ENGLAND NAME SIX WHO MUST FINISH IN TOP THREE IN ICELAND

NEWS RELEASE FROM ENGLAND GOLF
England is sending a strong six-man team to compete in the European Men’s Challenge Trophy at the Keilir Golf Club in Iceland next week (July 10-14) in a bid to qualify for next year’s European Men’s Team Championships.
After finishing 15^th in the Team Championships a year ago, England need to finish in the top three in Iceland to regain their position in the leading men’s team event on the European calendar.
England will compete against seven other nations, including Belgium, Holland, Iceland and Portugal plus three from Eastern Europe over 54 holes with the best five scores from six to count in each round.
The team of six full internationals heading for Iceland is: Jack Hiluta (Chelmsford, Essex), Craig  Hinton (The Oxfordshire), Garrick Porteous (Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland), Callum Shinkwin (Moor Park, Hertfordshire), Ben Stow (Rushmore, Wiltshire) and Ben Taylor (Walton Heath, Surrey).
SPANISH AMATEUR WINNER
Hiluta, 23, won the Spanish Amateur in March and made his full England debut against France in May, but a back injury forced him out of last week’s Brabazon Trophy.
Hinton, 23, also played against the French then won the Welsh Open Stroke Play at Prestatyn before finishing fourth in the St Andrews Links Trophy.
Porteous, 22, who has spent several years at college in the United States, made his England debut in last year’s Home Internationals having been capped at under 16 and boys levels.
Shinkwin, 19, the 2010 English under-18 champion, has enjoyed a string of top finishes this year including victory in the Hampshire Hog, third in the Berkhamsted Trophy and fifth in the Darwin Salver before winning all his four games on his full England debut against France in May.
Stow, 20, debuted for England in last year’s Home Internationals and was a member of the victorious Wiltshire team in the English County Championship. He finished seventh in the recent Scottish Stroke Play and tied ninth in last week’s Brabazon Trophy.
Taylor, 20, a past winner of several junior events in the south east, was another debutant in last year’s Home Internationals and has a good record this year on foreign soil with third places in the Jones Cup in America and the Turkish Amateur.
The par 71 Keilir course close to Reykjavik measures 6,415 yards, has nine holes constructed on a lava field, with average size greens and no bunkers. The back nine is a traditional links layout with bunkers and small greens.

Lynne Fraser
Marketing and PR Manager
Email: l.fraser@englandgolf.org
Tel: 01526 354500

CHRISTIAN NILSSON COMES IN FROM THE COLD TO LEAD ALSTOM OPEN IN FRANCE

NEWS RELEASE
Sweden's Christian Nilsson, without a single top 35 finish all season, was the leader of the Alstom Open de France after the first round at Le Golf National near Paris. 
The former St Omer winner shot a six under par 65 on the course that will host the 2018 Ryder Cup. The 33 year old, 263rd in the Official World Golf Ranking, leads by one from England's Gary Boyd, Italian teenager Matteo Manassero and ISPS Handa Wales Open winner Thongchai Jaidee, from Thailand.
World Number Three Lee Westwood recovered from four over after six holes and from playing one shot while standing in a lake to match Open Champion Darren Clarke's 70.

Nilsson said:  
"It's been a struggle for me so far this year. My long game was pretty bad, but it's improved and this is good for my confidence. I've been very patient I think. I've been practising on things I believe in and just waiting for something to happen - finally looks like it did.” 
He followed four birdies in six holes with a bogey six at the 596 yard ninth, then collected more birdies on the tenth, 14th and 15th.

It is only just over a month ago that Boyd began with an 88 that included two tens at The Celtic Manor Resort, but he flew to America to see his coach straight afterwards and has put the pieces back together.  
BIT OF A DISASTER
"That was a bit of a disaster, but I've had a lot of positive signs the last three weeks," said the 25 year old, twice a runner-up since stepping up from The Challenge Tour two years ago.
"I'm working on the right things I feel and am getting comfortable again. My game wasn't where it needed to be and it was time to take a time-out."

Manassero, who already has two European Tour wins to his name, also had five birdies and no dropped shots.  
“It was a very good round,” he said. “Everything was going the right direction, the way I wanted.  You have to give yourself the most opportunities for birdies that you can, and I didn't feel like I putted that well, but I was solid and I made some of those chances.”

Westwood, in his last tournament before The Open Championship, said: "I didn't do much wrong to be four over, but there's not a lot of panic in me any more - I haven't got much time for that. It was not going my way, but you just have to get it out of your mind." 
WATER ADVENTURE
His water adventure came on the ninth, his final hole. The ball stopped on the edge, but to play his second he rolled up his trouser legs and waded in with his shoes and socks on.

The reason for not going barefoot was that he remembered Thomas Levet jumping in the lake and breaking his leg after winning last year. 
"I didn't know what was in there," said Westwood. "I've got plenty of shoes with me." 
His paddle brought back memories of Jean Van de Velde in the Barry Burn at Carnoustie's 18th 13 years ago – and the Frenchman is now the tournament director here.

Clarke, who made his first cut of the year at Royal Portrush last Friday, mixed five birdies - two of them in the dangerous last three holes - with two bogey sixes and a double bogey six on the 399 yard 15th.

FIRST-ROUND LEADERS

Par 71
65 Christian Nilsson (Sweden)
66 Gary Boyd (England), Matteo Manassero (Italy), Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand).
67 David Lynn (England), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain), Fedrico Colombo.

SCOTS' SCORES

69 Richie Ramsay (T15)
70 Stephen Gallacher, David Drysdale (T21)
71 Scott Jamieson (T42)
72 Peter Whiteford (T62)
73 Colin Montgomerie, Craig Lee (T83)
74 George Murray (T104).
76 Alastair Forsyth, Marc Warren (T123)


TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES


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SCOTS IN WITH £10,000 CHANCE

GOLF COPY AND SCORES CREDIT CAL CARSON GOLF AGENCY QUERIES TO COLIN FARQUHARSON   Three Scots - Elliot Saltman, Duncan Stewart and Paul Doherty - will start Friday's final round of this week's PGA EuroPr0 Tour event, the Audi Cork Irish Masters, with a chance of winning the £10,000 jackpot prize for the winner. Saltman, on a high from his Open qualifying exploits at the start of the week, is sharing first place on four-under-par 138 with scores of 71 and 67 at Fota Island Resort. He shares the pole position with Rita Batibasaga and Stuart Manley. Saltman started at the 10th and made four birdies on his front nine. He added to that with a four at the par-five fourth but bogeyed the seventh to sign for a 67.  Duncan Stewart (Grantown-on-Spey), who counts Paul Lawrie among his investors in a scheme to finance his season's travels, is one of five players one shot off the pace on 139. Stewart, a winner last year on this tour, has scored 68-71. Former Scottish boys match-play champion Paul Doherty is joint ninth but he is only two shots behind the leaders after scires if 72 and 68. PGA EUROPRO TOUR - Audi Cork Masters - Fota Island Resort. SECOND-ROUND LEADERS Par 142 (2x72) 138 Rika Batibasaga (Indoorpilly) 69 69, Stuart Manley (Wal) 72 66, Elliot Saltman (Sco) 71 67 139 Duncan Stewart (Scot) 71 68, Paul Cutler (Ire) 69 70, Sae Scotland (Eng) 69 70, Dan Seymour (Eng) 68 71, Darrn Lloyd (Eng) 69 70. SELECTED SCOTS 144 Chris Kelly 71 73, Wallace Booth 71 73 (T30) 146 Zack Saltman 74 72 (T48).   ends

SAM KILOH WINS NE BOYS TITLE ON COUNTBACK

Portlethen's Sam Kiloh won the Paul Lawrie Foundation North-east District boys stroke-play championship at Auchmill Golf Club, Aberdeen today. The tournament was cut from its scheduled two rounds to 18 holes after fog delayed the start long enough for it to be impossible to fit in two rounds in daylight. At the head of a big field of under-18s, three players tied on level par 70 - Kiloh, clubmate Ben Murray and Ray Gordon (Alford). Kiloh was declared the winner with the best inward half of the trio. They wil be joined by Scott Murray (Inchmarlo), placed fourth ahead of Chris Lamb (Newmachar) who also had a 71, in a four-man contest for the PLF NE District boys' match-play championship at the same venue. Kiloch v Scott Murray will tee off at 9am and Gordonv  Ben Murray will start at 9.15. The district's Under-14 boys stroke-play championship will start at 9.30am. LEADING FINAL TOTALS Par 70 CSS 70 70 Sam Kiloh (Portlethen), Ray Gordon (Alford), Ben Murray (Portlethen). 71 Scott Murray (Inchmarlo), Chris Lamb (Newmachar). 73 Jack Harling (Banchory), Benjamin Henderson (Deeside). 74 Craig Lawrie (Deeside), Lewis Mutch (Duff House Royal). 75 Gavin Erlick (Inchmarlo). 76 Lewys Anderson (Deeside), Andrew Lamb (Alford). 77 Lewis West (Duff House Royal), R Powell Deeside), Stephen Roger (Cruden Bay), Zac Wood (Nigg Bay). 78 Chris Polson (Auchmill), Greg Morrison (Northern) 79 Kielan Turner (Buckpool), Callum Couttws (Alford). 80 Finlay McPherson (Kemnay), Andrew Carrell (Royal Aberdeen), Declan Addison (Peterhead). 81 Michael Lawrie (Deeside), Fintan McKenna (Alford), Ryan McKinnon (Inchmarlo) 82 Ross Cooper (Peterculter), Eoin Taylor (Aldersey Green), Jonathan Gregor (Auchmill. 83 Jack Scott (Auchmill), Thomas M Cameron (Fraserburgh). 84 Blair Milne (Murcxar Links), Josh Halliday (Stonehaven), Patrick McKenna (Royal Abvedeen), Grant Joss (Royal Aberdeen), Cameron Giblin (Torphins), Cameron Fraser (Oldmeldrum).

SIR BOB AND THE BLACK KNIGHT REUNITE AT BAD RAGAZ SENIORS

NEWS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

The European Senior Tour welcomes back two of golf’s all-time greats this weekend as Bob Charles and Gary Player are reunited at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open.

Charles, the New Zealander who became the first left-hander to win a Major at The 1963 Open Championship at Royal Lytham Saint Annes, received a Knighthood for services to golf in 1999.

The 76 year old enjoyed a dazzling career which yielded almost 80 titles around the world, including the 1993 Senior Open Championship, 30 years after his Open success.

Charles remains the oldest player to make the cut at a European Tour event after his 23^rd place finish in the 2007 New Zealand Open – which included a brilliant second round 68 – aged 71 years and 261 days.

There is not much left to be said about Player. The South African, also 76, won nine Majors to tie the great Ben Hogan as the fourth most successful Major Champion in history. Player has also won nine Senior Majors, including the Senior Open Championship on three occasions.

Sir Bob and the Black Knight last played together competitively as a team in the 2010 Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf, where they successfully defended their title in the Demaret Division – a 36-hole two-man team better-ball event for men over 70.  

Player is looking forward to being reunited with his old friend at Golf Club Bad Ragaz, where they will join many of the European Senior Tour’s biggest names, including defending champion Peter

 Fowler, Carl Mason, Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam, in the €280,000 event. “It’s going to be great to go to Bad Ragaz and see Bob again,” Player said after the final round of the Berenberg Bank Masters, where he was the Tournament Ambassador. “We have played together since we won the Legends of Golf, so it will be good to catch up. I’m looking forward to playing in a competitive environment again. My wife told me I was spending too much time at home on the farm so I thought I had better get back out on Tour!

“But it’s going to be a great week in a beautiful place and it will really nice to catch up with Bob and so many other old friends at the tournament.

 “I haven’t played competitively for a while so I am not too sure what to expect, but the one great thing about being my age is that I can sometimes come off a golf course and say: ‘I shot lower than my age out there today.’ Not too many people can do that!” 

+Sir Bob Charles and his good friend Aberdeen businessman Jim Hardie will be repeating their North/North-east tour of golf courses later this month. One of their whistle-stops is going to be TRUMP INTERNATIONAL LINKS!

Hope to catch up with Sir Bob and Jim at some point on their travels - COLIN FARQUHARSON

CAMERON CORBETT VASE SATURDAY TEE TIMES

TO VIEW THE STARTING TIMES FOR SATURDAY'S FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS OF THE CAMERON CORBETT VASE SGU ORDER OF MERIT 72-HOLE EVENT AT HAGGS CASTLE THIS WEEKEND

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+We will have the scores from the Cameron Corbett Vase tournament on this website over the weekend.