SALLAT AND FRANCO SHARE SENIORS LEAD IN FRANCE

Jean Pierre Sallat delighted the home supporters by taking a share of the first round lead in the French Riviera Masters at the stunning Terre Blanche Resort and Golf Club.

The 57 year old Frenchman, who qualified for the tournament by winning the French PGA Senior Open, opened with a four under par 68, which was matched by Paraguay’s Angel Franco in perfect conditions in Provence.

Five players were a shot further back on the Chateau course at Terre Blanche, which holds the distinguished title of European Tour Destination within the European Tour Properties portfolio, including Englishmen Nick Job, Carl Mason and David J Russell, South African Chris Williams and Swede Anders Forsbrand.

Making only his fifth appearance on the Senior Tour this season, Sallat said: “It was a perfect day when everything went right. My putting, driving and iron shots were all excellent and I didn’t make a mistake all day. It’s nice to be playing in my home country and this is a good start to an excellent week.”

Franco added: “I had six birdies and two bogeys, which is always a good start. I hit the ball very well and overall I’m very pleased.”

Forsbrand, who won the SSE Scottish Senior Open last month, had a disastrous journey to France from the United States, but rallied to post a promising three under par 69.

He said: “It was one of those days where I didn’t feel too good, but I played okay and hit a lot of fairways and greens and putted pretty well

“It’s a tricky course and I only saw it for the first time yesterday. I flew in from America on Wednesday and had a nightmare with a cancelled flight then my bags being lost and arriving later on a night flight. So I only got back from the airport at 1.30am and it takes a few days to get over the jet lag. But it’s a good start.”

 

Williams made the ideal start with an eagle at the par five first, but two bogeys in his last three holes prevented him from taking the lead.

 

“It was a great way to start,” he said. “I hit an unusually long drive - much longer than I was supposed to hit it – and then a little three iron into the green, which came up just short, and I chipped my third shot straight into the hole.

 

“Sometimes you can start too fast though and it can make you a bit unsettled, but I played very well until the last couple of holes when I missed the fairway. That puts pressure on your iron shots, and I actually made a lucky bogey at the last with a good putt from 12 feet.”

 

Praise for Terre Blanche, which is hosting the event for the first time, poured in all day, with Job saying: “It’s fabulous here, a wonderful place, so it’s a pleasure to be here. It’s a tricky course, but a very good one and an enjoyable one to play. Plus the clubhouse and the food is magnificent, so it’s set to be a very nice week.”

 

The 63 year old added: “It’s a relief to play nicely for once, because this season it has been pretty grim. I started to play well, but then I had my clubs stolen from the boot of my car in June which was a disaster, and it has taken time to get back into it. Hopefully I can have a good finish to the year.”

 

END

 

First round scores:

68 A Franco (Par) , J Sallat (Fra) ,

 69 D Russell (Eng) , C Mason (Eng) , A Forsbrand (Swe) , C Williams (RSA) , N Job (Eng) ,

 70 S Van Vuuren (RSA) , B Cameron (Eng) ,

 71 C Rocca (Ita) , P Wesselingh (Eng) , P Fowler (Aus) , R Chapman (Eng) , I Woosnam (Wal) , T Burgoyne (Sco) ,

 72 G Ralph (Eng) , G Brand (Eng) , M Harwood (Aus) , R Drummond (Sco) , D Smyth (Irl) ,

 73 J Gould (Eng) , A Sherborne (Eng) , L Carbonetti (Arg) , G Manson (Aut) , D Merriman (Aus) , P Dugeny (Fra) , P Golding (Eng) , S Cipa (Eng) , M Cunning (USA) , D Hospital (Esp) , M Mouland (Wal) , T Price (Aus) ,

 74 G Ryall (Eng) , B Longmuir (Sco) , G Norquist (USA) , G Wolstenholme (Eng) ,

 75 K Spurgeon (Eng) , S Torrance (Sco) , G Brand Jnr (Sco) , P Walton (Irl) , K Tomori (Jpn) , P Mitchell (Eng) , M Martin (Esp) ,

 76 B Lincoln (RSA) , D O'Sullivan (Irl) , M James (Eng) , J Bruner (USA) , J Rhodes (Eng) , M Piñero (Esp) , G Banister (Aus) , M Farry (Fra) , T Thelen (USA) , J Harrison (Eng) ,

 77 B Lane (Eng) , T Elliott (Aus) , A Fernandez (Chi) , A Garrido (Esp) , J Quiros (Esp) , T Johnstone (Zim) , D Cambridge (Jam) , S McAllister (Sco) ,

 78 R Sabarros (Fra) ,

 79 Z Martinez (USA) , J Hall (Eng) , N Ratcliffe (Aus) ,

 80 G Cali (Ita) , M Belsham (Eng) ,

 81 H Carbonetti (Arg) , D Durnian (Eng) , F Illouz (Fra) ,

 83 M Bembridge (Eng) ,

 ** E Darcy (Irl) ,

 

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DELPODIO SURGES TO TOP OF ALLIANZ LEADERBOARD

From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes
Matteo Delpodio bounced back from a stuttering start to his second round to surge to the top of the leaderboard at the midway stage of the ALLIANZ Golf Open Toulouse Metropole.

Delpodio three-putted the second for bogey and dropped another shot on the fourth hole at Golf de Toulouse-Seilh, in south west France, but he rallied in stunning fashion to belie his lowly Ranking position of 85^th. The Italian collected his first birdies of the day at the sixth and eighth holes to get back to level par for his round, and added another gain at the 11^th before holing a 30 foot putt for eagle at the 14^th to reignite his bid for a maiden Challenge Tour victory.

Further birdies followed at the 15^th and 17^th holes – with a bogey in between – to move the 27 year old from Turin to ten under par, one shot clear of Denmark’s Joachim B Hansen and England’s Simon Wakefield.
Delpodio said: “It was a bad start, although I got an unlucky bounce on the fourth hole. But after that I played very well and hardly made any mistakes. Things started happening and the eagle putt on the 14^th was a big bonus. I had a really bad lie on the 16^th so had to lay up and made bogey, but I hit two great shots into the 17^th and made one last birdie, which was a very pleasing way to finish.
“The wind made life much tougher today, because it always seemed to be across us, never behind us, so it wasn’t easy to judge distances. But the forecast is looking much better for tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to the weekend. I’ve been in contention a few times this year without making the most of my chances, but hopefully this time I can keep going and things will fall my way.”              
Like Delpodio, Hansen – who opened with a sparkling opening round of 63 – got off to a sticky start, dropping shots at the second and third holes to drop back to six under par. But the redoubtable Dane, who is currently 12^th in the Challenge Rankings, rallied with a brace of birdies from the fifth hole, and added two more at the 15^th and 17^th to regain the initiative.
Hansen, who is seeking his first victory since turning professional in 2010, was understandably delighted with his gritty display.     
The 22 year old said: “The key was just to stay patient and try to hit as many fairways and greens as possible, and for the most part I managed to do that. So I’m very happy, because the round could’ve got away from me today. I’m obviously in a great position going into the weekend, but I’ve been here before [in Denmark] and not managed to finish it off, so hopefully I’ve learned from that experience.”

Wakefield has one Challenge Tour victory to his name – at the Tessali Open del Sud – and, ten years on from that success, the Englishman is confident of doubling his tally after signing for a round of 68.
He said: “It was tough out there, but I enjoy playing in the wind when the course is set up for it, which it was today. It was a good challenge, and for the most part I rose to it. The objective was to play smart golf, because it wasn’t a day for attacking the pins. You have to think a bit more on a day like today – I knew people weren’t going to pull away, so it was a day to dig in and put myself into a good position going into the weekend. I’m feeling good and very much looking forward to it.”

Home hero Julien Brun is currently in fourth place on eight under par after signing for his second successive round of 67.
The amateur starlet is very much in unchartered territory, having never before teed up in a Challenge Tour event – let alone entered the weekend in contention to win. But the 20 year old from Antibes, south east France, belied his inexperience with an astonishingly mature performance on a course he knows well, having played the French Boys Championship in Toulouse on numerous occasions.             
Indeed, were it not for a triple bogey seven at the 16^th hole, where he hit his drive out of bounds, the precociously talented youngster would have held the outright lead. But he is still well placed to emulate the feats of his friend and fellow Frenchman Romain Wattel, who won the ALLIANZ Europen Strasbourg as an amateur in 2010.
Brun is currently in the second year of a scholarship at Texas Christian University in America, whose former students include JJ Henry, twice a winner on the US PGA Tour. He has already made quite an impression on the collegiate circuit, recording three victories in his debut year in 2011.
He said: “I got off to a great start with a birdie on the tenth, which is an intimidating hole to start on – especially in the wind. So that really got my round going, until I hit my drive way right on the 16^th, and ended up making a triple bogey. But I was pleased with the way I bounced back with a birdie on the next, and three more after the turn was a good way to finish.
“I’ve played the course many times during the French Boys Championship and other amateur events, and it can get pretty windy here so I was ready for it – although the wind was blowing in a different direction than usual today, so that made life tricky. Obviously I’m pleased with my position, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy the weekend because there’s no real pressure on me.”

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NEWMACHAR SURVIVE BUT ONLY JUST IN NOTHERN COUNTIES CUP

Newmachar's quartet are still on course to win the Northern Counties Cup double foursomes match-play tournament at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club - but it was a close run thing before they reached Saturday morning'sfirst semi-final against McDonald Ellon. In the quarter-finals, they scraped through at the 20th against Banchory 2 whose first pair established a two-hole lead over the regulation distance. John Duff and Richard Barr came to Newmachar's rescue by finishing 18 holes two up in the second-string tie. Banchory then won at the 20th. The semi-finals are Newmachar v McDonald Ellon and Nairn v Fortrose and Rosemarkie RESULTS THIRD ROUND Newmachar 1 bt Inverness 1 by 2 holes G Simpson and M McKechnie 1, B Fotheringham and E Forbes 0 J Duff and R Barr 1, J Forbes and B Fraser 0 Banchory 2 bt Fortrose and Rosemarkie 2 by 14 holes. D Brand and S Strachan 8, M Ross and M Manson 0. L Morrice and A Lindsay 6, C Stewart and J Fair 0. McDonald Ellon bt Duff House Royal by 11 holes. R McKen and K Duncan 5, G Mutch and A J Smith 0. A Dunton and C Gilbert 6, D Morrison and G Wilson 0. Royal Aberdeen 1 bt Forres by three holes. D Macandrew and W Park 1, G Stuart and J Wright 0. B Barclay and A Reith 2, G MacKay and R McKerron 0. Nairn bt Moray 1 by one hole. F Fotheringham and A Burgess 2, M L MacLeman and K Thomson 0. B Thomson and R Smith 0, A W Mair and R J Shiels 1. Cruden Bay 1 bt Fraserburgh by seven holes. L Phillips and M Buchan 5, J Duff and J Mitchell 0. J Godward and A Duff 2, G Munro and N Thomson 0. Fortrose and Rosemarkie 1 bt Orkney 1 by 10 holes. M MacDonald and C Gaittens 5, M Fleet and G Flett 0. A Cameron and L Reid 5, E Rendall and P McKinlay 0. Muir of Ord bt Nigg Bay 2 at 19th. S Forbes and S Johnston 1, I Welsh and G Stewart 0. G Mellis and J Whittet 0, R Forbes and S Jamieson 1 QUARTER-FINALS                Newmachar  bt Banchory 2 at 20th G Simpson & M McKechnie 0, D Brand and S Strachan 2       J Duff and R Barr 2, L Morrice, A Lindsay 0. McDonald Ellon bt Royal Aberdeen 1 by 2 holes R McKen and K Duncan 0, D Macandrew and W Park 3. A Dunton and C Gilbert 5, B Barclay and A Reith 0. Nairn bt Cruden Bay 1 by one hole.F Fotheringham and A Burgess 0, L Phillips and M Buchan 5. B Thmson and R Smith 6, J Godward and A Duff 0. Fortrose and Rosemarkie 1 bt Muir of Ord by four holes. M MacDonald and C Gaittens 5, I Welsh and G Stewart 0. A Cameron and L Reid 0, R Forbes and S Jamieson 1.  end

KELLETT STRIVING FOR TOP 20 FINISH

Motherwell's Ross Kellett has fair amount of ground to make up if he is to salvage a top-20 finish from the latest Alps Tour event, the Dolomiti Open. Kellett ran up a quadruple bogey 8 at the ninth in an outward half of 41 on his way to a round of 74 for a 36-hole tally of 147. He came home in a bogey-free 33 to be lying joint 26th going into the last round. Englishman Andrew Cooley leads by two shots with a pair of 69s for an eight-under-par tally of 138. ALPS TOUR - Dolomiti Open LEADING FIRST ROUND Par 146 (2x73)_ 138 Andrew Cooley (Eng) 69 69 140 Alessandro Grammatica (Ita) 69 71 SELECTED SCORES 143 Gareth Shaw (NIr) 71 72 (7th) 144 Darren Keenan (Eng) 72 72 (T11) 146 Steven Brown (Eng) 77 69 (T21) 147 Ross Kellett (Sco) 73 74 (T26)

FUJITA LEADS PANASONIC OPEN IN JAPAN

NEWS RELEASE FROM ASIAN TOUR

Hyogo, Japan: Home favourite Hiroyuki Fujita took the second round lead at the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open on Friday but has reigning Asian Tour number one Juvic Pagunsan in hot pursuit.

Fujita, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour, carded a three-under-par 68 for a one-shot lead over Pagunsan, who birdied the last three holes for 66. 

Darren Beck of Australia and Koumei Oda of Japan are also tied second at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club.

India’s Shiv Kapur battled through fatigue and jetlag for 68 and was three shots off the pace followed by Asian Tour rookie David Lipsky (64) of the United States and Japanese stalwart Ryo Ishikawa (65), who were a further shot back.

Overnight leader Yuta Ikeda, who shot an opening round 62, slipped back with a 76 for tied 24^th place with Jeev Milkha Singh of India and Thai duo Prayad Marksaeng and Chinnarat Phadungsil at the 150 million Yen (approximately US$1.9 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

Veteran golfer Fujita is aiming for a fourth victory in Japan this week and fuelled his ambitions when he birdied the last hole for a 10-under-par 132 total.

“My putter went cold on the back nine and I couldn’t score. It was quite disappointing but this is just the second day and we do not know how it will turn out in the end. The course set up might get tougher in the last two days so I hope I can continue shooting in the 60s,” said the 46-year-old, who won in Japan last week.

“Last week’s win has boosted my confidence but like I said, it is still early in the tournament and there are many good players behind me,” Fujita added.

The sweet-swinging Pagunsan got off with a bogey, birdie and bogey start but steadied ship with six further birdies including a missed eagle opportunity from 25 feet on the 18^th hole.

“My approach shot landed on a slope (18^th) and the ball could have rolled into the water but it went towards the green instead. I had a chance for eagle but settled for an easy birdie instead. I’ll take that,” said Pagunsan, who finished second at the Queen’s Cup in Thailand on the Asian Tour in June.

Despite playing some of his best golf this week, Pagunsan played down his chances of ending a five-year title drought on the Asian Tour.

“I’ve been hitting the ball good so hopefully I can hang in there. I’m always waiting for my chance on the last day. I don’t want to get ahead of myself and think that I can win yet,” said the 34-year-old, who won the Order of Merit last season courtesy of a runner-up finish at the lucrative Barclays Singapore Open.

Australia’s Beck has not enjoyed the best of results on the Asian Tour since his triumph at the 2009 Brunei Open but he is beginning to hit top form again after taking yoga lessons.

“It has been a long time! It is a good feeling especially when you get two good rounds. I put a bit of pressure on myself and it go to me a little bit (after winning in 2009),” said Beck, who shot a sizzling 65 courtesy of a 105-yard chip-in eagle-two on hole 15.

“I’ve doing a lot of yoga even on the road and that has made my body feel comfortable. My body is not sore and it has helped. I’ve been doing yoga for about a year. Previously, my body used to get sore when I play a couple of rounds so I’m making sure I do a lot of stretching and keep my body in good shape,” he added.

India’s Kapur, who has won once the Asian Tour, struggled with the effects of jetlag as he arrived from Italy on Tuesday night and was delighted to be in contention without playing his best golf.

“I didn’t have my ‘A-Game’. It was probably a ‘B’ off the tees but I was sharp on the greens. Every time I seem to miss the greens, I get an up-and-down and that sort of took the pressure off the round. I think that was basically the story of the day,” said the 2005 Asian Tour Rookie of the Year.

  SECOND ROUND TOTALS

Par 142 (2x71) Yardage 7020

132 - Hiroyuki FUJITA (JPN) 64-68.

133 - Darren BECK (AUS) 68-65, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 67-66, Koumei ODA (JPN) 64-69.

134 - Masamichi UEHIRA (JPN) 66-68, Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 67-67, Yusaku MIYAZATO (JPN) 64-70.

135 - Shiv KAPUR (IND) 67-68, Daisuke KATAOKA (JPN) 67-68, Masahiro KAWAMURA (JPN) 70-65, Tomohiro KONDO (JPN) 66-69.

136 - Shigeru NONAKA (JPN) 66-70, WU Ashun (CHN) 67-69, Toru TANIGUCHI (JPN) 67-69, LEE Seong-ho (KOR) 67-69, Tjaart VAN DER WALT (RSA) 68-68, David LIPSKY (USA) 72-64, Ryo ISHIKAWA (JPN) 71-65.

137 - HWANG Jung-gon (KOR) 67-70, Yoshinobu TSUKADA (JPN) 68-69, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 64-73, Hidemasa HOSHINO (JPN) 67-70, I.J. JANG (KOR) 68-69, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 67-70.

 

EDINBURGH AND EAST OF SCOTLAND ALLIANCE

Results from second outing of Edinburgh and East of Scotland Alliance season at West Lothian. Winner of The Bernard Gallacher Trophy with a net 70 (79 less 9) is Darren Love of Archerfield. 

Top scratch prize went to Allyn Dick of Kingsknowe with a 72. Next outing in two weeks at Musselburgh (Monktonhall).

 

Alan Greenshields

Secretary/Treasurer

Edinburgh and East of Scotland Golfers' Alliance

Mobile:07730 007100

Alliance Mobile: 07814 983582

E-mail: secretary.eesga@talktalk.net

Bernard Gallacher Trophy			West Lothian		19.09.12
Overall Winner		Darren Love (Archerfield)			70
Scratch	Prize	Surname	Forename	Club	Score
1st	£125	Dick	Allyn	Kingsknowe	72
2nd=	£87.50	Gordon	Craig	Edinburgh Golf Centre	73
2nd=	£87.50	Henderson	Neil	Glen, North Berwick	73
4th=	£25	Catlin	Scott	Greenburn	74
4th=	£25	Erskine	Andrew	Ratho Park	74
4th=	£25	McGarvey	Sean	Glencorse	74
Handicap	Prize	Surname	Forename	Club	Net
1st	£125	Love	Darren	Archerfield	70
2nd	£100	Rankeillor	James	Baberton	71
3rd=	£62.50	Cockburn	Robin	Harburn	73
3rd=	£62.50	Marr	William	West Lothian	73
5th=	£10	Laing	William	Prestonfield	74
5th=	£10	MacKay	Alan	Kingsknowe	74
5th=	£10	Young	Alan	Lochend	74
Senior	Prize	Surname	Forename	Club	Net
	£20	Scott	Jim	Minto	74
	£5	Sneddon	Thomas	Bathgate	77
	£5	Taylor	Ian	Royal Burgess	77
	£5	Wardlaw	Stuart	Harburn	77

PIERRE BECHMANN DRIVES IN AS NEW CAPTAIN OF R AND A

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R AND A
The traditional driving-in ceremony for the new Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews took place on the first tee of the Old Course today.
Pierre Bechmann began his year in office with a drive at precisely 8am as a cannon fired alongside the tee. A large crowd gathered to witness the ceremony and saw Mr Bechmann hit a long drive down the middle of the fairway running to around 30 yards short of the Swilcan Burn.
Mr Bechmann becomes the first Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club from Continental Europe. His role will see him representing The R&A and supporting its work in developing golf around the world. He will attend R&A Championships in the professional and amateur games and assume an ambassadorial role for the Club.
After hitting his tee shot, a relieved Mr Bechmann said: “It is a daunting prospect teeing off in front of such a large gallery but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I am greatly looking forward to my year in office and hope I can contribute to the important work The R&A does for golf around the world. I have been heavily involved in supporting the development of talented young players and I look forward to continuing that work in my new role.”
Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris in 1957, Mr Bechmann is particularly active in amateur golf, sitting on the Executive Committee of the French Golf Federation and the Championship Committee of the European Golf Association.
A lawyer and member of the Paris Bar, Mr Bechmann has been President of his home club, Golf de Chantilly, since 2010. He is a former member of the R&A’s General Committee, and has served on the Championship and Rules of Golf Committees as well as The R&A Coaching Panel. In 2008/09 he was Captain of Royal St George’s Golf Club. Mr Bechmann lives in Chantilly and plays to a handicap of nine.
In the past, the Club Captaincy was bestowed on the winner of the annual Challenge for the Silver Club but by the early 19th Century the Captaincy had become an elected office.
Part of the tradition is that a gold sovereign is paid by the new Captain to buy his golf ball back from the caddie who successfully retrieves and returns it.
This year’s recipient of the sovereign was Scott Bechelli. The 44 year old from St Andrews said: “I have been caddying here since I was 13 years old and this is a real honour for me. My brother received the sovereign in 2008 so it’s nice to follow him.”

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TIGER WOODS LEADS TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A 66

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE

FROM JAMIE CORRIGAN

Advantage Tiger Woods. So much for the world No 2 being “intimidated” by Rory McIlroy. He was so spooked in his presence yesterday that he outscored his rival by three strokes when shooting a 66 to lead the Tour Championship alongside England’s Justin Rose.

Woods’s four-under start saw him leapfrog McIlroy into pole position in the race to claim the $10 million (£6.2 million) bonus for the winner of the FedEx Cup. Should he triumph here at East Lake, McIlroy would not be able to land the biggest jackpot in golf, despite winning two of the FedEx events and heading the standings coming into this finale. And on this form, Woods is now favourite.

Playing with McIlroy for the third time in five weeks, Woods made Greg Norman’s declaration – “Tiger is intimidated by Rory” – look decidedly silly. There were some fireworks when he chipped in on the 12th, but otherwise this was a controlled performance by Woods. “I played well,” he said. “I was almost right on my number in terms of what I could have got out of it today.”

A 69 was hardly a disaster for McIlroy. As the field goes out in leaderboard order, he will not be playing with Woods today, although he clearly enjoys the experience.

“It was another great day in terms of the atmosphere,” he said, after his ninth successive round in the 60s. “I should have been a few shots better, but I’m in a good position. I made some good up and downs.”

McIlroy identified the 35-footer he holed for par on the 13th as key. “That was big as I didn’t want to give a shot straight back after the 25-footer for birdie on the 12th,” he said. “It was lucky as it was probably going 10 feet past if it didn’t hit the hole. It was important for my momentum.”

Anyone in this field could conceivably be crowned FedEx champion on Sunday night and see $9 million enter their bank account, with the other $1 million placed in their PGA Tour pension. Rose requires a win plus McIlroy to finish outside the top 17, Woods outside the top five and a few more “failures” from other players.

It is not likely, but then last year’s champion, Bill Haas, performed the outrageous leap from one place further down the standings (25th). And the Englishman’s fine start means he will play in Friday’s final group with Woods. No, he will not be “intimidated” either.
Rose’s afternoon was highlighted by a 52-putt for a birdie on the par-three 18th. His leap in the air said it all. “That was my longest putt of the year and the 'best-feeling’ putt of the year,” said Rose. “I aimed 15 feet left of the hole and let gravity do its work. To be honest, I was thinking 'two-putt, get out of here’. I haven’t sunk many of those long ones this year.”
Rose’s round was in contrast to the majority of his year, in which he has been superb from tee to green and inconsistent thereafter. He hit only seven fairways yesterday.
“My driving is something to work out before tomorrow but I’m really pleased that I scrambled well today,” Rose said. “I had a different attitude today to last year, when I knew that if I won I’d lift the FedEx Cup. Now I have nothing to lose and everything to win.
“It’s highly unlikely I can win the FedEx, but I feel I have a realistic shot at winning this tournament. There’s 21 of the world’s top 22 here and that gets the juices flowing.”
As, of course, does the proximity of the Ryder Cup. If McIlroy had not already suspected he would be wearing a target next week at Medinah, then his back should certainly be burning now. Paul Azinger, the former US captain, yesterday urged Davis Love’s men to focus on the Northern Irishman, saying: “Beat Rory, win the Ryder Cup”.
On Tuesday, Jim Furyk announced McIlroy would be “a marked man” in Chicago as the home side aim for what would be just their second win in the last six Ryder Cups.
Azinger, the only man to oversee a Stars and Stripes triumph this century, laid out the mission. “The key to this Ryder Cup is Rory,” the master tactician of the 2008 match in Kentucky said. “Just like we used to do with Seve Ballesteros, and Europe has done with Tiger, the US has to find Rory.
“Figure out what slot he’s in and put our hottest players against him. And if they aren’t our biggest names, all the better, because they’ll have everything to gain. If we can beat Rory, we win this Ryder Cup.”
Azinger is a friend of Love’s and has been consulted by his successor, so it is fair to assume he is privy to the game plan. It is becoming ­obvious there will be 12 Chicago hit men patrolling the Chicago fairways. Seek and destroy. 

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Ross Kellett will start the second round of this week's Alps Tour event, the Dolomiti Open, five shots behind the leader after matching the par of 73 yesterday. The Motherwell man was sharing 25th place.
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