HENRY LEADS SCOTTISH ALLIANCE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Clydebank and District professional John Henry leads the way with a one-under-par 69 at Arbroath in the first round of the Scottish Alliance championship. On the main course, at Monifieth, Peterhead's Philip McLean (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre), pictured, and Panmure's Craig Knowles are setting the pace with one-over-par 73s. The players switch courses on Wednesday with the leaders after 36 holes contesting the final round of the championship at Monifieth on Thursday. LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES MONIFIETH Par 72 73 C Knowles (Panmure), P McLean (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre). 74 K McNicoll (Gullane). 75 R Stewart (Tulliallan), J Stevenson (Braehead). 76 A Marshall (Houston DR), L Grindrod (Cawder), A Gall (Deeside), P Jamieson (Dunblane New), J  Fowler (Hayston). 77 P Brookes (Pitreavie), W Crosbie (Blairgowrie). 79 D Mackay (Newmachar). 80 S L Brough (Alyth), A Martin (The Duke's) 82 D Wilson (Monifieth), N McGarva (Kilmacolm) 83 G McLeod (Monifieth) 84 J Kinloch (Cardross), P Kinloch (Cardross) 85 A Boxx (Boat of Garten), R Baldie (Crieff), J D Murray (Banchory), C Myles (Monifieth) 86 R Barton (Alloa), D Wilson (Duff House Royal), D S Bisset (Banchory) 87 G Mitchell (Blairgowrie) 89 P Leggate (Musselburgh), M Winton (Caledonian) 90 M Watkins (Panmure) 91 J Rankin (Scotscraig), A Mason (Thornton), W Miller (Monifieth), S Thomson (Caledonian).' ARBROATH Par 70 69 J Henry (Clydebank & Dist) 71 J Duff (Newmachar). 72 G Finlay (Ballumbie Castle). 74 I Wilson (Longniddry), G Wither (Lothianburn), J Smallwood (unatt). 75 K Beveridge (Inchmarlo). 76 H Wong  (Wellsgreen), J Ingram (Boat of Garten), D Roger (Windyhill), D Stein (unatt) 77 J Craig (Carnoustie), S Graham (Arbroath) 78 G Collins (Ballumbie Castle) 80 S Barker (Hilton Park) 81 F Sharp (Boat of Garten) 82 D Leslie (Northern), R Brownhill (Edzell) 83 J D'Aguilar (Glasgow), J D Hamilton (Murcar Links) 94 G Ramsay (Wellsgreen) 85 C Duffus (Kemnay), H Roulston (Stonehaven), C Cassie (Nigg B ay) 86 J Nicolson (Auchmill), D Fleming (Portlethen). 87 P Morrison (Portlethen), J Forrest (Northern), A Glass (Alloa). 88 R Farquhar (Carnoustie), I Butchart (Strathmore), D Spaven (Pitlochry), G Richton (unatt), G Allan (Newmachar) 90 M Carrington (Greenbank), J Junior (Hilton Park), D Nelson (Aboyne) 91 G Cant (Monifieth) 92 H McNaughton (Cruden Bay), G Hmer (Northern) 93 J Kyle (Airdrie), G Wilson (Mussel burgh). 94 L Roger (Royal Aberdeen) 96 M Rendall (Stonehaven) 98 B Lumsden (Northern)

IT'S A TURKEY FOR ORGANISERS - RORY, TIGER BEATEN IN FIRST MATCHES

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
The eagerly-anticipated clash between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods could be rendered meaningless after both lost their opening matches at the £3.2 million Turkish Airlines World Golf Final. 
Under the medal-play, match-play format, McIlroy lost by six shots to Matt Kuchar after an amazing run of triple-bogey, double-bogey, double-bogey from the 15th, while Woods lost by one shot to Charl Schwartzel after a bogey on the 18th.

The world's top two players are scheduled to face each other in the final match of Group One, but defeats for McIlroy to Schwartzel and Woods to Ryder Cup team-mate Kuchar in the morning would mean both players could not reach Thursday's semi-finals regardless of the result between them.

In regular match play McIlroy's 7 at the 15th might not have been so costly, but with this week's format being medal match play - where the lowest 18-hole total wins one point - the 23-year-old admitted he "gave up a bit" after going three strokes behind with three to play.

"I was playing pretty well until the 15th, then hit a loose tee shot there and was messing about in the trees and making 7," said the world number one, who had not seen the course before today but at least arrived with plenty of time to warm up, unlike before his singles match at Medinah.

"Then I hit it into the hazard on 16 and was just trying to get the round done. I lost a bit of concentration, went a few behind and gave up a bit.

"If it was a different format and a different tournament it might not have got as out of control as it did, but that's just the way it is.
"But it's fine. I know what I need to do tomorrow. I need to go out and win both of my matches and see if that's good enough. In a way it could be a blessing that I'm not complacent and I go out and give it my best."
McIlroy had actually made two eagles on the front nine of the PGA Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club, holing from 15ft on the third and 50ft on the seventh, but his round unravelled after blocking his drive right into trees on the 15th.
He needed two attempts to get clear of the trees, but after coming up short of the green with his fourth shot, duffed his pitch and ended up holing from 10ft for a triple-bogey.
Woods, whose singles match at Medinah was also rendered inconsequential after Martin Kaymer ensured Europe would retain the trophy in the game ahead, was two under par after eight holes but ran up a triple-bogey 7 on the ninth.
The 14-time major winner fought back with birdies on the 14th, 16th and 17th - the latter taking him level after Schwartzel bogeyed - only to bogey the last after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
Asked about the prospect of facing McIlroy tomorrow afternoon, Woods said: "I have to take care of my match and we'll see in the afternoon. We have to both win in the morning.
"We're the two highest ranked players in the world right now and it will be a fun match either way, but it will obviously be a lot better if we both win in the morning."
In Group Two, Justin Rose beat Hunter Mahan by four shots and Lee Westwood beat Webb Simpson by one after the US Open champion bogeyed the 18th.
Rose revealed he and Ryder Cup team-mate Ian Poulter had been inundated with congratulations for their triumph at Medinah while spending a few days in the Bahamas last week.
And the Englishman also offered his thoughts on Europe's next Ryder Cup captain, with Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke the current favourites.
"I think we have three or four good options," Rose said.
"I'm hearing Paul and Darren and maybe Paul Lawrie, but he is in the top 30 in the world and would probably want to play at Gleneagles.
"They (McGinley and Clarke) would both be great, I don't know if Darren might be more suited to America in 2016 as he is very popular over there.
"Paul will be very strategic and won't put a foot wrong tactically. He has holed the winning putt before and it means a lot to him. We have good options across the board." 

The event allows players to wear shorts, and four -- Westwood, Schwartzel, Mahan and Kuchar -- chose to do so. All but Mahan won their matches.
Westwood wore a red shirt and white shorts in tribute to his favourite football club, Nottingham Forest.
"These are footballers' legs," Westwood said. "I could still play for Forest with these legs."
Kuchar said he was happy to wear shorts again after spending the week after the Ryder Cup with his family in Greece.
"Being able to come to an event like this that is a little more relaxed is just great to be able to throw shorts on," he said.

EMBARRRASSING PERFORMANCE BY SCOTS TEAM IN EISENHOWER TROPHY - 44th BEHIND GUATEMALA, PUERTO RICO, RUSSIANS

 BIGGEST MISTAKE WAS NOT TO SELECT McDONALD

FROM TODAY'S SCOTTISH DAILY EXPRESS
By JOCK MacVICAR
The Scottish Golf Union will be quietly agonising at their Duke's headquarters in St Andrews today - or they should be.
Less than two months after winning the Home Internationals at Glasgow Gailes, a team representing the Home of Golf finished tied 44th in the World Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy in Turkey at the weekend.
The three-man Scots team ended up 40 shots behind the record-breaking American winners.
Only four years after the squad of Callum Macaulay, Gavin Dear and Wallace Boon won the Eisenhower in Australia, this latest Scottish side weere beaten by teams from golfing outposts such as Guatemala, Puerto Rico and the Russian Federation.
Guatemala only has six golf courses and Puerto Rico 30 but the Scots still contrived to finish behind them in what must rank as one of the most bitterly disappointing - and embarrassing - performances by a Scotland team for many a year.
A measure of fault must lie with the players although Stirling University's Graeme Robertson should be cleared of all blame as he was 20 strokes better than one of his partners, Matthew Clark, and 12 ahead of the other, Paul Shields.
The real criticism should be directed towards the SGU for coming up with a convoluted selection policy, brought in at the beginning of this year.
It takes three full pages to explain a system so involved that it must have been written by a committee or a person who relishes complicating an essentially simple exercise.
As soon as you get words such as "criteria," "timescales," and the "topography and type of grasses," you just know there will be trouble ahead.
However, the biggest mistake by far was the decision not to select Jack McDonald (pictured above).
The Barassie teenager was the highest-ranked Scot in the world amateur rankings, having won the British Universities title, reached the semi-finals of the British Amateur Championship at Royal Troon and played all four rounds of the Scottish Open.
He was the first amateur to make the cut in the Scottish Open for six years, so following in the footsteps of Sergio Garcia and Matt Kuchar when they were amateurs.
The recently published SGU selection policy states that the Eisenhower team will consist of the leading Scot in the world rankings and two selectors' picks.
However, officials shot themselves in the foot when they added that the leader in the world rankings also has to be in the top 15 in the SGU Order of Merit.
McDonald was just outside that because he played only a handful of events, albeit major ones.
To add insult to injury, the SGU then chose McDonald as their "Scottish Golfer of the Year," a piece of news buried under the welter of words emanating from the Ryder Cup, then the Dunhill Links.
No doubt the SGU's position will be defended, but, in truth, there can be no defence.
The ferociously wordy selection policy should be scrapped and replaced by a simpler and more sensible one.

DUNCAN STEWART SLIPS IN SAUDIA ARABIA

Duncan Stewart slipped out of a share of the lead over the second round of this week's MENA Tour event in Saudia Arabia, the Dirab Championship at Dirab Golf and Country Club. The Grantown-on-Spey man  had to settle for a 74 - six shots worse than his opening effort - for a 36-hole total of 142 with one round to go. Gavin Dear (Murrayshall), as he did last week, moved up to be leading Scot with a 68 for 141. He will be hoping to avoid his last-round slump of seven days ago. Tom Buchanan had a 73 for 147 and Greg Nicolson (Mortonhall) a 73 for 148 - both beating the cut at 153 with shots to spare. Leading the field into the final round at two Englishman, Daniel Owen (71-68) and Wlliam Harrold (68-71) on five-under 139 SECOND-ROUND LEADERS Par 144 (2x72) 139 D Owen (Eng) 71 68, W Harrold (Eng) 68 71 140 I Keenan (Eng) 71 69, A El Malki (Mor) (am) 69 71 SELECTED SCORES 141 G Dear (Sco) 75 68 142 D Stewart (Sco) 68 74, Z Scotland (Eng) 69 73, S Masih (Pak) 68 74, C Smith (Wal) 73  69, F Quicker (Swe) 73 69. 143 Y Ali (Eng) 71 72, D Wardrop (Eng) 75 68 144 B Lee (Wal) 72 72, P Walker (Eng) 73 71 145 C Mills (Wal) 73 72, J Westwood (Eng) 73 72, D Marmion (Eng) 71 74 147 T Buchanan (Sco) 74 73 148 G Nicolson (Sco) 75 73, H Housby Eng) 72 76.

WEST OF SCOTLAND GOLF LEAGUE POSITIONS

LEAGUE A

                             P.       W.     D.         L       F.    A.       Pts    

Renfrewshire         3        3        0        0     21.5   8.5        6

Stirlingshire           4        2        1        1     22      1 8          5

Ayrshire                 3        2        1        0     21        9         5

Glasgow                2        1        0        1       9      11         2     

Dumbartonshire     3        0        0        3       9      21        0

Lanarkshire            3        0        0        3      7.5   22,5        0

                                         LEAGUE Y

Dumbartonshire  4   2  2  0  21.5   18.5  6pts

Ayrshire             4   2  1  1  21      19    5       

Lanarkshire        3    2 0  1  14.5   15.5  4

Renfrewshire      3    1 1  1   19     11     3

Stirlingshire       4    1 0  3   18     22     2

Glasgow            2    0 0  2     6     14     0

HENDERSON WINS £1,500 PRIZE AND PLAY-OFFS PLACE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com  Former European Tour Rookie of the Year, Scott Henderson still has the game, at the age of 43, and the nerve to respond to pressure. Halfway leader in the final event of the Tartan Tour season, the Optical Express PGA 36-hole tournament over The Duke's Course, St Andrews, the Aberdonian (pictured) also had on his mind that he needed to earn enough Scottish PGA Order of Merit points to finish in the top three and so qualify for the Titleist play-offs in Turkey in December. Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) had already nailed down the No 1 Order of Merit position, which left Scott only second or third spot to aim at with his late surge. To Henderson's great credit, he pulled off a double whammy - he won the Optical Express PGA tournament - and landed himself one of the places in the Titleist PGA play-offs. The Kings Links Golf Centre tour pro won the £1,500 top prize with a five-under-par total of 137, made up of rounds of 68 and 69. He won by a shot from Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) who could have set Henderson a lower target had he not bogeyed the short 16th and 18th for a second-round 67 for 138. McKechnie had gone to the turn in four-under-par 32 but came home in 35. He earned £1,100. Henderson also had a couple of late bogeys over The Duke's tough finishing stretch. He dropped shots at the 14th and 17th but earlier birdies at the long first, long 11th, short 13th and 13th had virtually secured victory for the joint overnight leader. Chris Kelly (Cawder), who had shared the pole position after 18 holes on three-under 68, sagged to a 72 for joint third place on 139. Kelly started his round well and birdied the 17th but the middle part was his undoing. He had a double bogey 7 at the long sixth and dropped shots at the short eighth and par-4 nine to be out in 38. Kelly and joint third Chris Currie (Caldwell) (69-71) earned £712 apiece. The best round of the second day was a five-under-par 66 by rookie pro Kris Nicol (Fraserburgh), one of the Paul Lawrie Foundation "stable."  Nicol had seven birdies and two bogeys in halves of 33. He finished joint 10th on 143 alongside Greig Hutcheon (Banchory) who was more like his old self with a 68, seven shots better than his first-round effort. Hutcheon, winner of the Scottish PGA money table and Order of Merit, completed a clean sweep by winning the PGA Optical Express Order of Merit which put another £500 into the Banchory man's bank account. The other placings were: 2 David Patrick (Elie SC), 3 Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), 4 Scott Henderson (Kings Links). The final placings in the Scottish PGA Order of Merit were as tight a finish as Tournament Director Roy Murray could remember. They were: 1 Greig Hutcheon 971.65 2 Scott Henderson 787.50 3 David Orr (Mearns Castle) 785 4 David Patrick 783.75 5 Gareth Wright (West Linton) 781.25. Henderson's victory today saw him leapfrog up to second place from outwith the top five. The significance of that is that Hutcheon, Henderson and Orr plus Glenmuir PGA champion Gareth Wright (West Linton) go forward to the Titleist play-offs over Antalya Golf Club's Sultan course in Turkey from December 10 to 13 SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE FINAL TOTALS AT THE DUKE'S TODAY AND THE PRIZE MONEY ALLOCATION

OPTICAL EXPRESS FINAL TOTALS

OPTICAL EXPRESS SCOTTISH PGA 36-hole TOURNAMENT The Duke's Course, St Andrews FINAL TOTALS Par 142 (2x71) 137 S Henderson (Kings Links) 68 69 (£1,500). 138 P McKechnie (Braid Hills) 71 67 (£1,100) 139 C Currie (Caldwell) 69 71, C Kelly (Cawder) (£712 each) 141 K Hutton (Downfield) 73 68 (£500) 142 D Patrick (Elie SC) 71 71, G Cowan (Westerhope) 70 72, A Lockhart (Ladybank) 69 73, N Fenwick (Dunbar) 69 73 (£331 each). 143 K Nicol (Fraserburgh) 77 66, G Hutcheon (Banchory) 75 68, S Gray (Hayston) 73 70, J McKinnon (Irvine) 71 72 (£196 each) 144 Shaun McAllister (Craigielaw)) 74 70, M King (Kingsfield) 70 74 (£145 each). 146 G McBain (Gamola Golf) 76 70, G Fox (Rowallan Castle) 72 74 (£125 each). 147 G Brown (Montrose Links) 73 74 (£115) 148 P Wardell (Whitekirk) 75 73, M Isaacs (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 74 74, D Orr (Mearns Castle) 73 75, E Wood (Crow Wood) 70 78 (£52 each). 149 J Lomas (unatt) 78 71, L Kelly (Prodream USA) 77 72, E Saltman (Archerfield Links) 76 73, G Wright (West Linton) 73 76 150 S Taylor (Ranfurly Castle) 76 74 151 C McCalman (Turnhouse) 79 72, A Oldcorn (Kings Acre) 76 75, Stephen McAllister (Renaissance Club) 75 76, J McGhee (Duddingston) 74 77, C Ronald (Carluke) 73 78 152 C Matheson (Falkirk Tryst) 76 76 153 I Brown (Newent) 81 72, A McIntyre (Ranfurly Castle) 77 76 154 Ross Cameron (Saltire Energy) 79 75, D Laing (Craigielaw) 78 76. 155 S Reekie (Blairgowrie) 78 77, Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 77 78, M Kerr (unatt) 72 83 156 Heather MacRae (Gleneagles) 76 80. 157 J Findlay (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) 75 82. 158 D Wood (Hirsel) 78 80. 163 N Colquhoun (Merchants of Edinburgh) 83 80. 164 M Loftus (Mearns Castle) 88 76 165 S Young (Turnhouse) 81 84, E Walker (Burntisland) 81 84 171 G McSporran (Turnhouse0 86 85 174 Ricardo Scarafile (Eastwood) 88 86 176 K McNiven (Glencruitten) 89 87.

KEN VENTURI GETS PLACE IN WORLD GOLF HALL OF GAME

Former U.S. Open champion and long-time US TV golf  analyst Ken Venturi has been selected for the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Venturi, 81, was chosen through the Lifetime Achievement category.
Venturi overcame severe dehydration on the final day to win the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional, one of his 14 wins on the PGA Tour. 
He also was the only amateur with the 54-hole lead in the Masters, though he shot 80 in the last round to finish one shot behind in 1956. 
Venturi made even greater contributions in the broadcast booth, where he became a respected voice for 35 years with CBS Sports.
He also was the winning captain at the Presidents Cup in 2000.
Venturi will be inducted May 6 at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida.

NIGHT GOLF AT NEWBURGH, ABERDEENSHIRE on NOVEMBER 2

FROM IAN BRATTON
Night golf at Newburgh-on-Ythan, Aberdeenshire is back on Friday, November 2 after a very successful night last year. Instead of five holes it is  nine holes due last years feed back. 
It will be a fun competition  for all levels. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place. The fairways and hazards will be luminated by glow sticks and the balls light up when struck.

Tee-times available from 5 to 7pm in 10 minute intervals.  Individual entry costing £25 per person (to include your balls). Up to 4 persons can play in each time slot.

Please make your booking at the Newburgh  pro-shop and pay by October 23 in order that the correct supplies can be purchased. Head torches are recommended.

Call 01358789058 or email pro@newburghgolfclub.co.uk