NEWS RELEASE FROM ENGLAND GOLF

                        ENGLAND TRIO BID FOR WINNING FINISH
England Golf is sending the experienced trio of David Booth (Rotherham, Yorkshire), Harry Casey (Enfield, Middlesex) and Paul Howard (Southport Ainsdale, Lancashire) to Helsinki Golf Club to compete in the Finnish Amateur on 16th – 18th August.
Casey, 19, was the English under 18 champion last year when he finished third on the Titleist/FootJoy English Boys Order of Merit. He also won the Duke of York Young Champions tournament, was third in the Lagonda Trophy and fourth in the Fairhaven Trophy.
This year, Casey has finished third in the Tillman Trophy and equal seventh in the Berkhamsted Trophy and is a member of the England ‘A’ squad.
Booth, 24, who will be making his first foreign trip for England Golf, has recently completed his studies at Stirling University. He was a member of the Yorkshire boys’ team prior to going to university and has represented the Yorkshire first team. He was the only English member of the European universities team in the recent Palmer Cup victory over the American universities.
Howard, 21 (image © Tom Ward), also representing England Golf for the first time, was the individual winner in this year’s Northern Counties Men’s Qualifying at Ponteland, having finished joint runner-up in the Selborne Salver and tied eighth in the Lytham Trophy. A product of Lancashire boys coaching, he is a first team regular and played for the Red Rose in last year’s County Finals at Ganton.
The Finnish Amateur is played over 54 holes with a cut after two rounds, the leading 36 players and ties going forward to the third and final round.

Lynne Fraser, Marketing and PR Manager
Email: pr@englandgolf.org Tel: 01526 354500

2012 FIFE ORDER OF MERIT for THE MACKAY BOWL

in association with www.MyGolfRanking.co.uk

Positions after 15 events

	NAME	CLUB		Points
1=	Scott Crichton	Aberdour		420
	James White	Lundin		420
3	Alan Sutherland	Ladybank		390
4	Jordan McColl	Scotscraig		180
5	Ewan Scott	St Andrews		160
6=	Brian Soutar	Leven GS		140
	Scott Stewart-Cation	The Duke’s		140
8	Stuart Meiklejohn	Aberdour		125

The next counting events for the 2012 FIFE ORDER OF MERIT are the DUNFERMLINE GC 36 HOLE OPEN at PITFIRRANE on 18 August and the NORTH EAST DISTRICT OPEN at NEWMACHAR on 18 & 19 August.

SAM BINNING LEADS EDEN QUALIFYING

GOLF COPY AND SCORES CREDIT CAL CARSON GOLF AGENCY QUERIES TO COLIN FARQUHARSON IN SOUTH WALES MOBILE 07943 758031   PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM IN SECOND ROUND!   Sam Binning (Ranfurly Caslte) led at the end of the first qualifying round of the Eden Tournament at St Andrews today (Monday) with a one-under-par 69. He led by a shot from South African Henk Geldenhuys.   EDEN TOURNAMENT Eden course, St Andrews First qualifying round leaders Par 70 69 Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 70 Henk Geldenhuys (S Africa) 71 Simon Prestcote (Shire, London) 72 Kyson Lloyd (Wellingborough), Matthew Hogg (Rushcliffe), Toby Morgan (FrilfSord Heath), Chris Purves (Baberton). 73 Steve Brown (Old Padeswood), Mark Watt (Cathcart Caslte), Wesley Ralph (Tewkesbury Park). 74 Allyn Dick (Kingsknowe), Chris Harrison (Sandiway), Duncan Bush (Rushden), Adam Stone (Lancaster), Ryan Simpson (Bonnyton) ends

DAVID LYNN SHOCKED BY PLACE IN NEXT YEAR'S MASTERS

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE

PGA Championship’s runner-up David Lynn is amazed his shock performance means he has qualified for the Masters next year and could gain a place in the European team at the Ryder Cup next month.

The Stoke golfer carded a 68 on Sunday night to climb up the leaderboard to second and finish eight shots behind winner Rory McIlroy.

His performance was even more remarkable as it was just his first ever major championship in the USA and only the second major he has appeared in.

It earned him over £557,000 - three times his previous biggest cheque in a 16-year European Tour career - a debut at Augusta and a return to the PGA next year.

"The Masters is just a dream come true, obviously - amazing," the 38-year-old said.

"Seeing Augusta as many times as I have, it's like I know the place and I've never even been there.

"So actually to go and get to experience it is going to be something I'm really going to look forward to."

The second-placed finish lifts him from 28th to 13th on the Ryder Cup standings and a strong showing at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles next week could see him move into the top 10.
Lynn turned professional in 1995 after winning the 1994 Greek Amateur Open Championship the year previous.
He has only ever won one tournament on the European Tour out of the 371 he has competed in, the Dutch Open in 2004.
He had only just squeezed into the PGA Championships with a world ranking of 98, with the top 100 qualifying. On Monday he rose to world number 40.
"I knew that the top 100 in the world rankings qualifies and I've missed out about four times by a couple of spots,” Lynn said.
"It was coming down to the D-day again and I thought I'm going to miss out here again by one or two spots. I chose not to play in Austria back home to try to sort of protect my ranking and managed to stay inside the top 100.
"Then the phone call came the Tuesday the week before, so I flew out."
Having a lowly ranking has often meant Lynn has passed up on the opportunity to qualify for majors thinking he did not belong there.
"I actually am a bit stubborn sometimes," he said. "I believe if you don't qualify to play in a tournament outright that you shouldn't be playing in it.
"Hopefully this will open up the gates for me to get in automatically. I think if I go to a 36-hole qualifier to qualify for an event I feel like I half don't belong there.
"This week I felt that I'm in the top 100 in the world - that's the criteria for getting in - so I belong here."

YANKEE DOODLE DANDY DANIEL NOW WINS LEVEN GOLD MEDAL

Prizewinning group with Graham Gordon (far left), Daniel Young (centre) and Scott Borrowman extreme right. Image by courtesy of Leven Golfing Society.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Experience on the US college golf circuit can be the making of a player. Andrew McArthur came back from the States a better player than when he went and won the Scottish amateur title.
Perth player Daniel Young's golf game also seems to have benefited greatly from regular competition against quality players in the States ... he scored his second victory on this year's SGU Order of Merit circuit when he won the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal at the weekend.

The Craigie Hill GC member and student at Lynn University, Boca Raton in Florida, followed up his success in the rain-shortened Cameron Corbett Vase at Haggs Castle GC, Glasgow a few weeks ago with a five-under-par total of 279 to win the world's oldest amateur stroke-play championshi - first played in 1870 - by two strokes from former Scottish amateur champion and past Walker Cup player, Graham Gordon (Newmachar) with former Scottish youths champion Scott Borrowman (Dollar) in third place.

James Ross (Royal Burgess), winner of the Sutherland Chalice at Dumfries and Galloway last month, led through the first two rounds but slipped out of contention with a third round of seven-over-par 78 and would eventually finish fifth.

Daniel Young's Sunday morning four-under 67 fora 206 runnng tally propelled him into a five-shot lead from Borrowman (67 for 211) with Gordon (68 for 212) now in third place.

Young went off the boil in the final round but, with such a big lead, he could afford the luxury of signing off with a two-over 73 for 279.

Gordon, with a closing 69 for 281, slipped past Borrowman (71 for 282) to win his second Silver Medal in this prestigious tournament. He also has a Gold Medal from his victory at Leven in 2000.
Gordon bogeyed the 17th hole in his last round when he split his ball off his drive. The mishap possibily cost the Aberdonian, a reinstated amateur this season after a short career as a tour pro blighted by injury and illness, his last chance of overhauling Young over the last two holes. 

There was a seven-shot gap between Borrowman and the fourth-placed Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) whose third-round 66 was the lowest of the tournament.

He reduced the first nine holes to only 28 strokes, six under par, highlighted by an eagle 3 at the par-5 sixth.

Richard Docherty (Bearsden), who played above expectations to reach the final of the Scottish amateur championship at Royal Dornoch recently, made the halfway cut at Leven but finished well down the field on 306. His lowest round of the four was a four-over-par 75. Sic transit gloria.
Ross Bell (Downfield) did not defend the title he won in 2011.

STANDARD LIFE LEVEN GOLD MEDAL

Leven Golfing Society

FINAL TOTALS

Par 284 (4x71) CSS 74 74 72 75

 279 Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) 69 70 67 73

281 Graham Gordon

74 70 68 69

282 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 72 70 69 71

289

Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 74 76 66 73

292 James Ross (Royal Burgess) 

67 71 78 76

293 John Mathers (Haggs Castle)

74 77 73 69

294 Graham Robertson (Silverknowes)

76 72 71 75, Elliot Wilson (Goswick) 73 75 71 75,Stephen Speirs (Australia) 72 71 70 81

295 Charlie MacNeal (Troon Welbeck) 

73 76 72 74, Steven Rennie (Drumpellier) 73 75 70 77, David Paterson (Leven GS) 72 75 71 77, Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) 74 70 73 78

296 Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 

81 70 70 75,

Alan Sutherland  (Ladybank)

71 75 72 78, James Hendrick (Pollok) 71 75 71 79

297 Craig Ross (Kirkhill) 71

 76 77 73, Chris Robb (Meldrum House) 71 74 79 73,Neil Henderson (Glen) 73 73 73 78

298 Ross Kane (Grangemouth) 

74 71 79 74,Scott Larkin (Royal Aberdeen) 73 77 73 75

301 Greg Forrester (Lundin)

74 74 71 82

302 Paul Drake (Pumpherston) 

73 73 71 85

303 Jack Harling (Banchory) 

76 78 75 74,Malcolm Pennycott (Whiting Bay) 74 80 74 75, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 78 75 73 77

305 Kevin Duncan (McDonald Ellon)  

72 80 76 77,

Conor O'Neil (Pollok) 

73 73 81 78, David Mitchell (Leven Thistle) 75 79 71 80, Sean McGarvey (Glencorse) 74 76 75 80, Niall McMullen (Lochgelly) 76 76 72 81

306 John Duff (Newmachar)

73 78 79 76, Richard Docherty (Bearsden) 78 76 75 77

307 Neil Beattie (St Andrews New)

75 77 76 79, John Laurie (Glasgow) 73 76 75 83

309 Gordon Miller (Cawder) 73 78 73 85

313 Keith Shanks (Elie Golf House) 

72 79 86 76

314 Richard Barr (Newmachar)

74 78 78 84

ends

PORTLETHEN BEAT DEESIDE IN ABERDEEN PENNANT LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL

Portlethen will play Murcar Links in the final of the Aberdeen Pennant League, sponsored by the Cults Hotel, at Royal Aberdeen GC on Sunday, September 2 (first tee off time 1pm).

Portlethen won their semi-final against Deeside at a neutral venue, Murcar Links, on Sunday by a clear-cut margin.

Details:

PORTLETHEN 4, DEESIDE 1

Ryan Donaldson and Keith Horne lost to D Halliday and A Ross 4 and 2.

Lewis Shand and Ben Murray bt A Jarvie and G Rennie 2 and 1.

Graham Innes and David McDowell bt S Cruickshank and C Lawrie 1 hole

Kevin Daglish and Stephen Cook bt Ronnie Evett and J Pryde 7 and 6

Sean Lawrie and Sam Kiloh bt T Rennie and T Broadley 4 and 3.

LEVEN GOLD MEDAL: DANIEL YOUNG WAS THE WINNER

We apologise for not being able to offer you the final totals from the Standard Life Leven Gold Medal.
Due to a breakdown in communications, we did not receive any information from Leven Golfing Society until this morning.
We shall bring you all the scores shortly.
Daniel Young (Craigie Hill) was the winner of the Gold Medal
Graham Gordon (Newmachar) won the Silver Medal.
Scott Borrowman (Dollar) won the Bronze Medal.

RORY McILROY WINS SECOND MAJOR IN STYLE

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE

By JAMES CORRIGAN

This was Rory McIlroy’s own closing ceremony, a procession lit up with fireworks and sheer brilliance.

In fact, it felt like an accession as he dared to wear Tiger’s blood red on a Sunday and backed up his statement with a record-breaking stroll to his second major – a victory by eight strokes.

Woods could only look on and wonder if there was rich symbolism in McIlroy’s choice of colour; a changing of the era perhaps.

McIlroy went back to world No 1 and resembled nothing but the No 1 as he became the youngest-ever winner of the US PGA Championship in its current strokeplay format. He also beat Jack Nicklaus’s record-winning margin.

What another sporting spectacle this was for the United Kingdom. If McIlroy was the supreme reality then David Lynn was the fairytale, finishing runner-up in just his second major.
The 38 year-old from the Potteries, ranked 98th in the world, fired a 68 to sneak past the game’s finest and earn himself more than £500,000 and a place in next year’s Masters. All that London heroism must have drifted over the pond.

In fairness, it was Ian Poulter who pushed McIlroy hardest. Lynn’s countryman enjoyed one of the charges of his career, birdieing the first five holes, but it says so much about the quality of McIlroy’s performance that he couldn’t get within touching distance and, after all that effort, fell into a tie for fourth with Justin Rose.
That meant four UK players in the top six. Remarkable. Despite four bogeys in the last six holes, Poulter could take consolation in the fact he has all but secured his Ryder Cup place and, of course, that he was denied by a McIlroy masterclass.
Was this the same boy who blew a four-stroke final round lead at last year’s Masters? Yesterday McIlroy began the final round with a three-stroke lead and from there didn’t stumble.

In fact, he strode forward with unrelenting confidence, not interested in protecting his lead but instead delivering the perfect mix of control and aggression. McIlroy refused to concede one iota, regardless of his crushed rivals. At 13-under he was only player in double digits under par. In truth, he was on another level.
Remember those whose eyeballs rolled when his talent was compared to that of a certain Tiger? Well, he won his second major four months younger than Woods, who was 23 years and seven months when victorious at the US PGA Championship 13 years ago. Of course, McIlroy will have to move his game and his psyche up to the fringes of the heavens even to begin to emulate Woods. Yet who would have thought on that desperate Sunday night in Georgia 16 months ago that he would be doubling up in such mature and emphatic style?
Spare a thought for Carl Pettersson, however, the Swede fell foul of golf’s rule book when barely moving a leaf while playing from a hazard on the first. It cost him two shots just when he needed them most.
 Playing alongside McIlroy, Pettersson battled back to finish in a tie for third with the two Englishmen and the sole American in the top six, Keegan Bradley. Bring on the Ryder Cup.
Poulter will be there and deserves to be, holing 58 feet of putts in that staggering quintet to storm up behind McIlroy. Twice he got to within two of McIlroy but each time McIlroy pressed on and away. There was simply no catching McIlroy, who despite playing 27 holes in a day, was full of irresistible energy; just as he was at Congressional last year.
To think, he has won his two American majors by a collective margin of 15 strokes. That’s Tigeresque. Yes, the comparisons will keep on coming.
The contrast seemed stark yesterday as Woods thrashed around Kiawah, trying to force the impossible. When they came back to finish their weather-delayed third rounds, Woods threw a club in his own inimitable fashion. He picked up three birdies to close within five of McIlroy with 18 remaining. But it was a big five.
Woods was never a factor, his level-par 72 scraping him inside the top 10. Every press conference he faces before the next major will probably include the word “Rory” and what the youngster’s elevation to multiple major-winner could mean to Woods’s pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’s record haul of 18 majors. Woods will love that.
Naturally, McIlroy-mania will only increase in hype, but he is able to cope with it now. Yesterday proved that. His driving was sublime and when he did encounter trouble his short game came to the rescue.
His ups-and-downs on the ninth, 10th and the 13th were nerve personified.
As was his decision to wear a red polo shirt.
The last major leader to do that on a Sunday was Luke Donald in the 2006 US PGA and he proceeded to be splattered all over Medinah. This time, McIlroy did the splattering and replaced Donald at the top the rankings.
Suddenly, the mini-slump in June and July is forgotten.
So Northern Ireland celebrated its fourth major title in the last three years. The dream goes on.
+TO READ WHAT THE PLAYERS HAD TO SAY IN THEIR POST-ROUND INTERVIEWS, SCROLL DOWN PAST THE FINAL TOTALS

FINAL TOTALS
US unless stated
275 R McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 67 75 67 66.
283 D Lynn (England) 73 74 68 68.
284 K Bradley 68 77 71 68; J Rose (England) 69 79 70 66; I Poulter (England) 70 71 74 69; C Pettersson (Sweden) 66 74 72 72.
285 J Donaldson (England) 69 73 73 70; B Adams 71 72 75 67; P Hanson (Sweden) 69 75 70 71; S Stricker 74 73 67 71.
286 G McDowell (Northern Ireland) 68 76 71 71; B Curtis 69 77 73 67; G Ogilvy (Australia) 68 78 70 70; B Watson 73 75 70 68; T Clark (S Africa) 71 73 73 69; T Woods 69 71 74 72; A Scott (Australia) 68 75 70 73.
287 J Daly 68 77 73 69; P Harrington (Ireland) 70 76 69 72.
288 S-y Noh (S Korea) 74 75 74 65; P Perez 69 76 71 72; R Garrigus 74 73 74 67;L Oosthuizen (S Africa) 70 79 70 69; J Luiten (Holland) 68 76 75 69; J Walker 73 75 67 73.
289 J Dufner 74 76 68 71; T Olesen (Denmark) 75 74 71 69; M Leishman (Australia) 74 72 71 72.
290 B Haas 75 73 69 73; M A Jimenez (Spain) 69 77 73 71; J Senden (Australia) 73 74 72 71; G Chalmers (Australia) 70 76 72 72; L Donald (England) 74 76 74 66.
291 P Mickelson 73 71 73 74; F Jacobson (Sweden) 71 75 73 72; R Beem 72 76 72 71; M Siem (Germany) 72 73 71 75; Y E Yang (S Korea) 73 74 74 70.
292 A Baddeley (Australia) 68 75 74 75; J J Henry 72 77 70 73; J Furyk 72 77 70 73; D Toms 72 78 72 70; G Woodland 67 79 75 71.
293 D Johnson 71 79 72 71; R Goosen (S Africa) 73 75 75 70; T Bjorn (Denmark) 70 79 74 70; E Els (S Africa) 72 75 73 73; P Lawrie (Scotland) 73 75 71 74; S Piercy 68 78 78 69.
294 B De Jonge 71 78 72 73; F Molinari (Italy) 70 75 74 75; K J Choi (S Korea) 69 77 75 73; S-m Bae (S Korea) 72 78 71 73; D Clarke (Northern Ireland) 73 76 72 73.
295 C Schwartzel (S Africa) 70 77 74 74.
296 K T Kim (S Korea) 69 77 77 73.
297 K Duke 71 78 74 74; G Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 67 78 75 77; C Reavie 74 76 73 74.
298 A Noren (Sweden) 67 80 73 78.
300 Z Johnson 72 73 76 79.
304 M Every 72 76 74 82.
306 C Tringale 69 78 77 82

TO READ WHAT THE PLAYERS HAD TO SAY AT THE FINISH
CLICK HERE