Global Golf Post Releases First Ever Great Britain and Ireland Amateur Preview

Global Golf Post – the world's first digital and only golf news publication – introduced the first annual Great Britain and Ireland amateur preview in its March 19 issue.

"Sadly, the elite amateur game gets very little media attention anymore, in the United Kingdom and all around the world," commented The Post's founder and publisher Jim Nugent.

"Coverage of the amateur game is one of our hallmarks at The Post, and so we are pleased to deliver this special issue to golfers throughout the British Isles. Our goal is to become the amateur game's best friend, around the world, " he added.

The eighteen-page section includes content provided by award winning journalists Lewine Mair, John Hopkins, Colin Callander, and Ireland's Dermot Gilleece. It takes a look at the amateur game in each home nation, and it also provides a glimpse of what to expect at this year's Curtis cup, to be played in June at Nairn.

About Global Golf Post

Global Golf Post is the first free digital weekly golf news publication in the world that offers the passionate golf enthusiast an extraordinary online experience that can be accessed across all major devices.   Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Winter Park, Fla., The Post is delivered overnight on Sunday to a global and passionate golf audience.

To subscribe to the Post for FREE or to see the GB&I Amateur preview click here.

SCOTTISH MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT DUNDONALD ON APR 20

A Scottish mid-amateur open stroke-play championship over 36 holes for men aged 35 and over on the day of the tournament  is to be held at Dundonald Links on Friday, April 20.
This event is not under the auspices of the Scottish Golf Union whose Scottish mid-amateur championship was discontinued a year or two ago.
The entry fee of £95 includes coffee, a bacon roll and a light lunch.
The maximum handicap permitted is 12.
There will be a prizefund of £1,250 in vouchers with scratch and handicap sections.

TO VIEW THE TOURNAMENT WEBSITE WITH DETAILS OF HOW TO ENTER

CLICK HERE

EDOARDO MOLINARI TO HAVE WRIST SURGERY IN SEPTEMBER

FROM THE PGATOUR.COM WEBSITE
MARBELLA, Spain (AP) -- Ryder Cup-winning star Edoardo Molinari is facing surgery later this year on an injured left wrist.
Molinari revealed after finishing with a share of 11th place in Sunday's Andalucian Open, that he has been carrying the injury for some four years.
However it was not until after returning home from the recent Middle East 'Desert Swing' that the 31-year old Molinari learnt the extent of the injury.
"The first time I felt pain in my wrist was four years ago when I had tendinitis, but after seeing doctors I've been informed some of the cartilage on top of my wrist has become firm and it needs to be removed," the Italian said.
"I had six weeks off over the winter, but when I went out to the Middle East I knew something was wrong with my wrist as it became very painful."
After having two cortisone injections on his return from the Middle East, Molinari says he is able to compete without pain killers but had his wrist strapped during his appearance last week in Spain.
"I can wait to around September to have the operation so I will see how it goes through the year," he said. "Luckily I'm not doing any more damage by playing, but if it does get too painful I will have the operation earlier."
Molinari earned a captain's pick from 2010 European Team captain Colin Montgomerie by capturing the final qualifying event for the 2010 Ryder Cup, the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
He and brother Francesco halved their four-ball match against Americans Stewart Cink and Matt Kucher. Molinari then claimed a half point when he and Rickie Fowler halved their singles match.
For now, Molinari is more concerned for his wrist than thoughts of qualifying for Jose Maria's European Team at this year's Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club in September.
"I've loved to be on that plane heading to Medinah, but I'm a long way away from thinking of that at the moment," he said. "All I want to be able to is continue to play well as I have the Masters coming up so I am looking forward to that after finishing 11th last year."

TAYLORMADE TO TAKE OVER ADAMS GOLF FOR $70million

The Adidas Group, parent of TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, has agreed to buy all outstanding shares of Adams Golf for $70 million, according to published reports today.
The price of $10.80 per share represents a 71 percent premium from Adams' price on January 4, when the Plano, Texas company announced that it was exploring strategic alternatives.
The deal is expected to close in mid-2012.
Earlier this year, Chip Brewer, president and chief executive officer of Adams, resigned to become the head of Callaway Golf.

CLACKMANNAN COUNTY GOLF NEWS BY HUGH HUNTER

JUST WHAT IS THE COUNTY GOLF UNION?

With the start of the 2012 golf season coming up in the next couple of weeks, there are some who are unsure of the role of Clackmannan County Golf Union. For the benefit of these and any new golfing members in the area, it may be worthwhile setting out the aims of the organisation.
Basically, it's an umbrella organisation (one of 16 in Scotland) for the golf clubs in the area. Currently six clubs are members: Alloa, Alva, Braehead Dollar, Tillicoultry and Tulliallan.
The Clackmannan County Golf Union was formed in 1903 and is charged with promoting amateur golf in the area, encouraging golf members to meet each other, providing competitive opportunities for individual golfers and taking a part in the running of the Scottish Golf Union.
County golf secretary Tommy Johnson expands on this: “County events are designed to help players develop their golf to whatever level they like. The best recent example is Callum Macaulay (Tulliallan), a former Clackmannan county champion, now competing at the highest levels in the professional game. The Clackmannan County Golf Union was a valuable step in that process.”
More details are on the Clackmannan County fixture cards, available in the six clubs. Entry forms for the boys' championship are now available with the Spring Meeting to follow.
County President George Kay is keen to see good entries in the county events: “Local golfers have good opportunities to play away from their own club. Modest entry fees (unchanged in 2012): £8 for the 18-hole county events, good prizes and minimal travel costs make these events attractive. New members of local clubs will be particularly welcome”

LOCALS IN THE SCOTTISH BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2012 Scottish boys' championship (April 9-14) goes to Murcar Links Golf Club just north of Aberdeen for the top Under-18s' match-play event. A total of 256 boys compete, and the handicap limit was set at 5.6.
It is good to see two locals making the trip north. Lawrence Allan (Alva) takes on Jack Valentine (Musselburgh) in the first round at 12.57 on April 9 while Braehead’s Rikky Alexander plays Ben Kinsley (St Andrews) at 10.53, also on the opening day.
Ahead of this prestigious competition, Lawrence competes next weekend (March 31/April 1) in the first Junior Tour event to be played over Gullane No 2 course. A total of 42 juniors with handicaps below 1.8 will be competing over three  rounds. Should be good preparation on a links course for the boys' championship.

FOTHERINGHAM COMPLETES NORTH SCOTTISH ALLIANCE DOUBLE

Bryan Fotheringham won the North Scottish Golfers' Allliance championship for the Sir Hugh Mackenzie Trophy by two strokes at Nairn Dunbar GC with a three-under-par 69 (34-35).

Fotheringham, pictured, thus completed a double. He had already won the NSGA's aggregate rounds' title.

He birdied the first, ninth, 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th, offset by bogeys at the eighth, 11th and 13th.

Grantown tour professional Duncan Stewart was two under after 11 holes but a two-over-par run of 5-5-5

left him with too much leeway to make up on the winner. Stewart finished with a 71.

  

LEADING SCRATCH

Par 72

69 B R Fotheringham (Inverness)

71 D Stewart (Grantown)

72 J L Milne (Elgin)

73 R McKerron (Forres)

74 K Thomson (Moray), R A Cameron (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), N D Hampton (Royal Dornoch)

75 J A Grant (Grantown), G Hay (Grantown), J S D Campbell (Grantown), G S Macdonald (Torvean), R H Stewart (Torvean);

76 J Simpson (Forres), N McWilliam ( Elgin ), S G Milne (Elgin)

77 K Barnett (Torvean)

79 M L Macleman (Moray), A Boxx (Boat of Garten)

80 B Cruickshank (Garmouth and Kingston), J C Milne (Moray), W Hutchison (Inverness), C Dixon (Moray), T Dingwall (Nairn Dunbar), A Thomson (Moray), D F Sharp (Boat of Garten)

81 M Mitchell (Rothes), R Harrower (Boat of Garten), A Henry (Inverness), A Hutchison (Torvean), S Wilson (Inverness)

82 S Mitchell (Moray), R Mackay (Fortrose and Rosemarkie), R Younie (Rothes), C Small (Nairn)

83 M Macdonald (Grantown), S Duncan (Moray), D Johnston (Moray)

84 G J Abel (Elgin), L Hutchison (Inverness), L F Grant (Grantown), I Hamilton (Elgin)

85 P Matheson (Grantown), R Stewart (Nairn Dunbar), D Ross (Boat of Garten), L Duncan (Elgin)

LEADING HANDICAP

Class 1 - R H Stewart (Torvean) (4) 71; R McKerron (Forres) (1) 72; G S Macdonald (Torvean) (2), K Barnett (Torvean) (4) 73; J A Grant (Grantown) (1), G H Hay (Grantown) (1), A Hutchison (Torvean) (7), W Hutchison (Inverness) (6), D F Sharp (Boat of Garten) (6) 74.

Class 2 -  L Hutchison (Inverness) (14) 70; C Small (Nairn) (11), A Boxx (Boat of Garten) (7), D Ross (Boat of Garten) (14) 71; M Mitchell (Rothes) (9) 72.

Seniors Scratch -J. Simpson (Forres) 76.

 Seniors Handicap - A Boxx (Boat of Garten) (8) 71.

 

DEATH OF LEGENDARY US SPORTSWRTIER FURMAN BISHER

 

FAYETTEVILLE, Georgia — Famed American sportswriter Furman Bisher, who covered everything from major golf tournaments to horseracing's Triple Crown during a career that spanned six decades, died Sunday of a massive heart attack outside Atlanta. He was 93.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Bisher's death on its website Sunday evening (http://bit.ly/AqFVbu ). Former AJC editor Jim Minter said family members told him that Bisher had planned to watch golf at home on Sunday but complained of feeling ill, at which point his wife Lynda called 911. He died at a nearby hospital.
"He put more quality words on newsprint than any other writer in the last half of the 20th century," Minter said late Sunday, according to the newspaper. "He never wrote a bad column."
Bisher retired in 2009 after 59 years at the Georgia newspaper, writing his final column on the same typewriter he used in 1950.
At his retirement, Bisher said, "I just decided that's enough — I had been thinking about it a couple weeks...I just won't be writing a column."
The North Carolina native wrote hundreds of articles for national magazines including Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post. He also authored several books, including an autobiography of baseball great Hank Aaron.
Bisher began his career in 1938 at the Lumberton Voice in North Carolina, and he became an editor at the Charlotte News two years later. In 1949, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson gave Bisher and Sport Magazine his only interview since being ousted from baseball 30 years earlier in the "Black Sox" scandal.
After his official retirement, Bisher continued to write occasionally for the Journal-Constitution and to cover golf tournaments. He was hoping to cover this year's Masters tournament.
AJC sports editor Ray Cox said in a statement. "He was always a perfect Southern gentleman. He was first and foremost a journalist but one whose ability to write far surpassed the skills of most of us who came into the business hoping to emulate him."

LOREN ROBERTS ENDS 21 MONTHS WITHOUT A SENIOR TOUR WIN

FROM THE US PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR WEBSITE
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Loren Roberts shot a 69 on Sunday to win the Toshiba Classic by two strokes over Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Kite and Bernhard Langer.
Roberts made a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole to ensure the victory eight-under-par 205 after bogeys on three of the previous four holes.
"We did make it interesting," he said. "We got off to the start you dream of doing, but hit a snag on the back."
Roberts began the day two strokes behind Calcavecchia, but made birdies on three of his first four holes. Even with a bogey on the seventh hole, Roberts was able to maintain a two-stroke lead, until the 16th hole. He missed a 3-foot par putt on 16 after his second shot hit a spectator box.
On the 17th hole, Roberts bogeyed again, unable to get up and down after his tee shot came to rest in the right greenside rough. He missed a 6-foot par saving putt.
"I kind of let everybody in the game," Roberts said. "I got out of rhythm. I didn't hit bad putts. The only bad putt I hit was on 12."
Langer, who was in the group in front of Roberts, was two strokes behind but made a double-bogey on the 17th hole when his putt from the fringe on the par 3, rolled into the right greenside bunker.
"I didn't think I hit that bad a putt," Langer said. "Actually when I hit the putt I thought it was pretty good. It was accelerating instead of slowing down. Once it got 3 yards past the hole there was no stopping it. The pin is pretty brutal."
The Champions Tour victory was Roberts' 13th and he earned $262,500. His last victory was in 2010, 21 months and a 34-tournament span.
"I was getting a little worried about it," Roberts said of not winning. "This was huge for me."

Known as one of the better putters on tour, it was ironic that his putting let him down, especially on No. 16 and 17, where his putts were both less than 6 feet.
"So I'm thinking this putt, I'm just going to ease it down there," Roberts said about the putt on 16. "It's got to go left?to?right. You know, I just lipped it out on the left side. I probably gave it too much break."
Roberts is ranked fourth on the Champions Tour in putting average at 1.71 and 13th in putts per round with 28.92.
This week was no different -- he was second in putting rank average but did stumble when he needed to make putts. Fortunately the one putt he needed, a 5-footer on the final hole, he drained.
Roberts did some tinkering with his putting stroke last week and was satisfied with the change.
"I was struggling with the putter last year to be honest with you," Loren said. "I made a big change last week at home when I was messing around with it and looked at some old films, and I saw that my shaft position at impact, before when I was putting good, I had a little bit more shaft lean."
Conventional thinking on the Champions Tour is that golfers have a five-year window from when they join to tour at 50 as far as winning. Roberts at 56 was starting to wonder if his time had passed.
"They always say the cut-off age  is 55," Roberts said. "I was getting a little worried about it. I had a couple of chances last year. But really didn't play good enough to really warrant a win last year. This really was huge for me today. "
Last year Roberts was winless. Though he finished four times in the top 10, he was frustrated at his play.
"I was getting a little hacked off at my game," Roberts said. "I wasn't happy with where I was hitting. I was trying to force it a little bit."
Bernard Langer, who finished joint second alongside Tom Kite and Mark Calcavecchia, believes Roberts can win more.
"We all know he is a wonderful putter, has a great short game," Langer said. "He hits the ball usually very straight. You can say yes I'm surprised he hasn't won more. On the other hand there are a lot of other great players out here that can win, too."
Roberts is going to work on trying to keep his career momentum going.
"I've got some things to work on my golf swing," Roberts said. "We all do. We are never happy with how we play."

LEADING FINAL TOTALS AND PRIZEMONEY
Par 213 (3x71)
Players from US unless stated
205 Loren Roberts 66 70 69 ($262,500)
207 Tom Kite 66 72 69, Bernhard Langer 65 72 70, Mark Calcavecchia 67 67 73 ($128,041 each)
208 Mark McNulty (Ireland) 67 70 71, Joey Sindelar 67 71 70, David Eiger 66 71 71 ($72,041 each).
209 Bobby Clampett 65 74 70, Fred Couples 67 69 73, John Huston 69 71 69, Steve Pate 66 73 79 ($48,125 each).
SELECTED TOTAL
225 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 73 76 76  (T70) ($1,382).