Saturday, May 05, 2012

McILROY (66) ONLY TWO OFF THE PACE AFTER THIRD ROUND AT QUAIL HOLLOW

FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina. After three rounds of the Wells Fargo Championship, Webb Simpson has a one-shot lead at 14-under par 202. But Rory McIlroy has moved into the picture with a 66 to be two shots off the pace.
For someone playing so close to his house, Webb Simpson has been on edge all week.
The home crowd. Two rounds with Tiger Woods. His name atop the leaderboard at Quail Hollow alongside Rory McIlroy and so many others late Saturday afternoon. It has caused him to try extra hard to block everything out except the shot in front of him.
So far, it has worked better than he imagined.
Simpson broke out of a five-way tie for the lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole, and a 3-under 69 gave him a one-shot lead over Ryan Moore and D.A. Points going into the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship.
"It seems like when guys on this level do get nervous, it seems like every time they focus a little better, they just tighten up their thoughts a lot better," Simpson said.
"Seems like when I'm more nervous, for the most part, I play better. It's not a good thing when we get comfortable out there because you start getting lazy and losing focus on your target."
This is no time to relax.
Ten players were separated by four shots going into Sunday on a course where anything can happen. Two years ago, McIlroy made the cut on the number, closed with a course-record 62 and won.
This time, McIlroy goes into the final round only two shots behind and playing better each day. He can go back to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings with a win this week.
A seventh-or-better finish would push him back atop the Official World Golf Ranking, although what matters more is that trophy. He was among seven players who had a share of the lead at some point during the warm afternoon before he fell back with a three-putt bogey on the 16th and had to settle for a 66.
"I definitely feel like I've left a couple out there," McIlroy said. "A 66 is a good score out there, and I feel like I've got another one of those scores in me, and looking forward to doing that tomorrow."
Moore, penalised one shot Friday when his ball moved right before tapping in a 10-inch putt, had his first bogey-free round in 14 months and shot 68. Points, whose lone win came with Bill Murray as his partner at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am last year, shot a 69.
McIlroy was joined at 204 by Nick Watney, the 36-hole leader who missed three birdie chances inside 15 feet on the back nine and finished his day by driving into the creek left of the 18th fairway and working hard for a bogey. He had a 72.
Rickie Fowler (67) and Stewart Cink, who took four putts from the front of the 18th green for a double bogey and a 71, were three shots behind.
The tone was set early, and the tournament became interesting late.
Phil Mickelson ran off four straight birdies on the back nine playing with Lee Westwood, though both had to settle for a 68 and wound up nine shots behind. Geoff Ogilvy had a 65 and thought he might need another one to have a chance. He finished right after the leaders teed off, and when the wind kicked up in the afternoon, the course played more difficult. Ogilvy was only four shots back.
Simpson has the crowd on his side, and it wasn't hard to figure out. Watney blasted a beautiful drive on the par-5 15th, followed by a fairway metal into the wind to the fringe for a two-putt birdie and a share of the lead.
Walking off the green, he looked back at the crowd clapping wildly for Simpson making birdie to join him atop the leaderboard.
"It's like playing with Phil," Watney said. "Visiting team."
Watney wasn't at all bitter about this. After all, he is staying with Simpson this week. They have a deal that high score takes out the garbage, a chore that falls to Watney.
McIlroy went 66-62 when he won the Wells Fargo two years ago. He was only six back going into the third round, and he said his task would be easier. He was joking, but he might have been right.
It already was going to be a good weekend. McIlroy went to dinner Friday night to celebrate his 23rd birthday, and he got quite a surprise when his parents, Gerry and Rose, flew up from Florida to join him. Then, McIlroy birdied his opening three holes and kept right on going.
He was particularly strong at the end of his round, ripping a drive 344 yards into the wind on the 15th that left him a 4-iron to the green. McIlroy didn't care how far his drive went. He was more concerned with the leaderboard, and he liked what he saw.
The question is whether anyone else was paying attention.
"I hope so," McIlroy said. "I'm not so sure. The guys that are at the top of the leaderboard are really accomplished players, and I'm just one of a bunch of guys that can go out and win there tomorrow. But maybe. Maybe if they see my name on the leaderboard, they might start to think about it a little bit more."
Fowler, another 23-year-old, didn't look intimidated. There was a backup on the tee at the par-3 17th. Fowler hit a tight draw to a tough pin, and walking off the tee, looked back at McIlroy and nodded to him with a smile.
The only time Fowler won as pro was in the Korean Open, and it came at McIlroy's expense. More key for Fowler was the third round. It was only the third time in nine tries this year that he broke 70 in the third round, and those were his best finishes of the year.
"All in all, it was what we needed to do -- moving day, moving in the right direction, and put myself into a position where we can go out and have a little bit of fun tomorrow," Fowler said.
Even so, the edge might go to McIlroy. Of the top 22 players going into the final round, he is the only player to have won this year.

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
Players from US unless stated
202 Webb Simpson 65 68 69
203 Ryan Moore 65 70 68, D A Points 66 68 69.
204 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 70 68 66, Nick Watney 68 64 72
205 Rickie Fowler 66 72 67, Sewart Cink 65 69 71.

SELECTED SCORES
209 Brian Davis (England) 66 74 69 (T15)
211 Lee Westwood (England) 71 72 68, Martin Laird (Scotland) 72 70 69, Phil Mickelson 71 72 68 (T30)
217 Gary Christian (England) 73 70 74 (T69).

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DORNOCH FIRTH LEAGUE MATCHES AT INVERGORDON

By ROBIN WILSON
The Dornoch Firth League matches involving teams of seven from Brora, Golspie, Invergordon, Tain and Royal Dornoch golf clubs got underway at Invergordon Golf Cub and the hosts held the defending champions Royal Dornoch to a narrow 3-4 loss in the opening match. Also on Saturday morNing Tain beat Brora by a similar 4-3 margin.
On Saturday afternoon the hosts, hoping to repeat their 2007 home league success, bounced back into contention with a resounding 6.5-0.5 win over Tain while Brora beat neighbouring Golspie 5.5 to 1.5.
The matches conclude on Sunday with Invergordon meeting Golspie and Brora playing Dornoch in the morning. In the afternoon the draw is Invergordon v Brora and in the three way tie Golspie, Dornoch and Tain are involved.   

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ST ANDREWS PIP CANMORE IN TIGHT FINISH TO FIFE TEAM TITLE

St Andrews Golf Club won the Fife Golf Association team championship at Canmore Golf Club today.
Their team of Kevin Hastie (66), Gary Sharp (67), Daniel Sommerville (69) and Jim Woods (73) totalled 275 to win the title by only one stroke from the host club quartet of Gary Fotheringham (67), Fraser Jamieson (68), Craig Sword (70) and Derek Fotheringham (71). 
LEADING TEAM TOTALS
275 ST ANDREWS GC (Kevin Hastie 66, Gary Sharp 67, Daniel Sommerville 69, Jim Woods 73).
276 CANMORE GC (Gary Fotheringham 67, Fraser Jamieson 68, Craig Sword 70, Derek Fotheringham 71).
BILL DICKSON
FIFE Golf Association

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LEADER DYSON'S LAST-HOLE DOUBLE BOGEY KEEPS THE DOOR OPEN IN SEVILLE

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Simon Dyson double bogeyed the last hole to throw the race for the Reale Seguros Open de España wide open again with a round to go in Seville.
In more windy conditions and after a delay of nearly two hours because of a flooded course, the current Irish and KLM Open champion shot a one under par 71 to take over at the top from Gregory Bourdy.
The Frenchman did not break 80 as he slipped to joint 21st, but after moving three clear Dyson was furious with his finish.
He was in the back bunker for two, failed to get out and then took three more.
Dyson dropped back to five under and will resume only one ahead of Spain's Pablo Larrazábal and Dane Søren Kjeldsen.
Victory could take the 34 year old into a Ryder Cup qualifying position.
Dyson said: “17 and a half great holes. I played some great golf.
“I drove the ball fantastic today, long and straight. I’m only disappointed with the last.
“I just got a flyer with my second shot, a six iron, and had 180 yards to the pin but it just came off like a bullet, I hit a poor bunker shot, I just quit on it, no excuse. I had a good second bunker shot but it just ran out and the putt jumped and lost its momentum.
“I’m just really disappointed, as I should be out of sight the way I am playing.
“Given the conditions, my control was excellent. Almost all my shots today, except for the last, were straight down the flags.
“A third round under par around here in this type of conditions is still pretty good, but a little sour taste.
“I’ve still got a one-shot lead and while I should be out of sight in leading, I will have to go out and enjoy the challenge again.
“There will be good crowds tomorrow and Pablo is a good lad, I have a lot of respect for him and I’m looking forward to playing with him. Hopefully we will bounce off each other and it will be a good finish.”
Dyson's day did not start well when he failed to get up and down from a bunker on the first.
But as others really struggled in the wind the highest-ranked player in the field - he is currently 36th in the Official World Golf Ranking - birdied three of the next four and then added another by almost spinning his approach to the 422 yard tenth into the hole.
There were also some great scrambles for par, his new belly putter rescuing him on a number of occasions, but he then missed a two foot putt to bogey the long 13th.
Two-putting the long 16th made amends for that, but then came the mess-up on the 18th.
Larrazábal, joint third at El Prat last May, shot 69 to take over as the leading home hope in an event celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The former Open de France winner, who beat Sergio Garcia in a play-off for the BMW International Open in Munich last season, had four birdies in six holes around the turn, but dropped a shot at the last.
"Only one bogey - it's a great round," said Larrazábal. "I like it when the course is challenging. I don't like it when the winner is 25 under."
Kjeldsen, round in 71, won the Open de Andalucia on the course three years ago, but that was the 36 year old's last European Tour success.
Dyson had been tied for second at halfway with 19 year old Italian Matteo Manassero, Rock and Jorge Campillo.
The Challenge Tour graduate from Caceres north of Seville had a 73 to drop to fourth place, but Rock and Manassero both signed for 76 and fell back to joint 12th five strokes behind.

HALFWAY LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
211 Simon Dyson (England) 71 69 71
212 Seren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 71 70 71, Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 71 72 69.
231 Jorge Campillo (Spain) 68 72 73.
214 Alejandro Canizares(Spain) 74 72 69.
215 Graeme Storm (England) 70 71 74, Fracesco Molinari (Italy) 70 71 74, Marcel Siem (Germany) 71 71 72, Peter Lawrie (Ireland) 71 73 71, Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 72 72 71, Thorbjorn Olesen  (Denmark) 73 72 70.

SCOTS' SCORES
219 Gary Orr 70 72 77 (T24)
220 Marc Warren 72 74 74 (T32)
221 Richie Ramsay 72 73 77, George Murray 74 74 73 (T37)
223 Craig Lee 71 76 76 (T49).

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BORN-AGAIN GORDON LYING THIRD AT LYTHAM TROPHY HALFWAY

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Reinstated amateur Graham Gordon from Aberdeen is optimistic that he can "do it all again" in the unpaid ranks after a professional career that hardly got off the launch pad.
Illness and injury contributed to his failure to transfer the skills that made him Scottish amateur champion and a Walker Cup player in 2003.
Gordon, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency, is playing his comeback year low-key but the signs are there in the easly-season tournaments that he can turn the clock back - if not all the way to his heyday, at least to a standard of which he can be proud after his dark days as a pro.
Now in his 30s, Gordon posted a three-under-par 67 in the second round of the Lytham Trophy today for a 36-hole tally of 138. That guaranteed him a place in the draw for Sunday's final two rounds for which he will start in third place.
It was vintage Gordon as he got an eagle 2 at the par-4 15th and birdies at the fourth, sixth, 10th and 11th. And that was after a potentially demoralising start of bogey-par-bogey.
His only other bogey came at the 16th in halves of 34-33.

Only two other players scored 67 today -  the halfway leader Dan Huizing (Netherlands), No 7 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, and second-placed Matthew Wallace (Moor Park).
Huizing is pictured on the left.
Huizing's pair of 67s for six-under-par 134 give him a lead of three shots from Wallace (70-67) and Gordon is tucked in behind Wallace in third place.
Huizing, Wallace and Gordon are the only three players under par after 36 holes.
Downfield's Ross Bell, top Scot in the first round with a 69, sagged to a 75 for 144 but only Gordon of the Tartan Army who went over the Border to invade Lancashire has overtaken him.
Kilmacolm's Matthew Clark had a 71 for 145, one ahead of Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) , who repeated his first-day 73, and Royal Aberdeen's Scott Larkin who slumped from a 70 to a 76.
Daniel Kay (Dunbar) (77-70) and Paul Shields (Kirkhill) (72-75) are on 157.
Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) also failed to build on a first-round 70. He required 78 blows to get round the Royal Lytham links which have been toughened up for the staging of the Open championship in July.
Fraser McKenna (Balmore), winner of the Scottish champion of champions' 72-hole event at Leven last month, had a nightmare 83 second time round for 157 which saw him miss the cut by the goodly margin of 10 strokes.
McKenna had a triple bogey 7 at the eighth and double bogeys at the short fifth, 10th and 17th.
Sic transit gloria indeed for McKenna. Twelve months ago he was the leading Scot with a fifth place finish in the Lytham Trophy.
Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie), the Craigmillar Park Open winner, was another big name Scot to be on his way back over the Border earlier than most expected.
The Stirling student shot 75-83 for 158, 11 shots over the maximum
LEADING SECOND-ROUND SCORES
Par 140 (2x70)
134 Dan Huizing (Netherlands) 67 67
137 Matthew Wallace (Moor Park) 70 67
138 Graham Gordon (Newmachar) 71 67.
141 Moritz Lampert (Germany) 69 72, Jamie Donaldson (West Sussex) 72 69.
142 James Frazer (Pennard) 72 70, Ben Westgate (Trevose) 68 74, Reeve Whitson (Mourne) 72 70.
143 Alan Dunbar (Rathmore) 71 72, Curtis Griffiths (Wentworth) 70 73, Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park) 70 73, Seb Nixon (Workington) 71 72.
OTHER SCOTS SCORES
144 Ross Bell (Downfield) 69 75.
145 Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 74 71.
146 Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 73 73, Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) 70 76.
147 Daniel Kay (Dunbar) 77 70, Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 72 75.
MISSED THE CUT (147 or better qualified)
148 Alex Culverwell (Dunbar) 70 78.
149 James White (Lundin) 73 76.
150 Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) 75 75.
152 Brian Soutar (Leven GS) 75 77
155 Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire Co) 79 76.
157 Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 74 83, Mark Halliday (Royal Aberdeen) 75 82.
158 James Bunch (Prestwick) 79 79, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 78 80, John Duff (Newmachar) 80 78, Gordon Miller (Cawder) 85 73, Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 75 83.
159 Michael Smyth (Royal Troon) 77 82
 Withdrew: Paul Gault (Westerwood) 80 -.

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THREE TIE FOR VICTORY WITH 65s AT PORTPATRICK DUNSKEY


David Orr (Mearns Castle Golf Academy, Banchory's Greig Hutcheon and Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range) each earned £941 after a three-way tie for first individual pro place in the first pro-am of the PGA in Scotland season at Portpatrick Dunskey Golf Club, Dumfries and Galloway.
They jointly headed a field of 39 pros with five-under-par 65s. Hutcheon had the best bag of birdies - eight in all - but he also had bogeys at the short seventh, 10th and short 11th.
Orr had six birdies and one bogey; Arnott five birdies in a bogey-free round.
Orr scored a double whammy by leading Tom Kelly (handicap 18), Tom Gibson junior (6) and Dougie McNeil (11) to victory in the pro-am team event with an amazing team score of 29 under par 111 (best two scores to count at each hole).
LEADING PRO SCORES
Par 70
65 David Orr (Mearns Castle Golf Academy), Robert Arnott (Bishopbriggs Golf Range), Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) (£941 each).
66 Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle), James Mcghee (Duddingston), Ross Dixon (Renaissance) (£402 each).
67 Scott McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle), Christopher Currie (Caldwell) (£241 each).
68 Scott Henderson (Kings Links), James Erskine (Portpatrick Dunskey) (£188 each).
69 Andrew Fullen (Largs), Chris Doak (unatt), Chris Kelly (Cawder), Craig Matheson (Falkirk Tryst), Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle), Graeme Brown (Montrose Links), Andrew Oldcorn (Kingsacre) (£129 each).
70 Mark King (Kingsfield), Stephen Gray (Hayston) (£76 each)
71 Ian Colquhoun (Dundonald Links), Andrew Marshall (Houston Golf Range).
72 James McKinnon (Irvine), Stuart Kerr (Strathaven), Scott Herald (Mearns Castle Golf Academy).

TO VIEW ALL THE PRO SCORES AND SCORECARDS

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TEAM WINNERS
 Par 140 (2x70)
111 David Orr (Mearns Castle Golf Academy) and "Big Dougie's Finest" - Tom Kelly (handicap 18), Tom Gibson junior (6), Dougie McNeil (11









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US SENIORS TOUR REPORT AND SCORES

TO VIEW A REPORT ON THE FIRST DAY'S PLAY AND THE SCORES IN THE US CHAMPIONS (seniors) TOUR EVENT

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US NATIONWIDE TOUR REPORT AND SCORES

TO READ A REPORT AND VIEW THE SCORES FROM THE US NATIONWIDE TOUR EVENT IN GEORGIA

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TIGER MISSES CUT DESPITE CONTROVERSIAL LOST BALL RULING IN HIS FAVOUR AT QUAIL HOLLOW

The US PGA Tour never like to see their main draw boarding his private jet on a Friday. Yet perhaps there was a trace of relief for their chief rules official. If Woods had made, instead of missed, the cut by a shot, the attention would have fallen on the verdict of Mark Russell. He awarded Woods a contentious free-drop when his ball couldn’t be found.
From the middle of the fairway, with 260 yards to the par-five fifth green (his 14th) and with Woods desperate for at least one birdie, a wild hook was 60 yards off line.
 It headed towards a bare area, featuring a few pines and a holly tree. One gentleman told Russell he had seen it land and another member of the gallery verified that account.
Nobody, however, said they had seen anyone pick up the ball, but “based on the evidence” Russell determined someone had stolen it. The rules say that if it is “certain” the ball has been stolen the player can drop, without penalty, where it was believed to have finished. Woods wasn’t able to conjure a birdie, but did make a par and, at that stage, still had a fighting chance.
However, how could Russell have been “certain” in the first place? Despite there being hundreds of supporters on the scene, nobody witnessed the theft.
“I would have been more wrong telling him he had to go back,” said Russell. Alas, there are many rules in golf which could be deemed “wrong”.
Woods could only par the par-five seventh and then missed a four-footer for birdie on the eighth (his 17th). In truth, it was a tame surrender.
Lee Westwood did not submit so easily. Indeed, the Englishman birdied two of the last four holes for a 72 to scrape in at one-under.
But apart from his finish, it wasn’t a good day for Westwood. He discovered that his caddie, Billy Foster, will almost certainly be out for the season after a scan in Yorkshire revealed the knee injury he sustained playing football on Monday could take six months to heal.
Westwood is using Cayce Kerr, Fred Couples’ caddie, here and at next week’s Players Championship.

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
Players from US unless stated
132 Nick Watney 68 64
133 Webb Simpson 65 68
134 Stewart Cink 65 69, Ben Crane 70 64, D A Points 66 68, John Senden (Australia) 66 68
135 Ryan Moore 65 70
136 Hunter Haas 68 68, Heath Slocum 69 67

SELECTED SCORES
138 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 70 68 (T13)
140 Brian Davis 66 74 (T27)
142 Martin Laird (Scotland) 72 70 (T49)
143 Lee Westwood (England) 71 72, Gary Christian (England) 73 70 (T63)

MISSED THE CUT (143 or better qualified)
144 Greg Owen (England) 71 73.
150 Russell Knox (Scotland) 77 73, David Duval 76 74.
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

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