AMATEUR BRUN TAKES UP RUNNING IN ALLIANZ OPEN

From Challenge Tour Press Officer Paul Symes

Amateur hotshot Julien Brun moved into pole position to land a Challenge Tour title on his debut after surging to the top of the leaderboard on the third day of the ALLIANZ Golf Open Toulouse Metropole.

Brun is currently on a scholarship at Texas Christian University, near Dallas, but his trip across the Atlantic to compete in this week’s €160,000 event is looking like a very worthwhile exercise after the 20 year old from Antibes signed for a round of 67 for the third successive day.

That moved Brun – who is bidding to emulate the feat of his friend Romain Wattel, winner of the ALLIANZ Europen Strasbourg as an amateur in 2010 – to 12 under par.

Matteo Delpodio is one shot back on 11 under par after the Italian again recovered from a sluggish start to card a round of 70, with his two playing partners, Dane Joachim B Hansen and England’s Simon Wakefield, a further stroke behind after both men posted level par rounds of 71.

Brun, followed by a sizeable crowd which included his father Christophe and grandfather Claude, got off to the perfect start, almost holing his wedge approach to the first hole for a tap-in birdie.

The highlight of his day was an eagle three at the fifth hole, where he hit his three-iron to three feet, before following up with a birdie at the seventh to grab the outright lead from Delpodio, who turned in three over par 38. 
The back nine was a more steady affair for Brun, who parred in to set up the very real prospect of becoming only the sixth amateur to triumph on the Challenge Tour.          

He said: “My ball-striking today was great, I made very solid contact all day, so that was probably the most pleasing thing. It was great to play well at home, because I don’t get often the chance to play in France these days. It was very nice to have a crowd following me, I really enjoyed myself today.

“I’m sure I will be a little nervous playing in the final group on the last day. You can’t help but think about it, but it’s why we play the game. If I play the way I have so far, that’s all I can do. There’s more pressure on the other guys because they’re playing for money and playing for a place on The European Tour. But if you’ve got a chance to win you’re going to feel pressure – I’m sure it’ll be a great experience though.”

Delpodio is in desperate need of a maiden victory to climb the Rankings from his current position of 85^th, but the Italian is determined not to force the issue after being guilty of trying too hard in previous weeks.

He said: “On the front nine I made some really stupid mistakes, like I did yesterday. But I knew I was playing well, so I was always confident of coming back and in the end that’s what happened on the back nine.
" I need to get off to a faster start on the final day, because I can’t keep fighting back from bad positions. I just need to give myself lots of opportunities, because I’m putting pretty well so I feel confident of taking my chances. I just need to let things happen.

“I don’t know anything about Julien, but he’s obviously a very good player. I’m sure the crowd will be cheering for him, but they were also very nice to me today, so I’m sure they’ll be fair. It’s unusual to have such good support outside your home country, but I have to give them credit today, because they were excellent.”

Hansen had appeared on course to join Delpodio in a share of second place, only to close with a card-wrecking double bogey after finding the lake guarding the 18^th green with his tee shot. Wakefield also had a double bogey on his card, at the par five fifth, but rallied in impressive fashion with two late birdies to remain in contention to capture his second Challenge Tour title.

THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOAD

 Par 213 (3x71)

201 J Brun (am) (Fra) 67 67 67,

 202 M Delpodio  (Ita) 65 67 70,

 204 S Wakefield (Eng) 65 68 71,

 205 J Hansen  (Den) 63 70 72, L Kennedy  (Eng) 69 67 69, E Pepperell (Eng) 71 67 67, M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 69 71 65, A Snobeck  (Fra) 68 70 67, M Kieffer (Ger) 70 71 64,

 206 R Steiner (Aut) 70 70 66, P Archer (Eng) 69 72 65, R Bland (Eng) 66 72 68, M Tullo (Chi) 71 70 65, S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 68 71 67,

 207 L Saltman (Sco) 67 72 68, C Hanson (Eng) 66 71 70, J Lopez Lazaro (Fra) 71 71 65, E Espana (am) (Fra) 69 69 69,

 208 S Jeppesen  (Swe) 68 70 70, A Bernadet  (Fra) 70 68 70, P Uihlein  (USA) 68 72 68,

 209 S Benson (Eng) 71 69 69, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 67 69 73, M Madsen  (Den) 69 72 68, C Doak (Sco) 67 72 70, D Vancsik (Arg) 65 78 66, J Walters (RSA) 65 75 69, S Hutsby  (Eng) 72 70 67,

 210 M Nixon (Eng) 66 72 72, A Kaleka  (Fra) 65 74 71, R Russell (Sco) 67 72 71, M Ford (Eng) 69 72 69, C Macaulay  (Sco) 70 72 68, F McGuirk  (Eng) 69 71 70, C Brazillier  (Fra) 67 75 68, C Monasterio (Arg) 69 71 70, S O'Hara  (Sco) 67 71 72, B Teilleria (Fra) 73 69 68, B Barham (Eng) 74 69 67, J Huldahl (Den) 70 70 70,

 211 T Sluiter  (Ned) 67 69 75, W Besseling  (Ned) 73 69 69, J McLeary  (Sco) 68 75 68, F Calmels  (Fra) 68 69 74, J Busby (Eng) 69 73 69,

 212 A Otaegui  (Esp) 71 72 69, D Perrier (Fra) 72 71 69, R Dinwiddie  (Eng) 69 72 71, O David  (Fra) 71 72 69, P Dwyer (Eng) 72 71 69,

 213 D Nouailhac (Fra) 71 72 70, A Parr (Can) 69 73 71, B An (Kor) 67 76 70, J Lima  (Por) 69 71 73, S Kim (Kor) 71 72 70,

 214 E De La Riva  (Esp) 70 72 72, N Meitinger  (Ger) 69 72 73, S Walker (Eng) 67 76 71, M Cryer (Eng) 73 69 72, A Bossert (Sui) 72 71 71, F De Vries  (Ned) 73 70 71,

 215 P Relecom  (Bel) 67 73 75,

 216 D Brooks (Eng) 70 72 74, P Edberg (Swe) 69 74 73,

 217 B Chapellan (Fra) 70 73 74        

Paul Symes

Press Officer

European Tour

ROGER CHAPMAN ONE SHOT AHEAD IN FRENCH SENIORS

NEWS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
 
Englishman Roger Chapman showed his class yet again as a five under par 67 in the second round of the French Riviera Masters gave him a one shot lead.

The 53 year old has won two Senior Major Championships this season and has an advantage of more than €80,000 at the top of the European Senior Tour Order of Merit, and now he could continue the fairytale at Terre Blanche Resort and Golf Club in Provence.

An eagle, four birdies and a bogey ensured Chapman goes into Sunday’s final round one shot in front of Chris Williams, who signed for a two under par 70, and two ahead of compatriots Bob Cameron and Paul Wesselingh and Australian Peter Fowler, the reigning Senior Tour Number One.

“I played very well today and I’m almost back to how I felt in the summer,” said the US Senior Open and US Senior PGA Champion. “It’s really pleasing. I went off the boil a bit after playing in the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. It messed me up a bit. There was lots of wind and the course was 7,700 yards, which for a senior is so long.

“I felt as though I’d lost my rhythm and I didn’t play particularly well in America the following week, but I saw my coach Gavin Christie when I got back and then again at Woburn three weeks ago, and it seems like it’s just beginning to click again.

“It would be brilliant to make it a hat-trick of wins for the season tomorrow, but there are two or three guys playing well and it’s the type of course where anything can happen. You can be four or five behind with nine holes to play and win.

“But I feel really good about my game and very much in control, which is the main thing on this course.”

Williams had birdies at the first, fourth and 11th against a bogey at the par five sixth, and was delighted to be in contention heading into the final round at Terre Blanche, which is in the European Tour Properties portfolio.

“It was a steady day,” said the 53 year old, who is chasing his second Senior Tour title. “The greens were quite difficult and I didn’t knock too many putts in, but when it counted at certain moments, I holed one or two good ones for par.

“I only had one bogey and other than that it was very solid. I hit a lot more fairways, which made the round a lot easier. It’s a long walk round that course and quite tiring, but I’m only one behind a two-time Senior Major winner, so I must be doing something right.

“Tomorrow the aim will be simply to be in a good position with three or four holes to go. I’m just going to try to stay in touch with Roger, who is obviously playing really well this year. I’m sure he’ll be a tough competitor to beat.

“The emphasis is on your driving here. If you can drive it well you’ll always be in a safe position, but if you’re in the rough, it’s very coarse and it’s difficult to control the club face. The greens have been firm and quick, so it’s hard to make the shots you want to play if you’re coming out of the rough.”

American Tim Thelen had the best round of the day, a 66 taking him to two under par, while Gary Wolstenholme, the 2011 Senior Tour Rookie of the Year, enjoyed a 68 to also reach two under for the tournament.

Second round scores:

138 R Chapman (Eng) 71 67,

 139 C Williams (RSA) 69 70,

 140 B Cameron (Eng) 70 70, P Wesselingh (Eng) 71 69, P Fowler (Aus) 71 69,

 141 A Forsbrand (Swe) 69 72,

 142 I Woosnam (Wal) 71 71, D Smyth (Irl) 72 70, G Wolstenholme (Eng) 74 68, J Sallat (Fra) 68 74, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 70 72, T Thelen (USA) 76 66,

 143 M Harwood (Aus) 72 71, D Russell (Eng) 69 74, C Mason (Eng) 69 74,

 144 M Mouland (Wal) 73 71, M Cunning (USA) 73 71, D Merriman (Aus) 73 71, G Manson (Aut) 73 71, A Franco (Par) 68 76,

 145 R Drummond (Sco) 72 73, P Golding (Eng) 73 72, L Carbonetti (Arg) 73 72, J Gould (Eng) 73 72, T Burgoyne (Sco) 71 74, G Ryall (Eng) 74 71,

 146 N Job (Eng) 69 77, J Bruner (USA) 76 70, C Rocca (Ita) 71 75,

 147 G Ralph (Eng) 72 75, Z Martinez (USA) 79 68, G Brand (Eng) 72 75, M Martin (Esp) 75 72, B Lane (Eng) 77 70, T Price (Aus) 73 74, G Norquist (USA) 74 73, A Sherborne (Eng) 73 74,

 148 J Quiros (Esp) 77 71, D Cambridge (Jam) 77 71, K Spurgeon (Eng) 75 73, M Farry (Fra) 76 72, S Cipa (Eng) 73 75, P Walton (Irl) 75 73, G Banister (Aus) 76 72, M James (Eng) 76 72,

 149 A Fernandez (Chi) 77 72, B Longmuir (Sco) 74 75,

 150 P Dugeny (Fra) 73 77, D Hospital (Esp) 73 77, K Tomori (Jpn) 75 75, M Piñero (Esp) 76 74, G Brand Jnr (Sco) 75 75,

 151 R Sabarros (Fra) 78 73, D O'Sullivan (Irl) 76 75, T Elliott (Aus) 77 74, J Harrison (Eng) 76 75, S McAllister (Sco) 77 74,

 152 G Cali (Ita) 80 72,

 153 T Johnstone (Zim) 77 76, H Carbonetti (Arg) 81 72, B Lincoln (RSA) 76 77, S Torrance (Sco) 75 78, J Hall (Eng) 79 74,

 155 J Rhodes (Eng) 76 79, M Belsham (Eng) 80 75,

 156 F Illouz (Fra) 81 75, D Durnian (Eng) 81 75, N Ratcliffe (Aus) 79 77,

 158 A Garrido (Esp) 77 81, M Bembridge (Eng) 83 75,

 ** P Mitchell (Eng) DQ  0, E Darcy (Irl) RT  0,

 

MCDONALD ELLON WIN NORTHERN COUNTIES CUP

Left to right: Kevin Duncan, Ross McKen, Chris Gilbert and Adam Dunton, winners of the Northern Counties Cup at Royal Aberdeen.

Y0ung North-east golfer Adam Dunton is having a season to remember. He won his first Scotland cap against South Africa during the summer and on Saturday Adam was a key man in the McDonald Ellon Golf Club team of four who won the Northern Counties Cup double foursomes team match-play tournament over three days at Royal Aberdeen's Balgownie links.
The Northern Counties Cup is one of the oldest tournaments on the Scottish golf calendar. First played in 1900 when it was hosted by Royal Aberdeen whose secretary had played a leading part in its auguration, the tournament returns to Balgownie every four years.
The Ellon quartet of Adam Dunton, Chris Gilbert, Ross McKen and Kevin Duncan had looked potential winners when the various line-ups in the field of 40 teams were announced and they played to their potential.
They knocked out Newmachar - winners for the past two years - in the Saturday morning semi-finals by a combined four holes and then beat Fortrose and Rosemarkie by five holes in the final.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie had beaten Nairn by nine holes in their semi-final. That Fortrose and Rosemarkie won was no surprise but the margin of victory was.
In the final, Ellon's McKen and Duncan finished five holes up on Mike MacDonald and Chris Gaittens of Fortrose and Rosemarkie.
That was the decisive match as the second-string tie between Gilbert and Dunton and Fortrose and Rosemarke's Alan Cameron and Lewis Reid finished all square.


McKen and Duncan won the seventh, eighth and ninth to go three up - the key part of the match.
The first six holes had been very tight.
MacDonald and Gaittens won the 11th to be two down but they could not follow that success up.
McKen and Duncan won the 12th and 15th to go four up and they clinched a five-hole victory with a 2 at the short 17th where McKen played a five-iron tee shot to around 12ft and Duncan holed the putt.
In the second string match, Gilbert and Dunton lost the eighth, ninth and 10th to be one down after being two up in the early stages.
The 11th was halved in birdieds.
In a quality match, Gilbert and Dunton birdied the 13th to square the match.
Cameron and Reid won the 14th to go one up again but Gilbert and Dunton squared the match with a par at the 16th. The last two holes were halved.
Next year's Northern Counties Cup will be hosted by The Nairn Golf Club.
Gary Abel, the Elgin Golf Club secretary, was understudy to Eddie Sherwood, tournament secretary, for the first two days at Balgownie. Eddie has now retired after 12 years in the Northern Counties Cup post and it will be Gary running the show at Nairn in 2013.

SATURDAY'S RESULTS
SEMI-FINALS
McDonald Ellon bt Newmachar by four holes
Ross McKen and Kevin Duncan 0, Colin Simpson and Mike McKechnie 2.
Chris Gilbert and Adam Dunton 6, John Duff and Richard Barr 0.

Fortrose and Rosemarkie bt Nairn by nine holes.
Mike MacDonald and Chris Gaittens 10, Fraser Fotheringham and Anthony Burgess,
Alan Cameron and Lewis Reid 0, Bruce Thomson and Robert Smith 1.

FINAL
McDonald Ellon bt Fortrose and Rosemarkie by five holes
McKen and Duncan 5, MacDonald and Gaittens 0
Gilbert and Dunton 0, Cameron and Reid 0.

Beaten finalists Fortrose and Rosemarkie with (centre) Eddie Sherwood who has now retired as tournament secretary of the Northern Counties Cup after 12 years.
Left to right, either side of Eddie, are Mike MacDonald, Lewis Reid, Chris Gaittens and Allan Cameron.

US WEB.COM TOUR NEWS AND SCORES

FOR NEWS FROM THE US WEB.COM TOUR (formerly Nationwide Tour)


CLICK HERE

JIM FURYK LEADS FROM JUSTIN ROSE IN US TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

US TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP 

LEADING SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70)
Players from US unless stated
133 Jim Furyk 69 64
134 Justin Rose (England) 66 68
135 Bubba Watson 69 66, Bo Van Pelt 67 68
136 Dustin Johnson 69 67, Matt Kuchar 67 69

SELECTED SCORES
137 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 69 68 (T7)
139 Tiger Woods 66 73 (T12)
140 Luke Donald (England) 71 69, Phil Mickelson 69 81 (T16)
145 Lee Westwood (England) 72 73 (28th).

TO READ A SUMMARY OF THE DAY'S PLAY AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE LEADING PLAYERS

CLICK HERE

WESTWOOD MOVING LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL TO AMERICA

After decades of indifference Lee Westwood has finally embraced America and admitted to himself that he should have moved there 14 years ago.

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE

By JAMES CORRIGAN

After decades of indifference, Lee Westwood has finally embraced America and admitted to himself that he should have mosed his base there 14 years ago. 

But he is adamant that beating them in next week’s Ryder Cup would not be any less enjoyable.

The 39 year-old heads in to what he scarcely believes is his eighth match, claiming that the will to reduce all that “USA, USA” to a barely discernible whimper inspires as fiercely as ever.

But things have changed since his debut in 1997. And Westwood can hardly credit by how much.

“If you’d have told me two years ago I would be moving my family over to live full-time in Florida, I would have said you were nuts,” he said. “But now we’re in the process of doing it and it’s probably long overdue.

"I try not to do regrets as they’re pointless, but if I could change one thing I would go back to when I won in New Orleans in 1998 and take up membership of the PGA Tour — and move over there and then.”

Westwood stayed at home and, after Colin Montgomerie, became the poster boy of the European Tour. He won events around the world, but none happened to be majors. And then every two years he would show the PGA Tour what they were missing.
He compiled a Ryder Cup record which would be the envy of any American in the last decade and a half. Seven Ryder Cups played, five Ryder Cups won. The biennial dust-up was set to define his career.
Except Westwood sees it differently. He bridles at the suggestion that he is best known as a Ryder Cup specialist. “How can you say that, I’ve been world No 1?” he said. “And it doesn’t matter what you’re best known for until you’ve finished your career. I honestly believe the last month has been a turning point in my career.
"I haven’t moved to America in a physical sense yet, but I have mentally. And I think this could be the catalyst for me to improve enough to the point where I can win major championships.”
It’s as if Westwood has seen the light; well, the sunlight anyway. While his rivals in FedEx Cup took the chance in last week’s rest period to keep the batteries topped up with some social golf in the Florida heat, Westwood went home to Worksop and found rain, wind and wildly inappropriately slow greens.
“I could feel myself losing ground,” he said. “I’d got myself up to match fitness with three weeks in the States, but then I went backwards. Don’t get me wrong, I love where I’m from, but think back over all those years when a) I couldn’t practise because of the weather and b) I could practise but in inferior facilities and work out how much ground I lost. But then, there are lifestyle reasons behind the move, too.”
From daughter Poppy, to son Sam, to wife Laurae the Westwoods can’t wait to pitch up in the Sunshine State. Not just because of the temperature and quality of life, but also because they reckon they may see more of Dad.
“The thing is it’s not the European Tour to me anymore,” said Westwood. “I don’t really play in Europe. I play in the Middle East at the start of the year, the Far East at the end of the year and just a couple of events in Europe in the middle. So it’s no longer a case where I can do what I called ‘two-third weeks’.
"Go on Wednesday morning, come home Sunday night. Those extra two days at home made a massive difference. I play that much in America now I can see me getting back to that schedule of 10 years ago.”
Westwood is effectively saying goodbye to Europe. The move will be complete. He has recently signed forms to buy a residence in West Palm and is in the process of selling his Worksop mansion. In for a cent, in for several million dollars.
The next thing we’ll hear is an American twang in that Nottinghamshire lilt. How come the sudden turnaround?
“Maybe I didn’t find the people as friendly in America, maybe I didn’t find the whole thing that welcoming,” he said. “But the more you go over there the more you like the society, the more you like the people. And look at it from a golfing sense. Three majors are in America, one major is in Britain.
"And the one in Britain is on a links in the wind, which no pro gets much experience of playing. I know it’s always been that way but I’ve only just got my head around it. Perhaps I was just stubborn.”
Or perhaps the Ryder Cup meant so much to Westwood he believed he should stay loyal to his home Tour. Whatever the reason, Westwood maintains the chance to take on the US will always be precious and that his golden memories can still, at the very least, be equalled.
“It’s not the same atmosphere as it was when I started, because back then not many of our guys were playing over there and it was a ‘them and us’ mentality,” he said. “The two sets of players are much closer than they used to be. We’ll all be having a beer together on the Sunday night at Medinah.
“Yet I can assure you there’s still an edge and the desire remains as strong. I haven’t been any happier in golf that when Luke [Donald] and I beat Tiger [Woods] and Steve [Stricker] 6&5 in the foursomes at Celtic Manor. We were first out, needed a big session, and put that scoreline on the board for our boys behind to see. That’s what’s unique about the Ryder Cup. And that’s why I love it.”
Yet there have been lows. Most notably there was the bizarre incident in the 2008 match at Kentucky when the captain, Nick Faldo, informed him on the 10th tee of an afternoon fourballs match that he wasn’t playing the next morning. Two years ago, Westwood called out Faldo for a wretched piece of leadership and it evidently still hurts.
“People ask me if captains matter at the Ryder Cup and I always say a captain can’t get it right, but they can get it wrong,” he said.
“I would say Nick’s decision to tell me I’m dropped when we’re two-up in a fourballs match when I was on my way to tying Arnold Palmer’s record for a 12-match unbeaten run wasn’t the right way. I lost my focus and Soren [Hansen] and I only just held on for a half. It was my most disappointing moment in the Ryder Cup by far.”
Westwood does not envisage any such errors on Jose Maria Olazabal’s behalf, as Europe try to win on away soil for just the second time in 17 years. “He will be a lot more sensitive and understand what makes his players tick,” said Westwood. “We all know about him and Seve [Ballesteros] and what it means to Jose Maria.
"What it comes to inspirational speeches he’s the best I’ve heard. He’s rung me a little bit, not to ask my advice but I suppose with being the most experienced one on the team, to keep me a bit more informed than the other players.”
Olazabal will have no worries with Westwood. If beating America is not motivation enough — which it is — there is another target to keep him hungry.
“I have amassed 19 points, the record is 25 points,” he said. “It’s a team game, yes, but the way I look at it is that if I can get as many points as I can that will be good for the team. So that record is in my sights and I figure I have at least another three Ryder Cups. I’ll get there.”
And that record is held by Sir Nick Faldo. For Westwood, the Ryder Cup ambition truly does burn as bright as ever.

MICHAEL STEWART QUALIFIES, DUNCAN STEWART FAILS

Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) was among the qualifiders at the Section B Stage 1 European Tour Qualifying School eliminator at Wychwood Park yesterday.
Perhaps this was the day when this talented former Walker Cup player's pro career turned the corner.
Ironically, Duncan Stewart (Grantown on Spey) who has had a very successful season the PGA EuroPro Tour failed to make it.

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

CLICK HERE