Saturday, April 14, 2012

US PGA TOUR, US NATIONWIDE TOUR, US SENIORS SCOREBOARDS

RBC HERITAGE
Harbour Town Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
Players from US unless stated
201 Carl Petterson (Sweden) 70 65 68.
202 Colt Knost 67 66 69.
205 Zach Johnson 71 68 68.
206 Boo Weekley 70 66 70.
207 Brandt Snedeker 71 67 69, Kevin Na 70 68 69, Robert Garrigus 71 66 70

SELECTED SCORES
208 Brian Davis (England) 72 68 68 (T8)
215 Luke Donald (England) 75 69 71, Gary Christian (England) 71 68 76 (T52).

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TO VIEW THE US CHAMPIONS (SENIORS) TOUR SCORES

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WATSON, ROBERTSON, DICK SHARE CRAIGMILLAR PARK OPEN LEAD

SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70)
Craig Watson (East Renfrew) 68 66 134
Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 64 70 134
Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe) 70 64 134

Alan Welsh (Cathkin Braes) 69 67 136

Keith Hamilton (Ayr Belleisle) 69 68 137
Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 69 68 137
Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 65 72 137
Mathias Eggenberger (Switzerland) 68 69 137

Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) 66 72 138
James White (Lundin) 70 68 138
Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 70 68 138

Paul Gault (Westerwood) 71 68 139
Kit Holmes (Hunstanton) 69 70 139
Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 69 70 139
Richard Bridges (Stackstown) 71 68 139
Ross Bell (Downfield) 71 68 139

Graham J Gordon (Newmachar) 72 68 140
James Bunch (Prestwick) 70 70 140
Patrick Spraggs (Stowmarket) 71 69 140
Andrew Campbell (Dumbarton) 67 73 140
Ross Noon (Craigielaw) 71 69 140
Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 67 73 140
Graham J Robertson (Silverknowes) 69 71 140

Scott Stewart-Cation (The Dukes) 73 68 141
Colin Thomson (East Renfrewshire) 69 72 141
Cameron Marr (Musselburgh) 74 67 141

Callum Trahan (Meldrum House) 73 69 142
Michael Daily (Erskine) 72 70 142
Gordon Miller (Cawder) 74 68 142
Stephen Neilson (Dunbar) 72 70 142
Bryan Soutar (Leven GS) 74 68 142

MISSED THE CUT
Conor O'Neil Pollok 69 74 143
Paul Shields Kirkhill 75 68 143
Eamon Bradley Mount Ellen 74 69 143
Scott Larkin Royal Aberdeen 69 75 144
John Duff Newmachar 80 64 144
Thomas Forster Brampton 76 68 144
Greg Paterson St Andrews New 74 70 144
Alan Sutherland Ladybank 73 71 144
Benn McLeod Musselburgh 74 70 144
Chris Lawton Falkirk Tryst 74 71 145
Greg Watson Meldrum House 76 69 145
Kenneth MacAskill Turnberry Staff 73 72 145
Sean McGarvey Glencorse 73 72 145
Kyle McClung Wigtownshire County 75 70 145
Daniel McConnachie Dumfries and County 73 72 145
Scott Brown Turnberry 76 70 146
Tam Caldwell Silverknowes 74 72 146
Mike Howard Royal Birkdale 77 69 146
Kevin Duncan McDonald (Ellon) 72 74 146
Alister Hain Ladybank 71 75 146
Alexander Culverwell Dunbar 77 69 146
Alex Robertson Craigmillar Park 72 75 147
Oliver Roberts Whiteleaf 77 70 147
Scott Borrowman Dollar 73 74 147
Steven Higgins Gourock 75 72 147
Darren Hulston Dollar 75 73 148
Sean Heads Hexham 79 69 148
Chris Gilbert McDonald (Ellon) 73 75 148
Sam Binning Ranfurly Castle 70 78 148
James Hendrick Pollok 73 76 149
George Robertson Ravenspark 74 75 149
Nick Macandrew Royal Aberdeen 71 78 149
Liam McGowan St Andrews New 74 76 150
Jordan Milne Elgin 76 74 150
Craig Ross Kirkhill 74 76 150
Gordon Yates Hilton Park 81 70 151
Duncan Martin Longniddry 73 78 151
Scott Crichton Aberdour 75 77 152
Stephen Spence Irvine 79 74 153
Andy Utterson Craigmillar Park 76 77 153
Graeme Mitchell Braemar 78 75 153
John Shanks Irvine 81 73 154
Ross McKen Newburgh-on-Ythan 70 99 169
Ian Bell Scotscraig 75 99 174
Finlay White Crieff 76 99 175

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Craig Howie from Peebles first Borderer to be Scottish boys' champion

UP FOR THE CUP ... that's Craig Howie, winner of the Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish boys' championship at Murcar Links today (Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

FROM THE SCOTTISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE
By ED HODGE. SGU PR and Media Executive
Peebles’ Craig Howie is the Paul Lawrie Foundation Scottish Boys champion after an astonishing afternoon performance at Murcar Links saw him close out a 7 and 6 win over Ewan Scott from St Andrews.
The 17-year-old Howie staged a superb display after lunch to win seven holes out of eight and clinch the prestigious national Under-18s' title, first played for in 1935.
Former Open champion Lawrie – whose Foundation sponsored the event for the first time – watched the final unfold before handing Howie the trophy.
The +0.7 handicapper is the first player from a Borders club to win the championship and follows in the spike marks of past winners such as Andrew Coltart and Steven O’Hara.
Howie, who came out on top from a starting field of 256 Under-18 boys, needed only 12 putts over the last 10 holes of the 36-hole final to claim victory.
The youngster was a SGU National Boys’ squad member in 2009/10 and 2010/11 and played for the Under-16s Quads team in 2010.
A tight battle looked set to unfold after an intriguing opening 18 holes, with Howie edging ahead for the first time after Scott’s bogey at the 18th.
But the 16-year-old from St Andrews quickly pulled level at the 19th following Howie’s pulled tee shot.
It was to be Scott’s last success, as Howie took total control following a remarkable burst of hole victories.
As Scott struggled with the putter, Howie simply couldn’t miss. He reeled off wins at the 20th, 21st and 22nd to go three up and then won the 24th after another Scott bogey.
After more uncharacteristic play from Scott, the SGU National Boys’ Squad player and former England Under-14 champion, Howie went six up after wins at the 25th and 26th.
Howie, who had not been past the fourth round in three previous outings at the 2012 championship, then birdied the ninth (27th) for a seventh win in eight holes.
Coached by Colin Brooks, Howie saw out the triumph with victory on the 12th green. “It feels great he said,” before shaking hands with Lawrie and lifting the trophy.
“I played really well the whole of the afternoon, especially my putting – I think that’s what won it for me.
“I thought I was playing well and had the game to win this week, but there are 256 good players in the tournament.
“I was four down after five holes to Jake Scott from Buckie in the quarters and thought I might be going out, so it’s great to have won overall.”
Ewan Scott, the third lowest handicapper in the field off +2, was magnanimous in defeat and said: “Craig played proper good golf and holed putts. He was a tough opponent to beat.
“He thoroughly deserved to win the way he played. I’ve one more chance next year at Monifieth.
“I can still take a lot of positives, I just wish I could have given Craig more of a game this afternoon.”
Lawrie, meanwhile, was delighted with the staging of the event ahead of flying to China tomorrow for a return to European Tour action next week.
He said: “On behalf of the Foundation, I’d like to thank everyone at Murcar Links, including the greenkeeping, catering and administrative team, as well as pro Gary Forbes.
“Thanks to the SGU for a fantastically-run event and we are hoping to continue for years to come.
“There was some good golf played between Euan and Craig and congratulations to Craig.
“It’s a fantastic event for all the boys to play in and good luck to them all in the future.”
Murcar Links staged the championship for a third time with previous winners at the North-east venue O’Hara and Scott Henry.
Earlier on Friday, Alan Waugh (Cowglen) and Connar Cook (Caird Park) were awarded the bronze medals as losing semi-finalists.

        Craig Howie with tournament sponsors' supremo Paul Lawrie.
         Image by courtesy of Kenny Smith and the SGU
+Double lick on the picture to enlarge it and be able to read the names of all the sponsors of the Paul Lawrie Foundation


SECOND ROUND OF PAUL LAWRIE FOUNDATION SCOTTISH BOYS

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL AT MURCAR LINKS

Craig Howie (Peebles) one up on Ewan Scott (St Andrews) after 18 holes.

19 - Scott won with par 4. Match all square
20 - Howie won with par 4. HOWIE 1 up.
21 - Howie won with par 4. HOWIE 2 up.
22 - Howie won with birdie 4. HOWIE 3 up.
23 - Hole halved in par 3s.
24 - Howie won with par 4. HOWIE 4 up.
25 - Howie won with par 4. HOWIE 5 up.
26 - Scott conceded hole. HOWIE 6 up.
27 - Howie won with birdie 3. HOWIE 7 up.

Howie out in an approxmiate one-under-par 35.

28 - Hole halved in par 4s.
29 - Hole halved in par 4s.
30 - Hole halved in par 3s. HOWIE wins by 7 and 6.

Howie was approximately one under par for the holes played in the afternoon.

Beaten finalist Ewan Scott (St Andrews) with the silver medal and tournament sponsor Paul Lawrie. Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

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DARREN CLARKE MARRIES FIANCEE ALISON ON BAHAMAS BEACH

FROM THE CBS SPORTS.COM WEBSITE

Open champion Darren Clarke has married his fiancee Alison Campbell in a small beach wedding in the Bahamas.
The 43-year-old Northern Irishman made the announcement on his website, revealing that former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell -- who introduced the couple to each other through a blind date -- was present at the ceremony along with members of Clarke's family and agent Chubby Chandler.
Clarke says it was a "pretty stunning occasion, as well as a very happy one."
Clarke has previously credited his partner with putting his life "back on track" following the death of his first wife Heather in 2006 after a battle with breast cancer.
Clarke became one of the Open's most popular champions when he won at Royal St. George's last year

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A POIGNANT STORY ABOUT GOLF AND ALZHEIMER'S at CRUDEN BAY

FROM THE GOLF DIGEST WEBSITE
By DAVID OWEN
I’m in Scotland. Yesterday, I played two courses on the east coast, north of Aberdeen: Inverallochy, which I knew nothing about, and Cruden Bay, which is one of my all-time favorites.
The wind blew hard all day – but there was hardly any rain, and I was wearing plenty of clothes. Inverallochy isn’t the world’s greatest course, but it has some terrific holes, and you can see (and hear) the North Sea from all of them.
I arrived before anyone else and accidentally set off the clubhouse burglar alarm by trying the front door. The club secretary pulled up a few minutes later and turned off the siren, and two young policemen got there a little after that and declined to arrest me, even though I said I’d go quietly.
One of the cops was wearing a short-sleeve shirt. I, in contrast, had on two long-sleeve shirts, a sweater, long johns, and my rain jacket–just enough.
At Cruden Bay, I played with the pro, Neil Murray. When we were on the first green, a single golfer played up behind us, and we stepped aside to let him through.
Neil explained that he was a long-time member and that he had Alzheimer’s. They try to keep him on the club’s nine-hole course, which is enclosed by the central part of the the big course, because he’s more out of the way there, but he wanders, and plays holes out of order, and, occasionally, plays holes in the wrong direction.
His decline had been rapid, Neil said; just two years ago, he was working on the course as a ranger.
He had lost his ball, and looked confused. Neil invited him to play through, and after hesitating a moment he dropped a ball about ten feet from the hole and putted it with a hybrid – and sank it.
Then he wandered off toward the second tee and dropped a ball and hit it. He was accompanied by a dog – one of the herding breeds, like a border collie–and it sort of moved him along, and lay down on the green while he putted, and ran in circles around him as he headed into the rough
Neil told me that he thought the dog guided him to and from the course–his house is nearby–and kept him out of serious trouble. The man is sometimes a danger to other players, Neil said, because he will hit into groups ahead of him, but the club was reluctant to do anything because letting him wander on the course gave his wife a break of a couple of hours every day.
I saw him again later, wandering up near the clubhouse.
One of the best old players at my club at home died of Alzheimer’s. I saw him playing by himself occasionally when I first joined, and decided that maybe Alzheimer’s wouldn’t be completely terrible if you could keep playing golf–never remembering your bad shots or worrying about your next shot, just as Bob Rotella recommends.
I asked my doctor about that, and he said that, unfortunately, the disease affects more than your memory, and eventually destroys your ability to swing. But for a while before he died the old guy at my club looked fairly content, at least from a distance.

OOSTHUIZEN LEADS GALLACHER BY ONE IN UNFINISHED ROUND 3



NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR 
Kuala Lumpur: South African star Louis Oosthuizen edged into a one-shot lead from Scotland's Stephen Gallagher, pictured, at the weather-disrupted Maybank Malaysian Open today to earn a shot at victory seven days after his Masters Tournament heartbreak.
The 2010 British Open champion, who lost to American Bubba Watson in a play-off in the year’s opening Major, brilliantly moved to 13-under-par in the US$2.5 million championship through 10 holes of his third round when play was suspended due to a lightning storm in the evening.
Stephen Gallacher, who took an early lead with three birdies in his first five holes, was overhauled by Oosthuizen but the Scot  led the chasing pack after negotiating 12 holes of his third round in three under, followed by Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain, England’s Danny Willet and American David Lipsky, all on 10-under in the co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour event.
India’s Jyoti Randhawa, the Asian Tour’s number one in 2002, was the highest placed Asian in a share of sixth place, four behind the leader as he played 13 holes in three under while countryman Jeev Milkha Singh was a further shot back through 13 holes as well.
Oosthuizen travelled for nearly 30 hours from Augusta National to Kuala Lumpur where he spent “every second” reflecting on his play-off defeat in the second extra hole but showed he was well over the disappointment.
The 29-year-old first returned to the West course early this morning to fire two birdies in six holes to seize the second round lead and kept his nose ahead of the pack with another masterful display in the afternoon’s third round with birdies on the fourth, fifth, ninth and 10th holes against a bogey on six.
“I feel good now. I made good putts on nine and 10 for birdies and I have another birdie putt to come back to in the morning so it feels really good. I am playing well and just have to keep giving myself chances,” said Oosthuizen, who is chasing his fifth European Tour victory and first in Asia.
“You never know with the weather here so you are trying to get ahead of the guys just in case all of a sudden it becomes a 54-hole event. It’s a tough week but it was always going to be the case this week. None of that will matter if I can win tomorrow. My swing feels really good and when you are playing like this, you really want to get a win because it just boosts the confidence and it is a good time of the year to do that.”
The third round will resume at 7.45am on Sunday with the fourth and final round to commence from 8.30am with players remaining in the same groupings.
The in-form Lipsky, who won the Asian Tour’s Qualifying School in January and triumphed in the HANDA FALDO Cambodian Classic last month, kept in touch with the leader following birdies on the second, fifth and seventh holes as he managed to play 11 holes before play was halted.
“The last six holes are all birdie holes so I hope to convert some there. I’m definitely excited to be up on the leaderboard. I’m looking forward to making birdies and climbing up and hopefully compete,” said Lipsky.
Randhawa sank six birdies in 13 holes but dropped three shots along with way. The Indian star, who has eight wins in Asia but none since 2009, was excited about the prospect of ending his title drought. “It’s been a while, about a year and half since I’ve been in contention in a big event. I guess nerves play a bit. But I was surprised how calm I was and how relaxed I was,” said Randhawa.
“I don’t think being four back, you kind of feel the guys will not drop many shots. For me to shoot eight or nine under is asking too much but hey it’s golf. I’m going to be trying my hardest tomorrow.”
He reaped the rewards of spending 45 minutes at the range after his second round on Friday, fixing an old flaw in his swing set-up. “I played better, focusing what I needed to do. I’m surprised I’m quite comfortable despite the pressure that I’m playing in. Made some good putts and missed some small ones as well but that’s okay. Felt good about my golf swing. I’m a bit edgy but other than that, I’m managing quite well.”
With his father and wife in the crowd, Singh, a two-time Asian Tour number one, stayed on the fringe of contention. He plans to go on an all-out attack on Sunday. “I’m not out of it. I’m hitting the ball well. It’ll all come down to hitting a few putts tomorrow. I’m feeling pretty good. Let’s see what comes my way,” said Singh, who has six Asian Tour wins.
“I’ll surely give it a go tomorrow. Louis is in control. He showed it last week too. In this game, anything is possible. I’ll be more aggressive tomorrow for sure.”

LEADING THIRD-ROUND SCORES
Par 72. Yardage 6,967
-13: Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 66-68 through 10 holes
-12: Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) 67-68 through 11 holes
-10: Rafael CABRERA-BELLO (ESP) 67-72 through 13 holes, Danny WILLETT (ENG) 69-69 through 12 holes, David LIPSKY (USA) 70-67 through 11 holes
-9: Ricardo GONZALEZ (ARG) 68-71 through 13 holes, Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 66-72 through 13 holes, Hennie OTTO (RSA) 71-64 through 10 holes
-8: Simon DYSON (ENG) 69-70 through 13 holes, Ben FOX (USA) 70-68 through 13 holes, Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 65-73 through 13 holes
-7: Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 69-73-67, Victor DUBUISSON (FRA) 72-68 through 14 holes, Charl SCHWARTZEL (RSA) 64-75 through 14 holes, Rhys DAVIES (WAL) 70-68 through 13 holes, Martin KAYMER (GER) 70-67 through 12 holes.
SELECTED SCORES
-5 Alastair Forsyth (Scotland) 71 72 through 16 holes (T20).

THIRD-ROUND COMPLETED
215 David Drysdale (Scotland) 72 69 74 (T48)

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MOROCCO GOLF FESTIVAL

MOROCCO GOLF FESTIVAL “Third Edition” 
Sunday 7th to Sunday 14th October 2012 – MARRAKECH

The Morocco Golf festival is played for the third time on the fabulous golf courses surrounding the historic city of Marrakech.
The festival starts with a gentle warm-up round to allow golfers to acclimatize to the warm and sunny conditions.
The first day we'll send teams of 4 out in a Texas Scramble format.
For the four competitive rounds, players will be playing in separate categories and will see them play 4 rounds of Stableford competition of your official handicap (no slope rating adjustment)
Out of the first three rounds, the worst score will be discarded and the score of your best two rounds will get you up the leader board.
The final round always counts and will be added two your best two round score. Players will go out in order of score with the best players out last.

For more information and an entry form click here

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PAUL LAWRIE FOUNDATION SCOTTISH BOYS' CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

ACCESS THE SGU'S LIVE SCORING SERVICE FROM MURCAR LINKS

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CRAIG HOWIE (Peebles) one up on EWAN SCOTT (St Andrews) after 18 holes.

36-hole Final at Murcar Links GC
Bright and Sunny. Temperature: 5 degrees, rising to 7 degrees.

1 - Scott wins with birdie 3. SCOTT 1 up.
2 - Hole halved in bogey 5s.
3 - Scott wins with birdie 3. SCOTT 2 up.
4 - Hole halved in bogey 6s.
5 - Hole halved in par 3s.
6 - Hole halved in bogey 5s.
7 - Howie won with par 4.  SCOTT 1 up.
8 - Hole halved in par 4s.
9 - Hole halved in par 4s.

Ewan out in an approximate two-over-par 38 to Howie's 41.

10 Hole halved in par 4s.
11 Hole halved in par 4s.
12 Hole halved in par 3s.
13 Howie won with birdie 3. Match all square.
14 Scott won with birdie 4. SCOTT 1 up.
15 Howie won with birdie 3. Match all square.
16 Hole halved in par 3s.
17 Hole halved in par 4s.
18 Howie won with birdie 3. HOWIE 1up

Howie  approximate one-under-par 34 to Scott's 35 for inward half.

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OOSTHUIZEN REGAINS ROUND 3 LEAD FROM GALLACHER

LATEST NEWS:
Stephen Gallacher birdied the second, third and fifth holes in the third round to take the lead at 12-under-par.
LATER NEWS:
Louis Oosthuizen -13 after 10 holes.
Stephen Gallacher - 12 after 11 holes.
Rafael Cabrera-Bello -10 after 10 holes.
TO ACCESS THE ASIAN TOUR'S LIVE SCORING SERVICE

FROM THE ASIAN TOUR WEBSITE 
Kuala Lumpur: South African Louis Oosthuizen underlined his star credentials by seizing the halfway lead at the Maybank Malaysian Open on Saturday, a week after a disappointing Masters Tournament play-off loss and travelling halfway around the world.
Oosthuizen, nicknamed after the animated character “Shrek” because of his gap teeth, returned to the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in the morning to complete his six holes of the second round with two more birdies for a four-under-par 68.
Countrymen Jbe Kruger, leader of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit, and Hennie Otto trail Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, by one with Scotland’s Stephen Gallagher in the US$2.5 million tournament sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
The third round will start at 11.40am with the leading group going off at 1.30pm.
Oosthuizen travelled for nearly 30 hours from Augusta to Kuala Lumpur where he spent “every second” reflecting on his play-off defeat to American left-hander Bubba Watson in the year’s opening Major.
The 29-year-old South African, who entered Masters folklore with an albatross on the second hole during the final round, has shown no ill effects of jetlag to shoot up the leaderboard in the Maybank Malaysian Open.
Two birdies on 14 and 15 put him in the driver’s seat but Oosthuizen knows there is plenty of golf yet with 16 players being five shots off the lead with 36 holes remaining.
“I felt comfortable as I had a good night’s rest and I felt good this morning at the range and hit a few good shots,” said Oosthuizen, who leads on 10-under-par 134.
“I like the golf course. I didn’t play very well last year but it’s a good track. Greens are a bit different from Augusta, quite grainy and not as fast. But I think there are a lot of birdie opportunities out there if you hit the greens. You adapt quickly.
“I think you get used to the travelling and stuff. You know beforehand that it’s going to be tough and your mindset is as such that you know it’s going to be tough. But it’s been okay. I can do with minimum sleep. I’m fine with it. You just get tired when it gets to six or seven (in the evening) and last night I was out cold at 7.30 but up early in the morning. It’s one of those things. It’s a tough week but you prepare yourself mentally for it.”
Oosthuizen said he has not thought much about his near miss at the Masters Tournament as he chases a fifth European Tour victory and first in Asia.
“It’s always going to be at the back of your mind. Once you’re on the golf course, you don’t think about anything. You just think about the game on the day. It’s difficult (though) sitting wherever in the clubhouse and they are showing the highlights of last week. It’s a week where you want to forget. I’ve got three weeks after this and it’ll help a lot just focusing on the year ahead,” he said.
Two-time Asian Tour number one Jeev Milkha Singh joined countryman Jyoti Randhawa on 138, four behind the leader, after completing his second round in 73, shooting one birdie in his last six holes this morning.
“I struggled with my driving yesterday. I was two-over for the 12 holes that I played. I’m still in there, I’m four shots behind and I’m looking forward to the next two days,” said Singh.
“The rain suspension helped. I went back to give it a good thought. I told myself to think positively about the driver because my driver cracked during the pro-am day so I’m using a new driver. I tried it and it was really good on Thursday and it wasn’t up to the mark on Friday. I’m getting used to it and will make the most out of it in the next two days.”

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72) Yardage 6,967
134 Louis OOSTHUIZEN (RSA) 66-68.
135 Hennie OTTO (RSA) 71-64, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 70-65, Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) 67-68.
136 Romain WATTEL (FRA) 68-68.
137 David LIPSKY (USA) 70-67, Martin KAYMER (GER) 70-67.
138 Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 66-72, Danny WILLETT (ENG) 69-69, Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 65-73, Ben FOX (USA) 70-68, Rhys DAVIES (WAL) 70-68.
139 Simon DYSON (ENG) 69-70, Ricardo GONZALEZ (ARG) 68-71, Rafael CABRERA-BELLO (ESP) 67-72, Charl SCHWARTZEL (RSA) 64-75.

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
141 David Drysdale 72 69.
143 Alastair Forsyth 71 72

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BRUCE FLEISCHER SURPRISES HIMSELF WITH US SENIORS' LEAD

FROM THE US CHAMPIONS (seniors) TOUR WEBSITE
LUTZ, Florida (AP) -- Bruce Fleisher was as surprised as anyone to find himself atop the leaderboard.
The 63-year-old Fleisher shot a 6-under 65 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead over Michael Allen and Chien Soon Lu after the first round of the Champions Tour's Encompass Insurance Pro-Am.
"My expectations were really not very high whatsoever," Fleisher said. "It is a bonus. It was wonderful day. Maybe it will continue. I'm not quite sure."
Fleisher, making his third start of the year, had seven birdies and a bogey at TPC Tampa Bay. He won the event in 2000 and 2003.
Fleisher, playing a limited retirement schedule of 10 or 11 events, tied for 45th and 37th the previous two years.
"I keep telling friends and family that this is not for 63-year-olds," Fleisher said. "You have to move on, maybe write another chapter in your life. I had a wonderful run. I don't need to prove anything anymore to anybody, especially to myself."
Fleisher was all smiles during his post-round media session, saying that he was hoping to be back, again.
"I kind of like it up here," he said.
Allen overcame a double bogey and bogey. He has finished second or third three times in five events this season.
"I'm satisfied," Allen said. "It always takes a day or two to get to know the course. I could make some better decisions. I'm happy. I'm close. It's going to be a fun weekend."
Lu had consecutive birdies on 14 and 15, but three-putted three holes.
"Drove the ball well, putted so-so," Lu said.
Bernhard Langer, Russ Cochran, Corey Pavin, Peter Senior and Brad Bryant were two strokes back at 67.
Gary Hallberg started his round with four consecutive birdies, but ended up at 69.
Langer, the 2010 winner, missed last year's event because of a thumb injury. Cochran had a cortisone shot for a sore right wrist before the tournament and rebounded after bogeys on his second and third holes.
"I wasn't too sure about playing and all that stuff," Cochran said. "Today was kind of cool. It's a tough golf course, and I was able to throw all expectations out and just get out there and play."
Kirk Triplett finished at 68 in his first Champions Tour round.
Tom Watson, playing with right arm and hand discomfort, had a 77.
Nick Price dropped out because of an injured left elbow, which has been hurting for the past three to four weeks. He played seven holes before leaving the course.
Tommy Armour III also withdrew after one hole due to a shoulder injury.
Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, a couple weeks removed from an unlikely trip to college basketball's Final Four, was among the amateurs playing.
"I had a great time with it, I really did," said Pitino of his sixth Final Four appearance. "I said to myself, if I ever get a chance again, I'm going to really enjoy it. This time I'm going to stay focused, but enjoy it and have a good time so I remember one of them. The last two years have been as much fun as I've had in the business."

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CALIFORNIA NIGHTMARE OF WEATHER FOR NATIONWIDE TOUR

FROM THE US NATIONWIDE TOUR WEBSITE
By Joe Chemycz, Nationwide Tour staff
HAYWARD, California. -- Steve Friesen grew up in Nebraska and the difficult conditions in the first two days of the TPC Stonebrae Championship are nothing he hasn't dealt with before. Rain, fog, wind and temperatures that have barely reached 50 degrees have resulted in several delays and left the northern California tournament well behind schedule.
"This is spring for us there," said Friesen, a native of Omaha. "I don't mind it but I certainly wouldn't want to do this every week. Living in Scottsdale the last several years doesn't prepare you for this kind of golf.
Friesen (sounds like freezin') finished five holes of his opening round 69 Friday and then turned around and added a 2-under 68 in the freezing afternoon wind for a 3-under 137 total and temporary possession of the clubhouse lead.
"There's a lot of the year in Nebraska where you don't touch a club for several months," said Friesen, who had four layers of clothing and hand warmers in both pockets. "You're excited to play in weather like this."
Uh huh. Sure.
Matt Harmon (68) has the next best 36-hole score at 1-under 139.
Russel Henley (67), Aron Price (70) and Michael Connell (69) are done at even-par 140.
The schedule is a mess as only 64 players in the original field of 156 have managed to complete both rounds. A total of 24 players have yet to tee off in round two. Ten others have withdrawn at various times during the first two days, including Tournament Host and NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice.
"We're doing everything we can," said Nationwide Tour Tournament Director Orlando Pope. "Mother Nature is just not cooperating."
First-round leader Ben Martin is set to begin his second round at 7:30 Saturday morning (local time) -- approximately 45 hours after polishing off a bogey-free, 5-under 65 on Thursday.
The top 14 players after the completion of round one, and 20 of the top 22, all played in the morning wave on Thursday and completed their rounds early.
Brian Stuard, who shot 66 on Thursday, teed off just before sunset Friday but has not yet finished his first hole.
Friesen got the worse end of the draw, having to endure rain and cold in the afternoon and then waiting out a four-hour delay Friday morning because of fog and a saturated TPC Stonebrae course that has been swamped with 3.27" of rain this week. More than an inch and a half fell Thursday night and had the grounds crew working feverishly once the heavy fog lifted.
"If we would have gotten more rain today it would have just been unplayable," said Friesen, winner of the 2011 Price Cutter Charity Championship. "The golf course is made to play with wind and if you hit some good shots, there are some pins that the ball will funnel towards. You can have some birdie opportunities."
Friesen had a few chances and made five of them. With lift, clean and place conditions in effect, a key to playing well is to hit fairways and the former Cornhusker has hit 23 of 26 thus far. The next big key is dealing with a wind that has been steady at 15-25 mph and gusting at times to 30.
"I judged the wind well, which is not easy to do," he said. "If you're dead into it it could be as much as three clubs. If it's sideways, you really have to control your trajectory and spin because it could get out of hand."
Additional First-Round Notes
• Friday's weather: Cloudy, windy and cold. Winds W-SW 15-25 mph and gusting to 30 mph. High of 52.
• Morning fog, coupled with overnight rain that dumped an additional 1.60" of rain, resulted in a 4-hour delay to the start of play Friday. Round one finally resumed at 11:30 a.m. with 78 players needing to complete their opening rounds.
• Round one finished up Friday afternoon at 2:55 p.m. -- a total of 29:55hr since it began Thursday morning.
• The second round began at 1:00 p.m. Friday.

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MARTIN LAIRD, PADRAIG HARRINGTON MISS CUT IN RBC HERITAGE

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina  -- Colt Knost believes he's finally ready to succeed on the US PGA Tour, no matter how much work he's got ahead at the RBC Heritage.
Knost shot a 6-under 66 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead over Carl Pettersson after the second round. Knost, tied for the first-round lead with Chad Campbell and Vaughn Taylor after a 67, had three birdies in a four-hole stretch midway through the round and finished at 9-under 133.
Pettersson had a 65, his best showing in 32 career rounds at Harbour Town Golf Links. Two-time RBC Heritage winner Boo Weekley (66) and Harris English (68) were another shot off the lead at 6 under in a week when Masters champion Bubba Watson and most of the world's best took a break following the year's first major.
World No. 1 Luke Donald, though, was among the few stars at Harbour Town. He needs a top-eight finish to retain the top spot over idle No. 2, Rory McIlroy, and bounced back from an opening 75 with a 69 to slide inside the cut line.
Campbell (70) and Robert Garrigus (66) were four shots behind. Defending champion Brandt Snedeker had five consecutive birdies on the way to a 67 and was tied with Michael Bradley (64), Kevin Na (68), Bob Estes (67) and Fredrik Jacobson (67) at 4 under.
The 26-year-old Knost was one of the fastest risers in golf a few years ago, winning the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Public Links Championship and helping the American team win the Walker Cup in 2007. He won twice on the Nationwide Tour in 2008, his first season as a pro, and easily qualified for the US PGA Tour. Even more winning was ahead, right?
"I felt like I was ready for this level out here," Knost said. "And apparently, I wasn't."
Knost missed the cut in 13 of 24 US Tour events that year and earned just $180,734 to lose his card after 2009. He regained playing privileges after another season on the Nationwide Tour and yet again struggled at the higher level, missing cuts in 15 of 26 events.
Knost held on to his TOUR card in gut-wrenching experience at Q-school -- he was in tears when he thought a double bogey on the 108th and final hole cost him a place on the UA PGA Tour -- and has since tried to rediscover the work habits and confidence that made him one of the decade's best amateurs.
"I don't know if I just didn't continue with the same work ethic or not or I didn't have the belief, but it was a struggle for a few years out here," Knost said. "But now I feel like I'm starting to get my game back where I like it."
Knost certainly liked his second-round performance.
Knost's round got going with a stretch of three birdies in four holes to give him the lead at 8 under. He made his final birdie on the par-5 fifth and finished off the bogey-free round that stoked his confidence.
"I felt so comfortable out there being around the lead, even though it's only Friday," he said. "I think I'm also going to feel great this weekend."
Pettersson won't feel too bad, either. He posted his career-low score in 32 rounds over Harbour Town highlighted by a run of three straight birdies on the second, third and fourth holes.
"My game is good," said Pettersson, whose last of four tour wins came at the 2010 Canadian Open. "In golf, you still have two days, which is a long way to go."
Weekley's only two US Tour wins came at the RBC Heritage in 2007 and 2008 and turned him into golf's true life "Happy Gilmore," complete with a "pony ride" with his driver off the tee during Ryder Cup matches in 2008 to the delight of U.S. fans.
Things weren't much fun for Weekley after that as his performance dropped off dramatically. He missed 10 cuts in 2010 and 11 the next season as he struggled to overcome a torn labrum and a cyst in his left shoulder from 2009 that was "like a big pocket of junk," Weekley said.
He's got a new instructor in Scott Hamilton and a new caddie in John Connelly who "reads the greens good where I struggle a lot," Weekley said.
Now, healthy, Weekley wants to show he's the golfer who earned a spot on the Ryder Cup team with his play and not just for clowning around. He posted six birdies and one bogey to shoot himself into contention. "This golf course just suits me," he said.
Weekley's never all just about golf. He explained how his stomach gave him some "reflux" before the round and he thought "I was going to do a little yodeling out there."
Weekley kept his gastrointestinal issues mostly to himself on the course as he posted his 14th career round in the 60s out of 22 played here.
Donald came out firing in the second round with birdies on the second, sixth and seventh holes. He needed par saves, though, on Harbour Town's three finishing holes, including a testy four-footer on No. 18, to reach the weekend.
He said staying No. 1 is a motivator. "But the goal obviously is to get in contention and win," Donald said. "You can't control the other stuff."
Not everyone was as fortunate as Donald.
Those missing the cut here included No. 18 in the Official World Golf Ranking and last year's FedExCup champion Bill Haas, a pair of three-time major champions in Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington, and Scotland's Martin Laird.
Els, who missed the Masters last week after 18 straight appearances, shot an 8-over 43 on his final nine holes, including a triple-bogey 7 on the 18th that kept him from playing the weekend. Laird shot 72-76 for 148, to miss the cut by three.
Divots: Jim Furyk, the 2010 champion, was a stroke off the lead Thursday, but ballooned to a 75 on Friday to fall 10 shots off the pace ... Camilo Villegas and Alex Cejka withdrew because of injury. ... Bradley shot the tournament's low round of 64 in the second round. ... Bob Estes had the second hole-in-one of the tournament, hitting a 6-iron into the cup on the 183-yard fourth hole. Billy Mayfair had an ace on the seventh hole Thursday. It's the fourth time in the past five tournaments there have been two holes-in-one during competition. ... John Daly following his first-round 70 with a 74, good enough to make his sixth straight cut at Harbour Town. ... The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft did a low flyover of Harbour Town's 18th hole. Boeing is the tournament's presenting sponsor.

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 142 (2x71)
Players from US unless stated
133 Colt Knost 67 66
135 Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 70 65
136 Boo Weekly 70 66, Harris English 68 68
137 Chad Campbell 67 70, Robert Garrigus 71 66
138 Fredrik Jacobsen (Sweden) 71 67, Bob Estes 71 67, Brandt Snedeker 71 67, Kevin Na 70 68, Michael Bradley 74 64

SELECTED SCORES
139 Gary Christian (England) 71 68 (T12)
140 Brian Davis (England) 72 68 (T16)
144 Luke Donald (England) 75 69 (T56)

MISSED THE CUT (145 or better qualified)
146 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 74 72, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 74 72.
147 David Duval 76 71
148 Greg Owen (England) 74 74, Martin Laird (Scotland) 72 76, Ernie Els (S Africa) 72 76.
150 Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 77 73.

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