KYLE STANLEY LEADS US PGA TOUR EVENT BY FIVE STROKES

Kyle Stanley has gone five shots clear of the field with only Sunday's final round to come in this weekend's US PGA Tour event, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, California.
Stanley shot a third-round 68 for an 18-under-par 54-hole tally of 198.
Nearest challenges are fellow Americans John Huh and John Rollins on 203.
Justin Rose is the leading Englishman in joint 25th place on 209.
Russell Knox did not survive the 36-hole cut. Neither did Phil Mickelson!

TORREY PINES A PITCH-AND-PUTT FOR BIG-HITTER STANLEY

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By Staff and wire reports
LA JOLLA, California -- Hang gliders were taking off from the cliffs behind the 13th tee at Torrey Pines where Kyle Stanley was waiting to tee off on the 524-yard hole. Then, the 24-year-old launched a shot that was just as majestic.
"Wait `til to you see where this one went," caddie Brett Waldman said.
On another clear day along the Pacific coast, it was hard not to notice.
In a familiar performance -- even if the name might not be all that familiar now -- Stanley overpowered the South Course on Saturday on his way to a 4-under 68 that gave him a five-shot lead going into the final round at the Farmers Insurance Open.
"For some reason, I've always been long," said Stanley, who has a slight but athletic build and generates enormous speed. "But if you take a golf course like this where you're hitting 7-irons into par 5s and short irons into long par 4s, it definitely helps."
It never hurt Tiger Woods, a seven-time winner as a pro at Torrey Pines.
Stanley chose to lay up on the par-5 18th with the large pond in front, and spun a wedge near the hole to about 4 feet. About his only regret in the third round was missing that putt. One last birdie would have broken the 54-hole tournament record that Woods set in 1998, before Rees Jones beefed up the South Course to 7,698 yards for the 2008 U.S. Open.
Stanley grew up outside Seattle when Woods ruled the sport. All through his school, he kept a poster of Woods over his bed.
"I think he's definitely influenced me, and a lot of other people, too," Stanley said.
He gladly settled for a spot alongside Woods in the record book at 18-under 198, and a five-shot lead over John Huh and John Rollins as he goes after his first US PGA Tour title.
Stanley can't recall ever having a lead this large, which can be troublesome if looked upon as only an opportunity to fail.
"I think the biggest thing is you can't necessarily go out there and try to protect it," Stanley said. "You've got to really just keep doing what got you to this point. I'm not going to be any more conservative tomorrow. I'll stick to my game plan off the tee, and hopefully just continue to give myself a lot of chances."
He hit driver on all but three holes, and four of them traveled at least 320 yards, a big number considering Torrey Pines is just a cliff over sea level and even in pleasant weather, the ball doesn't go quite as far as summer in Ohio.
Big numbers are nothing new for Stanley, however.
He recalls coming down to the Titleist Performance Institute when he was a 17-year-old in his senior year in high school. His ball speed was measured at 184 mph.
"Now, I can't get it above 176," he said.
It wasn't just the big drives. Stanley showed exquisite control of his irons, especially his distance, and he has been working overtime the last few years on dialing in his wedges from inside 120 yards.
Even so, he refused to look ahead to Sunday and what a win might mean -- a trip to the Masters, perhaps a spot in the World Golf Championships, a two-year exemption.
No one was giving him the trophy, either.
"If a guy had a 10- or 12-shot lead, you'd feel pretty comfortable," Rollins said after his 68. "But when you're four or five shots, sometimes it's hard to play with a big lead because you get kind of relaxed and everything else."
Rollins should know. He had a three-shot lead with five holes to play in 2009, losing to Nick Watney.
Still, Stanley, the former All-American from Clemson aspires to play boring golf and not look too far ahead.
His lone bogey came on the 12th, when he went just over the green, chipped to 6 feet and missed the putt. Then came the big blast on the 13th -- "As good as I can possibly hit it," he said -- that left him a soft 7-iron to 15 feet on the fringe below the hole for an easy birdie.
"Are you playing this as a par 4?" playing partner Sang-Moon Bae turned and said to him with a smile.
Huh, a 21-year-old rookie who spent three years on the South Korean Tour, also had a 68 and joined Rollins at 13-under 203. FedExCup champion Bill Haas (70) and Bae (72) were another shot behind. Bae was 5 over through five holes until he ran off four straight birdies to start the back nine to get his name back on the leaderboard.
The question is whether anyone else is in contention.
Stanley is no surprise to those who play with him or watch him hit balls, and he nearly joined the parade of rookie winners last year until Steve Stricker rallied with birdies on the last two holes to beat him in the John Deere Classic.
Stanley had a one-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker going into the third round at Torrey Pines, and before long had a comfortable lead, just as Woods has done on this public course.
From deep rough on the par-5 sixth, Stanley hammered a shot just short of the green and pitched up to 12 feet for birdie. He hit sand wedge to 10 feet on the 10th for another birdie, then established himself on the back nine.
Along with the easy birdie on the 13th, Stanley saved par on the 14th. The day before, his approach jumped out of the rough and over the green for a double bogey. Playing it safe this time, he hit 9-iron that went well short, into the bunker, but blasted out to 8 feet and made a tricky, downhill putt for par.
His final birdie came on a 20-foot putt at the par-3 16th. No one else could make a move.
Snedeker went to tap in a 2-foot par putt on the seventh and was shocked when it made a horseshoe around the cup. He then missed his next five greens in regulation, and when he got home in two on the 13th, he three-putted. Snedeker had a 74 and fell seven behind.
"This is something you dream about as a kid," Stanley said. "But there's still one more round."
DIVOTS: Jay Don Blake in 1991 was the last player to make Torrey Pines his first US PGA Tour victory. ... Ryo Ishikawa had his third consecutive round of 69 and was tied for 11th. ... Jonas Blixt had the low round Saturday at 65. Under a "University of Farmers" campaign, that was worth a $20,000 donation to his alma mater, Florida State. Cameron Tringale (Georgia Tech) had a 66 to finish second, which was worth $10,000.
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from US unless stated
198 Kyle Stanley 62 68 68.
203 John Huh 64 71 68, John Rollins 70 65 68.
204 Bill Haas 63 71 70, Sang-Moon Bae (South Korea) 65 67 72.
Selected scores
209 Justin Rose (England) 71 68 70 (T25)
213 Greg Owen (England) 75 67 71, Gary Christian (England) 72 70 71 (T57)

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES ON THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE

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KIWI McCALL LEADS LAKE MACQUARIE CH/SHIP AFTER SUPER 63

Twenty-year-old New Zealander Vaughan McCall soared up the leader board on the third day of the Lake Macquarie Men’s International Golf Championship with a course record equalling round of nine under 63 today. McCall, who plays at the Gore Club on the bottom of the South Island, had an eagle 2 on the par 4 second hole when he holed out his second shot with a wedge.
He had seven birdies on holes 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, 15 and 18 and no bogeys in his remarkable round.
McCall had a three under first round of 69 and a one under 71 yesterday and is now in third place at 13 under 203 with one day to go.
“When I holed out on two I knew something special was happening,” he said after his round
today. “ I’ve been playing golf for seven years and this is my best round.”
McCall came to Australia to play in the Australian Amateur Championships last year but this is his first try at the Lake Macquarie tournament.
Still vying for the lead in the tournament are German, Marcel Schneider, who shot five under 67 today to bring his total for the three rounds to 15 under 201 and Caboolture champion Daniel Nisbet, who carded 69 today for a total of 14 under 202.
Best of the local challengers is 18 year old Charlestown product Jake Higginbottom who is four off the pace after a four under 68 today to bring his total to 205.
Higginbottom , 15th in World Amateur rankings, is one of the favourites for the event.
Schneider and Nesbit fought out the Australian Amateur Championships at Woodlands, Melbourne, last week when Schneider won on the 37th hole of the 36 hole match play final.
They are expected to stage an exciting rematch tomorrow (Sunday).

ASSOCIATION OF GOLF COURSE OWNERS MEETING

VENUE: Abbotsley Golf Hotel, Potton Road, St.Neots, PE19 6XN

MONDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 2012, 11.30 a.m.

AGENDA

Welcome and Registration from 11 a.m.

Introduction

Update on the Chipping Sodbury Case, involvement, finance, parties involved

Bridport and West Dorset – what it means, the appeal

What if the cases succeed?

Unjust enrichment, partial exemption

VAT – short overview of past – pre-1990, 1993 and all that, 1998-1999 and all that

Abbotsley success case with VAT and others

Subject to commercial influence – the 1999 farce

Fiscal Neutrality – recent cases

Reduced rate VAT – progress on lobbying and negotiation

Our Lobbying work – how we can all work together

Corporation Tax – History, A century of tax evasion, the worst offenders

Producing a level playing field with corporation tax – our action in 2012

How you can help

CASC – the nail in the coffin and the abuse

Affiliation fees to national and county governing bodies.

AGCO’S 2011-2012 Research and Presentation of Report

Some of the above will be dealt with on hand-outs and possibly sent beforehand once major report is finalised.
Questions and comments throughout.
Joint working party approach.

If you haven’t yet booked your place and would like to attend please email us.

Please also ascertain who is your local MP and any additional ones for your members. It would be helpful if you could bring a couple of sheets of your headed notepaper with you to send out lobbying material and report direct from the meeting to your MP/MPs.

Vivien Saunders

Email: viv@abbotsley.com. 07956 628338

Abbotsley Golf Hotel, Potton Road, St Neots, PE19 6XN – 01480 211699

CALLUM MACAULAY NOW ONLY THREE SHOTS OFF PACE IN INDIA

From Challenge Tour Press Officer
 Paul Symes
Callum Macaulay believes he is firmly in contention to win the Gujarat Kensville Challenge after a three under par round of 69 in tough conditions at Kensville Golf and Country Club moved him to within three shots off the lead, going into the final round in India.
The 28 year old former Scottish amateur champion from Tulliallan, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, carded four birdies and just one bogey in a round which included a superb save on the par five ninth hole, when he got up and down for par after his second shot, a six iron from 244 yards, carried into a water hazard behind the green.
“I was in a great position,” he said. “I had 244 yards to the flag, hit a six iron and it went through the green and into the water. I couldn’t believe it when I got up there and it was in the water, but I got it up and down for par and then stayed patient on the back nine and got a birdie at the last.
“That up and down kept my momentum going though, I was pretty annoyed that I went through the green. It literally went, from ball to finish, about 270 yards, a six iron. I’m lucky if I hit my driver 270, never mind the six iron! It’s just that you get very hard bounces out there and that was just one of them and it went the wrong way for me, but overall I’m delighted.”
While the conditions did not favour the Falkirk-born man on that occasion, he feels that the course is a good match for his game and, after finishing tied 11th here last year, is hopeful that he can go one step further and take the title.
“I feel great, I’m striking the ball well,” he continued. “I’ve been working hard on my game. I’ve been working on my fitness recently too and I’ve not felt tired at all on the course this week, and out here that’s a big thing. Hopefully I can keep doing the same things tomorrow, hole a few more putts and see what happens.
“It’s a course that I like and it’s similar kind of style to home, it’s brick hard and it’s windy so it maybe plays into my hands. There’s one day to go and if I can keep doing what I’m doing, hopefully I’ll be there or thereabouts.”
Chris Doak is six shots off the lead going into the final day after he remained level par thanks to a steady round of 72 on the Jeev Milkha Singh-designed course, while Raymond Russell was also tied 14th alongside his compatriot on level par after a two over par round of 74.

Gangjee one step closer to Gujarat glory

Rahil Gangjee took one more step towards securing victory on his Challenge Tour debut after a one over par round of 73 kept him in pole position heading into the final day of the Gujarat Kensville Challenge, where he is one shot clear of Dodge Kemmer and Max Kieffer on six under, writes Neil Ahern.The 33 year old began the day tied for the lead with his compatriot Shiv Kapur, but a blustery day on the tough Jeev Milkha Singh-designed Kensville Golf and Country Club course claimed many victims and Kapur was one of them, as he dropped to tied 11th with a six over par round of 78.
American Kemmer, on his Challenge Tour debut, and Germany’s Kieffer made hay in the tough conditions as they both carded two under par rounds of 70 to move into tied second place, while there were four players a shot further back in tied fourth.
Gangjee would become the second successive Indian, as well as the second successive Challenge Tour debutant, to win the Gujarat Kensville Challenge after Gaganjeet Bhullar triumphed in the inaugural event on his first appearance on the Tour last year.
The Calcutta man looked on course to establishing a commanding lead, as he was one under for the day when he stepped onto the 16th tee courtesy of birdies at the first, fourth, ninth and 15th holes, combined with bogeys at the second, fifth and seventh.
A bogey at the 16th, however, was followed by an untimely double-bogey at the 17th, where he four-putted after reaching the green in three.
“It was going OK until the 17th hole,” he said. “Then it started to go badly wrong. My first putt from just off the green rolled up the hill and picked up speed as soon as it got to the top, and rolled way past the hole. I thought my next putt was uphill, but it was a lot faster than any other putt I had today, and it ended up 25 feet from the hole. At that point, I felt so embarrassed – it felt like I was playing hockey!
“I’m still going to play positively on the last day, because it’s the only way I know how. If it’s going to be as firm as it was today, someone’s going to have to go really low to come through the field and overtake me.
“As Gary Player said, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I’m probably going to have some nerves, because you’re not human if you don’t, but I’m now much more confident of controlling them.”
Kemmer, meanwhile, continues to dream of a winning Challenge Tour debut after he carded three birdies on the back nine to make up for his single bogey on the front nine and finish the day on five under par.
“Given the conditions out there today, I’ve got to be pleased with that round,” admitted the Californian. “Other than the sixth, I managed to keep the bogeys off my card, and a few birdies on the way in have put me into a pretty good position going into the last day.”
The 24 year old was thoroughly enjoying his first Challenge Tour experience and is keen to play more on the European circuit, something that would be made all the much easier with a win in India.
“I’ve got my Asian Tour card after coming through Qualifying last week,” he said. “But my main goal is to get onto The European Tour by the end of the season. I’m really enjoying my first Challenge Tour event, and I can definitely see myself playing in Europe for the next few years. I think it’d be a lot of fun.”
Kieffer is also chasing a first win on the Challenge Tour after finishing 57th in the Rankings in his first season last season, coming close to victory at the ALLIANZ Challenge de France, where he finished runner-up after losing a play-off against his compatriot Nicolas Meitinger.
The German had three birdies on the front nine, at the fourth, sixth and seventh holes whilst also bogeying the fifth to reach the turn in 34, before a bogey on the 10th was followed by a birdie on the 14th to leave him two under par for the day and five under for the tournament.
“It’s great to be in contention again,” said the 21 year old. “The last time was in France last May, when I lost in a play-off. I was a bit disappointed not to have got into contention again last season, but I’m really looking forward to the final day, and hopefully I can get the job done this time.”
Phillip Archer, Jens Dantorp, Andreas Hartø and Luke Goddard are the four players in tied fourth spot while Oskar Henningsson and Callum Macaulay are a shot further back.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
210 R Gangjee (Ind) 68 69 73
211 D Kemmer (USA) 69 72 70, M Kieffer (Ger) 70 71 70
212 J Dantorp (Swe) 70 68 74, A Hartø (Den) 73 70 69, L Goddard (Eng) 71 71 70, P Archer (Eng) 73 71 68
213 O Henningsson (Swe) 73 72 68, C Macaulay (Sco) 74 70 69
214 S Benson (Eng) 70 68 76,
215 S Kapur (Ind) 69 68 78, P Dwyer (Eng) 71 72 72, B Åkesson (Swe) 70 73 72,
216 J Gibb (Eng) 72 72 72, R Russell (Sco) 73 69 74, C Doak (Sco) 74 70 72, C Lloyd (Eng) 72 70 74, C Brazillier (Fra) 72 70 74
217 D Gaunt (Aus) 73 68 76, A Snobeck (Fra) 71 71 75, C Paisley (Eng) 72 70 75
218 B Parker (Eng) 71 73 74, C Hanson (Eng) 72 73 73, G Lockerbie (Eng) 69 69 80, H Bacher (Aut) 70 74 74
219 J Walters (RSA) 71 73 75, A Kumar (Ind) 75 70 74, M Ford (Eng) 72 71 76, S Engell Andersen (Ken) 75 69 75, B Barham (Eng) 71 72 76, M Carlsson (Swe) 71 73 75, J Hansen (Den) 77 71 71, P Uihlein (USA) 76 72 71
220 M Cryer (Eng) 73 73 74, B Ritthammer (Ger) 71 74 75, D Singh (Ind) 72 73 75, K Kumar (Ind) 73 73 74, S Tiley (Eng) 75 71 74
221 G Bhullar (Ind) 71 75 75, M Singh Pathania (Ind) 75 72 74, B An (Kor) 76 71 74
222 T Ferreira (RSA) 70 76 76, M Perera (Sri) 73 72 77, R Singh (Ind) 71 73 78, S Khan (Ind) 72 75 75, A Parr (Can) 74 72 76, V Kumar (Ind) 76 72 74
223 M Kumar (Ind) 72 73 78, B Evans (Eng) 71 77 75, A Lohan (Ind) 72 73 78
224 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 72 75 77, M Jaini (Ind) 70 77 77, E Kofstad (Nor) 77 71 76
225 F Praegant (Aut) 73 75 77
226 Å Nilsson (Swe) 76 72 78
227 S Pinckney (USA) 72 76 79, B Chapellan (Fra) 75 71 81, V Kumar (Ind) 75 71 81
231 A John (Ger) 71 77 83, A Sandhu (Ind) 72 76 83

TIGER WOODS AND ROBERT ROCK SHARE LEAD AT ABU DHABI

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Tiger Woods was ideally placed to put down a huge marker for the season after charging into a share of the lead with Robert Rock ahead of the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
Having ended 2011 with his first victory for over two years, Woods has a great chance to start 2012 with another.
Thanks to a superb bogey-free display, the 14-time Major winner is on 11 under par and tied with England's Rock, who ensured it was not all about the American when he birdied the final two holes for a matching 66.
They are two in front of four Ryder Cup players - Scot Paul Lawrie, Swede Peter Hanson, Italian Francesco Molinari and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy, the 22 year old US Open Champion, would of course be sharing top spot if he had not incurred his two stroke penalty for brushing sand away off the ninth green in his second round, but a 68 kept him firmly in the hunt.
Woods joked that "it will be nice to get rid of him" after playing with McIlroy three days in a row - and also for nine holes of practice.
Delighted though he was with his position, the former World Number One was not inclined to scream "I'm back" afterwards.
Instead Woods said: "I was just kind of consistent. I didn't do a whole lot wrong, I didn't do a whole lot right.
"Six birdies piled up, but I was methodically going about my business and grinding.
"This course is playing difficult enough. You can make birdies, but you can go the wrong way quickly. I've still got to post a good number."
There were an amazing 24 changes at the top of the leaderboard during the day and at one point eight players were locked together.
Woods made himself the man to catch, however, when he followed his front nine of 34 with further birdies on the tenth, 12th and 14th.
Another came when he found the green in two and two-putted the 567 yard last, but Rock fired in an approach to five feet on the 17th and closed with an eight footer.
The 34 year old's only European Tour victory in well over 200 starts came at the BMW Italian Open last season.
He admitted he was thinking about the possibility of playing the final round with Woods as he entered the finishing stretch.
Less than a decade ago Rock was working at the Swingers Golf Centre in Tamworth.
"[I was] selling Mars bars, chatting to my mates, watching him (Woods) winning Majors," he said.
"Today I was keeping an eye on the leaderboard wondering if I had a chance to play with him.
"It's cool - I can't wait. Maybe not many opportunities (like this) will come my way."
McIlroy said: "I've seen up close how Tiger is playing and I feel if I play my best I've got a great chance.
"It will be a bit different not playing with him. Tiger will bring most of the crowd and maybe I can go quietly about my business."
Hanson had a best-of-the-week 64, Molinari had a 66 and Lawrie a 68 as he continued to enjoy himself in the desert. Last month the former Open Champion, now 43, was runner-up to Alvaro Quiros at the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World.
World No 1 Luke Donald managed only a 73 after setting off with three birdies in four holes and now finds himself down in joint 55th place on level par.
Among those who overtook him was second-ranked Lee Westwood, whose 68 came a day after he was struggling with a neck problem.
Halfway leader Thorbjørn Olesen's 71 dropped him into a tie for seventh, while Padraig Harrington found that, like the England cricket team just up the road, a score of 72 was no good. It dropped the Irishman from 11th to 27th.
Paul Lawrie continues to play quality golf and, with rounds of 70, 69 and 68 he is joint second, only two shots behind Woods and Rock.
On his website, Paul writes:


"I played afa (very) well again today. I shot 68 (-4) to be nine under and in a tie for third. My only mistake today was missing the 14th green right when the pin was tight right but apart from that I played well and have given myself a chance for tomorrow, which is all you can do."


THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
205 Tiger Woods (US) 70 69 66, Robert Rock (England) 69 70 66.
207 Peter Hanson (Sweden) 74 69 64, Francisco Molinari (Italy) 74 67 66,
Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 67 72 68, Paul Lawrie (Scotland) 70 69 68.

OTHER SCOTS SCORES
213 David Drysdale 70 72 71 (T35)
214 Peter Whiteford 73 73 68, Stephen Gallacher 72 72 70 (T41)
217 Richie Ramsay 67 71 77 (T62).


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ARNOLD PALMER IS STILL THE KING: NEW CLOTHES COLLECTION

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By Gene Yasuda
With his matinee-idol looks and swashbuckling play, Arnold Palmer in his prime struck such a pose that he launched his own apparel line long before he became a legend.
More than 50 years later, the fashion statement he made back then is inspiring a whole new collection, and it could very well land the King a new generation of fans.
In fact, making the Arnold Palmer brand resonate with consumers, primarily ages 16 to 35 – who more than likely never saw him play – is the mission of Arnie, an apparel licensing deal initiated by Arnold Palmer Enterprises. The new line features modern interpretations of styles that Palmer sported through the 1950s, '60s and '70s, which happened to coincide with three distinctive fashion eras.
Using the timeline concept not only allows the apparel brand to chronicle Palmer's career for new consumers, but naturally promotes variety among the collection, according to Geoff Tait, creative director of Arnie apparel.
Said Tait: "We put our heads together and asked, 'What tells the story of this iconic man?' Lucky enough for us (his career spanned decades) and obviously things change over time, including in the fashion world, and we parlayed what was on the runways back then."
The 1950s collection, for example, borrows from Palmer's days wearing Penguin by Munsingwear and its trademark small collars and shorter sleeves.
The Arnie line also will be punctuated by limited edition pieces to be released around the dates of major championships and key tournaments won by Palmer. The debut of a sleek green and yellow shirt, for example, will coincide with this year's Masters Tournament.
On-course wear created by Arnie apparel will use performance fabrics, but such pieces represent just a portion of the new venture. Its goal is to be a major lifestyle brand and already offers items such as collared dress shirts, sweaters and pants (trousers). In addition to select on- and off-course retailers, Arnie is targeting high-end department stores for distribution. The average price for polo shirts is $79.
After a few years out of the apparel business, Arnold Palmer Enterprises decided to pursue the category again for its revenue potential and marketing opportunity. According to Cori J. Britt, vice president of Arnold Palmer Enterprises, branded apparel essentially doubles as billboards.
He said the company tapped Tait and Bobby Pasternak for their track record in building Quagmire Golf clothing, which they co-founded in 2005, and their creative ideas tailored for a younger demographic.
"Often when we meet with prospects who are interested in doing business with Arnold Palmer, they figure they have a decent product and if they put the Arnold Palmer name on it, that's what's going to make it sell," Britt said. "Our determination is, will the product be very successful on its own? With (Tait and Pasternak) we found a partner who clearly wants to do more than peddle a name."