla Country Club in Baranquilla, Colombia, from March 8-11, and Africa for the Barclays Kenya Open, at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, Kenya, from March 29-April 1.

The Pacific Rubiales Colombia Classic, which will mark the first co-sanctioning of a tournament between the Challenge and Pacific Colombia Tours, is the first of four new events on the schedule, followed by Le Robinie Open, held at Golf and Resort Le Robinie in Solbiate Olona, Italy, from June 28-July 1.     

The two remaining additions to the schedule take place later in the season, starting with a visit to Kytäjä Golf Club near Helsinki, Finland, which will host the Finnish Challenge from August 2-5; and finally the Challenge de Cataluña, which will be held from September 27-30.   

Four venues will also be making their debuts on the Challenge Tour this year. 

They are Ravenstein Royal Golf Club of Belgium, in Tervuren, Belgium, which for the first time will stage the Telenet Trophy from May 24-27; Byneset Golf Club in Trondheim, Norway, host venue of the Norwegian Challenge from August 9-12; Stensballegaard Golf in Horsens, Denmark, which from August 15-18 will stage the ECCO Tour Championship presented by Thomas Björn and Mercedes-Benz; and, finally, Golf du Kempferhof in Plosbheim, France, which from August 30-September 2 will host the second of four ALLIANZ-sponsored tournaments on the schedule, the ALLIANZ Open de Strasbourg.   

The first, the ALLIANZ Open Côtes d’Armor Bretagne, will be the first tournament held on European soil when it returns to Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André in Pleneuf, France, from May 10-13.

With a prize fund of €400,000, the Kazakhstan Open from September 13-16, won last year by the Rankings winner Tommy Fleetwood of England, will for the eighth successive season be the most lucrative regular event on the Challenge Tour Schedule.

The dual-ranking SAINT-OMER Open presented by Neuflize OBC returns to Aa St Omer Golf Club in Lumbres, France, from June 14-17 with a prize purse of €500,000; whilst prize money earned at the €700,000 Madeira Islands Open, held from May 17-20 at Santo da Serra in Madeira, Portugal, will also count towards the Challenge Tour Rankings – though the fund will be capped at €500,000 for the purposes of the Rankings only.

Alain de Soultrait, Director of the Challenge Tour, said: “We are delighted to deliver a minimum of 26 tournaments on our schedule in 2012, which is one more than last year, and are confident of adding more events later in the season. In these still challenging times, that is hugely encouraging and is a testament to the superb efforts of the federations, promoters and sponsors. Without their support and the trust they place in us, the Challenge Tour simply could not be as successful as it is.

“Following the success of last season we are excited about the year ahead, with new tournaments in Colombia, Italy, Finland and Spain complementing the return of some old favourites. I am certain our Members will enjoy visiting new places and playing new courses, and I am equally sure that they will continue to show the golfing excellence which has become synonymous with the Challenge Tour.”

2012 EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR SCHEDULE
JANUARY
26 - 29 The Gujarat Kensville Challenge Kensville G AN DCC, Ahmedabad, India 200,000€
MARCH
08 - 11 Pacific Rubiales Colombia Classic CC de Barranquilla, Barranquilla, Colombia 250,000 US$
29 - 01 Apr The Barclays Kenya Open Muthaiga GC, Nairobi, Kenya 190,000€
MAY
03 - 06 Event and venue to be confirmed
10 - 13 ALLIANZ Open Côtes d’Armor Bretagne Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André, Pléneuf, France 160,000€
17 - 20 Madeira Islands Open BPI Clube de Golf do Santo da Serra, Madeira, Portugal 700,000€+
24 - 27 Telenet Trophy Ravenstein Royal GC of Belgium, Tervuren, Belgium 160,000€
31 May - 03 June  Fred Olsen Challenge de España Tecina Golf, La Gomera, Canarias, Islands 160,000€
JUNE07 - 10 Kärnten Golf Open presented by Mazda GC Klagenfurt-Seltenheim, Klagenfurt, Austria 160,000€
14 - 17 St Omer Open presented by Neuflize OBC * Aa St Omer GC, Lumbres, France 500,000€
21 - 24 Scottish Hydro Challenge Macdonald Spey Valley, Aviemore, 220,000€
28 June - 01 July Le Robinie Open Le Robinie GC & Resort, Solbiate Olona, Italy 160,000€
JULY05 - 08 The Princess by Schüco PGA of Sweden National, Bara, Sweden
12 - 15 Credit Suisse Challenge Golf Sempachersee, Lucerne, Switzerland 160,000€
19 - 22 Acaya Golf Open Acaya Golf Resort, Lecce, Puglia, Italy 160,000€
26 - 29 Event at English venue to be confirmed
AUGUST
02 - 05 Aug Finnish Challenge Kytäjä Golf, Hyvinkää, Finland 170,000€
09 - 12 Norwegian Challenge Byneset GK, Trondheim, Norway 175,000€
15 - 18 (Wed – Sat) ECCO Tour Championship hosted by Thomas Björn & Mercedes-Benz Stensballegaard Golf, Horsens, Denmark
160,000€
22 - 25 (Wed – Sat) Rolex Trophy GC de Genève, Genève, Switzerland 220,000€
30 Aug - 02 Sept ALLIANZ Open de Strasbourg Golf du Kempferhof, Plosbheim, France 160,000€
SEPTEMBER06 - 09 M2M Russian Challenge Cup Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club, Moscow Region, Russia 250,000€
13 - 16 Kazakhstan Open TBC 400,000€
20 - 23 ALLIANZ Open de Toulouse Golf de Toulouse-Seilh, Seilh, France 160,000€
27 - 30 Challenge de Cataluña Spain, TBC 160,000€
OCTOBER04 - 07 Oct ALLIANZ Open de Lyon Golf du Gouverneur, Monthieux, France 160,000€
11 - 14 Roma Golf Open Olgiata GC, Roma, Italy 160,000€
18 - 21 TBC
24 – 27 (Wed – Sat) Apulia San Domenico Grand Final San Domenico Golf, Savelletri, Puglia, Italy 330,000€
+ Played under European Tour regulations. Prize money counts for Challenge Tour Rankings (capped to €500,000 for this purpose).
* Dual Ranking event.

BYRNE PUTS HIMSELF UNDER PRESSURE FOR LAST ROUND IN ASIA

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Banchory's James Byrne put himself under a little bit of pressure for Saturday's fourth and final round at the Asian Tour Final Qualifying School by going over par for the first time with a three-over 75 in the third round at Springfield Royal GC, Thailand today.
Byrne, who had opened with impressive rounds of 68 and 69, birdied the long second, long fifth and 15th but six bogeys cancelled out these gains.
He goes into the last round in joint 27th place on four-under 212. Only the leading 40 and ties after 72 holes will gain playing rights for the 2012 Asian Tour.
At the moment the players in joint 40th place are on two-under 214 so although Byrne looks safe he cannot afford a repeat 75 at the last time of asking.
The third-round cut was set at one-over-par 217 with 89 players making the all-important final round. Simon Dunn, the only other Scot in the field, missed out with a 77 for 220.

LEADING THIRD ROUND SCORES
Par 216 (3x72)
205 Masanori Kobayashi (Jap) 70 67 68, Dodge Kemmer (US)
66 70 69, Yosuke Tsukada (Jap) 63 71 71.
206 David Lipsky (US) 72 65 69.
207 Martin Rominger (Swi) 72 63 72, Amond Vongvanij (Thai) 69 64 74,
Guy Woodman (Eng) 64 69 74.
SELECTED SCORES
208 Stephen Lewton (Eng) 68 74 66 (T8)
210 Dale Marmion (Eng) 70 67 73 (T14)
212 James Byrne (Sco) 68 69 75 (T27)
216 Chris Rodgers (Eng) 70 74 72, Simon Griffiths (Eng) 68 72 76, Niall Kearney (Ire) 72 72 72 (T62)
217 Jake Shepherd (Eng) 71 71 75, Niall Turner (Ire) 68 73 76 (T80).

MISSED THE THIRD-ROUND CUT
219 Yasin Ali (Eng) 71 72 76 (T97).
220 Simon Dunn (Sco) 71 71 77 (T102).

SAM TORRANCE WORKS ON FITNESS TO END NO-WIN SPELL

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Sam Torrance this season marks 40 years since his maiden professional title and after two campaigns without tasting victory, the Scot is determined to return to winning ways in 2012.
The 2002 Ryder Cup-winning captain plans to end his lean spell by getting leaner himself, spending the close-season working on his fitness, as well as his game, in an effort to recapture the form that helped him win three Senior Tour Order of Merits and 11 Senior Tour titles.
Torrance turns 59 in August and while he admits achieving success on the course becomes harder with age, he hopes some good old fashioned hard work will help him to prolong his competitive days on the Senior Tour.
“I’ve been very mediocre for two years now but I’m looking forward to the 2012 season and trying to get a bit fitter over the winter period,” said Torrance, whose maiden professional victory came at the 1972 Radici Open in Italy.
“I’ve got plenty of time until the new season starts to get myself in shape. It’s getting harder now I’m getting closer to 60 but if ever I was going to do it now is the time.”
A glimpse of the form of old came when he signed off the 2011 campaign in style with a superb final round 66 in the MCB Tour Championship to finish fourth – his joint best result of the campaign alongside the Van Lanschot Senior Open.
His performance in Mauritius ensured Torrance maintained his record of finishing inside the top 20 on the Order of Merit in each of his eight full seasons on the Senior Tour since 2004.
However it was the first time that the 21-time European Tour champion has been outside the top ten since that rookie campaign.
Since last lifting the John Jacobs Trophy in 2009, Torrance has watched two of the ‘younger crop’, Thailand’s Boonchu Ruangkit and last year’s champion Australian Peter Fowler, succeed him as Senior Tour Number One but the Scot is characteristically resolute that he will challenge once again in the new campaign.
“It was a great effort by Peter to win the Order of Merit last year,” said Torrance. “He’s a great guy and one of the hardest workers you will find out on Tour. I was disappointed not to win a title again myself but hopefully I can get another victory in 2012. It gets harder each year on the Senior Tour as you get older though.”
Among the highlights of the 2012 season for Torrance will be a return to his native west coast of Scotland when The Senior Open Championship visits Turnberry from July 26-29.
The eight time Ryder Cup player last embarked on a sustained fitness crusade when The Senior Open Championship visited another of his ‘home’ courses – Sunningdale - in 2009.
It paid dividends then as Torrance finished fifth on that occasion, before going on to win his third Senior Tour Order of Merit, and he is relishing the chance to play at another of his favourite venues.
“I’m really looking forward to The Senior Open at Turnberry,” he said. “Aesthetically it is one of the most beautiful looking courses in the world, in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, and it is a great golf course.
“The Senior Open is always special, no matter where it is played, but it is extra special when it is played in Scotland. I’m from that area – I was born about an-hour-and-a-half from Turnberry – so it will be special.”

TOP SCOTS MEN AMATEURS OFF TO SOUTH AFRICA JANUARY 23

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Scotland’s leading male amateurs will return to South Africa on Monday (January 23) for the competitive stage of their winter performance programme to develop their games in readiness for the new domestic season.
Thanks to the support of national team sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management and South African businessman Johann Rupert, coupled with continued funding from sportscotland, the men’s squad will fly to Johannesburg on Monday for an eight-week camp.
The programme will include four major events on the South African circuit, a Test Match against the host nation and an intensive training camp with players working on short game, swing and general fitness.
The winter training programme follows the great success of the 2011 tour of South Africa, which produced a host of impressive performances and results. Michael Stewart defeated Paul Shields in the all-Scottish final of the South African amateur championship, to etch his name on the trophy alongside the likes of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, while David Law captured the coveted Northern Amateur crown after losing out in a play-off for the South African amateur stroke-play championship.

Scotland international Shields (Kirkhill), pictured right, is among the seven-strong men’s squad returning to South Africa, along with 2011 SGU Men’s Order of Merit winner James White (Lundin), last year’s Scottish amateur championship runner-up Daniel Kay (Dunbar) and another international, Brian Soutar (Leven GS). Pollok’s Conor O’Neil, former British boys runner-up Fraser McKenna (Balmore) and Scott Crichton (Aberdour) complete the travelling player party.
US university-based duo Grant Forrest and Scott Gibson are unable to make the trip while Graeme Robertson – edged out by White for the Order of Merit title last year – has study commitments at the University of Stirling and also misses out.
The players begin their competitive action at the Gauteng North Open on January 28, before the South African Stroke Play, at Glendower Golf Club, begins on February 7.
The Test Match at Leopard’s Creek Country Club and work with the South African Golf Development Board will follow. The squad will then fly to Cape Town and start preparations for the South African Amateur at Mowbray Golf Club, being held from February 26 to March 2.
The Northern Amateur Open is the final event being contested from March 11-16 before the return flight home to Scotland on March 17.
Lundin’s White, who profited from the winter programme last year, said: “I’m really looking forward to going back to South Africa. It’s an intensive, hard-working camp, but I felt the work I did there last year really paid off when I came home. I played very well straight away and went on to win twice last season on my way to winning the Order of Merit.
“The weather at home is not conducive to good practice so getting competitive golf under our belts at this time of year in the South African climate will be great. I know the tournaments we are playing in again and I know some of the courses. I know what to expect really, so I’m looking forward to performing.
”It would be nice to follow in the footsteps of Michael and David, who played some great golf out there last year. It fills us all with confidence for this year knowing that we can go out there and compete. All the players are hugely grateful to all the organisations involved, particularly Mr Rupert, in giving us this opportunity. Hopefully we can repay them with some big wins this season."

National coach Ian Rae, pictured right, who will lead the coaching programme to South Africa along with support from staff from the Scottish Institute of Sport, expects the players to reap further reward in the weeks ahead.
Rae said: “This is much more a performance-based trip than a training trip. We’re going to play the two main amateur events and a warm-up tournament, the Gauteng North Open, which is a strong event. The last event, the Northern Amateur Open is a great competition as well, with quite a few of the top players travelling from France and Italy for these events too.
“More success would be nice, absolutely, but everybody in the squad is in a slightly different position. You’ve got players much more experienced, others less so, so everybody will have a different goal for the trip – whether it be trying to win an event or developing their games. They are all capable that’s for sure, but they all have different goals.”

South Africa Competition Calendar
January 28-29: Gauteng North Open
February 7-10: South Africa stroke-play championship
February 14-15: South Africa v Scotland Test Match
February 26-March 2: South African amateur championship
March 11-16: Northern Amateur Open

Men’s Elite Squad for South Africa
Scott Crichton (Aberdour)
Daniel Kay (Dunbar)
Fraser McKenna (Balmore)
Conor O’Neil (Pollok)
Paul Shields (Kirkhill)
Brian Soutar (Leven GS)
James White (Lundin)

TOMS AND VILLEGAS LEAD HUMANA CHALLENGE AT LA QUINTA

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By Staff and wire reports
LA QUINTA, California -- A little extra time off this winter left David Toms and Camilo Villegas feeling fresh for the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation.
Toms and Villegas shot 9-under 63s to top a leaderboard dotted with impressive scores in the opening round Thursday.
Ted Potter junior, Sang-moon Bae, Brandt Snedeker and Bob Estes were one stroke behind in postcard-perfect weather on the pro-am tournament's three generous Palm Springs-area courses.
Villegas and Toms both played bogey-free at the erstwhile Bob Hope Classic, which has dropped one day of its traditional five-round format this year.
After playing on the winning U.S. team in the Presidents Cup, Toms passed on a hard-to-get spot in the lucrative Chevron World Challenge in December to spend extra time with his family. He shook off tough start to the new season in Hawaii with excellent play alongside Presidents Cup teammate Phil Mickelson at La Quinta Country Club, which boasts the tournament's toughest course.
Toms also got a boost playing alongside Mickelson, who struggled to a 74. Toms made a 30-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole right after Mickelson holed an eagle putt, ratcheting up the energy early in the tournament.
"That's probably the biggest crowd I've ever had playing golf here," Toms said. "It was nice to play a good round and have people energized and out there cheering for your birdies."
Villegas recovered from his disappointing 2011 with an extended break in his native Colombia and Florida, where he played collegiately. He made nine birdies in his first crack at the Nicklaus Private course, coasting through a round he could barely recall after he finished it.
"You feel that you're a little rusty, but at the same time, you're mentally fresh," said Villegas, a three-time PGA TOUR winner. "It's a funny game. Sometimes being mentally fresh is more important."
The Humana Challenge has been invigorated by multiple changes including its new title sponsor, an increased purse and a partnership with the Clinton Foundation to promote healthy lifestyles. Bill Clinton, who will play alongside old friend Greg Norman on Saturday, showed up to the event Thursday.
Enthusiastic crowds also showed up in the Coachella Valley to cheer on an improved field including Mickelson, defending champion Jhonattan Vegas and world No. 8 Dustin Johnson, who matched Norman at 72 in the Shark's first Palm Springs appearance since 1986.
Toms and Villegas aren't the only players using the week to round into form. Rough spots in their games are more easily fixed in Palm Springs' perfect weather -- although rain could be headed to the valley for the weekend.
"Nothing really worked," Norman said after his first PGA TOUR start since 2009. "It was just pure rust, that's all it was. Just rusty, rusty, rusty."
Potter, a rookie, made five consecutive birdies after the turn in his round, while the 45-year-old Estes, who hasn't won since 2002, finished with consecutive birdies to move into a third-place tie.
Another change to the tournament was an immediate hit with the pros: Instead of playing with three amateur partners in each of the first four rounds, two pros are teaming with two players, which makes for more fun.
"I've looked at the pairings, and I can tell that a lot of guys are playing with their friends and other golfers, the guys that are close," said Toms, who counts Mickelson as a close friend.
+BRITISH PLAYERS' SCORES
66 Martin Laird (Scotland), Gary Christian (England) (T14).
70 Brian Davis (England) (T80).
72 Russell Knox (Scotland) (T117)
Field of 144 players

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