Monday, February 27, 2012

DONALD TRUMP BUYS MIAMI'S DORAL RESORT FOR $150million

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
The Trump Organisation today announced that it will purchase Miami's iconic Doral Hotel and Country Club for $150 million.
Doral is legendary for its four championship golf courses, including the world-renowned Blue Monster; 700-room resort; vast ballrooms and meeting facilities; sprawling Pritikin spa; and the highly regarded Golf School and teaching facilities.
The Trump Organisation plans to make a major investment in the resort and golf courses with the intention of restoring Doral to its former grandeur.
The Trump Hotel Collection, the wholly owned hotel management division of The Trump Organisation, will take over the management of the property and expects to assume operations by June 2012.
The property will remain fully operational throughout the renovation, which is expected to conclude in the autumn of 2013.
"When Doral first opened, it was considered the best resort in the world," stated Donald J. Trump, chairman and president. "The combination of the property's incredible location in the heart of Miami and our very significant investment in upgrading the resort will enable us to return Doral to its former glory if not surpass it.
"When completed, Doral will be the finest resort and golf club in the country."
The Blue Monster, one of the most famous golf courses in the world, has been home to a US PGA Tour event every year since its opening, with the Doral Open from 1962 to 2006, and the highly regarded WGC (World Golf Championship) since 2007.
The almost 800-acre Doral Country Club includes 700 hotel rooms across 10 lodges; four golf courses; more than 86,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 25,000-square-foot ballroom; a 50,000-square-foot spa with 33 treatment rooms; six food and beverage outlets; extensive retail; and a private members' clubhouse.
"It would be impossible for a developer today to replicate a property of this size in Miami at any cost," noted Trump.

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SCOTTISH GOLF LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR TORRANCE

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION
Ryder Cup-winning captain Sam Torrance OBE is to receive a richly-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award when champions from across all levels of the game gather for the 2012 Annodata Scottish Golf Awards next month.
Torrance, one of Scotland’s greatest-ever golfers, will become the third recipient of the Scottish Golf's Lifetime Achievement accolade when the event takes place on Friday, March 23 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow.
The popular 58-year-old will be honoured in a year that marks the 10th anniversary of the Largs-born player’s successful captaincy of the European Ryder Cup team at The Belfry and the 40th anniversary of his maiden professional triumph.
Torrance, a charismatic personality in European golf, will follow in the spike marks of former Open champion Paul Lawrie and eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie, who received their accolades 12 months ago.
Torrance’s Award – sponsored by Allied Surveyors Scotland – reflects a glittering career, in which the Scot has claimed 21 European Tour victories and, to date, 11 European Senior Tour wins and three European Senior Tour Order of Merit titles.
Torrance was also a Dunhill Cup winner for Scotland in 1995, but his team achievements on the Ryder Cup stage were even more memorable.
Sam made eight consecutive Ryder Cup appearances between 1981 and 1995, winning three times, and famously holed the winning putt at The Belfry in 1985 – Europe’s first win over America in 28 years.
Following his captaincy heroics in 2002, Torrance will be reunited with the iconic Ryder Cup trophy at the Crowne Plaza, with the Solheim Cup, the Walker Cup and Claret Jug also on show to complete a truly unique gathering of golf’s most coveted trophies.
A limited number of tickets are still available for the event, with tables of 10 priced at £700 or individual places at £75 per person. To book, call the Ticket Hotline on 01334 466477 or purchase on-line via www.scottishgolf.org.
Alison Nicholas, Europe’s Solheim Cup-winning skipper last year, will also be a star guest on the night, while SGU Amateur Golfer of the Year Michael Stewart, a member of the victorious Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup side at Royal Aberdeen last September, will also take his seat.
The Annodata Scottish Golf Awards will be hosted by the BBC’s respected commentator Andrew Cotter, who anchored coverage at The Masters, Open Championship and Walker Cup during the 2011 season.
Torrance, who will take to the stage in front of his family including father Bob, the respected golf coach, said: “I am privileged to be receiving the Scottish Golf Lifetime Achievement Award and thoroughly looking forward to the evening.
“I have enjoyed a wonderful career and I would like to think I am not finished yet! I have many great memories and I look forward to sharing them with Scotland’s golf fans on the night.
“I love to play golf in Scotland and I love to come home to Scotland. This will be another memorable occasion for me at the Home of Golf.”
Ian Thomson, Managing Director of Allied Surveyors Scotland, said: “As long- term supporters of golf in Scotland, we are delighted to be sponsoring Sam’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a fantastic ambassador for our game and his presence at the event will enhance what is always a fantastic occasion.”
Before a likely sell-out crowd at the Scottish Golf Awards showpiece, Torrance will mingle with other winners across the game from grass roots champions through to Scotland’s leading amateur golfers, both male and female.
The event is available to all Scottish Golf fans and all proceeds from the event will go the development of junior golf in Scotland, including ClubGolf and the Scottish Golf Academy.

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RORY McILROY FEELS BECOMING WORLD NO 1 IS INEVITABLE

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By OLIVER BROWN in Maracana, Arizona
Rory McIlroy says he is playing so well that deposing Luke Donald as the world No1 is 'inevitable'
For a young man whose default mode is modesty, Rory McIlroy proved disarmingly candid on his chances of deposing Luke Donald as the world No1.
“Getting to the top of the rankings is hopefully inevitable, if I keep ­playing the way I am at the minute,” the Northern Irishman said. Amid his frustration at losing by 2 and 1 to Hunter Mahan in the Accenture Matchplay final on Sunday night, the 22 year-old Ulsterman did not want for self-belief.
There was logic in his loftiness. McIlroy, after all, could find himself looking down upon the rest as early as this coming Sunday, should he finish strongly at this week’s tournament, the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
His second place in Arizona closed the gap on Donald to an easily bridgeable 0.53 points and Mahan, despite eclipsing him in the final, did not doubt that the prodigy would reach the top soon.
“Deep down I wanted to postpone that crowning of the No1 player in the world for Rory,” the Californian said, smiling. “He will get there. He’s ­phenomenal, really talented. He’ll be No 1 eventually.”
McIlroy acknowledged that his extraordinary semi-final win over Lee Westwood, who was also pursuing the No1 spot, on Sunday morning had sapped his energy for one last duel.
'I left myself with too much to do'
The Ulsterman looked weary during an unusually careless first 10 holes in the final in the afternoon, racking up consecutive sixes at the seventh and eighth holes before falling four down to Mahan.
“This is no disrespect to the guys in the other semi-final — Hunter and Mark Wilson — but to me, the semi-final against Lee was like my final,” McIlroy said.
“That was the one I wanted all week and I got it. That’s what I got myself up for. Maybe mentally and emotionally, it did take a little bit out of me.”
His defeat should not be allowed to detract from the performance of Mahan, who seemed a world removed from the nervy player whose botched chip at the 17th at Celtic Manor effectively cost the United States the last Ryder Cup.
At 29, this native of Orange County won his second World Golf Championship event and strengthened his case to supplant Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as America’s leading player.
“Hunter played very, very solid,” McIlroy admitted.
In a more objective moment, McIlroy could reflect upon his display at the Accenture as a satisfying one.
Not only had he vanquished Westwood, with whom he has had a cool relationship ever since their time as stablemates under Chubby ­Chandler’s management, but he also showed glimpses of finding his finest form just five weeks before the ­Masters.
For the next month McIlroy will be based in Florida as he seeks to remedy the few remaining flaws in his game.
His course management was suspect against Mahan on Sunday, not least when he overshot the seventh green when his opponent was already in trouble, and needs addressing pre-Augusta.
He will derive great benefit, though, from being allowed free rein of the practice range at The Bear’s Club, Jack Nicklaus’s course at West Palm Beach.
McIlroy’s rapport with Nicklaus has strengthened of late. “I bumped into him at the Gardens Mall parking lot in Palm Beach,” he said.
“He asked me what I thought of his golf course and I said it was great. I’ll be at The Bear’s Club every day and I’m sure I’ll bump into him now and then. It’s unbelievable, to sit down and pick the brain of Jack Nicklaus.”

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NICK DOUGHERTY HOPES TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE IN COLOMBIA

FROM THE EUROPEAN
 TOUR WEBSITE
Three-time European Tour winner Nick Dougherty is hoping that the sociable but spirited atmosphere of the European Challenge Tour can bring him back to the form of his glory days as he begins his 2012 season at next week’s Pacific Rubiales Colombia Classic.
The Englishman has taken a sabbatical during the winter break after struggling for form in 2011, making just one cut in 34 starts on The European Tour, and he now wants to rebuild his game on the Challenge Tour.
Where better to resurrect one’s love for the game than the idyllic Caribbean coast of Colombia and Barranquilla Country Club, where Dougherty will be joined by some of the European game’s most promising up-and-coming players, as well as a host of South American hopefuls?
I’m really excited to get out there now,” said the 29 year old, whose biggest win came at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2007. “I’ve never been to Colombia before, and I haven’t seen South America since going out to Argentina as an amateur, so I’m very much looking forward to it.
“I don’t know how it’s going to go to be honest, and I’ve never played on the Challenge Tour before so it’s a bit of an unknown quantity for me."
One particularly inspirational example for Dougherty would be that of Edoardo Molinari, who reverted back to the Challenge Tour in 2009 before a record-breaking season that year propelled him to European Tour and Ryder Cup success.
Dougherty knows it will be far from a walk in the park but believes it will be the perfect environment to rebuild his confidence.
“I know the standard is high out there though and I don’t expect to go out and win straight away by a few shots,” he said. “But what I do know is that the atmosphere is supposed to be very friendly.
“The European Tour has changed a lot since I started out and it has obviously become extremely professional and competitive but from what I’ve heard the Challenge Tour is a bit more sociable, and I think that’s the kind of place where I can get back to being myself on and off the golf course.
“I think I do better in a sociable environment where I can let my personality come through. In recent years I’ve been trying to do things by the book a bit too much and, while I stand by the decisions I’ve made with my game, it kind of went in the wrong direction for me.
“I’ve been so conscious in recent years of what I was doing, I forgot to just try and enjoy it and just play the game.
“I just need to get back to basics now and remember the reasons why I loved the game in the first place, and I’m getting there now. I feel like I’m more me again.”
From the highs of winning prestigious European Tour tournaments and holding an overnight lead after the first round of the 2007 US Open Championship, to the morale-sapping lows of dropping outside the top 1000 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Dougherty has experienced more ups and downs than your average professional.
However, the Liverpudlian believes that the experience will stand to him.
“It’s certainly been a bit of a smack to solar plexus,” he explained. “It’s obviously hit my pride and my ego really hard recently but I still have hope and I still have belief and I think that says a lot.
“I think with the fall that I’ve taken in the last two years, it’s an experience that can make your career and make you a lot stronger, and now I’m just looking forward to getting back out on the golf course.”
Dougherty will not be the only European Tour winner in attendance at the spectacular Barranquilla Country Club, with Jeppe Huldahl, Ross McGowan, Cesar Monasterio, Raymond Russell and Daniel Vancsik all in the field, while German Max Kieffer will be high on confidence in Colombia after his maiden win at the season-opening Gujarat Kensville Challenge in India last month.
The Pacific Rubiales Colombia Classic will be the first co-sanctioned tournament between the Challenge and Pacific Colombia Tours, with a prize fund of US$250,000 on offer to the 144-man field.
It will be the first time the Challenge Tour has visited Barranquilla Country Club, a challenging golf course set on the outskirts of the city of Barranquilla and adjacent to the picturesque estuary where the River Magdalena meets the Caribbean Sea.

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THREE SCOTS BEAT MOROCCO CUT, ANOTHER THREE MISS OUT

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Three Scots - Ross Cameron from Ellon, Motherwell's Paul O'Hara and Gavin Dear (Murrayshall) - survived the 36-hole cut at this week's EPD Tour event, the Al Maaden Open at Marakech, Morocco.
But three more - Philip McLean, David Law and Jordan Findlay - missed out.
Cameron dropped from joint third overnight to a share of sixth place with a par 72 for 139.
O'Hara, with birdies at the short sixth, lng seventh, short 12th and 14th, offset by bogeys at the third and 18th, had halves of 35 in moving up to joint 15th with a 70 for 142 while Dear had a mixed bag of birdies and bogeys in compiling a par 72 for 143 and joint 21st place.
Dear birdied the long fourth, the ninth, the 14th and the 17th but bogeyed the 11th, 12th, 16th and 18th in halves of 34 and 38.
On the wrong side of the par 144 cut mark were Peterhead's McLean (73 for 145), David Law (Aberdeen) (74 for 147) and Fraserburgh's Jordan Findlay (75 for 154).
Philip, starting at the 10th, birdied the 13th and 17th and at that stage was on course to qualify for the third and final round, given that he had a par 72 in the bag from the first day. But it all went pear-shaped on the second nine for the Buchan loon. He had a double bogey 6 at the second and a bogey at the fifth for 145 to miss the cut by one.
David had only one birdie, at the seventh but bogeys at the third, short 15th and 17th in halvges of 36-38.
Jordan had an eagle 3 at the 15th but his usual double bogey - just one, though - popped up at the short 15th.

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
130 Marcel Harenza (Ger) 65 65.
131 Scott Travers (US) 65 66.
136 Darren Wright (Eng) 67 69, Faycal Serghini (Mor) 70 66.

SCOTS' SCORES:
139 Ross Cameron 67 72 (T6).
142 Paul O'Hara 72 70 (T15).
143 Gavin Dear 71 72 (T21).

MISSED THE CUT (144 or better qualified)
145 Philip McLean 72 73
147 David Law 73 74.
154 Jordan Findlay 79 75.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

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CONOR O'NEIL ODD SCOT OUT FROM S AFRICA MATCH-PLAY

Six of the seven SGU Elite Squad competing in the South African amateur golf championship at Mowbray Golf Club, Cape Town have qualified for the match-play stages.
Odd man out was Conor O'Neil (Pollok) whose total of 149 (71-78) was one shot too many to be involved in the tie-breaker on that mark.
Brian Soutar (Leven Golfing Society) was joint fourth best ualifier on 136 with rounds of 71 and 65.
The Fifer had five birdies and an eagle at the par-five 10th for his flawless second round which was matched by only two other players, including  the No 1 qualifier, South African Dylan Raubenheimer on 134 (69-65).
"As titles go, I rate the South African Amateur just below the Scottish Amateur in terms of tournaments I’d like to win,” said Soutar. “It’s a prestigious tournament and it would be fantastic if the pay-off for all the hard work I’ve put in over the last six weeks, could be the trophy on Friday.

“But this is match play and anything could happen, so I wouldn’t want to get too far ahead of myself.”

Paul Shields (Kirkhill), beaten by compatriot Michael Stewart in last year's final, was No 2 in the Scots' success parade. He shot 69 and 71 for 140 and a share of 15th place.

Scott Crichton (Aberdour) improved by seven shots with a 68 for 143 and joint 29th position.
Daniel Kay (Dunbar) scored 74 and 71 for 145 and joint 38th place.
Fraser McKenna (Balmore) surged into the qualifying bracker with a 70 for 147, the same total as James White (Lundin) who had a second-round 75.
They were joint 56th among the 64 qualifiers.



LEADING MATCH-PLAY QUALIFIERS
Players from South Africa unless stated
Par 144 (2x72)
134 Dylan Raubenheimer 69 65.
135 Brandon Stone 69 66, Toby Tree (Eng) 67 68.
136 Brian Soutar (Sco) 71 65, CJ Du Plessis 68 68, Jean-Ual Strydom 68 68.
OTHER SCOTTISH QUALIFIERS
140 Paul Shields 69 71 (T15)_.
143 Scott Crichton 75 68 (T29).
145 Daniel Kay 74 71 (T38).
147 Fraser McKenna 77 70, James White 72 75 (T56).

NON-QUALIFIER
149 Conor O'Neil 71 78.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES


CLICK HERE

TO VIEW ALL THE FIRST-ROUND TIES IN THE AUTOMATIC MATCH-PLAY DRAW

CLICK HERE

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WILLIAMWOOD'S GEORGE BURNS WINS SJGT EVENT AT DRUMOIG

FROM WALTER BURNS
Scottish Junior Golf Tour
Here are the results from the Scottish Junior Golf Tour event at Drumoig on Sunday. It was a level 5 event.
Drumoig was in incredible condition for the time of year for an inland course. The fairways being almost like a links course in texture due to the sandy soil. It was very cold and windy and playing off the back tees at 6800yds this was a great test for the juniors. The standard scratch went up from 73 to 75.
George Burns from Williamwood won with a two over par 74 helped by four birdies on the back nine.

RESULTS

Under 15 years
1st 78 Murray Naysmith (Dalmahoy)
2nd 79 Michael Brodie (Strathmore)
3rd 80 Niall McMullen (Lochgelly)

Under 18 years
1st 74 George Burns (Williamwood)
2nd 77 Ally McDougall (St Andrews)
3rd 78 Aidan Fortune (Kelso)

Keith Bowman (St Andrews) won the handicap prize with nett 74.
 Aidan Fortune won the short game challenge.


Walter Burns
Scottish Junior Golf Tour
 Email: walter@scottishjuniorgolftour.co.uk
Web: www.scottishjuniorgolftour.co.uk

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GRANTOWN'S JOHN CAMPBELL WINS NORTH ALLIANCE at Muir of Ord

John Campbell (Grantown) won Saturday’s North Scottish Golfers’ Alliance fixture at Muir of Ord with a round of 68 which included two birdies (106th and 16th) and two bogeys (seventh and 12th).
Many competitors were unable to avoid at least one big number on the tight lay-out. Of the three runners-up on 70, Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness) had the best chance of overhauling Campbell , but four dropped shots including a long delay in front at the last were costly.
LEADING SCRATCH
68 J S D Campbell (Grantown)
70 R Mackay (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), N McWilliam (Elgin), B R Fotheringham (Inverness)
71 S G Milne (Elgin)
72 J L Milne (Elgin), G H Hay (Grantown), D Stewart (Grantown) pro
73 D F Sharp (Boat of Garten)
74 R Stewart (Nairn Dunbar)
75 G Mackenzie (Moray), K Thomson (Moray), S Duncan (Moray), J C Milne (Moray), A Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), S Johnston (Elgin)
76 A Henry (Inverness), J R Ingram (Boat of Garten), W B Johnston (Moray), W Hutchison (Inverness)
77 V Tilman (Muir of Ord), N D Hampton (Royal Dornoch); G S Macdonald (Torvean)
78 I Hamilton (Elgin), G J Abel (Elgin), R G Macpherson (Moray), S Wilson (Inverness)
79 L Stewart (Grantown), A Cowie (Moray)
80 A J England (Moray), J Simpson (Forres), G Donaldson (Elgin), G Lees (Elgin), K. Barnett (Torvean), S Mitchell (Moray)
81 A Macpherson (Moray), L Macbean (Boat of Garten), W J Donnelly (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), J K England (Moray), I Laing (Grantown)
LEADING HANDICAP
Class 1 - D F Sharp (Boat of Garten) (6), R Mackay (Fortrose and Rosemarkie) (3) 67; S Duncan (Moray) (7) 68; R Stewart (Nairn Dunbar) (4), W Hutchison (Inverness) (6) 70.
Class 2 - W B Johnston (Moray) (9) 67; R G Macpherson (Moray) (9) 69; A Macpherson (Moray) (10), J Macdonald (Inverness )(14), G Knapp (Muir of Ord)(13), A Cowie (Moray) (8) 71

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