Sunday, February 26, 2012

HUH WINS MEXICO PLAY-OFF AT EIGHTH EXTRA HOLE

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
By Staff and wire reports
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico -- Robert Allenby figured he played "like a rookie" on the final hole of regulation in the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
John Huh then showed that he's no ordinary rookie.
Playing his fifth US PGA Tour event, Huh got into a play-off when Allenby blew a two-stroke lead on the final hole of regulation, then finally finished off the 40-year-old Australian with a par on the EIGHTH extra hole.
Allenby went with driver off the 18th tee and drove into the trees on the right, leading to a double bogey and the play-off.
"Obviously, disappointed, disappointed that I didn't like hit 3-wood off 18 in regulation, like I should have," Allenby said. "But that's the way it goes. You make some mistakes sometimes, and that was a major one, obviously.
"I mean, I had this tournament in the bag, a two-shot lead with one hole to play and just played it like a rookie, pretty much."
The 21-year-old Huh closed with an 8-under 65 to match Allenby at 13-under 271 on the seaside El Camaleon course. Huh parred all eight holes in the playoff that matched the second-longest in PGA TOUR history.
"It's amazing," Huh said. "It's my rookie year, especially, and playing in my fifth event on the US PGA Tour. I just couldn't put it in words. ... It's really hard to explain this. It's major. I mean, it was my dream."
The playoff fell three holes short of the US PGA Tour record of 11 set in the 1949 Motor City Open when Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum were declared co-winners. The play-off was the fifth to go eight holes and first since the 1983 Phoenix Open.
The play-off alternated between the par-4 18th and par-3 10th.
It ended on No. 10 when Huh, seven strokes behind leader Daniel Summerhays after three rounds, chipped from the right rough to 2 feet and made his par putt. Allenby drove into the hazard on the right, chipped to 15 feet and missed his par try.
"I was nervous, especially when you're playing out there against Robert Allenby," Huh said. "I was trying to calm down myself, but it was hard."
The victory followed two strong performances last month when Huh tied for sixth at Torrey Pines and tied for 12th the following week in the Phoenix Open.
Matt Every and Colt Knost shot 66 to tie for third, two strokes back.
Chris Stroud was a stroke back entering the final hole, but also made a double bogey for a 71 to drop into a tie for fifth at 10 under with Summerhays, Dicky Pride and Alejandro Canizares. Summerhays closed with a 73, and Pride and Canizares shot 66.
Huh eagled the par-5 fifth and had six birdies in his bogey-free final round.
"The wind was different than the past three rounds, so I was trying to take advantage of that," Huh said.
Allenby was trying to win for the first time on the US PGA Tour since the 2001 Pennsylvania Classic, his fourth victory in a two-year span. He also won the Nedbank Challenge and Australian PGA in consecutive weeks late in 2009.
"I played so awesome all day," Allenby said. "I mean, I did nothing wrong all day. I played great. I putted great. I hit the ball great. I did everything that I needed to do coming down the stretch and then to give it away at 18 is very, very disappointing.
"It wasn't easy in the playoff as well. I struggled with my swing a little bit, but I was still mentally not quite there from the 18th hole anyway, but look, John's a great player, and I played with him yesterday, and he's got a great future and he's a young guy, and you know, all the best to him."
England's Greg Owen, in the title picture at half way, eventually finished T16 with a closing 71 for 278 - two shots ahead of Scotland's Russell Knox who also matched par in the last round.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 284 (4x71)
Players from United States unless stated
271 John Huh 67 70 71 63, Robert Allenby (Australia) 69 67 70 65 (Huh won play-off at eighth extra hole)
273 Matt Every 67 71 69 66, Colt Knost 69 71 67 66.
274 Dicky Pride 68 72 68 66, Alejandro Canizares (Spain) 67 72 69 66, Daniel Summerhays 69 65 67 73, Chris Stroud 69 66 68 71.
SELECTED TOTALS
278 Greg Owen (England) 67 67 73 71 (T16).
280 Russell Knox (Scotland) 74 67 68 71 (T30).
284 Gary Christian (England) 73 70 73 68  (T49)
288 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 72 72 74 70 (T63)

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GREAT SCOTT FINISH WINS THE DAY AT BUCKPOOL WINTER OPEN

Home course teenager Jake Scott (16) birdied the last three holes for a two-under-par 68 to head a field of 121 at today's Buckpool Golf Club Winter Open.
Scott won by two strokes from Stephen Herd (Strathlene) with Neil Main (Buckpool) third with a 71.

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TSCHUDIN WINS FIRST PRO TITLE IN AUSTRALIA AFTER 14 YEARS

FROM THE PGA OF AUSTRALIA WEBSITE
After 14 years playing on the PGA Tour of Australasia, Andrew Tschudin has today claimed his first Australian title at the Coca-Cola Queensland PGA Championship.
With a final round of 6-under 64 Tschudin snatched victory in the tournament that was reduced to 54 holes due to persistent heavy rain over the last few days.
After lengthy delays yesterday and again this morning, the field wasted no time in getting back to business once play recommenced at 12.30pm this afternoon.
With birdies falling all over the golf course it was Tschudin however that capitalised, second round leader Andrew Martin unable to hole his chip on the 18th to force a playoff.
Martin finished in equal second position alongside Brody Ninyette at 1-under par who likewise had the opportunity to take the title from early clubhouse leader Tschudin.
In only his fourth professional event 24 year old Ninyette looked to have the title wrapped up before a double bogey on the 18th knocked him out of contention.
Regardless, the result is the young West Australian’s best result so far on the PGA Tour of Australasia with more opportunities sure to present in the future.
A fast finishing Rohan Blizard shot a third round of 7-under 63 to finish in a share of fourth position at 8-under alongside Terry Pilkadaris, leading amateur Cameron Smith, Hamish Robertson, Ryan Haller and Paul Hayden.
Ashley Hall rounded out the top 10 finishing at 7-under par.
For Tschudin however the $17,250 first place prize along with all important World Golf Ranking points are just two of the many benefits he will reap from a turbulent but rewarding week in Toowoomba.
“It isn’t just about the $17,250 it is also about proving to myself that I could get the job done down the stretch and therefore if I get in a similar position in a OneAsia Tour Event etc, I can be confident that I can produce the same result,” he said.
“My Mum and Dad flew up during the week to catch up with me and my partner and because of the rain, left earlier today. They are certainly disappointed that they didn’t stick around to see me get over the line for the first time in Australia.”
Tschudin added:
“It was amazing that we even got out there today given the rain, and full credit has to go to the ground staff for their commitment to preparing the course the way they did.”
The PGA Tour of Australasia now takes a couple of weeks off before heading to The Hills Golf Course in New Zealand for the inaugural staging of the NZ PGA Pro-Am Championship from March 29.

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HORNE WINS SOUTH AFRICAN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AT AGE OF 40

FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN PGA WEBSITE
Keith Horne has been walking Sunshine Tour fairways since 1996. But it was only today, as he rolled in a birdie putt to win the Telkom South African PGA Championship, he said, that he felt like he truly belonged.
With a final round of 69 at Country Club Johannesburg, Horne won South Africa’s second oldest professional tournament by three strokes on 19-under-par.
The 40-year-old professional, who has travelled most of Africa, Asia and Europe in search of titles, has waited a long time for the fifth victory of his career, but by far the biggest.
“It has been a long time coming. I’m over the moon that I can tick this off. I would’ve been disappointed to have played in South Africa for so long and never won a big tournament. And this is a big one. It’s been going for many years with so many big names on the trophy. I really feel like I’m a big player in South Africa now,” said Horne.
Much like it has been throughout his career, Horne’s patience was the key to this victory. He took a two-stroke lead into the final round, and birdied two of the first three holes. He added another birdie at the sixth, and then just made his pars as the rest of the field struggled to match his consistency.
Alex Haindl made a run at him on the front nine and closed to within one shot. But his challenge ended with a double bogey on the ninth and then a bogey on 10. Darren Fichardt was denied by his putter on the final day. And even a surging Jaco Ahlers could only get to 16-under with his impressive 66. All three of them shared second place on that total.
As much as he was inwardly frustrated by not making more birdies, Horne could afford a bogey on 17 and then rolled in a five-footer for birdie on 18 to win.
“I wasn’t feeling too much pressure because I was playing well. I really wanted to make that five-footer for birdie at the last to finish on a high. But I felt confident the whole week. It’s the first time I felt like I could win, was going to win and did win.”
And at the age of 40, Horne feels like he’s just settling into an even better back nine to his career.
“I’ve always thought my best golf is still ahead of me. Every year I’ve felt like my golf has been getting better and I haven’t levelled out yet. So I feel my best is yet to come.”
Horne’s consistency has earned him the nickname of ‘ATM’ amongst the Sunshine Tour caddies. Get Keith Horne’s bag, and you know you’ll earn a cheque.
On Sunday, Horne finally got the payout he’s been working so hard for.

Michael Vlismas

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ROSS CAMERON'S GREAT START TO AL MAADEN CLASSIC

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Ross Cameron from Ellon, sponsored by Portlethen-based oil company Saltire Energy, produced his best performance in Morocco so far with a six-birdie, five-under-par 67 to be lying joint third, two shots behind the joint leaders, American Scott Travers and Germany's Marcel Harenza,  at the end of the first day of the EPD Tour's Al Maaden Classic over the Kyle Phillips-designed course at Marrakesh (pictured above).
Starting at the 10th, Cameron vbirdied the 10th, short 13th, long 13th and long 16th before dropping his only shot of the day, at the 17th.
Having covered his first nine holes in three-under 33, Ross held his game together well with a bogey-free second nine, studded with two more birdies, at the long fifth and eighth for 34.
Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) also started at the 10th and overcame a double bogey 5 at the short 12th with back-to-back birdies at the long 13th and 14th before dropping a shot at the short 15th to cover his first nine holes in one-over-par 37.
Dear dropped another at the first hole as he started his second nine but picked up three shots on par with a birdie 4 at the long fourth and an eagle 3 at the long seventh to  cover his second half in 34. He finished the day just inside the top 20 scores in joint 19th position.
Bracketed on the par-72 mark were Peterhead's Philip McLean and Paul O'Hara (Colville Park).
McLean birdied the second, seventh and 14th and had an eagle 3 at the 16th in halves of 37-35.
O'Hara, starting at the 10th moving two under par almost immediately with an eagle 3 at the 11th. He followed that with birdie 4s at the long 13th and long 16th but four bogeys took the gloss off that and saw him complete his first nine in level par 36.
Much more consistent after his turn, the Motherwell man birdied the long fourth but bogeyed the short sixth to score 36 also for his second nine.
Rookie David Law, starting at the 10th, covered his first nine holes in three-under-par 33 but took 40 shots for his second nine and a 73 left him in joint 42nd place.
The Aberdonian's birdies came at the 11th, short 13th, long 13th before he bogeyed the short 15th. He bounced back from that with an eagle 3 at the long 16th but cancelled that out quickly with a double bogey 6 at the 17th before a birdie at the 18th saw him complete his first nine in three-under 33.
His second nine was a different story - bogeys at the first, third, and fifth and  a double bogey 5 at the short sixth. Only one birdie - at the fourth. Law is joint 42nd going into Round 2.
Only the top 40 and ties after two rounds will qualify for the final round.
Jordan Findlay (Fraserburgh) continues to struggle as a pro. He is in joint 96th place in a field of 120 after a seven-over 79.
Starting at the 10th, Findlay had a double bogey 6 at the 17th and completed his first nine holes in five-over-par 36.
Things got slightly better for the Buchan loon on his second nine. He birdied the first, second and long seventh but shot himself in the foot again with a double bogey 7 at the long fourth in covering his second nine in two-over 38.

LEADING FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 72
65 Scott Travers (US), Marcel Harenza (Ger).
67 Ross Cameron (Scotland).
68 Max Kramer (Germany), Sven Mauritz (Netherlands), Richard Porter (Germany).

OTHER SCOTS SCORES
71 Gavin Dear (T19).
72 Philip McLean, Paul O'Hara (T31).
73 David Law (T42).
79 Jordan Findlay (T96).

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FIVE SCOTS WITHIN QUALIFYING ZONE IN SOUTH AFRICA

Five of the seven Scottish Golf Union Elite Squad in the field for the South African men's amateur golf championship look set to qualify for the match-play stages at Mowbray Golf Club, Cape Town.
The leading 64 players at the end of the 36-hole stroke-play qualifying will progress. After the first round, Aberdour's Scott Crichton, with a three-over-par 75, and Fraser McKenna (Balmore), with a 77, are the only Scots who must improve to gain pass marks at the end of Monday's play.
Paul Shields (Kirkhill), beaten by Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck), now a rookie pro, in last year's all-Scottish final, made a good start with a three-under-par 69 while Brian Souter (Leven Golfing Society) and Pollok's Conor O'Neil returned 71s.
James White (Lundin) had a 72 and Dunbar's Daniel Kay a 74.
They are all within the top-64 bracket after 18 holes.

FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND LEADERS
Par 72
Players from S Africa unless stated
67 Conway Kunneke, Toby Tree (Eng), Victor Lange.
68 Jean-Paul Strydom, Werner Theart, C J Du Plesis.

SCOTS SCORES
69 Paul Shields.
71 Brian Soutar
72 James White.
74 Daniel Kay.
75 Scott Crichton.
77 Fraser McKenna.

ends

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HUNTER MAHAN BEATS RORY McILROY IN WORLD M/PLAY FINAL

As dusk settled upon the Tortolita Mountains on Sunday night, Rory McIlroy stumbled with the summit in sight. After beating Lee Westwood in the semi-final Rory McIlroy missed out on the world No 1 ranking 

On the day he proved his status as alpha male of the British game, outwitting Westwood in a semi-final dubbed by one wag as the Gunfight at UK Corral, McIlroy could not press home his claim to being the best on the planet. Wilting in Arizona’s desert heat, the Ulsterman endured a ragged first 10 holes to fall four down to Mahan and, despite a back-nine riposte, ran out of time to erase his deficit.
The sense of missed opportunity hurt McIlroy, despite his tone of weary acceptance afterwards. Here was his moment to usurp Luke Donald as No 1, and for once this purest of ball-strikers missed the target.
Mahan, undoubtedly, was a deserving champion, having amassed 35 birdies in five days of extraordinary consistency. But there remained a gnawing sense that McIlroy, by emulating the level he displayed in dispatching Westwood, ought to have swept through the final. His back-to-back 6s at the seventh and eighth positively gifted the title to the Californian.
The mental pressures of facing Westwood had, McIlroy conceded later, made it difficult to muster the same intensity for another 18 holes. He would not dwell, though, upon his frustrated quest to depose Donald as No 1.
“Getting to the top of the rankings is hopefully inevitable,” he said.
It had been a final in which both combatants showed their fatigue. McIlroy and Mahan halved two of their first four holes in bogey 5s, before the American edged clear by arrowing his tee-shot to two feet at the short sixth.
Worse followed for McIlroy when he saw his chip at the seventh roll back to him, and by the time he recorded another 6 at the eighth after driving into a bunker, he was three down.
A miss from nine feet at the 10th extended the gap to four, which ultimately proved irretrievable. Despite a chip-in for eagle at the 11th, and a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th, Mahan’s par at the 17th settled the outcome.
The pair had maintained a mutual froideur ever since their days together at Chubby Chandler’s management stable, and made no attempt to conceal it yesterday. Westwood strode down several fairways like a barrel-chested drill sergeant, fully 50 yards ahead of McIlroy. Cordial conversations?
There were none. Sir Nick Faldo, commentating on the contest, admitted: “This was the first match where I really felt the tension.”
Westwood, pursuing the world No 1 ranking with his Northern Irish rival, came to the chastening realisation that it was McIlroy who had his number.
What other conclusion was there to draw from a tussle in which he had been three up after four holes, only to lose by the same margin?
McIlroy’s triumph was all the more extraordinary for Westwood’s reputation as a peerless frontrunner. But the older man looked powerless in the teeth of so prodigious a talent.
The decisive break arrived at the 11th, where McIlroy had flung his second shot right into scrubland, only to find a favourable lie and execute a superb escape to within three feet of the flag. Westwood, with admirable nerve, holed his own 10-footer for a half, but the balance of this confrontation had been turned upside down.
Reeling off three birdies in succession, McIlroy moved three up himself, while profiting from a bizarre piece of Westwood misfortune. On the par-five 13th, the Englishman tweaked his drive left, and looked on helplessly as the ball buried itself down the back of a woman’s yellow sweater. The lady in question, LaRue Branch, was mercifully unscathed.
Billy Foster, Westwood’s caddie, was not too disconsolate to ignore the humour of the incident. “Would you mind walking 250 yards further forward?” he asked.
The comic break in the drama still could not galvanise Westwood, who pulled his approach shot into even deeper rough, while McIlroy leathered a fairway wood to set up an eagle attempt.
The result looked all but decided, although Westwood was too ferocious a competitor to be beaten tamely. At the short par-four 15th, he rediscovered his power off the tee, flushing his drive all of 330 yards before holing out for a two.
McIlroy would not be cowed, though, and when Westwood miscued an 18-footer at the 17th, a hand was finally offered in concession. Again, there was scant warmth in the gesture, as the two again prepared to go their separate ways: McIlroy to the championship decider against Hunter Mahan, and Westwood to an anticlimactic consolation game, which he lost to Mark Wilson. Westwood, you supposed, left Arizona the more dejected. For McIlroy had shown him, out here in cowboy country, that this tournament was not big enough for the both of them.
SUNDAY RESULTS
 MORNING SEMI-FINALS:


HUNTER MAHAN (US) bt MARK WILSON (US) 2 and 1.


RORY McILROY (Northern Ireland) bt LEE WESTWOOD (England) 3 and 1.


AFTERNOON FINAL (18 holes)

MAHAN bt McILROY 2 and 1.

THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF

WILSON bt WESTWOOD 1 hole.                                                                                   

SEMI-FINAL RECAP
McIlroy was three down after four holes to Westwood but staged a brilliant fightback to beat the World No 3
Westwood went in front on the par-five second, pitching on to five feet for a birdie while McIlroy missed from 22 feet.
McIlroy found a greenside bunker on the third and then the greenside rough on the driveable fourth and Westwood was three up after four holes.
But Westwood missed a putt from 10 feet to save par on the fifth and McIlroy birdied the sixth to bring the deficit down to one.
The Northern Irishman, who would be the youngest winner of the championship should he prevail, drew level at the par-five eighth with a birdie putt from 14 feet.
Then he birdied the ninth, 12th and 13th and, amazingly, after being three down through four holes, was three up after 13.
But Westwood hit back with an eagle on the par-five 15th but McIlroy wrapped it up on the 17th.

FINAL
After the first five holes were halved, Mahan took a stranglehold on the outcome by winning the sixth, seventh, eighth and 10th holes to surge into a four-hole lead.
McIlroy got his game going at last to win the 11th and 14th and be two down with four to play. But it was so far and no further for the Ulsterman. The last four holes were halved, leaving Mahan the winner by 2 and 1.

THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF
Westwood never led in a match that went all the way to the 18th green.
Wilson won the second and third to take a two-hole lead but Westwood won back the fourth only to go two down again by losing the sixth.
Westwood won the seventh to get back to one down but Wilson's capture of both the 11th and 13th holes would prove crucial to the outcome.
That put the American three up and he was able to resist Westwood's rally to win the 14th and 15th and be only one down with three to play.
Wilson was able to halve each of them to run out the one-hole winner of the official third place.

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