IT'S LOOKING LIKE ANOTHER BANNER YEAR FOR SOUTH AFRICANS

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
By Alistair Tait
Follow Me: Twitter @GolfweekTait
Is Jbe Kruger’s Avantha Masters victory one more omen pointing to another banner year for South African golfers?
Looks that way.
Kruger is the fourth South African win in just seven events on this year’s European Tour. He follows in the footsteps of Louis Oosthuizen (Africa Open) and Branden Grace (Joburg Open and Volvo Golf Champions).
It gets better: South Africa lays claim to six of the last 10 European Tour titles. Garth Mulroy and Hennie Otto closed out last season with victories in the Alfred Dunhill and SA Open Championships.
Should we be surprised? No. South African golf is on the rise. Louis Oosthuizen set the tone with victory in the 2010 Open Championship. Charl Schwartzel followed by winning last year’s Masters, with birdies on the last four holes.
Take a look at the current European Tour money list and you’ll find plenty of omens pointing to more South African success this year. Four South Africans – Grace, Kruger, Retief Goosen and Oosthuizen – are in the top 10. There are seven in the top 20, 12 in the top 50 and 16 in the top 100.
Don’t think Oosthuizen and Schwartzel’s success hasn’t played a part in spurring the likes of Grace and Kruger on to victory. Every country needs role models and these two major winners are the latest to follow in a long line of South African greats.
Bobby Locke started the ball rolling back in the 1940s and 50s by winning the Open Championship four times. Gary Player inspired generations of golfers with his major exploits, winning nine, including a career Grand Slam, during a career that spanned nearly six decades.
Ernie Els and Goosen have also done their bits in recent history. With five majors between them, they helped inspire Trevor Immelman to victory in the 2008 Masters, and Oosthuizen and Schwartzel to their major wins.
Els has gone beyond just inspiring young countrymen. The Ernie Els Foundation has helped many young South Africans get a start in the game. Indeed, Grace credited Els after winning twice earlier this year. Grace would not be where he is today if not for Els’ largesse.
So what chance a third straight year in which a South African carries off one of the tournaments that really count? Pretty high.
Schwartzel won’t stop at one major. He’s too talented not to win several. As for Oosthuizen, with that swing he should be in contention every time he tees it up in one of the four marquee tournaments.
And behind this current crop will come many more, too. Els’ Foundation has joined forces with the Fancourt Foundation to help talented young South Africans excel in the game.
In other words, expect more South African major winners in upcoming seasons, maybe starting this year.

KENNY PERRY SETS US SENIORS' TOUR RECORD FOR 36 HOLES

FROM THE US SENIORS TOUR WEBSITE
NAPLES, Florida. After the first round, Kenny Perry deadpanned that it was a typical day on the Champions Tour when he shot 8 under and wasn't in the lead.
Saturday, it was time for the others to talk about him.
Perry shot a 10-under 62 and set the Champions Tour's 36-hole scoring record at 18-under 126 in the second round of the ACE Group Classic.
"That's amazing," said Perry, three shots ahead of first-round leader Larry Mize. "So many great players have played this tour, and to be able to now say I've had the lowest 36 of all time is pretty neat. It's a neat accomplishment. It's just amazing I can make 20 birdies in 36 holes. That's just phenomenal."
Tom Lehman was four back, and defending champion Bernhard Langer another stroke behind at 13 under.
"What he's done the first two days is spectacular, but not surprising," Lehman said. "Nothing anybody does out here surprises me, and especially from him."
Perry made five birdies on the front nine on The TwinEagles Club's Talon Course, and six more on the back. He bounced back from a bogey on No. 15, with birdies on the last three holes. Perry made a 25-footer for birdie on No. 1, and followed that up with a 35-footer on No. 2.
"That really loosened me up, relaxed me, kind of really freed my game up," he said. "It was off and running."
Mize followed his opening 62 with a 67.
"Kenny played a great round," Mize said, who had a 62 on Friday. "Gee whiz, that's pretty special."
Mize and Lehman were tied for second most of the day, then Mize birdied the last two holes to move into sole possession of second.
"Otherwise, I'm five back, which is a lot bigger mountain to climb," said Mize, who has one Champions Tour win. "But three back, the way Kenny's playing, it's going to be a lot bigger mountain to climb anyway."
Lehman was 5 under for the day after eight holes, but parred nine of the last 10, with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 17th. He had a 66.
"From the ninth hole to about the 15th hole I had some really, really good chances, and just couldn't cash in," Lehman said. "So today was a bit disappointing."
Langer, 13 under for his last 27 holes, made a late charge by eagling the par-5 17th for the second straight day. He ended up with a 65.
"It looks like we're all playing for second place, but we still have 18 holes to go," said Langer, the winner last year at The Quarry.
Perry broke the record of 17 under held by six players. Of those, only Don Pooley in the 2006 MasterCard Championship in Hawaii failed to win. Tom Kite (2001 Gold Rush), Jim Ahern (2003 Music City Invitational), Langer (2007 Administaff Small Business Classic), Russ Cochran (2011 Mitsubishi Electric Championship), and Fred Couples (2011 AT and T Championship) also were 17 under.
Langer set the tournament scoring record last year at 20 under, and had 23 birdies. Perry already has 20 birdies.
Perry won the Franklin Templeton Shootout, an unofficial PGA Tour event hosted by Greg Norman, twice in Naples, in 2005 with John Huston and 2008 with Scott Hoch. Both times, Perry credited Huston and Hoch with helping him read Bermuda grass greens. But this week, Perry said the greens look like bentgrass ones to him, without much grain.
"All of my wins have been on bentgrass on tour," Perry said. "I've not really had much luck on Bermuda. This week I think no grain, and the ball rolling as pure as it's rolling, I feel like I'm on bentgrass."

SCOTTISH JUNIOR GOLF TOUR RESULTS FROM DALMAHOY

Results from the Scottish Junior Golf Tour Level 3 event for under-14-year-olds at Dalmahoy's West Course today were:
Under-14s:
74 Aidan Husenne (Haggs Castle)
80 Rory Frannsen (Inverness), Sharan Maiya (Torrance), Campbell Mathieson (Troon Welbeck), (Troon Welbeck).
Under-12s:
85 Ewan Wheat (Royal Montrose).
88 Connor McKinney (Canmore).
Handicap prize - Sharan Maiya (Torrance) (16) 64.
Chipping Ladder competition - Callum Patterson (Torrance).
Stinger Challenge - Jack Williams (Sandyhills).



ends

NEW ZEALANDER PADDISON WINS VICTORIAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

FROM THE STUFF.CO.NZ WEBSITE
Gareth Paddison protected his three-shot overnight advantage to clinch the Victorian PGA Championship in Australia today, though only just after negotiating a bogey-strewn obstacle course to the clubhouse at Forest Resort.
The New Zealand left hander ultimately prevailed by a stroke, his cause aided when playing partner James McLean triple-bogeyed the last to slump into a tie for seventh.
Paddison bogeyed the 18th - he could not make par on four of the last six holes - but that was immaterial as he pipped Leighton Lyle who had practically stowed away his clubs before the final pairing started to implode on the back nine.
The 31-year-old from Lower Hutt surrendered six shots on the final six holes and the predicament would have been worse had he not drilled a 10-footer to save par on the 17th.
Paddison's round threatened to spiral out of control when he triple-bogeyed the par 3, 13th.
"Unfortunately I went over the back and got penalised for it. I was 30 metres over the back in the hay, you're stuffed out the back there," he said.
Paddison shrugged off that setback but when a "horrible" lie in a bunker on the 15th proved the catalyst for another bogey, for the first time he felt "golf wasn't smiling on me."
The game was certainly taking a dim view of McLean, who endured a nightmarish journey up the 18th fairway. He struck the tree line off the tee and then had to extricate himself from two bunkers before lurching to the green and two-putting.
"It was a comedy of errors on the last for him. I really did feel for him, he didn't deserve that sort of finish," Paddison said.
"That's the way it goes. Leading by three shots it was mine to lose and I just about did that by getting a bit unlucky."
Paddison closed with a three-over 74 to be seven-under for the tournament, Lyle's two-under 69 earned him outright second in the $A125,000 tournament.
The Australian was a shot clear of a cluster at five-under including compatriots Peter O'Malley and David McKenzie - the big movers on the final day with five-under 66s.
Paddison appeared to be coasting to the title after picking up three birdies in the first eight holes but a bogey on the 11th hinted victory would not be a formality.
But despite his unconvincing finish Paddison took "a huge amount of confidence" into the defence of his Queensland PGA Championship title in Toowoomba this week.
Meanwhile, Daniel Pearce was the pick of the New Zealand amateur contingent contesting the 117th Riversdale Cup in Melbourne.
Pearce finished in a tie for seventh at 6-under, 13 strokes behind Jake Higginbottom from New South Wales.

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PAUL O'HARA WINS WEST OF SCOTLAND ALLIANCE AT W KILBRIDE

Good Evening Colin


FROM MARGARET CARRELL
After two disappointing attempts to start the second half of the West of Scotland Alliance season we managed to play a sunny (a drizzle at times) West Kilbride.
Leading returns:
SCRATCH
Par 70
66 Paul O'Hara (Colville Park).
74 Stephen Gray (Hayston), Bill Lockie (North Gailes), Alan Welsh (Cathkin Braes).
HANDICAP
70 Ian Cameron (Crow Wood) (5), Jim Nugent (Vale of Leven (17).
73 Jordan Gallacher (Cawder) (2), David Webb (Hamilton) (11).
SENIORS
71 Bill Kerr (Hamilton) (11).
73 Dougie Martin (Crow Wood) (10).

Next outing to Lanark on Wednesday, February 29.

WHITEFORD DISQUALIFIED AFTER VIEWERS ALERT REFEREEE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Kirkcaldy's Peter Whiteford is the latest "victim" of those who watch TV coverage of professional golf tournaments not for pleasure but to see if they can spot a competitor who is inadvertently breaking the rules.
Chasing his maiden European Tour title, the Scot was only one behind overnight, but eagle-eyed viewers alerted European Tour Chief Referee John Paramor to an incident on the 18th fairway during the third round.
Whiteford’s ball moved fractionally after he had addressed it, and having already signed for an incorrect score he was informed of his disqualification upon reaching the fourth tee in today's final round.
The disqualification means Whiteford does not get any prizemoney at all from an event which, for a long time, looked like providing a very good payday for the Fifer.

FROM THE SKYSPORTS.COM WEBSITEl

 

SOUTH AFRICAN KRUGER WINS AVANTHA MASTERS IN INDIA

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
South African Jbe Kruger claimed his maiden European Tour title with a two-shot victory in the Avantha Masters at DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi, India today.
(Image of Kruger with trophy by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
The 25-year-old had a scare with a bogey at the 17th, and wayward shots from the tee and with his second on the 18th provided late drama, but a three under par 69 for a 14-under total of 274 was good enough to finish two shots clear of Germany’s Marcel Siem, who signed for a 70, and Spaniard Jorge Campillo, who had a 67.
Australian Marcus Fraser and Spain’s José Manuel Lara shared fourth place in the event, which is tri-sanctioned by The European Tour, the Asian Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India.
“I’m just very relieved,” said the diminutive Kruger, who wins €300,000. “It’s a big relief now that I’ve won, but I think I needed all those second place finishes to be able to appreciate it. There was no pressure, even when I made my only bogey of the day on the 17th.”
Jbe Kruger overcame a late wobble to claim his first European Tour victory at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi.
The 25 year old South African looked to be coasting towards the title when, having shaken off the challenge of Spain’s José Manuel Lara, he stood on the 17th tee with a three shot lead.
However, he overcooked his approach and failed to get up and down, the resulting bogey his first for 46 holes.
A wayward drive at the last then struck a camera, and his second went left in to trees, but faced with a daunting third over the water Kruger displayed nerves of steel to stick his approach to ten feet.
He missed the resulting birdie putt, but par was good enough for a round of 69 and 14 under par total at DLF Golf and Country Club.
That was two better than Spain’s Jorge Campillo, whose 67 was the joint-best effort of the day, and German Marcel Siem – who had a sniff of a chance at the last until his third found the bunker, the resulting par leaving him with a 70.
Lara and Australian Marcus Fraser shared fourth on 11 under, two-time winner Lara finding water at the final hole to sink his chances after a brilliant outward 32 had given him a share of the lead.
“I’m very relieved to win for the first time,” said Kruger, who putted beautifully all week. “If you want to win you need to make putts on the final day and I did that today.
“It’s a big relief now that I’ve won but I think I needed all those second-placed finishes to be able to appreciate it. There was no pressure even when I made my only bogey of the day on the 17th.
“I felt that victory was inevitable when I got to the 14th hole. I knew that I had a good chance as I had a comfortable three-shot cushion then. I like to know what’s going on and I’m aware of the movements on the leaderboard.”
Earlier a red-hot putter moved Lara into contention as the 34 year old holed 15 foot birdie putts at the first and third, before curling in a monster 60 footer at the fifth.
Overnight leader Kruger responded with a birdie at the fourth from 12 feet, and both gained a shot on the long sixth, before Lara almost holed-in-one at the par three eighth, leaving a tap-in birdie.
Kruger holed a birdie putt from 20 feet at the eighth to enter the back nine with a one shot lead, and the decisive fourth birdie of the day followed at the par three 11th.
Lara was struggling from the tee by this point, and although he scrambled pars at the ninth, tenth and 12th, he caught a flyer on the 13th and his 25 foot par putt finished a fraction short to leave Kruger three clear.
Lara found water at the last, allowing Campillo snatch a share of second with a chip-in birdie on the same hole, while Siem - fourth last week in Dubai – had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, the highlight coming when the 31 year old struck his approach from the rough to five feet to set up a birdie at the first.
“I started really well and the whole time was up there on the leaderboard,” said Challenge Tour graduate Campillo, who holed a 30 footer on the eighth to complete a hat-trick of gains.
“So it was great fun and very exciting. I just tried to play my best. I played okay on the back nine, not great, but I didn’t make many mistakes and I chipped in on the last for birdie so it was nice to finish strongly.
“It was just very exciting. I knew I was playing well and all of a sudden after eight holes I’m up at the top of the leaderboard. It’s the first time I’ve been in that situation and I think I handled it pretty well. Next time this happens maybe I can just do slightly better on the back nine.”

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72). Prizemoney in Euros
274 Jbe Kruger (S Africa) 70 69 66 69 (300,000)
276 Jorge Campillo (Spain) 72 71 66 67, Marcel Siem (Germany) (156,340 each)
277 Marcus Fraser (Australia) 69 69 69 70, Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 74 69  64 70 (83,160 each).
278 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (France) 68 69 69 72, Tano Goya (Argentina) 74 70 64 70, Prom Meesawat (Thailand) 72 64 71 71, Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 71 67 70 70 (50,580 each).
SCOTS SCORES
285 Marc Warren 72 67 68 78 (T29) (15,210).
293 Scott Jamieson 69 72 77 75, George Murray 70 74 73 76 (T60) (4,950).
296 Ross Bain 74 70 76 76 (T65) (4,050).
Disqualified - Peter Whiteford.

KENDALL, SVOBODA SHARE NATIONWIDE TOUR LEAD IN COLOMBIA

By Joe Chemycz, Nationwide Tour staff
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Skip Kendall and Andrew Svoboda each posted seven birdies Saturday and share the lead heading into the final round at the Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship, but they share little else when it comes to the game of golf.
The pair are tied at 10-under 203 after three trips around the Country Club of Bogota, one in front of Kirk Triplett, who matched the course record with a 7-under 64.
Charles Warren (66) and James Hahn (67) are at 7-under 206 and tied for fourth place. Four more players -- Brian Stuard (67), Andy Bare (68), Andres Gonzales (68) and rookie Hudson Swafford (70) -- are four back of the co-leaders.
Aberdeen-born Michael Sim dropped back to a share of 13th place on 209 (70-65-74), six off the pace.
Second-round leader Billy Horschel hit his tee shot on the first hole out of bounds and wound up with a quadruple-bogey en route to a 5-over 76. He is tied for 10th at 5-under with D.J. Brigman (70) and Brian Smock (74).
"It was real solid today," Kendall said. "I started putting better. I worked on my grip a little bit and made a little change and it seemed to work."
Kendall kept his mistakes to a minimum, just as he has done all week and waited for his chances. Four birdies in a five-hole stretch got him into contention, though he admitted he doesn't have the "extra gear" when it comes to his game.
"I've been at this long enough to know that I'm not that good," he laughed. "I just try to play as well as I can and hopefully it's good enough. I'm definitely not Tiger Woods, or some of the other guys now."
Svoboda rustled up three birdies in his first four holes to join the leaders.
"I saw that Billy didn't get off to a good start so I knew that I just had to hang in there," he said. "Nobody was going super deep."
Svoboda assumed control with three more birdies on Nos. 10, 12 and 13. The one at the par-3, 12th was "a 50-footer with eight feet of break."
He held sole possession of the lead until a three-putt bogey at the par-5, 18th.
"I hit it really good," he said. "I was hitting it right where I was looking all day. I hit a few bad wedges coming in but that was about it. I putted pretty well, too."
Chasing them is Triplett, who was bogey-free during his move up the board.
"I was playing a little conservative the first two days," said Triplett, who captured the 2011 Knoxville News Sentinel Open to become the oldest winner in Tour history. " It's the kind of course where you're going to get some good chances, so just stay away from those tough, tucked pins and wait your turn. Patience is easy to talk about, it's much harder to have."
Sunday's closer will be a stark contrast in resumes for the co-leaders.
Kendall, grew up in Wisconsin, played college golf in Las Vegas and now calls Florida home. Svoboda is 32 and has spent his entire life in New York, including his college days at St. John's University, where reigning US PGA Champion Keegan Bradley graduated as well.
Kendall is a 47-year old veteran with 591 combined starts on the US PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour. He has earned more than $9 million during a career that includes a pair of Nationwide Tour victories.
Svoboda has all of 60 career starts on the Nationwide Tour under his belt, has never finished better than a tie for seventh and has cashed paychecks for about $270,000, or about 3% of Kendall's total.
Kendall has held or share the lead after a round 26 times in his career. Svoboda shared a first-round lead once -- the 2010 Miccosukee Championship, where wound up T8.
Third-Round Notes:
• Saturday's weather: Mostly sunny in the morning and mostly cloudy in the afternoon. High of 66. Winds NW 5-10 mph. Thunderstorms just after play concluded at 3 p.m.
• Kirk Triplett will turn 50 on March 29 and become eligible to join the Champions Tour.
"When I go out there and play on the Champions Tour I hope to be competitive, which means hitting shots in pressure situations," he said. "Hitting balls on the range or playing at home with the buddies, there's some of that but not enough and that's why I came down here and played. I think I'm more willing to test myself and see what I can do instead of when I was in contention on the regular Tour."
• Lift, clean and place conditions were in effect for rounds one and two but NOT for round three

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