CAMERON STARTS WELL BUT NO TURKISH DELIGHT FOR DAVID LAW

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
North-east pair Ross Cameron from Ellon and Aberdeen's David Law had contrasting fortunes in the opening round of the second EPD (German PGA) Tour event over the Gloria Old Course, Belek in Turkey today (Monday).
Cameron, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, now sponsored by Saltire Energy and not linked to McDonald Golf Club, with the benefit of having played in the first event last week, shot a three-under-par 69 to be sharing second place with four others, one shot behind leader Bjorn Stromsky (Germany).
But rookie pro David Law, the Northern Open champion and twice Scottish amateur champion, making his debut in Turkish conditions certainly did not experience the delight! He took 80 blows - eight over par - to finish the day in joint 73rd place in a field of 85.
Law will need something special in the second round to figure among the top 40 and ties who will go forward to Wednesday's third and final round.
The third Scot in the field, Motherwell's Paul O'Hara had a steady, par-matching 72 for a share of 15th place.
Cameron could not have asked for a better start - and eagle 3 which had "flying" over the first nine, covered in three-under-par 34 with birdies at the long fifth and long ninth and only one birdie, at the sixth. His two inward birdies, at the short 10th and 13th got him to five under par with five to play, which would have been good enough to lead had he not bogeyd the 15th and short 18th.
O'Hara birdied the short seventh, long ninth and 13th but bogeyed the third, 16th and short 18th.
Law did not have a single birdie. He had halves of 40, with bogeys at the long first, short second and long ninth before things got away from him after the turn. He had a double bogey 6 at the 11th and a triple bogey 7 at the par-4 15th.
LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
68 Bjorn Stromsky (Ger).
69 Ross Cameron (Sco), Daniel Wunsche (Ger), Andre Bossert (Den), Max Kramer (Ger), Ferdinand Osther (Net).
70 Tiago Cruz (Port), Tom Boys (Eng).
Selected scores:
72 Matthew Dearden (Wal), Paul O'Hara (Sco), Grant Jackson (Eng) (T15).
73 Lee Corfield (Eng) (T22).
74 Nicholas Murtagh (Eng) (T28).
76 James Wilson (Eng) (54).
80 David Law (Sco) (T73).

CHANGES IN PGA CUP TEAM SELECTION PROCESS

Russell Weir, team captain, the Llandudno Trophy, and the GB and I team for the September 2011 PGA Cup match in California. Image by courtesy of Scott Halleran at Getty Images (c).

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE PGAA new selection process has been unveiled for the Great Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team to face the United States.
The prestigious biennial contest pits leading PGA professionals from this side of the Atlantic against their American counterparts.
The changes to qualification will see the 10-man team comprise the leading six point scorers over two years at the flagship Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship, the top three finishers at the Titleist PGA Play-Offs in the year prior to the PGA Cup and a final captain’s pick.
Previously the side was determined solely by the PGA Professional Championship event across two years.
PGA chief executive Sandy Jones believes the new selection criteria will give more members the opportunity to qualify for the event and strengthen the team.
“The amendments to the selection process are about ensuring all our fully qualified members who play competitive golf have the opportunity to compete in the PGA Cup matches and represent Great Britain and Ireland,” he said.
“It is important to ensure we have our best players available and the advent of the PGA Play-Offs in recent years gives us a second gateway to qualification and achieving that aim.
“As does the decision to reinstate the captain’s pick. This was used in previous matches and gives the captain the chance to include a player of his choice who he feels can add value to those who have already earned qualification.”
The PGA Cup features a Ryder Cup match play format with foursomes, four-balls and singles played over three days.
First staged at the legendary Pinehurst resort in 1973, the PGA Cup has become a pinnacle of achievement for PGA professionals.
Among the players to have played in the competition is former Open champion Max Faulkner, Brian Barnes and Brian Waites who played in the PGA Cup before going on to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup. More recent players include Kedleston Park’s Paul Wesselingh who made six successive appearances from 1998-2009 while Russell Weir and David Huish are joint record appearance holders with eight each.
Past captains include Christy O’Connor senior and Tommy Horton.
America is the current holder of the Llandudno Trophy, having retained it at CordeValle, California, in September 2011 – a third straight win for the US.
The 26th staging of the PGA Cup will take place in 2013 at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland.

SALTIRE ENERGY SIGN SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH PAUL LAWRIE

  PAUL LAWRIE ... Two-year headgear logo deal with Saltire Energy.

NEWS RELEASE

Aberdeen: Saltire Energy, an independent rental company supplying state of the art drilling equipment to the global oil industry, have signed a sponsorship agreement with former Open champion Paul Lawrie.

Both Lawrie and Saltire Energy are from Aberdeen, and Lawrie has won arguably the most prestigious trophy in golf, the Claret Jug, following his triumph at the Open Championship in 1999.
He has since won five further events on the European Tour with victories in Spain, Qatar, Wales and Scotland - his most recent win coming in 2011 at the Open de Andalucia. He capitalised on an excellent year in 2011 by coming second at the European Tour’s season ending event, the Dubai World Championship.
Saltire Energy have been a firm supporter of Lawrie over the years, whereby they have been a long term partner to his junior Foundation that he started back in 2001.
As the Foundation has continued to flourish, so has the relationship between Saltire Energy and Lawrie, with the progression to a sponsorship of Lawrie seen as a natural next step for the drilling equipment company. Mike Loggie, CEO of Saltire Energy, was delighted to announce the agreement, and explained the reasons for building on their relationship with Lawrie: “Paul is a great champion and a wonderful ambassador for Scotland and the game of golf. We share his passion for encouraging junior sport by investing in its future, and we look forward to extending our association with Paul and watching him bring home more silverware”.
Lawrie was equally as pleased to be extending his partnership with Saltire Energy, and stated: “I have a long standing relationship with Saltire Energy and I’m delighted to be announcing them as a new sponsor of mine. I’m very grateful for all of their support over the years and I hope to personally now be able to deliver some great exposure for them over the coming years.”
The agreement will see Lawrie wearing the Saltire Energy corporate logo on the front of his headwear over the next two years.
About Saltire Energy
Saltire Energy is a leading independent rental company which supplies an extensive range of state of the art drilling equipment to the global oil industry.

TOM CRAIG INTERIM SGU CHAIRMAN, MAURICE SHIELDS PRESIDENT

 TOM Craig (left) and Maurice Shields after yesterday's SGU annual meeting.

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
The Scottish Golf Union, following its Annual General Meeting yesterday, has appointed Tom Craig CA as new Interim Chairman of the Board after Douglas Connon MBE did not seek a second three-year term due to health reasons.
At the AGM, Maurice Shields was also confirmed as the 50th SGU President and Iain Harvey was appointed as the new Vice-President. Stephen Docherty succeeds John Fraser as Non-Executive Director (Performance), with Ian Howarth the new Junior Vice-President.
Following agreement from the 16 Area Associations at the annual gathering held at Tulliallan Police College, Tom has been tasked with taking the SGU forward, with the primary focus on achieving amalgamation with the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association (SLGA).
Should the amalgamation goal be achieved, Tom, vastly experienced in management and finance, will then stand down and pass the chairmanship to the new chairman appointed under the combined body processes. However, if at any time it becomes apparent that amalgamation is not going to be fulfilled, he will step down and the SGU will undertake its process to seek a new Chairman.
Tom is Chairman of Craig CorpOrate, which provides private and public companies with business management, corporate finance, company turnaround and taxation services. Tom founded Craig Corporate, which has offices in Glasgow and London, in 1985.
He is also Co-chairman of @sipp plc, a SIPP trustee and administration company, and Houston Bottling and Co-Pack, a provider of bottling and packing services to the whisky industry. He is also a director of Accord hospice in his home town of Paisley.
He is a member at Western Gailes Golf Club, where he has previously served on the committee, and at Erskine Golf Club, where he has served as Finance Convener and Captain.
Tom said: “It is a great honour to be elected as Chairman of the SGU. It is a fine organisation with very capable, committed and enthusiastic staff. Everyone I have met in the SGU – staff, directors, Council members, Area Association officials and so on – share one thing in common: they are all hugely committed to golf in Scotland, and desperately keen for its success and prosperity.
Every golfer in Scotland owes a debt of gratitude to those involved in the SGU, particularly to the army of volunteers who work very often unseen and without thought of any personal reward save the success of our sport.
“During this past year there have been some unfortunate difficulties associated with amalgamating the gents’ and ladies’ governing bodies of Scottish amateur golf. My priority as Chairman will be to work with our new President, Maurice Shields, to achieve a basis of amalgamation with the SLGA which is recognised as right for the SGU and for the greater good of amateur golf in Scotland.”
Maurice Shields, a retired PE teacher, is a popular figure on the national championship amateur circuit. He has served on several SGU committees, including development and child protection, and has been a Scotland Team Manager at both Boys’ and Men’s levels.
A member of Windyhill Golf Club since 1963, he has been an executive member of the Dumbartonshire Golf Union for a number of years, acting as Area President between 2008 and 2010.
The SGU would like to collectively extend its thanks to Douglas Connon, who took over from Alistair Low as Chairman in January 2009. During his time, Douglas has helped raise the profile, reputation and finances of the SGU and we wish him a speedy recovery from the illness he has endured this past year.





· A gratis photograph from the SGU of Maurice Shields and Tom Craig at the AGM is attached for your newspapers/websites.

PHIL MICKELSON PUTS FAMILY BEFEORE WORLD MATCH-PLAY

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
LA QUINTA, California. - Golf's 65th-ranked player will get a spot in next month's WGC-Accenture Match Play after Phil Mickelson said that he will be skipping the event for the third time in the event's history.
Mickelson, who played in last week's Humana Challenge for the first time in five years, has a conflict with his children’s spring break and, as in the past, will take the week off to vacation with his three children and wife, Amy, during the Feb. 22-26 Match Play.
“I'm going to end up missing the Match Play this year as we're going to go on a family trip,” Mickelson, No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking, said on Sunday. “So as I miss that tournament, it was easier to add this one, too.”
Mickelson has had limited success in the Match Play, advancing as far as the quarter-finals just once, in 2004. However, the rest of the West Coast and Hawaii early in the season has been good to him. Mickelson has won 17 of his 39 US Tour titles before the circuit hits Florida.
Mickelson plans on playing everything on the West Coast leading up to the Match Play: the upcoming Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego, followed by the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the Pebble Beach AT and T National Pro-Am and the Northern Trust Open.

HARWOOD WINS ON AUSTRALASIAN LEGENDS TOUR

FROM THE PGA OF AUSTRALIA WEBSITE
Michael Harwood has continued his outstanding form on the Australasian Legends Tour winning the Bing Lee/Samsung NSW Legends Championship at Oatlands Golf Club on Sunday. Harwood finished the 36 hole event at seven under-par and two shots clear of Gary Merrick.
Michael Harwood with Yenda Lee and Steve Tipple Heading into the final round, Harwood trailed the former Oatlands Head Professional Mike Zilko by one stroke however the ultra-consistent Harwood proved too strong finishing with a round of 66 to record his second win for 2012.
In his acceptance speech Harwood thanked the Oatlands Golf Club and commended its condition, highlighted by the number of low scores recorded over the two days.
Also finishing prominently were well renowned touring professionals Peter Fowler (-2), David Merriman (-2), Terry Price (even par) and Rodger Davis (+3).
With Legends of Australian Golf teeing it up alongside regular club golfers, it is little wonder the circuit is continuing to grow. The international Legends circuit now moves to Tasmania before heading further east for the New Zealand swing of events.
The Oatlands Golf Club now prepares for this week’s Bing Lee/Samsung NSW Ladies Open with the leading female golfers from Australia and abroad teeing it up in the ALPG Tour sanctioned

DAN FORSMAN WINS US SENIORS TOUR EVENT ON HAWAII

FROM THE US PGA SENIORS TOUR WEBSITE
KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) -- Dan Forsman never flinched in the final round of the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
Forsman closed with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions Sunday for his third Champions Tour title. He beat Jay Don Blake by two shots. Defending champion John Cook and Michael Allen shared third, another shot back.
The 53-year-old Forsman, a five-time winner on the main US PGA Tour, finished with a 15-under 201 total at Hualalai Resort and earned $307,000 in the 41-man event.
He opened with rounds of 67 and 65 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round. He never lost it, earning his first win in 20 months.
"On the 18th green I couldn't even speak," Forsman said. "I am really humbled to top this field of guys I've admired and competed with all my professional life. The chance to be on top of a distinguished group of players like this is something I'll always cherish. You've got to be blessed to have opportunities like this and I feel like I am."
Blake birdied the final hole for a 67. He finished last season with a victory in the Charles Schwab Championship.
A warm wind that gusted up to 25 mph kept scores relatively high on one of the senior tour's easiest layouts. It was the first time since 2000 that the winner did not have a sub-200 score at Hualalai.
Forsman protected his lead with three birdies in the first 11 holes. His first bogey since Friday and only his second of the week still left him with a two-shot edge after 12 holes, and he held off Blake with a birdie and five pars on the closing holes.
Forsman struggled with a painful left hip last year, and had just one top-10 finish. He dropped to 45th on the money list after finishing in the top 10 in his first two seasons on the 50-and-over tour.
"I sat home over the holidays and kept thinking, `What will it take to get through the door,'" Forsman said. "I kept thinking, `I've got to do the little things that all add up.'"
Gary Hallberg (68) and Jeff Sluman (71) tied for fifth, four shots behind Forsman.
Mark Calcavecchia, Jay Haas, Brad Bryant and 62-year-old Tom Watson tied for seventh at 10 under. It was Watson's ninth top-10 finish in 12 starts at Hualalai.
Calcavecchia has seven consecutive top-10 finishes on the tour, dating to his win last year at the Boeing Classic. He matched Hallberg for the low round Sunday with a 66.

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

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MARK WILSON WINS BY TWO IN DRAMATIC FINISH AT DUSK

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By Staff and wire reports
LA QUINTA, California -- Mark Wilson's last day at the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation started before sunrise and ended after sunset. In between, he finished his third round, got his kids ready for daycare at his in-laws' house, and then held off several hard-charging contenders amid the final round's growing dark and desert chill.
Yep, Wilson certainly earned the trophy he promptly broke.
Wilson made a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Humana Challenge on Sunday, beating Robert Garrigus, John Mallinger and Johnson Wagner by two strokes in a dramatic dusk finish to the wind-delayed tournament.
Moments after Garrigus barely missed a 35-foot eagle putt that would have given him the lead, Wilson coolly made his birdie try in the disappearing light before celebrating his fifth career US PGA Tour victory with his wife, two sons and a surprisingly fragile trophy from the erstwhile Bob Hope Classic.
Even on a day chock-full of uncommon obstacles, Wilson handled everything with style.
"Robert and I, going back and forth, we really enjoyed that," Wilson said. "It just came down to 18, and I didn't want to give him a chance to make that putt to tie me. ... That's what we play for. You want somebody to win it, not necessarily to lose it."
Wilson led by three strokes Sunday morning after finishing the final three holes of his third round at La Quinta Country Club, which got the most damage from Saturday's ferocious wind. After a quick trip back to his in-laws' place nearby, he quickly lost the lead on the low-scoring Palmer Private course, but played bogey-free over the final 15 holes.
Every other competitor dropped back -- including Garrigus, who fell out of the lead when he missed a 5 1/2-foot par putt on the 17th.
"We really couldn't see much," said Garrigus, who finished a third-round 61 earlier Sunday. "I could barely pick up the flag on 18. We had a great day, and it got pretty dark. I wish I could have read that putt a little better."
Wilson closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 24 under, earning 500 FedExCup points and moving to No. 2 in the latest standings, while taking the $1,008,000 winner's share of the $5.6 million purse despite the growing dark and cold. While most everybody else pulled on sweaters for the final holes, the Wisconsin native stayed in his polo shirt out of superstition and familiarity.
"It's a feel thing," Wilson said. "I've been playing with short sleeves all day. I didn't just want to put it on and get a new feeling, because everything was going well."
After wind gusts topping 35 mph caused damage on all three courses and forced an early end to play Saturday, the final round stretched well past sunset in the Coachella Valley. The first three rounds were dominated by low scores, but Pat Perez made the biggest move of the final round with a 9-under 63.
Eight players were within two strokes of the lead when the final group neared the turn, but Wilson weathered every challenge with solid shot-making that added to his reputation as a fast starter. Wilson won twice in the first few weeks of last season, and each of his five career victories have come before mid-March.
"The only thing I can think of is the break in November and December," Wilson said. "I clear my mind of golf. I tend to remember the good things I did in the season before, and when I've come out the last two years, I've really had a clear mind focused on what I'm doing."
Wagner, who won the Sony Open in Hawaii last week, birdied two of his final three holes, hitting a 7-foot birdie putt on the 18th to finish at 22 under. Mallinger then pushed a 15-foot birdie putt inches wide on the 18th, barely missing the chance to move into a first-place tie.
Mallinger, a Southern California native who matched his best US Tour finish, didn't blame the miss on the darkness.
"I've played golf for 20 years. I know how to read a putt," he said. "But it was fun."
The exciting finish in the gathering darkness capped a revitalising week for the former Bob Hope tournament. It signed its first title sponsor in four years and partnered with the foundation of former President Bill Clinton, who serves as its new host.
The revamped pro-am dropped its traditional fifth day of competition and boosted its purse, attracting the best professional field in several years. Attendance also increased sharply, with crowds gathering to watch Phil Mickelson and the celebrity competitors over the first three days -- including Clinton, whose round was interrupted by wind Saturday.
Wilson holed a bunker shot on the par-3 12th to reclaim sole possession of the lead at 22 under, pulling one stroke ahead of Mallinger and Garrigus. Mallinger caught up on the 14th with a short birdie putt, and Garrigus joined them moments later in the next group.
Wilson and Garrigus then both holed tough birdie putts on the 16th, but Garrigus' tee shot on the 17th landed on the fringe. He missed his par putt, dropping back to 22 under while Wilson grinded out a par.
Garrigus easily reached the 18th green in two, but his long eagle putt over a rise barely missed the hole, going 9 feet past. Garrigus played the tournament's first 17 holes at 6 over before going 28 under in the final 55.
+Glasgow's Martin Laird and 40-year-old Englishman Gary Christian from Carshalton, who played the US college circuit as a student at Auburn University, finished joint 14th on 17-under-par 271. Laird signed off with a 69, Christian with a 64. They both earned $95,200. Russell Knox missed the cut. Scroll down to the next story to read about it.

DIVOTS: Wagner is 35 under for the past two weeks combined. ... Mickelson didn't help the final-round push for quick play when he spent several long minutes searching for his ball in the mountainside rocks on the 14th hole after an attempt to reach the green. A lone bighorn sheep intently watched Mickelson's search from a ridge above the course. Mickelson shot a 69 to tie for 49th at 10 under in his first Palm Springs appearance since 2007. ... Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas missed the cut (which you had to score six under par for 54 holes to beat), and 2010 champion Bill Haas -- who lost in a playoff last year -- tied for 64th at 8 under.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
Players from US unless stated
264 Mark Wilson 66 62 67 69.
266 Johnson Wagner 68 67 66 65, John Mallinger 67 65 68 66, Robert Garrigus 73 64 61 68.
267 Jeff Maggert 69 65 69 64.
268 John Senden (Australia) 69 64 68 67, David Toms 63 65 72 68.
269 Bobby Gates 68 63 71 67, Ben Crange 65 63 70 71, Brandt Snedeker 64 68 66 71, Zach Johnson 68 65 65 71.
270 Brendon de Jonge (South Africa) 65 71 70 64, Jason Duffner 71 63 68 68.

SELECTED TOTALS
271 Gary Christian (England) 66 68 73 64, Martin Laird (Scotland) 66 69 67 69 (T14).
278 Phil Mickelson 74 68 66 69 (T49).

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